Newsletter / Walks info
May - August Sunday and Wednesday Evening Walks program has now been published
Welcome to the walks programme which provides details of the Sunday and Wednesday evening walks to be led by the Darlington Ramblers Group between 1st May 2024 through to end of August 2024 - refer separate Sunday and Wednesday pages for relevant schedule of walks etc.
For walkers’ guidance the walks in this programme are rated as easy, moderate or strenuous, and range in length from 4.5 to 10 miles. Easy walks are suitable for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness; they might include unsurfaced country paths and undulating ground, so walking boots are recommended. Moderate walks will include some more challenging conditions such as significant uphill and downhill slopes, and possibly more difficult ground conditions.
Most Sunday walks in this programme the group will meet outside the Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College on Vane Terrace Darlington and depart from there at 09:30 prompt and then share cars to the start of the walk. - However there are some that depart at 09:00 and the coach trip at 08:30 from the Dolphin Center
If you wish to go straight to the start of any walk please contact the walk leader beforehand, to check that arrangements have not been changed or the walk cancelled.
Non-members are welcome to come on up to three walks before joining Ramblers. The national charity’s goal is to protect the ability of people to enjoy the sense of freedom and benefits of walking.
For more information go to: http://www.ramblers.org.uk/about-us/ or phone the Ramblers central office in London on 020 7339 8500. You can access our group’s website through the national site or by searching for Darlington Ramblers.
Sunday walks programme co-ordinator - Bob King, Tel. 01325 359110
Email: l_r_king@btinternet.com
Photos of Group Walks
When you have finished a walk, do you wish you could go back and check out the great views that you saw on the day or indeed the route that the walk took?
Recent walks pics/route Maps are posted to " Darlington Ramblers " Facebook page.
GROUP OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Acting Chair – Paul Jackson
Secretary – David Reed
Vice Chair – Paul Jackson
Treasurer – Christine Hazlett
Footpath Secretary, Darlington Area – David Reed
Sunday Walks Programme Co-ordinator - Bob King
Wednesday Evening Walks Programme Co-ordinator - Marg West/ Martyn Reed
Countryside Officer – David Reed
Minutes Secretary – David Reed
Webmaster – Paul Jackson ( Still in training )
Social Secretary – Marg West and Audrey Noble will jointly cover the duties
Membership Secretary – Bob King
General committee member - Gillian Drummond
WALK LEADER’S CHECKLIST
Would you be interested in leading a group walk? If so, an excellent introduction to what it involves is the Walk Leader’s checklist prepared by Ramblers central office. You can download a copy from www.ramblers.org.uk. You will find it in the Walk Leader Toolkit in the Volunteer Zone. The brief and straightforward notes set out things to do or think about before the walk, the day before, on the day, on the walk, and after the walk. Also included is first aid advice provide by the British Red Cross. I have a few printed copies of the checklist if you would prefer to have a hard copy.
EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS
Contact- Bob King for an “In Case of Emergency” slip which it is good for every walker to fill in and carry on walks. Please ask me for a copy if you do not already have one.
MAP LIBRARY
The Darlington group has a small library of local OS maps which are available for group members to borrow. If you need a map, to prepare for leading a walk or just for your own purposes, please get in touch- Alternatively Ordnance Survey web site has 7 day free access where it is possible to plan/map out routes.
Bob King, Sunday walks co-ordinator
Tel. 01325 359110
Email: l_r_king@btinternet.com !
Darlington Ramblers Group has recently joined The Walking Partnership. This partnership, supported by Ramblers Worldwide Holidays, provides a direct financial contribution to the group if a member takes a holiday with them
Ramblers Worldwide Holidays operate group walking holidays in the UK and all around the world. Take a look at their website on www.ramblersholidays.co.uk or give them a call on 01707 331133 for more details or to order a brochure.
Remember when you book to quote the name of our group, and we will then receive a contribution of £10 per person on UK holidays, £20 per person on short haul holidays, and £30 per person on long haul holidays. This extra funding could really make a difference to us!
Email addresses
If you have received paper copies of the walks programme and newsletter through the post, and have an email account, would you please let me have your email address. Postage is a major expenditure for the Darlington group, so being able to send programmes electronically makes a significant saving.