The following towns currently have Walkers are Welcome status:

Hebden Bridge
Moffat
Dumfries and Galloway
Prestatyn & Meliden North Wales coast
Mytholmroyd
West Yorkshire
Church Stretton Shropshire
Market Weighton,
E Yorks
Kilsyth
Lanarkshire
Pentrefoelas
Bishop's Castle, Shropshire
Richmond,
North Yorks
Otley, West Yorkshire
Cilgerran,
Pembrokeshire
Martley, Worcs
Tadcaster
Rhuddlan
Haltwhistle
Llanfairfechan
Penmaenmawr
Kirkby Stephen
Holywell
Deal
Malvern
Kingsbridge
Llangollen
Leyburn
Pickering
Llandrindod Wells
Winchcombe, Glos
Ross-on-Wye
Ilkley
Llandysul & Pont Tyweli
Wiveliscombe
Newton Stewart
Huntly
Pateley Bridge
Corby
Tomintoul
Chesham
Marsden
Bradfield
Cleobury Mortimer
Dunster
Hayle, Cornwall
Kirkintilloch
Longborough, Glos
Wellington, Shrops
Knaresborough Melrose
Kings Stanley & Leonard Stanley Dufftown
Guisborough
Tregaron

RESOURCES

Fact sheet 1: The Walkers are Welcome idea
Fact sheet 2: Six conditions for becoming a Walkers are Welcome town
Fact sheet 3: How to become a Walkers are Welcome town
Fact sheet 4: Case study (Hebden Bridge)

Newsletter (Jan-Feb 09) Newsletter (May 09) Newsletter (Aug 09) Newsletter (May 2010)

Leaflet: Discover Britain's Walkers are Welcome towns and villages The PDF is available for downloading here, and may be freely copied and printed. (Tip: Kingsbridge WaW group arranged for a local printer to print copies of this leaflet, as his contribution to the promotional work). We also carry stocks of this leaflet, which we make available at cost price. Prices are as follows: 25 copies £5; 50 copies £8; 100 copies £16, postage included). Send your order, and a cheque payable to Walkers are Welcome Towns Network to Nigel Botting, 8 Meadow Drive, Market Weighton, E Riding of Yorkshire, YO43 3QG.

Informal support and help: Towns and villages which already have Walkers are Welcome status will where possible try to offer informal advice to other communities, for example on practical issues such as waymarking, and also on possible sources of finance. In the first instance, please contact us.

Window stickers: Walkers are Welcome window stickers are available to communities which have WaW status. At present, small numbers may be available without charge - please enquire. Standard prices are as follows. 100 self adhesive stickers: £30 + £3 postage; 50: £18 + £2; 25: £10 + £1.50. Send your order, and a cheque payable to Walkers are Welcome Towns Network to Geoff Kitt, c/o 1 Ladyknowe, Moffat, DG10 9DY

Banners: W e have two attractive 3m x 1m Walkers are Welcome banners, which are available free of charge (you pay carriage) for towns with Walkers are Welcome status holding events, and for WaW launch events. We also have a bilingual Welsh/English banner, also available for borrowing. For the English banners, please contact Nigel Botting. For the bilingual Welsh banner, please contact Malcolm Wilkinson.

Insurance: We hope very shortly to be launching an extremely favourable insurance policy (covering public liability and other risks) which will be available to towns and villages with Walkers are Welcome status. For more information, please contact Nigel Botting.

Logo: Our logo is copyright. It may be used freely by towns and villages with Walkers are Welcome status. Other use is controlled by the Network committee. In general, associate members of the Network (ie towns and villages working towards WaW status) may only use the logo specifically on material linked to their bid such as petition forms or notices of public meetings, and not for general marketing purposes. Other uses, and all commercial uses, are not permitted without written approval. Scaleable logo (PDF). Scaleable bilingual (Welsh/English) logo. Scaleable bilingual (Scots Gaelic/English) logo. Scaleable bilingual (Cornish/English) logo.

Petition: Here is the signature sheet used in Church Stretton when they first applied for WaW status. You may wish to adapt it for your own use.

Constitution: Here is the constitution used by Pickering, which has been recognised as charitable by HM Revenue and Customs. You may wish to adapt it for your own use. Also available is the constitution of the joint Advisory Board for Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd.

The Walkers are Welcome Towns Network operates under a constitution, agreed by the 2007 conference. (Proposals for revisions to the constitution will be brought to the 2010 conference).

Walkers are Welcome towns are required to submit a short annual return each year. The 2010 Annual Return can be downloaded here.

Case study : Hebden Bridge

In summer 2006, Hebden Bridge Walkers' Action first proposed the idea of an accreditation scheme which would permit Hebden Bridge , and other towns, to officially announce that "Walkers are welcome”. The idea quickly took off locally, and the following steps were taken place.

1. Demonstration of local support. A petition inviting local people and visitors to Hebden Bridge to give their support to the Walkers are Welcome concept was launched in September 2006. On October 2nd the 250 threshold was crossed.

2. Formal endorsement of application for Walkers are Welcome status by local council. The Town Council formally endorsed the initiative at a meeting in October 2006; subsequently three local rural parish councils also gave their support. Calderdale MBC also backed the idea through funding the footpath waymarking project (see below).

3. Launch event. A very successful launch event (‘Walkers' Day') was held in February 2007 with a mixture of activities, ranging from the official Walkers are Welcome status ceremony to workshops, stalls and short guided walks.

4. Advisory board. The first meeting of the Hebden Bridge Walkers are Welcome Advisory Board, comprising representatives of the local town and parish councils, business representatives and community organisations, took place in April 2007. It meets approximately twice yearly, and is responsible for overseeing the Walkers are Welcome scheme. .

5. Marketing Walkers are Welcome . Funding was obtained to produce a general marketing leaflet and window stickers for local businesses, and these were produced in time for the February launch. Several articles were printed in the local press.

6. Waymarking selected routes. Hebden Bridge Walkers' Action worked with Calderdale MBC to create three waymarked routes from the centre of the town.

7.Business support. Hebden Bridge shops, hotels, pubs and b&bs were written to in mid-October 2006, inviting their support. Several agreed to take Walkers are Welcome window stickers. A number made financial donations, as Business Patrons, Key Business Supporters or Business Supporters of the initiative.

For full information about Hebden Bridge's bid to be the first Walkers are Welcome town, please visit the Hebden Bridge Walkers’ Action website