Frequently Asked Questions

By registering for the walk you will receive our Turn On The Tap Challenge resource pack, which will have all the resources you need to help the disadvantaged people of the world. All participants will be asked to register to take part in the walk. Don’t forget that your registration fee goes directly to the water projects fund.

We ask a basic £2 for registration for each of the participants.

The date Saturday 10th May 2008 has been set aside as the main day for this challenge. It is hoped that as many people as possible will take part on this date. However we do recognise that there are people who want to support this Challenge but cannot on this date, so you can do this walk on a date close to it, which is more suitable for you.

If you want to get people to sponsor you for taking part in the challenge that’s fine, but it’s not essential, as long as you have registered.

What sort of people are going to do the walk, are there likely to be young children, disabled persons, persons with pushchairs, people with mobility difficulties. Look for a venue which has easy access, has no undue dangers, parking facilities, toilet facilities, near to public transport if it’s not a circular walk (got to go back and collect their cars). Is a circular route the best for you? Basically select something which fits your needs and abilities.

Four miles is the average distance women and children in Asia and Africa have to walk in order to get essential life giving water, they may even have to do this several times a day. We have suggested that people walk the 4 miles, however you can adjust the distance according to the physical ability/fitness level of the participants, so you could make it shorter or longer.

This will depend on the location and the numbers of people involved. A small group of people walking along a well established rambler’s route may well not require permission. But if it’s a larger number of people and there is a possibility that you may be erecting temporary direction/information signs, you will need to seek permission. If you are planning one in a public park or on private land, which you do not own, then it is good practice to ask permission, which should be in writing. It may be that you want to erect temporary signs of some nature, this needs to be clarified with the land owner or local authority.

If you are using a public park, then write to the local authority Parks and Gardens department (or your local equivalent, could be the Leisure Service Dept). They will also advise you on what you can and cannot do, i.e. erect tents, drive on the grass etc. If you are not sure who owns the land, then the local authority will normally be able to advise you. Your local library or your council’s website may assist in locating the correct department. There some sample letters and some downloadable letter templates on the web site.

Hosting an event like Turn On The Tap Challenge exposes people to a degree of risk. Even though you may take all reasonable precautions accidents do occur. If you do the walk as part of a church group/activity, you may well be covered by your churches Insurance Policy (usually under the umbrella of a ‘church activity’) but check this by consulting your church secretary or treasurer. If you need to find public liability insurance, there is some information on the website.

The risk assessment is not essential, but the very nature of walking has some degree of risk to the individual, this will depend of course on the location and the risk will increase or decrease dependant on the terrain. It would be good practice to carry out a risk assessment of the walk in advance of the event. This would help you to identify any potential hazards and help to make your walk safe and fun. Your church or organisation may have a ‘good practice’ procedure, which would assist you in this process, if not you can use the one available on the website.

This will depend on the location and size of the walk you are holding. If it’s a larger walk and you are in the public domain, then it does not do any harm to let the local Police know. They may have some concerns if it is a large group and if the route passes through a busy town centre. There may also be other events taking place on the same day, which may clash with your planned route. (Be prepared to change/alter your proposed route). They may possibly allocate someone to offer you advice on safety issues and possibly have someone allocated to you for the day (likely to be a PCSO)

All being well all of your walkers will complete the walk having had fun and without incurring any incidents of a medical nature. However participants may suffer from blisters, trips, slips, stings and the weather may also be an issue, particularly if it is hot. If there are only a few of you taking the challenge one of the participants may be first aid trained. Ask your local St John’s Ambulance if they would assist at the event, their details can be found on the website address http://www.sja.org.uk/counties/default.asp.