Walk Leader

Impact

Walking for Health wouldn't exist without our fantastic volunteer walk leaders, who lead health walks taking place around the country. As a volunteer walk leader, you’ll be helping people in your community to get active and healthy, providing vital support that they otherwise might not get. As well as ensuring walks are friendly, safe and well run, walk leaders are also our ambassadors for walking, their scheme and Walking for Health - showing people that walking really can make a big difference to their lives.

What you would be involved in?

• Checking a route and familiarising yourself with it before leading the walk

• Welcoming walkers to the walks, particularly new walkers

• Giving a brief talk before the walk to make sure everyone is prepared

• Making sure paperwork like registration forms and registers are completed

• Leading and managing walks (usually with other walk leaders) – includes ‘back marking’ or ‘middle marking’ as well as leading at the front

• Making sure walks are welcoming, friendly, enjoyable and safe: following our best practice guidelines and the requirements of your scheme

• Trouble-shooting and dealing with problems on walks, with the support of your scheme coordinator.

• Providing information about other walks offered by the scheme and basic information about how to keep active

• Attending occasional walk leaders’ meetings and refresher training

• Staying in touch with the latest news and guidance

We are looking for people who:

• Friendly, welcoming and empowering with good communication skills

• Observant and sensitive to the needs of others

• Knowledgeable about the basics of the benefits of walking and physical activity

• Reliable, punctual, honest and well-organised

• Able to work independently but with guidance and support

• Confident at speaking in front of small groups

• Able to take control and be assertive when needed