EAST SURREY WALKERS AGM 2026

REPORTS

CHAIR’S REPORT

It’s always interesting to look back over the year to summarise what we have done, and it’s quite a lot! I think it’s fair to say the weather and the political climate have been challenging but that doesn’t stop us walking, although the severe heat did mean a few walks had to be cancelled.

Over all we have had a similar walks programme to recent years, have retained sufficient leaders and recruited new ones and maintained a similar membership base, but I will leave our walks co-ordinator & membership secretary to detail these points.

We started the year with our New Year’s lunch at St Aggie’s. Some of us felt the food was not really hot enough and after consultation with the caterers it was decided that a change of venue and a better kitchen was needed. Angie is on the case and 2027 will see the lunch at a different venue.  Following that we had our walking wounded tea party organized by our Welfare Officer, Linda Wellbrook, and a thank you get together with our walk leaders.

June brought the Cream Tea, thanks Roger, a success as always and this was followed by our Summer Buffet in Rosie’s lovely garden. Happily the weather was fine for all our events.

The weather was also lovely for our coach trip and walks in Sandwich. We have had an ESW holiday to Swanage and another one due in December to the Cotswolds thanks to Judith Mills.  Tony also hosted a walking break to Exmoor for those that like longer walks. So not too shabby!

Deb Skinner stepped in to replace Brian Smith as Webmaster this year and Karen Frost continues to do a great job as Facebook administrator, sender of our Notice Boards and general internet back up.  Nigel Poulter keeps our walks programme on track and updated, no mean feat, and of course Barbara Bulman and Ken’s Krew are out there in all weathers keeping our footpaths open and in a good state of repair.

Thanks must also go to our Footpath secretaries for all their work and our ESW Committee who keep the show on the road and help me a great deal, and call me out when I am wrong!

I meet with the other Surrey Ramblers Chairs and committee members on a regular basis. Some groups are undoubtedly more vibrant then others, some are really struggling.  Persuading volunteers to apply for committee roles, walk leading etc is an ongoing problem for all.

So onwards and upwards. I am very pleased that we have been able to fill all our committee roles, it helps to share the load but volunteers in any capacity are always welcome.  Help with social events, holidays, footpaths, walk leading, coach trips – anyone can do them!

Helen McDonnell – Chair

TREASURER'S REPORT

ESW total funds are £8,750 but this includes £598 holiday funds in advance so the effective total as at 30^th September is £8,152 (2025: £8,201). The total funds are split into Main Funds £7,119 (2025: £6,702) and Self-Funded funds £917 (2025: £1,499). Main funds are for our walks programme, paths work and administration. The Main funds are further split into our General Fund £2,190 (2025: £1,801) and the designated Kissing Gate (KG) fund £4,929 (2025: £4,901). The self-funded funds comprise of our Holiday Fund £115 (2025: £80) and Social Fund £917 (2025: £1,419).

General Fund

Group funding from Surrey Area was £594 which is the standard allocation for a Group of our size. We continue to receive rebates from Ramblers Worldwide holidays when holiday makers register ESW as their preferred recipient. Please do use this opportunity if you join a RW Holiday by nominating ESW.

Our expenditure is low, the main item being the reasonable expenses of members of our group who participate in Ken’s Krew at £159 although £28 was donated back into the KG fund.

Kissing Gates Fund

The KG Designated fund received the above mentioned transfer-in. There is a stock of Kissing Gates at Surrey County Council and no purchases during the year. There is an ample balance with no expenditure this year.

Social Funds

The Social fund received surpluses from the Cream Tea and Coach Trip to Sandwich. There were deficits for the New Year Lunch and Walkers Social as expected.

Holiday Funds

All holidays are now fully accounted for except Heythrop (December 2026) which will be finalised in the 2026-27 accounts.

2026-27 Group Funding

I expect our Group Funding to be £605 i.e. the basic funding allocation.  This adequately meets our needs.

Stuart England -Treasurer

The Accounts to 30th September 2026 can be found here

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY’S REPORT

The change in membership since the 2025 AGM has been as follows:

Included in the above as at 30 September 2026 are 7 members whose renewal payment is pending. (Was 8 at 30 September 2025). We also have 6 affiliate members (unchanged from last year).

In a trend which started last year, this year has seen a significant reduction in the number of members. Several other groups in Surrey are seeing a fall in membership as shown in the table below:

As we saw last year the number of area members (those who live in Surrey area but have not chosen a group) has risen significantly.

New members
We continue to attract new members every month at a similar level to that seen last year.

Leavers
Inevitably each year there are members who for whatever reason choose not to rejoin us.  Where members are prepared to share their reasons for leaving the most common relate to poor health or lack of time to do the walks although this year we have seen a small number who say the walks offered didn’t suit them.

Deaths
Sadly during the year we have been informed of the loss of 3 of our members: Gordon Cooper, Arthur Derby and Mike Webb. Our thoughts go out to their family and friends.

Tricia Ross - Membership Secretary

WALK STATISTICS

ESW walks data

PUBLICITY OFFICER’S REPORT

I have concentrated on publicising ESW through three main categories of media so far:

1.         Local, commercial, magazines and websites, like the Nutfield Link, CR5, Tandridge Independent and NextDoor.

2.         Residents Association Magazines and websites, like The Tadworth & Walton Tribune, Kenley Residents Association and Old Coulsdon Residents Association magazine

3.         Council websites including the Bletchingley Parish website and Surrey County Council

Published material

The Tandridge Independent, Town Crier (Nutfield), CR5 and others have published adverts (free so far) and also features with pictures.

We have a permanent listing on the Surrey County Council website and have been promised a page on the Bletchingley Parish website.

All articles and adverts carry a link to ESW walks page on the web.

The future

I am investigating the Ramblers SE Walker supplement, but they need something different.  We need to think about things that make us stand out and make a good picture too.

I haven’t done anything about posters, but the committee has had new posters printed this year. They have been putting them up on notice boards in our area and in libraries etc. but unfortunately they do not usually remain there for long. I will liaise with others to take forward.

 The ESW Facebook postings are brilliant, but I don’t think this can be left solely to one person – those of us with a FB ‘account’ all need to ‘like’ the postings and post their own pictures and news making sure to include our web link.  This is crucial.

If anyone has a Mumsnet account, please think about posting your walking news.  Not sure where that leaves dads or granddads.

It would be brilliant if members could let me know what, if any, local websites and publications they read, so I can contact them.

If anyone wants to know what has been published I am happy to supply copies and web links.

Chris Myers

ANNUAL FOOTPATH SECRETARIES REPORT

Limpsfield and Crowhurst

Various sections of footpaths and bridleways in the High Chart area of Limpsfield Common which suffer heavy mud in winter have recently been improved with £20,000 funding from the National Trust.

Fingerposts at roadside frequently go missing or have to be replaced due to ageing. Contractors for Surrey C.C. have recently gone round the area to regularise the situation.

FP 56 Limpsfield (Greensand Way), Limpsfield Parish Council agreed to fund replacement gate and installation (near Tenchleys Lane).

Oxted

In January a Public Inquiry was held at Tandridge Council Offices in respect of a planning application by Croudace Homes, which had previously been refused, for 190 houses and an extra care facility on land south of Barrow Green Road, Oxted, known as Stoney Field and in which Public Bridleway 97 Oxted crosses. 

Having previously objected to the application on behalf of The Ramblers, we were asked by Oxted Parish Council and Oxted and Limpsfield Residents Group to appear as a witness at the Inquiry. Tony Pearson agreed to represent The Ramblers and in advance submitted a written Proof of Evidence. On day 3 of the Inquiry (9 days had initially been set aside) he was called to present evidence and respond to questions from the barrister representing the developers. On Day 5 the developers surprisingly withdrew their appeal without giving any reason and it can only be speculated that, by that stage of the Inquiry, the evidence that had been presented by opposers (landscape protection, hydrology, sewage, site access etc) was likely to result in the appeal being turned down. Subsequently the appeal costs have been awarded in full in favour of SCC, against the developer.

The diversion of FP 229 (Rose Farm) was completed.

In general, each LFS has dealt with a number of ‘tasks’ sent to them via CAMS from SCC.   These usually involve inspecting a FP and then reporting back on its overall condition or on a specific point.

On a weekly basis LFS inspect the planning applications submitted to SCC.   Any applications involving FPs are inspected on the ground and appropriate objections made during the planning process.

BVPI

Richard Mascall liaises between Surrey Ramblers and our BVPI ("Best Value Performance Indicators") inspectors.   This is a system designed to allow performance comparisons in the six monthly surveys of local rights-of-way usability, the last two being in November 2025 and May 2026.

Here are the latest results showing the percentage of paths that are "easy-to-use", alongside the equivalent figures for previous years.

"Easy-to-use" roughly means there are no obstacles and that, if the path has a junction with a road, there is a sign.  Area 4 is the combination of our area with Reigate and Banstead.

As can be seen, any one result in one area can vary quite dramatically compared to any other one result.  So, it is the longer-term picture that one should look at.  Our area would seem to be not too bad, but obviously we must await November results to confirm that May's were an outlier.

The areas are:

Area 1   Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne and Surrey Heath

Area 2   Waverley and Woking

Area 3   Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell and Mole Valley

Area 4   Reigate & Banstead and Tandridge

KEN’S CREW REPORT

Another busy year, with the prospect of changes next spring, when Surrey divides into East and West, not Boroughs and Districts.  We are currently blessed to have been told Tom Chatfield will continue to be our Volunteer Co-ordinator, but he lives in Hampshire, and was obviously hoping to get the West Surrey job.

Alfie Taylor, the Surrey County Council (SCC) Rights of Way (RoW) apprentice has been blessed to be offered a permanent job with SCC RoW, he’s amazing, so a good result for us, as well as him.

We seem to have spent this year on endless vegetation clearance and waymark post installations, but we have also installed two finger posts, some steps, a rather nice bridge, and cleared our first ever ditch, to reduce flooding across the footpath.

Sadly, as you see, no gates, even though there are several defective stiles in need of removal.  Hopefully we shall be tasked to install some gates this autumn and winter. I know SCC RoW have several in stock.  I have a feeling that digging 4 x 27” / 69cm deep post holes, and a 9” / 23cm trench, in the rock hard soil for each gate this summer may have been less than fun.

We continue to be working as a somewhat hybrid team, with four SCC volunteers, the Reigate team lead, and some of his team.  We have a similar reciprocal arrangement with them. It works.

I would be very pleased if ESW walkers would report defects they come across promptly, when they see them.  I think some people are put off by the, not essentially user-friendly for everyone, SCC RoW report form, https://rightsofway.surreycc.gov.uk/StandardMap.aspx  but I understand that the FixMyStreet www.fixmystreet.com paperwork is simpler.  We can report everything from pot-holes on highways, to damaged bridges, blocked paths etc on PROW’s, and the report will be directed to the appropriate authority, in Surrey and other places where we walk.  As I find myself saying, far too often, if we don’t tell them, they won’t know, and the defect won’t be fixed.  A quick photo’, and the What3Words code, for accurate location ID, snapped on a walk, can be reported when we get home.  No need to hold others up.

Barbara Bulman - Ken’s Krew