Q: I’m over 40. Can I still join the Brunel 20s and 30s group?

A: As it says in our full name, the Brunel 20s and 30s Walking Group is a walking group for people in their 20s and 30s, i.e. from the age of 20 up until the age of 39. People from this age range join us because they wish to both walk and socialise with other people from this age range. We therefore expect people who join us to be under 40. If you are over 40, there are a number of alternative walking groups in the Bristol area to choose from. The biggest of these is the Bristol Ramblers, which has over 1,000 members all of varying ages, and which offers a huge selection of different walks.

Q: Can I try a few walks out before deciding whether or not to join?

A: Yes, of course you can. We don't expect people to join us without getting an idea of what types of walks we offer, so please feel free to come along to a couple of our walks and see if you like what’s on offer. If you do, then we would normally ask you to join after 2 - 3 walks.

If you are aged 20 to 39 and are interested in the Brunel 20s and 30s walking group, you can either join straight away, or you can try out two or three walks first to see if you like us. As a friendly and growing group, you're likely to find you're not the only newcomer on your first walk.

Unless you're accustomed to walking, we generally recommend that you start with a 1 or 2 boot walk. You'll quickly get a sense of what your preferences are. After you have been on 2 or 3 walks, we would normally ask you to join the Ramblers Association (of which we are a local group).

If you'd like to join the Brunel Group, then you do so by joining the Ramblers Association and nominating us as your group. You can do this either online via the RA website, or by filling in a membership form (which you can usually get from any committee member) and then sending this off to the Freepost address given on the leaflet.

N.B. When filling in the form, make sure that you write BRUNEL 20s& 30s GROUP in the box marked "Group". If you don't, you will be placed in another local group in the Bristol or Bath area.

The cost is £24 per year, and can be paid by the usual methods, including Direct Debit. Membership entitles you to walk with any other Ramblers Association group across the country and to discounts at a number of gear stores (there are quite a few group members who more than recover their membership fee this way!).