1.  Register as a Ramblers Volunteer and Walk Leader

Before you can start leading Ramblers walks you need to be registered as a volunteer and then to complete some online leadership training modules.  These modules are not a test, rather they are designed to give you important information for leading walks.  Volunteers have found these to be interesting and useful.  (If you hold an approved Mountain Leader qualification this will serve instead of the training modules.)

The Membership Secretary (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)can  arrange registration and provide you with details of how to access the training modules.  Alternatively, from time to time there are ECR leadership taster workshops where you can complete the modules in a group.  New leaders must complete these requirements before they lead any walks.

Contact the Walk Coordinator for the length of walk you would like to lead to find out how to arrange a date for your walk – see contact information in section 9 below.

2.  Recce your walk

Before leading a walk, you should do a recce but this will vary depending on how familiar you are with the route and area.  The walk can be anywhere in reasonable travelling distance, usually not much more than about an hour from Macclesfield/Wilmslow.  In the winter we tend to walk closer to home, and the walks tend to be at the lower end of the distance scale because of daylight constraints.  The categories of our walks by length and difficulty are detailed in “Posting a Walk Description” 

Risk Assessment: While you are carrying out the recce, and after you have completed it, consider what hazards or potential risks there could be and how you can mitigate them.  You can use Ramblers Risk Assessment check list as a starting point to think about your specific walk.  You can access this from the Ramblers website:

Ramblers Risk Assessment Check List or you can download it from the ECR website under the Walk Leaders tab.

Refreshments: It is useful to identity suitable places to stop for drinks and lunch breaks; the number of breaks depends on the length of the walk and the needs of the walkers. Breaks tend to be at least 10 minutes for the drinks breaks and 20 minutes for lunch but could be longer or shorter depending on the weather or needs of the walkers.

Medium and Long walks usually have ‘coffee break’ in the morning (about 11am) and a lunch break.  Long walks usually have an additional short drink break in the afternoon. 

Short and Stroller walks usually just have a drink break about halfway round, as these walks usually end before lunch time.

3.  Post your walk on Walks Manager

Under the Walk Leaders tab on the ECR website you can find a video and written instructions in How to add a walk on Walks Manager.  See also Posting a Walk Description for details of what to include in your description.

To post a walk, click the List a Walk button on the ECR website home page.  This will take you to Walks Manager, after you have read a pop-up box with a few reminders.

Your walk should preferably be posted at least 7 days beforehand, 14 days if possible.  In winter notice tends to be at the shorter end because of the chance of weather changing.

If you have a GPX file of your route you can add to your walk description that one is available.

4.  At the start of the walk

• Gather the group together to say hello, introduce new walkers and provide an overview of the route
• Highlight potential hazards on the route so walkers can keep themselves and others safe
• Check that everyone has ICE/emergency contact details with them
  (New plasticised business-card size ICE cards are available through Walk Coordinators, Membership Secretary or Chair)
• Appoint a back-marker and consider appointing a middle-marker if you are leading a larger group
• Ensure the backmarker has your phone number and is carrying a whistle
• So that a GPX file can be made available on the ECR website, nominate one person on your walk to record the route on a walking app. When you’ve finished the walk ask the nominated person to email the GPX to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will add it to Past Walks.

5.  During the walk

• Stay in sight or communication with your back marker, stop and make sure you can see the back marker when you make any turns
• Take regular headcounts and make sure you stop for people to regroup if the walkers are getting spread out. The backmarker should blow their whistle if the group is getting too far behind the leader.
• Photos: Please ask walkers whether they wish to opt out of photos before anyone on your walk takes any. Photos, together with the date, walk leader, and where the walk took place, can be emailed to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and they will appear on our Facebook page and ECR website.

6.  After the walk

• Let new walkers know when the next walk is, and the steps to join the group or stay in touch.
• If you're going to a post-walk social, make sure everyone feels welcome to join
• Submit number of walkers: email the appropriate Walk Coordinator (see section below) with the number of walkers (to include the leader) for inclusion in group walk statistics.
• You can send photos to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.so they can be posted on ‘Past Walks’ and ECR Facebook page. Please include as a minimum, the date, the walk leader and where the walk took place. If you wish, you could also include any interesting details about the walk or the area you’ve visited for the Facebook page.

7.  Report incidents or ‘near misses’

You must inform ECR Secretary and Chair if there is an incident on your walk (see section 10 below for contact details).  Then complete an Incident Report Form as soon as possible, link here  (or find it under Walk Leaders tab on the ECR website) or Secretary/Chair can provide it.

Open the incident report form

• Scroll down to the bottom of the form and click ‘Download’.
• Save the form and complete it electronically offline, Save again
• Then forward it to the ECR Secretary who will send it to the Ramblers Association (Don’t send it to the address given on the form).

The Chair, Coordinator or Secretary can help you with completing the form.

8.  Cancellation

If you find you cannot lead your posted walk, contact the relevant Walk Coordinator as soon as possible.  If between you, you can’t find a substitute leader, cancel your walk on Walks Manager.  You can find instructions for how to do this in How to add a walk on Walks Manager.

9.  Contacts

Walk Coordinators for the different length walks

Stroller	Lorraine Tolley	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Short midweek	Denise Hutchinson	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Short weekend	Jane Gay	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Medium midweek	Andy Davies	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Medium Weekend	Paul Higinbotham	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Long midweek	Anne Ball	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Long weekend	John Galligan	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Evening	Steve Osborne	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

     Useful ECR Contacts

Chair	Maggie Swindells	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Secretary	Steve Hull	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Membership	Anne Ball	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

10. Supplementary Resources

• ECR documents for Walk Leaders
  Under the Walk Leaders tab on the ECR Website you can find:
  
  

What a volunteer needs to do before leading a walk

Notes for Walk Leaders

Posting a Walk Description

Leading a Walk - Frequently Asked Questions

How to use OS Maps App on phone, PC  and other electronic devices

Ramblers recommended First Aid Kit

Ramblers Risk Assessment Check List

Incident Report Form

Getting Help in an Emergency

What3Words

• Ramblers website information for Walk Leaders

You will find there is a wealth of information to help you lead safe, welcoming 

and enjoyable walks on the Ramblers website. 

Sign in and click: Support Us > Volunteering>Walk Leadership

• Ideas for walking routes
  
  ECR website - under the Walks tab you can find
  A Collection of Walks and Past Walks
  
  

Ramblers website -scroll down to:
Find a walking route

Walking apps  such as OS Maps app and Outdooractive

Walking sites online  such as Walking World

Books with collections of walks.

To complement the information in this document, see  Posting a Walk Description, and Leading a Walk: Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found under the Walk Leaders tab on the ECR website.