A chance to ‘walk the Riding’
East Riding of Yorkshire Council is looking for volunteers to help update its popular website, ‘Walking the Riding’, aimed at walkers of all ages and abilities.
‘Walking the Riding’ offers a wealth of information for anyone new to the countryside, or new to the area. Visitors can browse and select any of the 300-plus walks listed, each of which is graded for difficulty and access, and is accompanied by a downloadable map and a written description.
The website has been such a success that the council now wishes to act upon positive feedback from users and develop it further, including looking at a social media element to the site and the addition of new routes for different user groups.
The first stage of improving the website is to check that all of the information currently available through ‘Walking the Riding’ is up to date. Countryside officers are already working on this –which includes checking all of the 316 walks on foot.
Countryside access officer Samantha McGivern said : “We need to check if routes have changed or been improved, making them suitable for more user groups; if there are any exciting new attractions we haven’t mentioned or perhaps a new car park, café or view point has appeared where previously there was none.
“With so many walks to check, volunteers are very welcome to help us out. There is no need to walk miles or to cover many walks – just one or two in your area would be a great help.
“All you need to do it walk a route with the printed map and description and simply check that the information is still accurate and up to date. Also, if you have enjoyed another great East Riding walk that isn’t featured on ‘Walking the Riding’, please let us know.”
Councillor Richard Burton, portfolio holder for civic wellbeing and culture, added: “The East Riding of Yorkshire is well known for its stunning landscape, including long sandy beaches and rock pools along the east coast, the Yorkshire Wolds Way, several Local Nature Reserves, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and RSPB reserves and an amazing network of public rights of way connecting them all.
“Exploring this wealth of green space could feel daunting to anyone taking up walking, cycling or riding for the first time; conversely, experienced countryside users may just not know where to start with so much on offer. So in order to support and encourage the enjoyment of this rich landscape the council created the ‘Walking the Riding’ website, and I am delighted to learn how popular it has proved to be.”
‘Walking the Riding’ also offers useful information about countryside attractions and events, accommodation, walking clubs, healthy walks, the countryside code and more.
Anybody interested in volunteering with this project or simply having some feedback to help to improve ‘Walking the Riding’ is asked to contact Samantha McGivern on samantha.mcgivern@eastriding.gov.uk.
