Who, Where & Why...
Ruth is one of our Volunteer Wellness Walk Leaders.
Ruth 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.
Ruth is based in Lancashire, but leads lots of our walks in the Yorkshire Dales.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a Wellness Walk Leader
I have always had a love of the outdoors and know how beneficial it is to my own mental health. I regularly walk 50 miles a week, alone or in a group.
I was on a Wellness walk in Malham and Kelvyn was there, so he explained it all to me, I thought about it for a while – and decided by becoming a leader, I could share my passion for walking with others who were either new to it, unable to get out alone, or just needed a prompt to get out there whilst continuing to help myself.
What were your expectations before training started? What were you hoping to learn, gain or experience?
Although I knew I was extremely competent at reading a map and the countryside, I became quite anxious to show that I knew it. I have held First Aid certificates in the past, but never Outdoor or Mental Health ones, so that was a challenge.
I also found some of the Safeguarding training quite harrowing, but I know how vital it is that we do it.
Which part of the qualification process did you enjoy the most & why?
Being outdoors, sharing the space with other like minded people, all collectively helping each other. We all came from different walks of life, yet we all had the common interest of becoming qualified.
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What's been the personal impact of becoming a Wellness Walk Leader?
It gives me a real positive reason to get out there and put walks on. Gives me a sense of pride that people actually want to join me!
I have fallen more in love with the Dales each time I walk there. I enjoy telling the people about the area, the trees, birds etc as I have found so many people don’t know their names or history etc.
I suppose I took this knowledge for granted as my dad taught it me from a young age, I now realise, not everyone had a dad like mine!
What do you enjoy most about leading walks?
The people who join me, getting to know them, who likes the uphills but hates going down, who prefers their coffee black, who skirts round mud to those who stomp through it!
The awe and wonder of showing people new places, such as the Hoffman Kilns, Stainforth Falls, Norber Erratics, and watching the expression on their faces as they experience them for the first time.
The friendships that are being created between my regular walkers is lovely to see, can see people blossom in their own confidence.
And….the anticipation of a coffee shop!
Can you share a memorable moment or story from one of the walks you’ve led?
It’s hard to pick just one…though we do usually have a laugh getting over/through stiles in the most elegant fashion, how we find the hardest gate to open, which usually has the deepest muddy bog under it.
There was a large area of extremely wet bouncy moss on Sunday, that seemed to go on forever as we all jumped through it squealing as it was like being on a waterbed. The path had been rerouted from the farmers’ yard through the field(bog) beyond his wall. We decided that they had rerouted it, so they could laugh at us through their window! Thankfully we all saw the funny side to it.
How has this role impacted your own mental health, confidence, or skills?
I think the appreciation others show me, when on or after the walk has really made me feel quite humble. It makes me quite positive about myself, something that is not always there. I am doing this for myself, not just for others.
Participants are always very positive – I’ve had kind words written on the website, plus people verbally thank me.
Final Thoughts
If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering volunteering with Wellness Walks, what would it be?
Be prepared for the unexpected! It’s a lot of hard work, but very rewarding.
Where do you think your own journey with Wellness Walks will go?
I would be happy to put walks on in Lancashire and South Cumbria as well as the Dales.
I might go on to the Hill & Moorland Leader training, but need to make sure my knees and hip can cope!
How would you describe your experience with Wellness Walks in three words?
Adventure. Fun. Satisfying.