Practical and easy-to-follow leadership training for walking volunteers
Features
- E-learning
- Mobile friendly, non-responsive
- Story/scenario driven
- Video
Walkgrove updated and expanded a series of bespoke e-learning modules that provide essential guidance for volunteers leading hikes and strolls across the country.
The training need
The Ramblers Association is a British charity and one of the largest walking organisations in the world, dedicated to removing barriers so everyone can enjoy walking in green spaces. It has over 150,000 members and thousands of group walk leaders.
The organisation recognised that their core training for walk leaders needed an update, and commissioned Walgrove to refresh the content. The Ramblers also requested additional online training about how to deal safely with incidents while leading walks.
The courses were to be recommended training for Ramblers volunteers, with potential wider roll-out to external walking clubs and groups. Training needed to reflect the Ramblers’ recently relaunched brand and to showcase the credibility and quality of the organisation’s support for enjoyable, safe and inclusive walking.
Our bespoke learning solution
Walkgrove delivered two bespoke e-learning courses on walk leadership that are both impactful and give a great impression of the Ramblers.
The fully updated Ramblers Walk Leadership Foundations course includes 1.5 hours of custom e-learning that empowers volunteers with the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to lead all types of walks.
As part of incorporating new learning materials, Walkgrove carried out an instructional design review of the existing course flow and structure. Split across six easily digestible modules, the newly refreshed training covers key practical steps needed to plan and deliver a successful walk, including using tools such as risk assessments and route navigation. The course also gives guidance on soft skills for group management.
The new one-hour Preventing and Managing Incidents e-learning develops volunteers’ understanding about walk leadership, focusing on how to deal with the rare occurrences of incidents, accidents, and emergencies.
Both courses look polished and attractive, and use an instructional approach designed to inspire, enthuse and reassure volunteers getting started leading group walks.
Clear tutorial screens feature professional photography of Ramblers groups doing all types of beautiful walks, from gentle parkland trips to more rugged mountain adventures. The mobile-friendly e-learning modules also include many bespoke video and audio case studies, tutorials and top tips from real volunteers and leaders. The visual representation is diverse to appeal to a wide audience, and the friendly style of content delivery is enhanced with positive audio narration in an encouraging tone.
To build confidence in their new knowledge of how to lead successful walks, learners complete informal learning checks and have the chance to apply their skills to different interactive scenarios.
To assist the training rollout to other walking clubs beyond the Ramblers, as part of the e-learning development Walkgrove also produced a generalised version of each course, with adapted content that has relevance to a wider audience.
