We are delighted to announce that John Ashley, who has been the chair of the Gower Walking Festival organising committee for the last four years, has been elevated to the role of Honorary President.
John has been involved in the Festival since first becoming a walk leader in 2011 and its continued success is due in no small part to John’s passion for walking and his deep love of Gower and the surrounding areas.
John has stepped down as chair, but he will still lead Gower Walking Festival walks and lend the organising committee his expertise when needed. He also continues with his day job as Walking Development Officer for Swansea Council plus he is the chair of the Friends of White Rock Industrial Heritage Park. This year, he will also be involved in an exciting Citizen Science archaeology project in Gower and will be embarking on a new writing venture – watch this space.
We will miss him in the role of chair. Thank you, John. The Festival wouldn’t be what it is today without you.
We are thrilled to have Linda Welch step into the role of organising committee chair for the 2026 Gower Walking Festival.
With a background in marketing & communications in the urban regeneration sector and a long-standing love of Gower, Linda brings both her experience and passion for walking to the role as we plan for the 2026 Gower Walking Festival which will run from Saturday 5th to Sunday 13th September 2026. We hope it will include a number of new routes and new walk themes. We’ll be sharing more about the 2026 programme in the months ahead.
The Gower Walking Festival is a team effort with everyone united by their love for Gower. It wouldn’t be the same without those participating so, keep your eyes open, boots laced and get ready to book your space on walks so we can step into a new year and a new Festival together.