I’m Julian Goode – owner of Goode Walks, based in Brentwood in Essex. I’ve been walking, hiking, and climbing hills and mountains since family holidays in Snowdonia, Scotland and the Lake District back as a teenager – and have spent as much time as possible outdoors in the countryside for pleasure all over the UK during the past 30 years.
Through Goode Walks, I want to pass on my love of the outdoors, my experience and the benefit of my qualifications as a walk leader to everyone keen to get out there walking and exploring for themselves:
- Mountain Training Lowland Leader
- Outdoors First Aid Trained
- Leave No Trace Trainer
- MHFA Mental Health First Aider
My mission for Goode Walks is to help everyone I possibly can to enjoy the great outdoors – leading guided tailored walks & hikes for individuals and groups of all kinds in the Essex countryside, as well as in Suffolk, Hertfordshire, London, and right across the south east of England and East Anglia.
That includes everything from health and fitness walks to wellbeing, mental health and mindfulness walks; corporate walks, charity challenges, team bonding and netwalking for businesses, their staff and clients; map and basic navigation skills walks; and a variety of nature, climate change (I am a trained Climate Reality Project leader) and environmentally themed walks.
… My mission for Goode Walks is to help everyone I possibly can to enjoy the great outdoors
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After 30 years working as a journalist and digital media consultant, I was diagnosed with Leukaemia in 2019. It was only then that I discovered the range of Mountain Training walking qualifications and started considering the possibility of a complete career change – ultimately leading to a decision to set up a new business as a walk leader.
Having worked on plans and preparations for Goode Walks during my treatment and the Covid pandemic, I was able to qualify as a Lowland Leader during summer 2021; and then launch Goode Walks fully in spring 2022.
I also took on and completed a 500-mile fundraising challenge for two charities – Barts Charity & Anthony Nolan – in autumn 2022: A Really Goode Walk, in six weeks across all four UK countries.
I was also diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in autumn 2023, just to prove there’s no easy path – you just have to keep on going!
As well as my Lowland Leader qualification – giving me all the skills to safely lead groups on day walks in lowland countryside and woodland in summer conditions – I am Outdoor First Aid trained, a Mental Health First Aider, and also a certified Leave No Trace Trainer. I am qualified to provide Leave No Trace Awareness Workshops on LNT’s Seven Principles of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors, to organisations such as schools, or as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
I have also undergone Mountain Training’s Hill & Moorland Leader training in summer 2022, and will be taking the assessment course soon.
As an outdoors professional I also have the necessary public liability insurance to lead walking groups outdoors.
The natural world, environmental issues and the climate emergency are also major areas of concern for me. I am trained as a Climate Reality Project Climate Leader, and am also a member of the steering group of Brentwood Climate Action – as well as numerous local nature and conservation charities.
I am starting a Masters in Outdoor Education at the University of Wales Trinity St David in Carmarthen in October 2024.