A DEDICATED volunteer who has led more than 500 walks over Pendle's rolling countryside has scooped a national award.

Ron Whalley has volunteered for Pendle Leisure Trust’s Out and About initiative since it was first set up and has led walks every week.

When funding for the popular Thursday Leg Stretchers scheme stopped in 2006, he helped keep the project going by producing leaflets, leading and covering walks, attending meetings and travelling around Lancashire distributing promotional material.

He has also devoted his time to helping Lancashire County Council to plan walks in Pendle and has delivered a navigational course for local walkers.

Now he has beat hundreds of other volunteer walk leaders from all over the country to win an Exceptional Service award from Natural England’s Walking for Health project.

Wayne Bowman, the Pendle Leisure Trust’s Out and About co-ordinator, said: “Ron fully deserves this award after all his years of hard work promoting walking in Pendle.

“This recognition, along with our continued accreditation, shows how much dedication all of our volunteers have to make this project a success.”

The Out and About scheme also held on to its accredited status from Walking for Health for the third consecutive year.

It will now be seen as part of a national strategy, as well as being formally recognised by health professionals, prospective partners and funders.

William Bird, strategic health advisor for Natural England, said: “The accredited scheme has been essential in ensuring high standards and providing frontline health professionals with added confidence when referring their patients.

“It’s really good the Out and About project has managed to retain its accreditation, as it shows high standards are being met year after year.”