Who, Where & Why...
Rachael is one of our Volunteer Wellness Walk Leaders.
Rachael is a fully qualified Lowland Leader & like all of the team she also has qualifications in First Aid for Mental Health, Outdoor First Aid and Safeguarding.
Rachael is based in beautiful Gwynedd.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a Wellness Walk Leader
I am studying to become a counsellor and needed to do some volunteering for the level 3 course. I really wanted to carry out my placement outdoors, as I love nature and find it to be really beneficial for body and mind. So when I found out about Wellness Walks it looked like the perfect fit – I applied & got accepted and now here I am leading walks!
What were your expectations before training started? How did you feel?
My partner is an ML (Mountain Leader) so he told me it would be fine…..
…that didn’t allow for the rain and mud and rain we had on our assessment days or me damaging my achilles.
I’ve done DofE and other outdoor instruction before so a lot of the training was familiar – but it was really helpful to have a refresher – see a couple of great instructors and rekindle my enthusiasm for helping people to get into nature.
Which part of the qualification process did you enjoy the most & why?
Mental health and safeguarding training was v good. Much better than courses I’ve done in the past.
I also really liked meeting the other Wellness Walks leaders and becoming part of the team.
What's been the personal inpact of becoming a Wellness Walk Leader?
Having complete strangers thank you at the end of the walk because they had such a good time is very rewarding. Seeing the same people come back for more walks is also very reassuring.
I get to choose when and where we go, and show off parts of North Wales to people. I get to inspire people to get outside/in the water.
Can you share a memorable moment from one of your walks?
Showing someone that their poles extended! They didn’t know!
 How has this role impacted your own mental health, confidence, or skills?
It’s definitely helped me to be more confident leading groups outdoors, which hasn’t been my job for 20 years. It’s helped me remember how special it is to be able to help other people –Â I want to do more of it, I wish I had more time.
Final Thoughts
 If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering volunteering with Wellness Walks, what would it be?
go for it – it’s really rewarding and a great way to get outside and help other people.
Where do you think your own journey with Wellness Walks will go?
I’d really like to do the next qualification with Wellness Walks-Â the Hill and Moorland Leader.
I’ve also qualified as an Open Water Lifeguard (next up is Open Water Swim Coach) and I’m really excited to build these into my Wellness Walks offerings.
How would you describe your experience with Wellness Walks in three words?
Rewarding. Informative. Supported.
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