Stag Walkers celebrates 15 years

In 2022 the Stag Walkers group is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Formed from humble beginnings back in 2007, the group now has more than 120 members. One of Stag Walkers’ founding members, Patricia Segui, explained why the group was formed and how it has been able to grow: “I had joined a Ramblers group that had only one other member under 30 and we were gently encouraged to start a group for younger people. We advertised that first walk in the local newspaper, word of mouth and maybe even a few posters and somehow managed to get 12 people and a dog on it.”

Membership was tiny at first, with Patricia and a couple of others leading almost every walk, while friends were brought in for extra support. The next couple of years saw the group, known then as North Herts Young Walkers, grow gradually as an offshoot of North Herts Ramblers and by 2010 it had become an independent group.

In 2014 Rebecca Dawson joined the group and Patricia soon saw something in Rebecca that would help take the group forward: “I had to resort to threaten to close down the group if nobody stepped forward to take the lead. After a long telephone conversation Rebecca agreed to take the mantle and then we really began to grow as she applied her marketing know-how.”

The ‘Stag Walkers’ name was created soon after, along with the stag head logo. 

Walking with friends

Rebecca continued to lead the group for the following eight years and explains how the group developed: “The group’s members come from a variety of backgrounds and with varied reasons for joining, such as getting to know an area better, making new friends, and the numerous health benefits that walking can offer. What members do have in common is a real love for exploring the great outdoors on foot.

“To cater for as many different people as possible, we put on different types of walks in terms of length and where we start from. Shorter walks of around five miles, that take around three hours are especially popular with new walkers, and our introductory walks help people to try us out before committing to membership. We also have walkers who like to spend a full day outdoors, so we have also put on challenge walks of up to 20 miles on occasion for those who really like to stretch their legs.”

National Young Ramblers Weekend

In the summer of 2019 Stag Walkers hosted the National Young Ramblers Weekend in Cambridge, where they welcomed over 80 young walkers from all over Great Britain and led a series of walks in the city and the Cambridgeshire countryside, as well as an evening of Ceilidh dancing.

Rebecca said: “The National Young Ramblers event was a fantastic opportunity to show off the wonderful places to walk in our area. Cambridge seemed the natural city to play host, with its wealth of history and an excellent network of paths, parks and open countryside to explore, all easily accessible by public transport.”

Near and far

Although their main purpose is exploring the local countryside, the group’s members have embarked on numerous trips to other parts of the UK and also abroad to Paris and Iceland. They enjoy getting together for other activities too, including kayaking, pub quizzes, bowling, firework displays, ghost tours and music events. Patricia believes these activities have played an important role in helping the group grow: “We talk a lot on our walks and interests in other activities inevitably crop up. Our regular walks as well as other social events have really helped our members strengthen their bond with each other.”

Resurgence

Al Maceachern, who took on the role of Group Chair in December 2021 after Rebecca stepped down, believes the nation’s new found love for walking, particularly during lockdown, means Ramblers groups are enjoying a real resurgence and have a bright future. He said: “Increasing numbers of people turned to walking during lockdown, either for exercise, relieving stress or spending some valuable time with someone for a socially distanced catch up.

“One of walking’s advantages is that it can be done relatively cheaply. Other than some comfortable walking shoes and weather appropriate clothing, there is no need to buy expensive equipment - and you don’t need to travel far either.”

As the group has continued to grow it has also enjoyed media coverage on The One Show, Anglia News and BBC Three Counties Radio.

Patricia concluded: “We have so much countryside to explore in Britain and there’s no better way to do it than on foot. Whether there’s a crisp frost under your feet or a warm sun above your head, there is nothing more rewarding than being out in the elements, enjoying some healthy exercise among friends. It has been an amazing start and I look forward to the next 15 years.”