Guided Pilgrimage Training

Thank you for being a guide! Our guided pilgrimages are an important part of what we do. They introduce more people to the practice of modern pilgrimage. They raise vital funds to keep us going and deliver our wider work, such as our free route resources. By volunteering as a guide, you are helping us reach more people, in more parts of the country, and expand our activities wider than we ever could on our own.

We have created this resource bank of bite-size segments to help you plan your own guided pilgrimages. It’s a work in progress; we’ll keep adding more content as things develop. If you feel there is something missing, let us know so we can add it. You’ll find a quick overview of items in the videos, and in-depth guides in the the linked pages.

Don’t forget to fill out your training log when you have completed a section.

Getting Started

Choosing a Route


What do you need to bear in mind when choosing a route? How can you make sure it includes all the necessary elements, from the practical, to the spiritual?

Choosing a Route

Information needed to set up an event

Check the form in advance of planning your route so you know what to include. We’ll discuss your route with you, and you’ll be able to make changes to it if you need to.

Timescales

Please allow plenty of time between submitting your form and the date of your pilgrimage. This allows us to process the information, check on anything that needs clarification, and leave enough time to promote and book tickets.

When pilgrimage will take place:Submission Deadline:
March 2022December 31, 2021
April – June 2022January 31, 2022
July – September 2022April 31, 2022
October – December 2022July 31, 2022

Safe, Suitable, Sensible

What can you do to keep pilgrims safe on their journey? How to prepare, advise and respond.

Safety Guidance

Protecting Pilgrims’ Data

As a guide, you will hold pilgrims’ confidential information, protected by law. What are your responsibilities?

Data Protection

Open to All

Find out about our values and how we aim to make everyone feel welcome and included on our guided pilgrimages.

Open to All

Pilgrimage Content

We currently offer two main types of pilgrimage. Silent Pilgrimages are fully silent between the start point and destination. Guided Pilgrimages involve a variety of content delivered by guides, such as stories, songs or other practices that may require communicating with the group.

Silent Pilgrimages

Silent pilgrimages are a unique experience, where other than a welcome from the guide the whole day is silent until reaching the destination. It requires a particular skill set to guide a group without speaking, but the journey is rewarding in very different ways.

Guided Pilgrimages

1. What should a pilgrimage feel like?
2. Practices for pilgrimages
3. Opening and closing your pilgrimage
4. Speaking to custodians, keeping pilgrims engaged with their intention, and promoting your pilgrimage in local media.

Other Useful Information

Signing Up Support

We don’t expect you to do a sales pitch, but sometimes pilgrims find they have been so inspired by their experience with you that they want to know more about how they can get involved. Here is all the information you need in one place so you can answer their questions.

Follow Ups

After the pilgrimage, we send a follow up message to our pilgrims. This is a really lovely way to cement their relationship with BPT, ensure a longer lasting experience, encourage repeat pilgrims and generate more support. 

All you need to do is draft a message which the admin team can send out on your behalf. This can be as simple as a “thanks for coming” but the more tailored you make it to the group the more impactful it will be. A photo of the group, a copy of a song or poem you may have shared, or where to find information about questions you couldn’t answer. Lastly we include a fundraising message to encourage our pilgrims to sign up as friends or join the mailing list. We also invite feedback from pilgrims.

You can send your follow up message to guides@britishpilgrimage.org 

If Things Go Wrong

It’s really unlikely you will encounter any problems, but here are useful tips and tools for preventing issues arising, and had how to tackle things if they do go wrong.

If Things Go Wrong