Week 2: Rievaulx Abbey and Helmsley - by Claire Heron

---

Dear Outdoorsoccers,

I hope you are all well. Just to remind you all to get thinking about positions you might want to run for on next years committee, elections are in week 5 and there is a whole range of positions going. Have a look at our committee page for more info on the roles.

THIS WEEK’S DESTINATION
This week, we're going to the lovely Rievaulx Abbey (prizes for those who can say it right) and the equally lovely town of Helmsley. The walking around here is really pleasant, so take advantage of the great outdoors before the workload gets too much!

ESSENTIAL INFO
We meet every Sunday near the white benches outside the Roger Kirk Centre in James College at 8.50. Arrival time back to campus varies depending on where we are walking but we’re normally back between 5-6pm.

Costs
£6 per walk for Outdoor Soc Members
£8 per walk for non Outdoor Soc Members
£10 for membership for the year

You can buy tickets from Vanbrugh stalls between 12-2pm on Thursdays, or online at www.yusu.org/shop all week.

We offer a choice of two walks- a medium walk of 8-12km with lunch at a lovely local pub or a long walk of 15-18km where you bring your own packed lunch. If you choose to do a medium walk don’t forget money for the pub, because not all of them take cards. If you do a long walk don’t forget to bring lunch of else you’ll be very hungry!

Please wear appropriate clothing for a walk in the English countryside! Walking boots are best, but if you don’t have any sturdy trainers should be fine. Try and avoid wearing jeans, because they get very unpleasant to wear when it rains. As this is England you should always be prepared for rain, no matter HOW sunny it looks, so remember to bring waterproofs or other appropriate wet weather gear.

If you have any questions or suggestions please email me on claire@outdoorsoc.co.uk

Happy Walking!

Claire
Your Chair



Week 1: Brimham Rocks - by Claire Heron

---

Dear Outdoorsoccers,
WEEKLY NEWS
Hello! Welcome back to another great term with outdoor soc. I hope you all had a restful break and are raring to go. Just before I move on to this weeks walk, I would like to mention a couple of other things. For those of you who have tried out the society and haven’t yet paid membership, please do so next time you are at sign ups or on a Sunday. A

Also, just to let you know the elections for committee will be this term so get thinking about it if you want to get more involved. If you look at the website (www.outdoorsoc.co.uk) and go to the committee page you can see the sort of roles up for grabs but generally these include chair, secretary, treasurer, transport officer, equipment officer, bear officer, social sec, healthy and safety officer, weekend trip officer, merchandise officer, webmaster. Being on the committee is really rewarding, a great way of making friends and looks really great on your cv, especially as the society is such a big active one.
THIS WEEK’S DESTINATION
This week we’re off to the stunning Brimham Rocks in the Yorkshire Dales. These quirky rock formations also have stunning views of the surrounding countryside and there are plenty of cracking routes for walkers in the area, as well as a few great pubs. This one is always a real treat of a walk, so make sure you get your ticket now and get walking before the work starts to pile up!
ESSENTIAL INFO
We meet every Sunday near the white benches outside the Roger Kirk Centre in James College at 8.50. Arrival time back to campus varies depending on where we are walking but we’re normally back between 5-6pm.
Costs
£6 per walk for Outdoor Soc Members
£8 per walk for non Outdoor Soc Members
£10 for membership for the year
You can buy tickets from Vanbrugh stalls between 12-2pm on Thursdays, or online at www.yusu.org/shop all week.
We offer a choice of two walks- a medium walk of 8-12km with lunch at a lovely local pub or a long walk of 15-18km where you bring your own packed lunch. If you choose to do a medium walk don’t forget money for the pub, because not all of them take cards. If you do a long walk don’t forget to bring lunch of else you’ll be very hungry!
Please wear appropriate clothing for a walk in the English countryside! Walking boots are best, but if you don’t have any sturdy trainers should be fine. Try and avoid wearing jeans, because they get very unpleasant to wear when it rains. As this is England you should always be prepared for rain, no matter HOW sunny it looks, so remember to bring waterproofs or other appropriate wet weather gear.
If you have any questions or suggestions please email me on claire@outdoorsoc.co.uk
Happy Walking!
Claire
Your Chair



Happy Holidays! - by Claire Heron

---

Hi all,

Just a little note to wish you all a very merry festive season! You've all made it a very fun term with Outdoor Soc, we look forward to seeing you in the new term refreshed and ready to walk your socks off.

Best wishes

The Outdoor Soc Committee x


Walk Leader Training - by Claire Heron

---

Howdy everybody,
It has come to the exiting time of term where we get to start planning
for new walk leaders in outdoor soc.
The training weekend is the weekend of Week 3 next term and we leave
on Friday 27th and come back on Sunday the 29th.

Walk Leader Training is run by Yorkshire Dales Guides and at the end
of it you will get a certificate which states that you passed their
navigation course. The course takes place in the middle of the three
peaks of Yorkshire and it is an beautiful place to spend your weekend.

We have a limited number of people who can come on the training (6
people to be precise). If you are not a first aider already, we
usually pay for you to attend a one afternoon training course on first
aid (in the spring term) paid for by Outdoor Society, and we always
required a first aider in each of our groups.

We will be staying in a cozy bunk house nearby. This course is paid
for by Outdoor Soc as well as your accommodation and transport for the
weekend.

So we are looking for 6 people who are genuinely interested in being
walk leaders for our walks, without our walk leaders the society would
not function, and we would not be able to take you to lovely
destinations throughout the Yorkshire countryside.

What we are looking for:
The general commitment for being a walk leader will be to walk
lead on average 3 walks per term
Students that are in their 1st, 2nd or penultimate year of their
degree.
We are looking for reliable, dependable and responsible people who
will lead groups of up to 20 students on our walks.
Be able to attend a training weekend provided by the Yorkshire
Dales Guides www.yorkshiredalesguides.co.uk and paid for by the
society on the Weekend of Week 3 (Spring Term) from Fri - Sun
We also require that you attend a first aid training course for
one afternoon during term time paid for by ourselves.

Becoming a walk leader, makes you automatically a member of the
Outdoor Society committee. We will be holding our AGM in the spring
term, where if you would like to get involved in running of the
society next year from becoming Chair or all the way down to Bear
Officer, by being a walk leader you will have an advantage! There are
about 10 positions up for grabs next year, so if you would like to get
involved further this is a perfect opportunity.

Of course this will be an excellent opportunity to gain some excellent
skills in leadership, team work and communication which will be a
great benefit to you when applying for jobs in the future, and will
stand out on your CV!

As a walk leader you should be enthusiastic about Outdoor Soc and
comfortable leading a group. If you already have equivalent
qualifications and are interested in walk leading for Outdoor Soc then
pop us an email back - it may not be necessary for you to do the guide
training.

Because there are only 6 places for the walk leader training, I have
to find out who will be most appropriate..... so if you could answer
the following few questions about walk leading and the Outdoor
Society, the 6 best answers will get the chance to go on the walk
leader training. Please send me your answers back by Friday of this
week (Week 10) and then I can let you know back soon after.

1. Are you a member of Outdoor Society? How many walks have you been
on with the Outdoor Society in your time spent at University?
2. How many walks will you be able to commit each term to walk
leading?
3. Are you interested in becoming a part of the Outdoor Society
Committee, and standing for positions?
4. Which year of University are you currently in, and how many years
of study do you have left?
5. In less than 200 words, tell me why are you keen to become a walk
leader and what made you interested in the Outdoor Society?
6. Are you interested in leading medium or long walks or both. Why?
And if you have chosen long walks - would you be interested in/ok with
leading medium walks as well?

Thanks Guys,
Caitlin Green (Safety & Training Officer)



Week 9- Haworth - by Claire Heron

---

Dear Outdoorsoccers,

WEEKLY NEWS
I hope everyone has had a pleasant week. Just a few bits of news before I tell you about the last walk of the term.

For those of you interested in Walk Leader training, keep your eyes peeled as you will probably be receiving an email from Caitlin, our training officer, this week. Any enthusiastic Outdoor Soccers are welcome to apply, although we are particularly looking for individuals willing to lead medium walks. Next term we will also be electing a new committee so start thinking if you want to get more involved in the society and run for any of those positions!

We are also looking to train new MINIBUS DRIVERS. If you are over 21, have 3 years driving experience and a clean liscence you are eligible. It also means you are guaranteed to get on weekend trips! First/ Second Years in particular that qualify would be amazing. Please email claire@outdoorsoc.co.uk if you are interested


THIS WEEK’S DESTINATION
In the last walk of this term, we're following tradition and going to Haworth. This is a quaint little town in West Yorkshire, on the edge of the penines in an area known as 'Bronte country' after the authoresses. Each year they hold a great little Christmas Market which is well worth a visit and great for unique Christmas gifts. There will be a chance to look around the village and do some shopping for those interested. We will also be running walks for those who want to get out in the fresh air and see more cracking countryside. For those who want to get in the festive mood, Christmas hats are advised!

ESSENTIAL INFO

We meet every Sunday near the white benches outside the Roger Kirk Centre in James College at 8.50. Arrival time back to campus varies depending on where we are walking but we’re normally back between 5-6pm.

Costs

£6 per walk for Outdoor Soc Members
£8 per walk for non Outdoor Soc Members
£10 for membership for the year

You can buy tickets from Vanbrugh stalls between 12-2pm on Thursdays, or online at www.yusu.org/shop all week.

We offer a choice of two walks- a medium walk of 8-12km with lunch at a lovely local pub or a long walk of 15-18km where you bring your own packed lunch. If you choose to do a medium walk don’t forget money for the pub, because not all of them take cards. If you do a long walk don’t forget to bring lunch of else you’ll be very hungry!

Please wear appropriate clothing for a walk in the English countryside! Walking boots are best, but if you don’t have any sturdy trainers should be fine. Try and avoid wearing jeans, because they get very unpleasant to wear when it rains. As this is England you should always be prepared for rain, no matter HOW sunny it looks, so remember to bring waterproofs or other appropriate wet weather gear.

If you have any questions or suggestions please email me on claire@outdoorsoc.co.uk

Happy Walking!

Claire