Member story: Jordan
"Every time I discover a new part of Surrey, I'm shocked. We've really got nice parts in the UK."
Jordan grew up in London and moved to Guildford in 2024, arriving somewhere beautiful with no one to explore it with. He joined Surrey Young Walkers that August, in his early twenties, and found more than he was initially looking for.
Nothing Much to Do
I just moved to Guildford. I didn't really know anyone. I was living in a flat share, but I wasn't socialising with my flatmates or anything. A lot of the time I was bored during the weekends – I had nothing much to do.
Every single time I'd go to work and they'd be like, ‘how's your weekend?’ I would hate to answer that question. You know, I'd just be sitting in.
I'd been doing wanders on my own, but I thought it might be good to meet people. And I had tried another social group, but it was very much centred around going out drinking.
At a certain point I thought, the weather's getting nice, it'll be good to get out about a bit. I looked online for a few things and I thought, you know, it would be good to do something actually good for you.
"I have no regrets about it whatsoever."
Just Gave It a Shot
I came across the group online and noticed it was targeted at young people. I was a bit worried - you know, it could well be towards their 40s. I'm in my early 20s still. But I thought, let's just give it a shot. It's not going to hurt trying to go for a walk. I always found that walking in the countryside is a good way of interacting with people.
I liked the free trial too. Even if it's not very much, whenever you're paying into something you're always a bit apprehensive. Being able to try it out three times first means you can actually see what it's like before committing. That made a difference.
Your Own Backyard
I grew up in London, so I'm not really used to the countryside. But Surrey is a really beautiful area. There's always a saying – 'Go visit your backyard before visiting somewhere else.' The funny thing is, I'll travel to a different country and try to see the landscape there, but you never tend to do it in your own. Now every walk is a pleasant surprise.
I go spontaneously when the weather feels right. I remember early January, minus six degrees, but very sunny. You didn't really even feel like it was freezing cold.
"You've got your group for work, your group for going clubbing - and I like that the walking group is its own thing."
A Knock-On Effect
Last year, I celebrated my birthday with a lot of people from the walking group. You meet people, and then people want to do stuff. Someone wants to go out to eat, someone organises a bonfire night. We went to Winchester. There was a St Patrick's Day outing. We do weekly quizzes. There've been a lot of enjoyable moments.
I really loved the boat trip from Farncombe to Guildford. It was a very good team building. You don't have to take it seriously. I'm even thinking of bringing something like that to my job.
I think the walks are a very healthy way of talking to people, catching up, communicating. You're navigating places together. And it's a good way to have something outside of work. We've got a huge drinking culture in England, and people tend to socialise that way a lot – but you don't want to be drinking all the time. Walking is different. You're navigating places together. It's good for you, and the conversations happen naturally.
Give it a try
I'd tell anyone on the fence: give it a try. It's very welcoming, especially if you've just moved to Surrey. It's a good way to explore your local area – some people prefer to do things with others, and there's always something better about doing it with people. Even if you've been living here a while and just want something new, it's good for that too.
The group is very welcoming to everyone. There are different levels to the walks, so it's not just for one type of person. The subscription is low, and you get discounts. In this day and age, that genuinely matters.