York Bike Belles

Volunteer Nature Walk Leaders needed!

Are you enthusiastic about nature, walking, and people? Are you happy to take the lead, good with people from all ages and backgrounds, and an excellent communicator?

Do you want to have fun, get out more, learn new things and meet new people? And make a positive difference to people’s lives in your community? If so, this exciting new role might be for you!

We would like you to lead our regular nature walks in the south of York from Summer 2026. 

We will provide an induction, necessary training and ongoing support.  We guarantee you will enjoy encouraging more people to get outdoors and enjoy nature around York.   You will find volunteering with us an enjoyable and rewarding experience!

 If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us on takethegreenroute@gmail.com or leave a message on 07493 692490 and we will get back to you. You are welcome to come along to one of our walks and see if the role is for you.

Overview 

Feedback from our recent Take the Green Route! project was that people wanted our popular Nature Walks to continue regularly, all year round. From Summer 2026, we would like to start regular walks on the first Tuesday and third Saturday of every month to meet community demand.

Our inclusive group Nature Walks are supported by 2 volunteers on each walk, along 8 set routes from the Millennium Bridge.  Tuesday walks last about 1 hour and have accessible route options, and Saturday walks last about 1.5 hours.  Walks are on a ‘just turn up’ basis, and can be for a group of 1 to 20 people.  

The main aim of the walks is to increase participants’ health and wellbeing through nature connection, nature learning opportunities, gentle exercise and friendly company.  Each walk includes time for a mindful nature pause, as well as approximately 4 items of interest in nature.

Our induction and training includes organisational and nature eLearning, safeguarding and walk leader training.  The walk leader training includes being on walks with our experienced walk leader first, delivering walks alongside them and then delivering walks with them in support. 

We will provide guidance on nature connection and essential nature knowledge in our eLearning and practice walks. Volunteers are expected to develop these skills and knowledge themselves as part of their role. A rewarding pursuit!       

Commitment Ask

Each walk needs a walk leader and a support walker from the Nature Walk Leader volunteers. Walks will take place monthly on a Tuesday and Saturday, every month of the year. We ask you to commit to delivering 1 – 2 walks a month, about 4 – 5 hours a month for each walk (including walk preparation, delivery and reporting). Please read the full Role Description and Person Specification below.

How to apply

You can apply by completing our Volunteer Application Form by Monday 2nd March. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview in early March. We will ask for a reference and may need to carry out a DBS check. We hope to hear from you soon! 🙂

Key Responsibilities

• Participate in YBB Induction and Training 
• Liaise with other Nature Walk volunteers about roles, routes for the planned walk and for cover if your plans change. Each walk needs 2 volunteers – a walk leader and a support walker.
• Check the route shortly before the walk itself.
• Adapt route or walk as needed on the day to the needs of group participants or weather.
• The walk leader for that walk will decide on approximately 4 points of nature interest to share with participants on the walk, and have enough knowledge of these to discuss with the group. They will also identify a location for the mindful nature pause.
• Arrive at the meeting point for the walk at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the walk.
• Greet participants, taking information needed and consent in an activity register 
• Deliver the walk in a safe and timely way, with the lead at the front and support walking at the back of the group.
• Signpost participants to York Bike Belles’ nature resources and other activities.
• Complete a short walk report for the Activity Coordinator.
• (Optional) Help promote the Nature Walks in York

Person Specification

• You are enthusiastic about nature, walking, and supporting people .
• You have excellent communication skills.
• You are positive and self-motivated.
• You are supportive and patient.
• You are good with people of all ages and from all backgrounds.
• You are confident in taking the lead in an activity.
• You have a good understanding of nature and environmental issues.
• (Desirable) You may have experience delivering group activities.
• (Desirable) You may have experience working with and making activities accessible to a wide range of people, of a diversity of ages, abilities and life situations.
• You are willing to work within YBB Policies and Procedures including Health and Safety and Risk Assessments, Safeguarding, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Privacy, Volunteer and Environmental Sustainability.
• You are willing to walk, cycle, or use public transport to get around York to our activities.

Overview of York Bike Belles CIC

York Bike Belles (YBB) is an award-winning charitable, not for profit organisation. We work towards a vision of York as a healthy, green and kind city, where everyone thrives, now and in a sustainable future.

Our work is transformational. We enable residents of all ages, abilities and life situations to walk and cycle as the natural way to get around York, while also improving well-being, community life, green spaces, and tackling inequalities and the climate and nature crises. Our activities are offered free of charge to York residents. We rely on donations, grants and sponsorship to fund our work. 

We have been working in York since 2013 and incorporated as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) in February 2020.  We are now working towards delivering the goals in our Five Year Strategy 2025 – 2030. These include increasing walking and cycling and reducing car use, improving health and wellbeing and tackling health inequalities, connecting people to nature, improving community life and developing our sustainable volunteer-led activities.

We currently have a core team of 2 paid staff and 20+ community volunteers. The YBB Team are all trained to carry out their roles competently.  We pride ourselves in making all our activities safe, professional, inclusive, supportive, friendly and fun!

Find out more about about York Bike Belles CIC

Join us! “Be the change you want to see in the world”