Good News for Walkers and Ramblers
- Tom Franklin, Ramblers Chief Executive (left) and Brian Smith, HF Holidays’ Chief Executive (right)
Ramblers is HF Holidays new walking Charity of the Year
The Ramblers – Britain’s walking charity working to safeguard footpaths and to encourage more people to take up walking – is to become HF Holidays’ walking charity for 2012.
HF Holidays is the UK’s largest walking holiday organisation, welcoming more than 50,000 people on walking and leisure activity holidays every year.
From 1 October this year, HF Holidays will support the work of Ramblers with a number of initiatives designed to increase membership of the charity, and raise funds for its work.
Speaking at the launch of the new partnership, HF Holidays’ Chief Executive Brian Smith said: “HF Holidays’ members and guests owe a great deal to the campaigning work of the Ramblers, particularly in terms of countryside access. We’re looking forward to working more closely together to promote the health and social benefits of walking, and the work of Ramblers in general.”
A donation to the charity will be made each time a Ramblers member books on a HF Holidays walking or leisure activity break.
Other initiatives include making HF Holidays’ country houses around the UK available to local Ramblers clubs and promoting Ramblers membership in HF Holidays’ brochures and guest communications.
Tom Franklin, Ramblers Chief Executive said: “We’re delighted that the UK’s largest walking holidays organisation is choosing to support our work. Our organisations – both long-established and both member-based – have a great deal in common.
“Both Ramblers members and HF Holidays are passionate about opening up the British countryside to walkers, and about the benefits of walking for everyone, of every age. We look forward to introducing more of our members to HF Holidays, and to walking together in 2012 – and beyond.”
The Ramblers is currently fighting to prevent cherished footpaths deteriorating and disappearing as a result of public spending cuts.
About HF Holidays
- Founded in 1913, HF Holidays is a co-operative society arranging walking, outdoor and leisure activity holidays for up to 50,000 people each year. HF Holidays operates 17 Houses in the UK’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- Holidays range from guided walking breaks and self-guided trails in Britain to challenging ascents Worldwide. The leisure activities range includes art, music, literature and mind-and-body holidays.
- HF Holidays’ walks leaders are volunteers who have to pass a rigorous selection course: they are passionate about walking and keen to share their experience with guests.
- HF Holidays contributes to environmental projects around the country – such as footpath maintenance – through its Pathways Fund, and supports many charities involved in the outdoors like National Trust, Campaign for National Parks, local Air Ambulance and Mountain Rescue teams as well as charities in Kenya and South Africa.
- HF Holidays was voted ‘best large tour operator’ by Guardian and Observer readers in 2010, with a satisfaction score of 97.4%.
- HF Holidays is a member of ABTOT and is ATOL protected.
About Ramblers
- The Ramblers is at the heart of walking in Britain. Everyone walks, so the Ramblers is for everyone.
- It is Britain’s walking charity. It works to make it easy for everyone to walk, whether in countryside, cities, hills, coasts; on or off the beaten track.
- It has a grass roots network of 120,000 members and over 12,000 volunteers who work tirelessly for a walking Britain. For over 75 years it has helped build and protect Britain’s 130,000 mile long path network, it runs over 38,000 walks a year, and campaigns for better walking routes and more walking opportunities
