Planning and leading a community walk
We all know that walking and wheeling in the outdoors is fantastic for your health and wellbeing.
Whether it’s striding, strolling, pushing, or rolling, it lifts your mood, helps you get fitter, and helps you to live well for longer.
Walking and wheeling is inclusive, free, and incredibly low risk.
It’s also a great tool to bring communities together so that they feel more connected to each other and the space around them.
Whether it’s your colleagues or your community, you can be that person to motivate and inspire others to get out and enjoy all the benefits that walking and wheeling together bring.
We’re here to support you every step of the way with some tips and advice to help you do just that.
Planning your walk
Choosing a route
No matter where you live, there will be parks, canals, rivers, and interesting streets within easy reach of your meeting point.
It’s great to explore and find places that will motivate your group to keep meeting up and walking together.
When planning a route, it’s good to know who the walkers will be and what their ability levels are.
If you don’t know this because it’s the first meetup, then start easy and you can always increase the difficulty levels of future walks if that suits your group.
When choosing somewhere for your group walks, think about:
- Whether to keep the same route or vary it each time – there are pros and cons of each option, but it’s just about knowing your group and what you all want to get out of your walks together.
- Facilities – will you and your walkers need access to any facilities during the walk, such as toilets, seating or a café? If so, then consider this when choosing a route. You can find facilities marked on the apps mentioned in the route planning tools advice below.
- Doing a ‘recce’ or practice walk of your chosen route – doing a test walk along your chosen route in advance of your walk is a great idea, as it’ll enable you to spot any points on the route that you might need to make your group aware of, such as big puddles, narrow paths, or overhanging branches. For some helpful advice on things to look out for on your recce, just google “walking group risk assessment template”.
- Making your walk fun and enjoyable – a simple walk in the outdoors might be enough for your group most of the time. However, if you need a little more to act as a ‘hook’, you could incorporate a theme, such as photography, history, or nature, or make time for a drink and a chat in a local café at the end of the walk.
Before the walk
- You might want to download the What 3 Words app onto your mobile phone. This app is great for making sure emergency services can pinpoint your exact location if needed
- Make sure you’ve got a fully charged mobile phone with you in case of an emergency
- A final check of the weather forecast is a good idea in case you need to change your arrangements
Welcoming your walkers
- Chat to your walkers as they arrive, and make sure they’re aware if their clothing or footwear isn’t suitable for the walk you’ve planned
- Describe the route you’ve chosen, explaining the length, duration, a description of the terrain (e.g. hills, cobbles, water, busy roads etc.), points of interest, and check whether your group members are happy to go ahead with the walk.
- Do a head count – does your group size mean a back marker is needed? If so, ask your group whether anyone would be happy to be your back marker.
- Ensure any under-18s or vulnerable adults have come along with someone who can support them if needed.
During the walk
- Set a pace which matches the ability levels of your group
- Pause and allow slower walkers to catch up if needed
- Monitor the conditions on the walk and have a backup plan of what to do in case of worsening weather
- Keep your walkers motivated and point out anything of interest on the route
After your walk
- Repeat the head count to make sure you haven’t left any walkers behind
- Thank your walkers for attending your walk, tell them when and where the next one will be, and invite them to join you again
- Inspire and encourage people to walk independently outside of your group walks.
Do you need any further support?
Please contact carole@gmmoving.co.uk