The last of the Free Guided Walks ended at the end of 2024 and the project was hailed as a resounding success. Almost 300 visitors attended the Rotherham District Civic Society guided walks through the year.
Many that joined the walks on the Saturday or Sunday simply wanted to join others in a group setting to get ‘out and about’ to explore our Minster Town, while others were keen to combine dog walking with the guided tour, which children and adults enjoyed.
Rotherham also welcomed other Civic Society groups and visitors from as far as Los Angeles in America who had heard about the walks and were fascinated to learn more about Rotherham’s history and its connections to the USA.
Rotherham District Civic Society’s social media group on Facebook continued to grow and has climbed to over 3.2k members during the year. People who have left Rotherham or who now live abroad want to access and learn about Rotherham and share their positive views and stories.
David Wadkin, the ‘Discovering Rotherham’ organiser, found the solution by creating a YouTube channel to enable anyone in the World to a have a virtual tour of the Minster Town Walk or explore the 31 Blue Plaques from the comfort of their own home. Search @imageprophotography on Youtube.
He said: “What we have experienced this year is an appetite regarding Civic ownership of our heritage. We have received enquiries from people wanting to learn more about Rotherham’s rich history from the very beginning of records to present day.
“The walks have proven popular with calls for it to return next year. The message is getting out but we need to continue to publicise our events including National Civic Day to enable many more people to attend these free events.
“We are also keen to promote tourism in its widest context and have received interest for international visits to our Minster Town.
“During our project year, we have been approached to organise future specific walks as part of National Women’s Day and in working with local organisation and charities which we will be delighted to support.”
Other suggestions being considered have included additional dedicated walks and themes, including ‘Women of Rotherham’ and ‘Rotherham Pub Tours’, which would naturally include visiting hostelries.
The Society would be delighted to receive your suggestions too. Please contact secretary@rotherhamcivicsociety.org. They will also be actively recruiting additional volunteer guides so please get in touch if you fancy it.