EAST SURREY WALKERS’ AGM 2024 REPORTS

CHAIRMAN‘S REPORT

As I come to the end of my tenure as chairman of East Surrey Walkers, I thought it was a good time to look back over the last three years.

When I took over as chairman in November 2021, we were of course coming out of the major restrictions imposed by Covid & things were starting to get back to what was then a new normal. Thankfully we now seem to be back to a regular normal, which is great (although Covid is here to stay & very much still seems to be around).

2022 saw the proposed introduction of the new Walks Manager. The implementation of it got put back a couple of times, but it was finally launched in May 2023 – along with a new Ramblers website. There were some initial teething problems, experienced countrywide, but it does now seem to be running fairly smoothly. My thanks to Nigel Poulter for all his work during the changeover, also Helen McDonnell, who was Walks Co-ordinator during the switch & of course to all our walk leaders for their patience too. More recently, Assemble has been removed (hurrah!) & a new Walk Leader Handbook & training modules have been launched.

Of course, ESW is a walking group (clues in the name!) & without Walk Leaders, there would be no walks, so thank you to all the fabulous leaders who give up their time, come rain or shine to lead others on walks & to Ron Wellbrook who has taken on the role of Walks Co-ordinator. Please do consider becoming a walk leader – help is available. We won’t just throw you in at the deep end!

One thing that came up at last year’s AGM was first aid training for Walk Leaders (& others). I’m pleased to say that we have found a lovely lady who does first aid training at her home in Warlingham, for the very reasonable price of £3 per person. I think that to date only 5 of our walk leaders have taken advantage of this course, but I recommend that everyone considers doing it. The courses only run in the autumn/winter/spring, so now is the perfect time to sign up to do it. Please contact Jim Burbridge for more information/to book. Get trained for less than the price of a coffee at one of the well-known high street chains! Great value & better for you too.

Some of the challenges that we’ve faced during my time in the chair are a very hot few days in 2022 (high 30s) & a very wet spring this year. At one point it felt like it was never going to stop raining – but it did. Eventually. However, the summer never seems to have really got going this year – a couple of nice days & then back to overcast or raining (or both) & here we are now, in the autumn & it’s wet. Again. Recently we had some 46mm of rain in 24 hours, which is bonkers!

We’ve had a number of social events & holidays this year, starting with the New Year’s lunch at St Agatha’s Hall in January, the Walking Wounded tea in March, The London Blind Walk in May, the cream tea in June, the Summer Buffet in August, holidays to Bourton-on-the-Water in May, Swanage in October, Blunsden House Hotel, Swindon in December & of course the AGM in November (not strictly a social event, but there is tea).

At the summer buffet, for the first time in quite a while, we held a raffle & managed to get some good prizes (all proceeds went to the kissing gate fund). Karen’s report has the details of funds raised, including a donation of £300 to the kissing gate fund from the Thursday Walkers. It would be good to make that an annual event if we can, but that’s down to your new chairman & committee! None of these events would happen without someone taking the lead & putting the work in, so thank you very much to everyone that organises, helps & contributes in some way.

This is my second go at this report. The first got very wordy trying to thank people for what they’ve done & it became not very readable, so… I’d like to thank everyone who has organised trips, events, walks, holidays, done the washing up or helped at events, lent their garden, the Ken’s Krew team, the footpath secretaries & wardens, website/social updating team & the committee members past & present who have helped me during my time as chairman of East Surrey Walkers. There are too many of you to name personally, so I hope you will forgive me for not doing so. I wouldn’t want to miss out anyone who has helped in any way.

Thank you all for putting up with me for the last 3 years. Time to hand over to someone else

Kind regards

Deb Skinner –Chairman

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TREASURER’S REPORT

General

ESW’s General Funds stand at £1,419 year end, after a surplus of £29 this year.

As always, our main source of annual income is from Ramblers HQ.  Having asked for additional funding, this was declined and we were awarded £1,120 (same as prior year) paid in quarterly instalments.

We continue to receive £200 p.a. advertising revenue from Ramblers Worldwide Holidays (RWH) and £50p.a. from HF Holidays, for adverts placed in our Quarterly Walks programme.

ESW also received £120 in rebates from RWH; £10 a time paid for members who have booked direct and quoted ESW as their registered Group. So please can I remind anyone taking a holiday with RWH to nominate ESW when making a booking.

General expenditure was lower than last year, so £870 has been transferred to the Kissing Gate Fund at year end. Expenditure consisted of Ken’s Krew expenses, AGM costs, Prizes, Gifts, Software purchase for our Website and Rights of Way books for our new Footpath Secretaries.

I have requested a budget of £1,800 for the coming year, an increase of £680. Working closely with Surrey County Council’s Countryside Access Officer, Ken’s Krew have identified a number of sites where larger Kissing Gates could be installed to provide access to entire footpaths for those with mobility issues, along with bridge repairs and handrails. With the Ramblers’ aim to remove barriers to walking and ‘Access for All’, this request should resonate with their ethos.

Kissing Gates Fund

Last year we bulk purchased 7 gates, with a total spend £3,570, which Surrey County Council are storing pending installation.  Two of ESW’s gates have been installed (other installations being funded elsewhere), so with five currently held, there has been no purchase of gates this year.

£870 was transferred from our General Account prior to year end. We raised £330 from Raffle monies at the Summer Buffet and also received a personal donation of £300 “With Thanks to ESW and the Thursday Walkers”; £345 was transferred from Social Funds profits (as agreed at last AGM) and Volunteer donated expenses, leaving £3,039 in the account.

Social Fund

This year ESW held our New Year Lunch, Autumn Social, Cream Tea and Summer Buffet; with total profits totalling £291.

Holiday Fund

At the beginning of the year ESW paid out monies received for the Suffolk/Essex holiday, held over the year end. We had a similar situation this year, where final payments from members for our Blunsdon holiday (in December), had been received but not paid to Woods Travel until after year end. There was another successful holiday, also arranged by Helen Whiteley, to Swanage in October.

Ken’s Krew

A cash float is maintained by KK organiser, Barbara Bulman, to reimburse travel expenses for volunteers and was topped up by £200 this year, with volunteer expenses donated (and paid to KG fund) at £34.

Karen Holdsworth - Treasurer

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MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY’S REPORT

The change in membership since the 2023 AGM has been as follows:

Included in the above as at 30 September 2024 are 6 affiliates and 9 members whose renewal payment is pending.

New members
We continue to attract new members every month. This year January was a particularly popular month for joining us with 13 new members in that month alone.

Leavers
Inevitably each year there are members who for whatever reason choose not to rejoin us. I have been asking members who leave if they are prepared to share their reasons for doing so. Where this was given the most common reason relates to poor health and inability to walk. Last year the previous membership secretary reported that there had been a significant number of members leaving within one year, but this has not been so prevalent this year with less than 20% of leavers having been members for a year or less.

Deaths
Sadly during the year we lost 5 of our members: David Hewett, Clive Sillitoe, Kenneth Clare, Mrs P Lockett and Fred Le Petit.
Our thoughts remain with their family and friends

Comparisons

Changes in membership over same period (30 September 2023 to 30 September 2024) have been:

Mailings

I have implemented the latest guidance from the Ramblers on our ability to email members. This means that many more members should now be receiving details of our walks via email.

Tricia Ross - Membership Secretary

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WALKS CO-ORDINATOR’S REPORT

My first year as your Co-ordinator has been a bit patchy, with other previous commitments having to take priority. However, I have tried to keep abreast with “what’s going on” and react accordingly.

The last year has seen a few changes, some welcomed, some not so much. As usual with any changes there are good points and not so good.

Training for new leaders has been given quite a radical shake up covering a lot more requirements, too many to go into here but all requirements can be found on the Ramblers website.

While this has to be a good thing overall, in my experience good quality comprehensive training produces confident leaders, however it is a “one size fits all” programme, covering perhaps a bit more than is needed for footpaths across fields in East Surrey. Not onerous but a bit more of a commitment for our prospective leaders. First aid and incident training is of course invaluable, whatever the terrain or area, also giving more confidence to leaders.

Walking grades narratives have been changed slightly to reflect what is felt more appropriate to our current membership.

Across the categories, the ever popular Wednesday Short Circular Walks remain so, with slightly more walks provided in 2023/2024 than 2022/2023 with walkers’ attendance up by 30%. The remaining categories are broadly comparable, but with an increase in popularity for the Ambles Walks, attendance up by 32%. The full ESW walks statistics can be viewed here.

The increase in walkers for Short Circular Walks and Ambles clearly tells leaders that the overall trend is to provide less demanding routes overall. While this is obviously the case, my feelings are that we still need to provide a full range of walk grades and distances, to cater for all of our membership.

I will finish my report with another request for prospective leaders, in simple terms, no leaders no walks. If you wish to come forward you will be given as much or as little support as you feel you need.

A final thank you to all our leaders, new this year, or long term, for providing good quality walks despite facing mud, water and other interesting challenges.

Ron Wellbrook, Walks Co-ordinator

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FOOTPATH SECRETARIES’ REPORT

During the last 12 months, after 10 years as LFS covering the Godstone, Oxted, Tandridge and Titsey parishes, Ian Simm has stepped down, owing to his move to Dorset. He was thanked for his strong contribution to maintaining and improving the local path network.

Three new Local Footpath Secretaries (LFS) have been appointed and the new allocation of parishes is as follows:-

Planning Applications: Tandridge D.C. has agreed to advise us when an application could affect a right of way, so that we can comment as appropriate.

Gates: Four have been funded by ESW and installed by Ken’s Krew on FP105 in Oxted, three gates have been funded by Limpsfield PC on FP209 in Limpsfield and the PC has also funded the installation of a gate on FP71 between Grub St. and A25.

The Vanguard Way Assoc. (VWA) has asked Titsey Estate (TE) to divert FP472 in Titsey away from the North side of the M25. TE are prepared to do this, provided VWA pay the legal costs.

The owners of Brook Cottage in Crockham Hill, applied to have FP 371 in Westerham, diverted away from the boundary of their property. We objected on the grounds that the proposed new route would involve walking along a lane. An alternative diversion has now been approved by Kent C.C.

Bletchingley:

Unauthorised stiles had been erected at Garston Park on FP144. These have now been removed.

Regarding quarry paths, the latest set of ‘temporary’ path diversions have come into effect, thanks to the expansion of the Sibelco site. We would therefore expect paths previously diverted for the same reasons as far back as the 2000’s, to be restored in the not too distant future.

BVPI:

Trained members of ESW have carried out bi-annual surveys of our ROW for Surrey CC along with walkers from other Surrey Ramblers groups The resultant information can highlight trends in the useability of paths and discrepancies between different parts of Surrey. We are part of ‘Area 4 ‘within Surrey. Our percentage of easy-to-use paths is rather low (69%), but this is partly because of statistical anomalies caused by the aforementioned Sibelco quarry site.

Our team of trained BVPI inspectors was increased by four in May. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Richrd Mascall on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., who will explain what the job entails.

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KENS’S CREW REPORT

Things are going well.  Our not so new now Volunteer Co-ordinator, Tom Chatfield has settled in well, and learned to respect our skills and abilities, and not just look at our ages.

We continue to be something of a hybrid team, with volunteers from Surrey County Council Rights of Way (SCC RoW)   as well as Croydon and Reigate coming out with us.  Some of the Ken’s Krew team also work with the Reigate Ramblers team.

SCC agreeing to fund their volunteers to be brushcutter and hedgecutter trained has helped us to rotate regularly, to avoid using them for longer than recommended.

This year got off to a poor start. Our December task day fell on Boxing Day, and SCC RoW were unable to offer an alternative date.  January’s task day was beset by a forecast for horrendous winds, so was cancelled by SCC RoW, when in fact it wasn’t too bad. We have though done a huge amount of work, and are very pleased with the improvements to local footpaths access that we’ve been able to implement:

2 wooden kissing gates

8 galvanised kissing gates

3 finger posts

3 bridges

2 flight of steps with handrails

6 days of serious vegetation clearance

The 22 October task will be vegetation clearance at Tupwood Lane. November’s task is yet to be advised.

Our December task falls on Christmas Eve, but we have been able to negotiate an alternative day on 17 December, with SCC RoW.  I shall be team leading for my local Marie Curie collection that week, but Geoff Blackwell has kindly agreed to be team lead for the day.

Barbara Bulman - Ken’s Crew