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Welcome to Ivel Valley Walkers new website! We hope you like it! If you have any feedback, please contact our webmaster (see the Contact Us page for the email address). As part of the switch, our committee email addresses have changed - the old "@ivelvalleywalkers.co.uk" addresses are no longer valid - see the Contact Us page for the new addresses.

See below for the latest newsletter from the committee.

Our Spring 2020 Walks Programme is available. See Walks Programme Page for more details.There are nearly 70 walks covering everything from 4 mile Thursday ambles to the 12 mile Tuesday and Sunday walks.

Lockdown Photos

As we have been unable to walk as a group, we thought it would be a great idea to give everyone the opportunity to share what they have been up to in pictures. We have created an album on our Gallery page for you to do just that. Videos can also be uploaded.

Before you start, if you are going to add photos or videos that include other people’s faces, you must obtain their consent first, and do not publish their names or any personal data. Please do not add photos of anyone under the age of 18.

Click here to open the Summer 2020 Covid Lockdown album. Then to add photos, click the button on the right-hand side at the top of the screen highlighted in yellow below:

You’ll be presented with the following screen:

Click on ‘Select from computer’ as highlighted in yellow above and you can then browse your computer’s directory structure and find the photos to upload. Click on the photo and then click Open. When the upload completes, you’ll see your photo in the album. Now you just need to add a description so others know what the photo is about, so click on your photo and it will display on its own. On the right of the screen you will see the following buttons:

Click on the one ringed in red above – the info panel will open on the right-hand side. If the buttons disappear, move your mouse around and they should re-appear. Enter something where it says Add a Description that lets others know what the photo is about. Close the Info box by clicking on the X at the top.

You can also add comments on your own or anyone else’s photos in the album - just open the photo and click on ‘Say Something’ on the bottom right of the photo:

We hope we can create a collection of pictures (and videos) that everyone can enjoy in these strange and difficult times. Please feed back any comments that you have by emailing our Webmaster.

Important - please click here to understand the rules about COVID safety on our walks

Please click here to see an update from our Chairman including an announcement on the reduction in max numbers on our walks to 10 including the leader from 6th Oct 2020.

Please note that following the government's announcement of "Rule of 6", Ramblers have said that Ramblers Group Walks are exempt from the new restrictions on social gatherings. Click here to read the current information from Ramblers.

Our Spring 2021 programme of walks starts on 1st January. It is displayed on the IVW website in the same way as our Summer and Autumn 2020 Rolling Programmes. To view our programme up to the end of April 2020 please visit our Walks Programme page. Note that we will continue to add additional walks so visit regularly to get the best out of our dynamic programme.

As before, you must book your place in advance on any walk you wish to attend. When booking, please bear in mind that Bedfordshire and some surrounding areas are now under Tier 3 Restrictions, and travel to or from Tier 3 areas, including neighbouring areas is advised against.

Our Membership Secretary will continue to send out weekly updates to remind you about our dynamic programme of walks.

Please be assured that we take the safety of all our members, and those from the general public that we meet on our walks, very seriously and we will not do anything that compromises that. If you have any questions or concerns please contact any member of the committee.

RIPPLE dates for 2020

All Ripple events are currently cancelled as required by Tier 4 Restrictions

RIPPLES RETURN.

Although we had a short break during lockdown our RIPPLE activities resumed as soon as we were able and up to the end of August we have been working one day per week on a Thursday thanks to Central Bedfordshire ROW Officers. Work has been done improving paths in Northill, Harlington, Ampthill, Sundon and Wootton for which we were thanked by Parishes, Councillors and members of the public.

As restrictions were eased and groups started putting on more walks again it became apparent that it would be necessary and sensible for us to go back to a Tuesday which is what we will be doing from 29th September.

Tuesday will be our main day of operation as this currently is a free day on all group programmes (Alternate Tuesdays on Ivel Valley programmes) and we have volunteers from all over Bedfordshire this also appears best for them.

The bigger tasks are for Tuesdays (listed below) whilst there are small tasks which can be done by 2/3 volunteers and on a day to suit the people wishing to be involved. Currently there is a job for 2/3 volunteers putting in marker posts and adding discs in the Pics Hill estate between Bromham and Turvey. This may be upscaled or become two separate tasks as other work has since been identified.

Dates

Before the additional safety requirements brought about by COVID-19 and Government regulations a Risk Assessment was always done and will continue. All volunteers have been registered as such with Ramblers.

We must now state how many people we need so as to avoid breaking any laws on numbers and social distancing. All our Volunteers will need to tell us (contact details below) if they will be attending (at that time we will pass on details for each event) and we have to keep your details in case of any infection to pass on to NHS Test & Trace.

All volunteers will be expected to abide by rules on COVID-19 applicable at the time.

New volunteers are always welcome (please register as a volunteer with Rambers).

Currently please bring own tools.. Loppers, small saws, hedge cutter if you have them otherwise we can provide you with some equipment which will be disinfected before and after.

For anything to do with our RIPPLE activities please get in touch.

barry.ingram74@btinternet.com
Tel. 01234 353704

Please remember that we must abide by the rules set out by Ramblers and Leaders to make sure that our walks are COVID safe. In order keep COVID safe, please observe the following etiquette:

You as walkers are responsible for making the walk COVID safe, both within the group and for anyone you meet or pass while out on the walk.
Keep 2m apart from anyone not in your household (measured by you standing side by side with someone with both arms outstretched – if you can touch fingers you are still too close).
Where appointed, the back and middle markers will monitor and remind walkers of the rules on distancing and etiquette.
When approaching a kissing gate, stand 2m back from it until the person in front has passed through. Don’t try to hold it open for the person behind as you will get too close.
When approaching a gate the first person through should hold it open until all have passed through and then close the gate behind them.
When approaching a stile or other obstacle like a bridge over a ditch, make sure the person in front has cleared it and moved away before you start to climb or cross it.
If we meet others while on the walk, we should always give way. This may involve backing up to, or waiting in, a wider area to make sure there is room to pass.
Do not share equipment (such as poles) or refreshments on a walk with anyone outside your household.
Always carry hand sanitiser, gloves and a face covering – COVID standard equipment

To read more click on the COVID Safe Etiquette button below

Current IVW walks are listed here. Please observe the following:

Abide by all rules and guidelines as set out by the leader and in the documents linked below

If booking is required (How to Book does not say "None") then:

Don't try to book a walk more than 7 days in advance
Only book a walk for yourself.
Don't try to book onto a walk that is already fully booked ("Fully Booked" in "How to Book" column below)
If someone on a walk later tests positive for coronavirus, your contact details will be passed to the NHS Test and Trace team if requested.
Max places available on any walk is decided by the leader, and can be unlimited. Some unlimited walks will still require booking as that is how the leader wishes to manage the details required for test and trace. Where booking is not required, a register is taken at the start of the walk and retained for 21 days for test and trace

If you regularly struggle to get booked onto walks of your choice, please contact a committee member (click here for contact information) giving details of the type of walk that you are trying to book on (day of week, distance, max places).