Walkers are Welcome Scheme

[Simple Simon 36]

The following is a fact sheet that was too long to be included in the winter issue of the "Selattyn & Gobowen Parish Roundabout", so I've pasted it here to be viewed by all four villages:

The Walkers are Welcome idea

Walkers are Welcome towns and villages are places which have something special to offer walkers. It is a bottom up status and accreditation scheme. 70 + towns/villages signed up as full or associate members. Collectively managed by a members committee

Benefits.

• strengthen a town’s reputation – WaW a strong brand
  
• good for the local economy.
  
• can unite a town
  
• ensures footpaths are maintained
  
• contributes to local tourism plans
  
• strong network support – newsletters - conference
  
• promotional material and website presence
  
• New ideas! Walking Festivals…Cultural links…Food and drink …Entertainment
  

History

2006 - first discussed. 2007 Pennine town of Hebden Bridge became the first Walkers are Welcome town closely followed by Moffat in Scotland and by Prestatyn & Meliden.

Six conditions for becoming a Walkers are Welcome town

1. Demonstration of popular local support for the concept. 500 signatures of support from local residents, visitors, accommodation providers, traders

2. Local Council formally endorsing application for Walkers are Welcome status by passing a resolution in support, by allocating some responsibility for Walkers are Welcome to a member of staff or committee, making small budget available

3. Action to ensure that facilities for walkers are maintained in good condition. Local council and/or voluntary groups make a commitment to ensure that paths are walked regularly and obstacles and problems are dealt with promptly.

4. Adequate marketing of Walkers are Welcome status. Press coverage, signage in the centre of town, waymarked walks starting from town centre, leaflets readily available, local shops display Walkers are Welcome stickers

5. Encouragement of walking using public transport. Clear public transport advice on marketing leaflets

6. Mechanisms in place to maintain Walkers are Welcome status. EG The creation of a local Walkers are Welcome steering group

How to become a Walkers are Welcome town

Step1 General discussion + Establish an informal steering group to oversee the project –

Step 2 Let the Walkers are Welcome Towns Network know. They have informal mentoring arrangements to help and resources.

Agree to proceed and apply to become an associate member of the Network by

• Filling in form on www.walkersarewelcome.org.uk
  
• Sending the annual subscription of £50
  

Step 3 Work in your community to meet the criteria

Step 4 Keep the Walkers are Welcome Towns Network informed as you progress.

Don’t take too long. Typically, it shouldn’t take much over six months to become a Walkers are Welcome community.

Step 5 Meet the criteria and contact the Walkers are Welcome Towns Network committee which will assess your application, and all being well, you will be awarded Walkers are Welcome status.

Step 6 Celebrate!....Organise official launch and associated events….Attract widespread publicity and media coverage.

Top Tips for publicity from the towns represented at the 2010 Annual Conference

·Use Survey Monkey for gathering feedback - www.surveymonkey.com

·Get local schools involved, the children then enthuse their parents

·Prescription walks - work with your doctor’s surgery to produce leaflets of short, easy walks that can be handed out to patients instead of/as well as normal prescriptions

·Use car stickers to promote WaW, your website or walking events

·Ask the accommodation providers in your area to add a web link to your website and the WaW website

·Ask accommodation providers to add the WaW logo to their publications.

·Branded clothing – wear the WaW logo with pride. WaW national committee to look into offering this to all towns from one manufacturer

·Try to get articles into train company magazines, for people to read on a long journey

·Produce postcards and bookmarks with a lovely view on the front and the website and logo on the reverse. Get them inserted into Hotel and B&B bedroom browsers in the area, so that visitors can send them to friends and relatives.

·Produce an attractive walker’s calendar with the WaW logo and website details. Mark on it important dates such as your walking festival.

·Put visitors books in every teashop and invite walkers to add feedback on their experience in the town

·Don’t undersell what you are doing, think big and ask for donations from businesses. Offer a choice of sponsorship amounts with different benefits.

·TV is the best publicity you can get, increasing visitor numbers dramatically. Be persistent and try to contact names at TV companies rather than just the company. However, make sure your town can cope with the extra visitor numbers!

·Julia Bradbury is launched the Go Yomp website on 4 November 2010 to promote walking. Check it out and think about how it can work for your town

·Work with the council to erect WaW signs at the entrances to the town

·Keep businesses involved and updated by producing and circulating a regular newsletter of your achievements and ideas

·Work with your local TIC, make sure they know what you are doing.

www.walkersarewelcome.org.uk also peter.dunhill@shropshire.gov.uk

Edited December 3, 2011 by Simple Simon

[Community Online 65]

Downloadable Version

Walkers are Welcome.pdf

[Maggie 65]

This sounds very good/

Isn't Oswestry going to sign up for this? see this link

http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/oswestry/blog/walkers-are-welcome-oswestry-working-towards-accreditation/article041094.htm

The local contact is Peter Dunhill, the guy who has been developing footpaths around Oswestry (e.g. one in Chirk Bank) as part of a northern Shropshire Way project from Shropshire Council. Think he's got one going through Gobowen too but could be wrong there.

Do we know whether villages can sign up, or whether there is a limit to size. It is something that ties in with wishes from the community that have come out from the Big Local Questionnaire, in that improving footpaths, encouraging local people to get out and be healthy, etc etc are things people have put forward for the money to be spent on.

It would also help develop small businesses in the area by bringing walkers in to enjoy what we tend to take for granted.

It is something we could all do with what we have already, wouldn't need lots of extra resources, and sounds well worthwhile.

Thanks for drawing my attention to it.

[Maggie 65]

have received this response from Peter Dunhill, asking him whether villages could sign up.:

'Hi Maggie

I have written to all the surrounding parish councils asking if they would like to be included in the 'and area' bit of Oswestry and Area Walkers are Welcome. To date only Kinnerley has replied but I dont know how regularly the other parishes meet. '

Looks like we would need to lobby parish councils to get them to see the value to being included with Oswestry.

[Simple Simon 36]

I think Peter was at the meeting last night. Someone was talking about the scheme. Anyway, I have been told that Selattyn & Gobowen Parish Council was committed to the Walkers are Welcome scheme.

[leebarnfield 30]

Found this on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/OswestryWalkers Their profile says they are the Walkers are Welcome group working towards accreditation.

[Maggie 65]

Walkers are Welcome in Wenlock launched today...nice website:

http://www.muchwenlockguide.info/much_wenlock_walking/index.shtm

has any more happened about us being included in Oswestry version?