Birmingham passes on the baton to celebrate Ramblers 75th birthday

10/02/2010

Time: 11:00am

Date: Wednesday 17 February 2010

Place: Summerfield Park (Dudley Road entrance)

www.ramblers75.org.uk

Birmingham has been specially chosen to launch the Ramblers West Midlands 75th birthday celebrations. To commemorate 75 years as Britain’s walking charity the Ramblers are holding a nationwide Baton walks programme, where a special Ramblers birthday baton will travel around Britain throughout 2010.

On Wednesday 17 February the baton will arrive in Birmingham to a fanfare of boots, balloons and Brummies, as people who’ve newly discovered the joys of walking through the Ramblers ‘Get Walking Keep Walking’ programme will join experienced Ramblers and members of the public on this push chair and wheel chair friendly stroll to celebrate 75 years at the heart of walking.

Birmingham City Ramblers invite everyone to take part in this short scenic walk along the Harborne Walkway, taking in views of the Edgbaston reservoir, as they pass the baton onto a new generation of walkers.

Tom Franklin, CEO of the Ramblers, comments:

“For 75 years, the Ramblers has existed as Britain’s walking charity, to help everyone – no matter who they are or where they’re from – experience the joy of walking.

“Now we’re asking everyone, of all ages and walking levels, to get out, celebrate walking and help us pass on the baton for future generations.”

Birmingham City Ramblers have been campaigning to secure paths across the city and have organised special walks suitable for wheelchair uses or pushchairs so that all people can get out and discover walking in Birmingham.

Robert Hunt, Birmingham baton walk leader, comments: “Birmingham is a wonderful place to walk and it doesn’t matter whether you can only fancy a short stroll or a challenging hike, the Ramblers has something for everyone.

“For 75 years we’ve been campaigning to open up Britain for walkers but there’s still more to do to ensure that Birmingham becomes and remains one of the most walking friendly cities in Britain.”

Journalists and photographers are invited to picture the Ramblers recreating the ‘Behold ye Ramblers’ photo (above) with a Birmingham Ramblers banner, holding aloft their red 75th anniversary balloons and birthday baton at 11am Wednesday 17 February at Summerfield Park (Dudley Road entrance), Dudley Road, Birmingham.

The Ramblers birthday baton will be passing through the whole of the West Midlands region in February including a romantic Valentine’s day walk beginning on the famous Ironbridge and, for train enthusiasts, a walk following the course of an historic railway track taking in a special viewing of the privately owned but beautifully restored Fencote Station.

For more information about when the baton walk will be passing near you, go to www.ramblers75.org.uk/baton-walks

For more information contact the Ramblers press office 0207 339 8532/ 07801 749 385 press@ramblers.org.uk,

Notes to editors:

• The Ramblers is at the heart of walking in Britain. Everyone walks, so the Ramblers is for everyone.

• It is Britain’s walking charity. It works to make it easy for everyone to walk, whether in countryside, cities, hills, coasts and on or off the beaten track.

• It is a grass roots network of over 12,000 volunteers who work tirelessly for a walking Britain. For 75 years it has helped build and protect Britain’s 150,000 mile long path network, it runs over 28,000 walks a year, and campaigns for better walking routes and more walking opportunities.

• It holds more than 500 led walks every week, throughout the year, which are free to try, open to everyone, and take place in England, Scotland and Wales in the countryside and the city alike.