What The Ramblers' Association does

The Ramblers' Association (operating locally as Cardiff Ramblers / Cerddwyr Caerdydd) is a volunteer-led local walking group within the national Ramblers charity, a UK-registered charity (No: 1093577) and company limited by guarantee founded in 1983. The organization exists to encourage walking and organise guided group walks across south Wales — covering Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, the Valleys, Glamorgan Heritage Coast, Gwent Levels, Brecon Beacons, Wye Valley, Forest of Dean, and the Gower — with difficulty grades ranging from Leisurely to Strenuous and walk lengths from approximately 5 miles to longer multi-day routes. Its core products are the recurring Walks Programme (scheduled multiple days per week), a curated library of downloadable GPX route files (Capital Walks, Walk Leaflets, Gren Way, long-distance trails such as the Taff Trail), and the "Forty Walks for Forty Years" anniversary collection. The technology platform is a Joomla-based website hosted centrally by Ramblers-IT, supplemented by Facebook, Twitter/X, and Flickr channels; no mobile app exists.

The business model is non-commercial and membership-funded. Cardiff Ramblers does not charge separate local fees; revenue flows through the national Ramblers membership subscription, which provides members with access to 38,000+ led walks annually across England, Scotland and Wales, insurance coverage, and partner discounts (e.g., 15% at Cotswold Outdoor, 20% on first purchase). The group also receives supplementary funds through the Walking Partnership with Ramble Worldwide and Adagio, where members booking walking holidays can nominate Cardiff Ramblers to receive a donation. Operations are run by volunteer walk leaders and a rotating Honorary President, with listed headcount of 6 and no external venture or private equity ownership. The customer base is individual walking enthusiasts in the Cardiff and south Wales region, with participation open to non-members on a trial basis.

Name

The Ramblers' Association

Legal name

The Ramblers' Association

Website

https://cardifframblers.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cardiff Ramblers is a volunteer-led local walking group within the UK Ramblers charity, organizing guided walks across south Wales and providing downloadable GPX routes. It serves individual walking enthusiasts via national membership subscriptions and partner-funded donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation & Walking Club Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Guided Nature Walks & Interpretive Hikes (THAAAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hiking, Trekking & Backpacking Tour Operators (THAAADAA), Walking City Tours (Highlights & Orientation) (THAJAAAA)

Keywords

• Guided walking events
• Outdoor recreation charity
• Community walking group
• Countryside access
• Walking route publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Cardiff Ramblers is part of the national Ramblers organization which collects membership fees. Members receive benefits including access to all Ramblers walks across England, Scotland and Wales, insurance coverage during walks, and discounts from partners like Cotswold Outdoor.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cardiff Ramblers, the local Cardiff group of the national Ramblers' Association charity, organizes volunteer-led guided walking events across south Wales ranging from city strolls to mountain hikes. The group publishes downloadable walk routes including GPX files for GPS navigation, maintains an online walks programme, and provides membership access to the wider Ramblers network of over 38,000 led walks annually across England, Scotland and Wales.

Product overview

The Ramblers' Association (Cardiff Group) operates as a local walking charity offering a portfolio of walking-related products and services centered on guided walks, route documentation, and membership. The core offering consists of the Guided Walks Programme providing regular organized walks led by volunteers, supplemented by an extensive collection of Walk Routes including Capital Walks, downloadable GPX files, and walk leaflets. The organization also documents Long Distance Routes in south east Wales and maintains special route collections such as The Gren Way and the Forty Walks for Forty Years anniversary collection. Membership provides access to the national Ramblers network of 38,000+ walks annually across Britain. The portfolio is complemented by curated local walking guide books and links to external walking resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided Walks Programme Regular organized walking events led by volunteer walk leaders across south Wales, ranging from short city strolls to country rambles and longer mountain hikes. Walks are scheduled on Wednesdays, Thursday evenings, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays with standardized difficulty grading from Easy to Strenuous.
• Walk Routes (Capital Walks, Walk Leaflets, Past Rambles GPX) Downloadable walking routes designed by the group including Capital Walks, walk leaflets, and past ramble GPX files for GPS navigation using smartphone apps or GPS devices.
• Membership Benefits Membership of the national Ramblers organization providing access to over 38,000 led walks annually across England, Scotland and Wales, with a community of over 100,000 members and various membership benefits including insurance coverage during walks and partner discounts.
• Long Distance Routes Documented long-distance walking routes in south east Wales including the Taff Trail (60 miles), Rhymney Valley Ridgeway Walk (27 miles), Glamorgan Ridgeway, Sirhowy Valley Walk (26 miles), Coed Morgannwg Way (36 miles), and sections of the Wales Coast Path.
• The Gren Way A 3-mile walking route running from Hengoed Railway station, created in memory of local cartoonist Grenfell Jones, with downloadable GPX file available for GPS navigation.
• Forty Walks for Forty Years Special collection of 40 selected walks created for the group's 40th anniversary in 2023, representing walk leaders' favorite routes from across the group's history.
• Local Walking Books Curated list of local walking guide books covering Cardiff, South Wales Valleys, Glamorgan, Brecon Beacons, and surrounding areas, recommended for walkers seeking route information.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ramble WorldwidecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Walking Partnership with Ramble Worldwide allows members and supporters to book walking holidays through Ramble Worldwide or Adagio and nominate their local walking group (Cardiff Ramblers) when booking, ensuring the group receives vital funds through the partnership.
• Cotswold OutdoorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRamblers members receive a 15% discount at Cotswold Outdoor stores, with an additional 20% discount available for first purchases using a voucher included in the membership pack.
• The Ramblers (National Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCardiff Ramblers is a local group within the national Ramblers charity (registered charity number 1093577, company number 4458492). The national organization provides branding, website hosting via Ramblers-IT, insurance coverage, and access to the wider network of walks and members.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Komoot: European trail and route planning platform with GPX navigation, tour recommendations, and community reviews. Comparable to the Ramblers' route portfolio and walks programme, with stronger digital UX for self-guided walking and hiking.
• AllTrails: Global digital platform for trail discovery with GPX navigation, route reviews, and community features. Comparable to Cardiff Ramblers' GPX route files and walk listing functionality, but delivered through an app-first experience and a much broader dataset scale.
• Outdooractive: European outdoor recreation platform providing trail navigation, route planning, and curated tours. Overlaps with Cardiff Ramblers' route content and guided walks concept as a digital alternative for self-directed walkers.
• OpenWalking: UK walking event and challenge platform aggregating walking meetups, group walks, and charity walking events. Directly comparable to the Ramblers' guided walks programme as an alternative way to discover and join group walks.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust: Major UK conservation charity managing countryside access, with walking trails, group activities, and membership benefits. Comparable in charity/membership model and UK outdoor recreation focus, but its scale and estate ownership place it firmly in the incumbent tier.
• British Mountaineering Council (BMC): UK membership-based outdoor recreation body offering organized activities, route documentation, and advocacy. Comparable to Ramblers as a charitable membership organization serving outdoor enthusiasts, but with a stronger focus on climbing and mountaineering.

Others

• Ramble Worldwide: Walking holiday operator that is an explicit partner of Cardiff Ramblers via The Walking Partnership. Comparable as an adjacent service in the walking tourism value chain — feed walking enthusiasts into guided experiences and contribute commission back to local Ramblers groups.
• Forestry England: Public body managing forests and outdoor recreation in England. Comparable as an enabling partner in the walking ecosystem — provides trails, signage, and access infrastructure that walking clubs like Cardiff Ramblers leverage.

Direct peers

• Long Distance Walkers Association: UK-based charity organizing long-distance walking challenges and events with a membership model analogous to Ramblers. Directly comparable as a volunteer-led walking organization serving dedicated walking enthusiasts through group events.
• The Ramblers (national organization): Direct parent entity and obviously most comparable — Britain's biggest walking charity with 100,000+ members and 38,000+ annual led walks. Operates the same walking charity model and supplies member benefits, branding, insurance, and host infrastructure to Cardiff Ramblers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CardiffRamblers
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cardiff-Ramblers-169805766377682
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ramblers'-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Ramblers' Association