The Right Way for High Speed Rail (19/10/11)

Ramblers supported a reception for MPs and Peers last night to promote the 'Right Lines Charter', a charter for doing High Speed Rail well. Alongside twelve other organisations including the RSPB, the CPRE, the Campaign for Better Transport, and the Woodland Trust, we were arguing that the Government's present High Speed 2 (HS2) proposals and consultation are unsound.

There are four key principles which the organisations believe High Speed Rail should comply with: (i) it should be set within the context of a national strategy; (ii) different options should be tested; (iii) there should be early public participation; (iv) adverse impacts should be minimised.

People have different views about High Speed Rail - personally, I support it as a way of persuading people out of their cars - but the current proposals are flawed.

One example of where we think they fall short are the proposals (or lack of them) for rights of way. There is a huge discrepancy (in the order of almost 6:1) between the number of rights of way that the Ramblers knows cross the proposed line (150), and the number claimed by the HS2 company (27). Many walking routes will be severed, and it's clear that this hasn't even been identified as a serious problem, let alone acted upon. It is no good the government and the HS2 company seeing rights of way as an afterthought.

For more information on the Right Lines Charter, visit www.rightlines.org.uk

Ramblers and Surrey Council act in tandem to relaunch Greensand Way route(13/10/11)

I very much enjoyed the re-launching of the Surrey section of the Greensand Way today. The 108 mile route, which takes in two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty as well as numerous Sites of Special Scientific Interest, wends its way from Hazelmere in Surrey through to Hamstreet in Kent. The relaunch includes new signage, waymarking, and mapping, and ten new downloadable web maps. It was a great partnership between the council and the Ramblers - with Ramblers volunteers helping to survey the route and produce the maps, as well as making a contribution to the cost of a leaflet.

The Ramblers is the eyes and ears for footpaths - keeping a watch over them. Sometimes we need to show our teeth, when footpaths are not maintained. But there are many occasions when we can work together with councils - and in these straightened times, we can help councils not only to maintain their footpath networks but also to improve them.

Thanks to all the volunteers involved - particularly Denis Holmes, the former chair of Surrey Area, and the Haselmere and Godalming Group. Thanks also to Surrey County Council for a superb job. You can download the guide and individual maps from: www.surreycc.gov.uk/greensandway

Celebrating Volunteers of the Get Walking Keep Walking project (8/10/11)

Four years ago, when Get Walking Keep Walking started, our goal was to recruit 750 volunteers to help bring Get Walking to 86,300 people.

Four years later, 910 volunteers have helped 87,600 people to walk more. 1,700 short walking routes have been designed and mapped by volunteers, and 500 12-week walking programmes have been organised - all with the vital help of volunteers.

Today, as the original funding from the Big Lottery Fund and the Ramblers Holidays Charitable Trust draws to a close, we held a celebration in Birmingham for 100 volunteers from all the Get Walking locations.

We heard from Salle Dare, who got involved in the Ramblers through Get Walking and went on to set up the Manchester and Salford Ramblers Group; from Terry Howard, long-time from Sheffield Ramblers, about how much pleasure he gets from introducing new people to walking. And we went out on a walk around the canals of central Birmingham, following the route of one of the first walks developed for Get Walking - for the nearby Chinese community.

Get Walking has helped to change the Ramblers. We've shown we can deliver large scale projects; and we've reached out to a more diverse Britain.

Although the original funding is drawing to a close, Get Walking lives on. A new project has recently started in County Durham, and with the help of Leicestershire and Rutland Ramblers, we'll be starting Get Walking Leicester early next year. We hope to use our experience to take on Walking for Health from the government.

The Ramblers General Council this year approved a resolution calling for Get Walking to live on, and we're determined to make sure that happens. All Ramblers Areas and Groups can help by lobbying their local councils to work with the Ramblers to bring Get Walking to their area.

A heartfelt thank you to all the 910 people who have given their time and energy to help others take up walking through Get Walking. I hope you will stay involved for the next chapter, too.

Ramblers trains civil servants in the art of developing walking routes 7/10/11)

We've been hosting about 15 civil servants from the Department for Transport, who are taking part in an away-day to spend time in a voluntary organisation.

After a morning’s training with staff, they've been helping to develop four walking routes in central London, between key public transport destinations. We’ll be using the routes they develop to promote walking as a healthy, cheap and interesting way of getting from A to B, as an alternative to public transport. With visitor numbers due to swell next summer, leading to pressure on public transport, we think these routes will be a hit with Londoners and visitors alike. My thanks to the team from Department for Transport for volunteering to support our work to promote walking.

Liverpool Link good for boaters and walkers (6/10/11)

Today the transition trustees (of which I'm one) of the new charity being established to tend 2,000 miles of canals and rivers in England and Wales from next April have announced that it will be called the Canal & River Trust (or Glandwr Cymru in Wales).

One of those canals it'll be responsible for is the Leeds-Liverpool canal, and on Tuesday evening I went on a walk along the new Liverpool canal link, which has been built to take boats from the previous end of the canal through a new section running right in front of the so-called Three Graces, two of which are the Cunard and Liver Buildings, into the historic Liverpool docks (including the Albert Dock). The centre of Liverpool has changed so much for the better over the past decade - partly because of the European Year of Culture which it hosted recently. This new link is one of the projects which was completed in time for that, and has really helped to transform the area - for those in the boats, and those along the waterside.

It's become a really good place to walk. Walking the tow-paths of the Leeds-Liverpool canal has always been hugely popular. People love to walk along the side of water. But now it's possible to follow the canal right through this iconic stretch of Liverpool waterfront. British Waterways currently manage it, but it will transfer to the Canal and River Trust next April, along with the walkway along the side of the Mersey for about four kilometres from that point.

Let's walk and talk about mental health (28/9/11)

This afternoon, on the Ramblers behalf, I signed a pledge that we'll raise awareness and get people talking about mental health; support an end to mental health discrimination; and promote the mental health benefits of walking and green space.

I'm proud that the Ramblers is one of the first national charities to sign up to this 'Time for Change' pledge, run by two mental health charities, Mind and Rethink.

1 in 4 people will experience some form of mental illness at some point in their lives. Statistically, in Ramblers terms, that means about 30,000 members, about 5,000 volunteers, and about 20 members of staff. And yet, so often, mental health is not talked about - a taboo subject, in the way that cancer used to be a generation ago. At the Ramblers we can play a small role in changing that.

One of the things that has struck me when I join Ramblers groups on walks is how many people come up to me and say they joined the Ramblers when they were low - through bereavement, or depression, or loneliness, or stress. They tell me, time and again, that the Ramblers "changed my life". I believe that there are many other people who could benefit from the walking and talking that the Ramblers offers, and we shouldn't be shy about promoting this.

In a recent survey of some of the 75,000 people who have taken part in our Get Walking Keep Walking programme, 86% said that taking part improved their mental wellbeing, and over half found that it had improved their social wellbeing.

So what practical things could we do? Perhaps make contact with your local Mind to publicise your walks. Or put on some special nature-themed walks. Or emphasise the social and mental benefits of walking in your recruitment literature. Best of all, talk about and recognise mental health. Let's us at the Ramblers play our part in bringing mental health out of the shadows.

Let's all Walk 4 Life this Sunday (21/9/11)

If you're not doing much this Sunday, why not come and join us for a Walk 4 Life?

Walking is like a wonder drug. It can make us happier, healthier, and longer lasting. What's more, it's available to just about all of us - and it's FREE! The trouble is, not enough people take this drug often enough - hence the modern health problems people face.

This Sunday, the Ramblers is supporting Walk 4 Life Day as part of the Department of Health’s Change4Life campaign to encourage families and adults to eat well, move more and live longer, by making small lifestyle changes that add up to big health benefits - like taking a walk. (You've probably seen the Change4Life TV adverts.)

There are free televised events (with special guests, but you'll need to come to find out who) in Birmingham, Cardiff, Durham, London, Manchester, Sheffield and Swindon (details here). As an example of the kind of thing being planned, in London there will be a special 3-mile televised walk in Bushy Park - a lovely tranquil woodland walk, a short rally with special guests, and a picnic to finish (see here for more info).


People can search for local walks by postcode on Walk4Life's website and our own Walks Finder

3000 walking Facebook fans, and growing (21/9)

Great news, we have reached the 3000 mark on Facebook! Thanks to everyone who contributes. It's becoming a great place for people to engage with the Ramblers and share walking news. It’s really grown as a community since the launch in July with lots of very enthusiastic contributors.

If you're a Facebook user and haven't yet joined the Ramblers page, here's the link:

http://www.facebook.com/ramblers

And if you're not a member already, why not join Britain's walking charity?

New devolution agreements for Ramblers Scotland and Ramblers Cymru signed (19/9/11)

The best access legislation in the world. That's what we have in Scotland, and what we saw when the Ramblers Board of Trustees, together with the senior management team, spent the past weekend at Glenmore Lodge near Aviemore in the Cairngorms National Park. It was our annual away weekend, where we step back to think about the future direction of the Ramblers. The fantastic right to access that exists in Scotland was brought home to me when talking over the weekend to a South African, who said that he found it amazing that we had such freedom to roam whereas in South Africa there is virtually no access at all to any private land.

I understand that it is the first time in the 76-year history of the Ramblers that the trustees have met in Scotland (historians amongst you might be able to correct me). Denis Canavan, the Convenor of Ramblers Scotland, hosted a dinner for us on the Friday evening along with other members of the Scottish Executive; and on the Saturday, after the work, many of us managed to get out into the national park for some walking (thanks to Dave Morris and Helen Todd from Ramblers Scotland for leading one of the walks).

It was a fitting occasion in which to sign the new devolution agreements for Ramblers Cymru and Ramblers Scotland, which give greater autonomy over policy and decision making in the two countries, as well as greater financial certainty. It's now over a decade since political devolution, and many issues regarding walking, rights of way, and access are decided by the respective governments in these countries. It therefore makes sense for Ramblers Scotland and Ramblers Cymru to have greater autonomy too. For the foreseeable future, we'll still be one organisation. But we'll need to keep this under review - it may be that a time comes when it makes more sense to have totally separate organisations in each country. Whatever happens, we'll still need to work closely together as a Ramblers 'family'.

Getting ready for walk4life day

Walk 4 Life Day, with ITV, is taking place on Sunday 25th September, and the Ramblers is helping out in places all over the country. Watch this clip from ITV Calendar News in Yorkshire and the North East, featuring Helen and Maureen from the Ramblers.

http://www.itv.com/yorkshire/walk-4-life21798/

Some things are easy to forget, don't let the Ramblers be one of them...

Can you imagine a Britain without your favourite charity? Gifts in wills are the cornerstone of many good causes, creating nearly £2 billion each year, the equivalent of twenty Comic Reliefs. You might not realise it, but at the Ramblers, legacies are vital to our work in protecting footpaths, promoting walking, and campaigning for access - like the amazing Fairy Dale in the Yorkshire Wolds which I visited a few weeks ago, and is now accessible for future generations because of the Ramblers campaigning work. We'd struggle to do that work if it weren't for the generosity of members who have remembered us in their wills.

So this year, we've joined forces with Remember a Charity, and we're taking part in Remember a Charity Week from 12-18 September to help raise awareness of legacy giving.

Of course, we don't expect you to write or update your will right now. We just ask that you give a thought to your favourite charity and when the time is right, after taking care of your loved ones, you'll remember us in your will.

You can find out more about how you can help to ensure that walking and the places you love to walk are protected for future generations at www.ramblers.org.uk/legacy, and read more about how legacies help the work live on at www.rememberacharity.org.uk.

"What are your favourite English Coastal walking routes?"

That's the question we've asked our members and supporters in an online poll. Believe me, Ramblers members are discerning walkers - so if you want good tips for walking routes, they're the ones to ask.

Topping the league is the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, from Kimmeridge to Durdle Door. But I have to say that my personal favourite is the walking route that comes fourth in the league table: the route from Saltburn-by-the-Sea to Saithes in North Yorkshire. Part of the Cleveland Way, I did this route in reverse a few years ago...stayed in a B&B at Saithes and then walked the cliff top route. The high cliff faces are almost jet black, and you've got the north sea out beyond - it's rough and wild and exhilarating. At the end of the walk, you descend down into the small Victorian town of Saltburn, which has quite a bohemian feel to it. A restored pier, working cliff cars, lots of surfers, and good fish and chips.

The Ramblers dream is for continuous coastal walking routes around the entire English coast. Some might think this far-fetched - our predecessors had the same reaction when they dreamed up the Pennine Way! - but actually there's now a law in place to create this. It'll open up the entire coastline to walkers. But the problem is, the Government seems to be dragging it's feet. The planning and design of the route is being delayed and there seems to be a distinct lack of commitment from the powers that be.

We've launched an appeal to keep the English Coastal path on track. If you would like to donate, please visit our website: www.ramblers.co.uk/donation or call 020 7339 8500.

Celebrating North Yorkshire's Open Access walks (30/8/11)

There are parts of the Yorkshire Wolds which were largely inaccessible to walks until the right to roam.

One such is Fairy Dale, a small dry chalkland valley near Burdale. It's a Site of Special Scientific Interest and features typical chalk grassland plants; and it's also the home of the closed-up mouth of the Burdale Tunnel, through which the old Malton-Driffield Railway used to pass before it closed in the 1950s. It's an area rich in human history dating back thousands of years; and also has a rare outcrop of breccia - angular fragments of flint and hard chalk cemented with calcite - known locally as the 'Fairy Stones'.

Today I visited the peaceful Fairy Dale to help launch a booklet describing this and nine other open access walks in North Yorkshire. The booklet, a collaboration between the local council and the local Ramblers Area, has apparently been as popular as hot cakes in local tourist centres (the landlord at our pub lunch-stop commented on how well it goes down with visitors - which means it's good for local trade).

Also at the launch was Lord Middleton, the landowner, who has helped by giving permission for two new paths and entry points for the months February to June, until 2013, for this walk; Cllr Stephen Shaw from North Yorks County Council; and Ramblers volunteer Tom Halstead, who wrote the guidebook and did much of the work to assemble the walks.

It was good to see how the greater access rights which we now enjoy are opening up previously secret parts of the countryside. It's also good to see the council, the Ramblers, and the landowner working together to make these new walks a success.

Thanks to all who took part in the launch today, including Peter Leese, Peter Ayling, and Chris Bush.