SHEFFIELD VISUALLY IMPAIRED WALKING GROUP

Lady running in a park

Walk coordinator: MARYLINE TERGELLA
maryline.tergella@gmail.com or 07979 786171

DOGS MUST BE ON LEADS AT ALL TIMES UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED BY THE WALK LEADER.
Please note there are to be no pet dogs on walks, only guide dogs.
For our full list of rules and guidance, please check out our documents page.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • From time to time we take photos to update our web site and also SRSB's web site.
    If anyone does not wish to appear on group photos please make it clear at the beginning of the walk.
  • Whilst every effort is taken by walk leaders, members attending do so at their own risk.
    All members are required to wear good walking boots and bring their own rucksack food and drink as well as waterproofs where appropriate.
  • Any members leaving walks early please let the leader or back marker know.
  • For questions regarding specific walks, please only contact the walk leader(s), whose details are given below.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Please see the notice about guide availability below
Annual Programme

UPCOMING SVIWG EVENTS

IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WALKS MAY BE MUDDY IN PLACES DEPENDING ON THE RECENT WEATHER
Date Description Register
TUE 1 SEP Walk around Longshaw estate 28 AUG
WED 9 SEP Limb Brook Trail, Porter Brook, Forge Dam, Ivy Cottage Lane, Whinfell Quarry Gardens 4 SEP
THU 17 SEP Walk from Fairholmes (route to be decided) 11 SEP
SUN 27 SEP Holdworth, Wadsley Common, Middlewood 23 SEP
TUE 6 OCT Memorial Walk: Graves Park to St James Church 2 OCT
TUE 3 NOV Training Day N/A

OTHER UPCOMING WALKS

Date Description Register
1st THU SHORT WALK WITH RSS AND SRSB EVERY FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH IN ROTHERHAM (see here)

SVIWG EVENT DETAILS

- Walk around Longshaw estate

  • Meet at: Sheffield Interchange 9.30 to catch 272 bus at 9.45 to Fox House. Bus arrives 10.16.
  • The Route: Around Longshaw estate seeing as much as we can around its varying attractions, being natural history lakes, wildlife etc. Return to Longshaw.
  • Distance: 4 - 5 miles.
  • Terrain: Good paths.
  • The Leaders: Judy Gathercole (07557 272559) for any walk enquiries.
  • Registration: Please contact Martin Wing (07747 443812 or mrmartinwing@gmail.com) by Friday 28th August.

- Limb Brook Trail, Porter Brook, Forge Dam, Ivy Cottage Lane, Whinfell Quarry Gardens

  • Meet at: Sheffield Interchange (main foyer) 9.30 to catch the 9.50 no 272 bus alighting opposite Whirlow BROOK park, walk starts 10.15.
  • The Route: Walking up the Limb Brook trail branching off to the right and crossing Ringinglow Road, turning left taking the path below Norfolk Arms pub and past the Alpaca farm, downhill to Porter Brook following the path to Forge Dam lunch stop, making our way to Ivy Cottage Lane where it joins Common Lane over Ringinglow Road, follow the path to Whirlow Hall Farm down to Whinfell Quarry Gardens to bus stop.
  • Distance: 6 miles.
  • Terrain: Good paths and tracks.
  • The Leaders: Mel Messar (07762 571543) for any walk enquiries.
  • Registration: Please contact Martin Wing (07747 443812 or mrmartinwing@gmail.com) by Friday 4th September.

Buses 20 minutes past and 40 minutes past.
Car drivers can park at the side entrance to Whirlow Park.

Please let Martin know where you plan to meet the group to ensure enough guides are at the start.

- Walk from Fairholmes (route to be decided)

  • Meet at: Meet Queen's Head Pub Pond Hill 9.15 leaving by minibus 9.30 travelling to Fairholmes where walk starts at 10am.
  • The Route: To be decided on the day due to weather conditions.
  • Distance: ~8 miles.
  • Terrain: Moderate walking with some climbs, rocky paths, also some good ground.
  • The Leaders: Peak Park Rangers (07502 547221) for any walk enquiries.
  • Registration: Please contact Martin Wing (07747 443812 or mrmartinwing@gmail.com) by Friday 11th September.

Please let Martin know where you will meet the group to ensure there are enough guides at the start.

- Holdworth, Wadsley Common, Middlewood

  • Meet at: Cathedral Tram stop 9.45 catch 10.03 to Hillsborough blue route tram towards Malin Bridge, arrives Hillsborough 10.16. Catch the 10.43 62 bus from Hillsborough interchange to High Bradfield top of Woodall Lane / Old Horns Pub arrives 11.11. Car drivers can park in Hillsborough and catch the bus to High Bradfield.
  • The Route: Linear; easy moderate walk, begin with a short incline on a farm track then a footpath through open fields to the small hamlet of Holdworth. After a short road walk continue through open countryside until we take a footpath at the side of Hillsborough Golf Course eventually leading to Wadsley Common, finally making our way downhill to Middlewood tram stop where we can all catch tram back to Hillsborough/town Centre.
  • Distance: ~6 miles.
  • Terrain: The walk is nearly all level with the final 2 miles downhill, 3 stiles.
  • The Leaders: Ray Gelder (07999 752263), and Marie Gelder for any walk enquiries.
  • Registration: Please contact Martin Wing (07747 443812 or mrmartinwing@gmail.com) by Wednesday 23rd September.

Please let Martin know where you will meet the group, also to make sure there are enough guides for this walk.

- Memorial Walk: Graves Park to St James Church

  • Meet at: Sheffield Interchange 9.30 to catch the no 43 bus on Flat Street leaving 10.04 to Charles Ashmore Road where the walk starts 10.30.
    It is important that all members meet at the starting point of bus interchange and not make their own way to Flat Street.
  • The Route: Walking through Graves Park to St James Church for a short memorial for those who are no longer with us, then on to the Rose Cafe for lunch. After lunch walking back to Charles Ashmore Road.
  • Distance: ~3 miles.
  • Terrain: Good paths and tracks.
  • The Leaders: Norman Pearson (07803 437931) for any walk enquiries.
  • Registration: Please contact Martin Wing (07747 443812 or mrmartinwing@gmail.com) by Friday 2nd October.

Please let Martin know where you will start the walk to ensure enough sighted guides to meet at the start.

- Training Day

Our sighted guide training day will be Tuesday 3rd November 10 until 12pm at SRSB Mappin Street. We have spaces for others to join so if you have already had training some time ago and would like a refresher, please contact gail.fagan106@gmail.com. Thank you.

- Gail

OTHER WALKS

SHORT WALK WITH RSS AND SRSB

The first Thursday each month there is a walk supported by the Rotherham Ramblers, usually around 3 miles finishing at the lovely Winthrop Gardens Wickersley at their cafe for lunch.

A minibus leaves SRSB Mappin Street at 9.30, with Rotherham Sight and Sound taking members to the start of the walk from 10am, and the walk itself starting half an hour later at 10:30am. Note that there is a small charge for transport.

Please contact SRSB on 0114 2722757 or send an email to activities@srsb.org.uk to book a place or for more information.
Additional details are available from the event page on SRSB's website .

CURRENT WALK NEWS

Walk Leaders 2027

Maryline our new walk coordinator, will soon be compiling a list of walk leaders for 2027. It would be helpful if potential walk leaders could email Maryline (maryline.tergella@gmail.com), ensuring you could lead a walk on your preferred month.

Also David Cadet is also requiring walk leaders for the Tuesday walks in 2027.
Please let him know if you can help (07554 143262 or davidcadet81@gmail.com).

On behalf of the SVIWG I would like to thank Eileen for her efforts as a walk coordinator for many years.

Coach Ramble Cancelled

Unfortunately, we have had to cancel the Coach ramble due to Ann Batty's recent heart surgery. Ann instigated this walk for us and was very keen to take our group on this walk. Hopefully we can do it next year as we did not think it was fair to do this walk without her. Mike Wilson has kindly volunteered to do a Wednesday walk for us at short notice so thank you Mike!

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Sometimes we have to turn down VI's if there are not enough guides for that particular walk. This is never personal - we are working hard to recruit new guides so our VI's are never turned down for a walk.

Judith has set up a Facebook page for our group to send her any photos, videos, etc, hopefully to recruit new guides. Contact details are judemorton56@gmail.com or mobile 07896 596413.
Also not forgetting our web site managed by James Percival.

Also it is most important to contact Martin by the date specified for that particular walk. This gives Martin time to try to find more guides to come along, sometimes forgetting to put their names down.

Ideally we would like to have 2 guides for each VI but this is not possible so we always have 2 to 3 spare guides to give other guides who find themselves guiding most of the day a rest.

Thank you for your cooperation.

- Gail

SPARE WALKING EQUIPMENT

If anyone has any items in good order - Rucksacks, Walking Poles, Waterproof Jackets and Trousers - that they no longer require, please inform Judith as we are compiling a list of items to circulate amongst any new members or anyone who requires these items. Thank You.
Cheers, Judith (Email: judemorton56@gmail.com / Mobile: 07896596413)

SIGHTED GUIDE TRAINING VIDEOS - HOW TO GUIDE A BLIND PERSON

Here is a video showing how to guide a V I person - it will help our new guides, also well practiced members and also VIP's. It is by Amar Latif who founded the company Traveleyes which specialises in holidays for VIP's. I think it is extremely good, so perhaps members would like to take a look.

We regularly organise training days for new members and anyone who has already had training but would like a refresher.

Please contact Gail if you are interested.