London Blind Ramblers

Answer: Our Spring/summer walking season usually starts in March and continues until mid-October. We also organise one or two winter walks which may take place in November.

Answer: Our walks range from five to eight or nine miles in length. We don’t expect members to be super-fit, but it is essential for them to be able to comfortably walk five or six miles on average at a moderate pace.

Answer: We walk almost every weekend, mostly on Sundays, but also sometimes on Saturdays.

Answer: Please contact us on the Enquiries address for the program. Please do not however turn up at the starting point of a walk unannounced, as we won’t be able to accommodate you on walks without prior notice.

Answer: No, we provide sighted guides. We jointly walk with a host group affiliated with the Ramblers, and members from this group volunteer to guide our blind members.

Answer: Blind and partially sighted persons living in London are welcome to become members of London Blind Ramblers and join our walks.

Answer:Yes, We do have a small team of our own sighted members who help during our walks. Whilst our host groups primarily provide our sighted guides we do ask that our own sighted members help out with this role if needed. Additionally there are occasionally walks where we meet at a main line station and need to catch a train to the start point. We ask that our sighted members assist with catching and boarding appropriate trains in such instances, and on occasion co-ordinating the purchase of train tickets if walks fall outside of the freedom pass area.

Answer: unfortunately no, our walks are not suitable for children.

Answer: At present our annual membership subscription is £15.

Answer: We require the following information:

• Your age range: The age range of our members is very wide – we have members in their 30’s as well as in their 80’s. What is your age range? It would suffice if you could tell us whether you are in your 30’s, 40’s, and so on.
• Mobility skills: We expect our members to be able to make their way to the start of the walk, which is usually an underground or overground station. Are you comfortable using public transport (tube and overground trains as well as buses) independently within London?
• Disability: Are you partially sighted or totally blind? We need this information in order to determine whether you require a guide during walks or whether you are happy walking on your own. Do you currently have enough sight to be able to walk on your own, or would you require a guide?
• Guide dogs: Do you have a guide dog, or are you a white cane user? We need this information as we can have a limited number of guide dogs on a given walk.
• Freedom Pass: Do you have a Freedom Pass? Although most of our walks are within the Freedom Pass zones, we do however travel outside London for a few walks. Members are expected to make a small contribution towards train tickets for walks outside London with the rest of the fare covered by the club. Do you also have a Disabled Person’s Railcard as we use these to obtain discounted Group Tickets?
• Commitment: Do you have any previous rambling experience? How often are you likely to come on these rambles?
• How did you learn about London blind ramblers?