While you’re out walking, if you see a problem, you can of course report it to the requisite LFS (listing of who covers what area is on the ESW website under What Else We Do/Footpaths Etc.), but the preferred action is to report directly via the SCC CAMS system at https://rightsofway.surreycc.gov.uk/.If you can upload a picture(s), ideally taken with the w3w app, then the people at SCC can much more easily see exactly where & what the problem is & get a good idea of how urgently (or otherwise) the problem needs fixing. Obviously having a decent photo & not having to send someone out to investigate saves a lot of time & effort, which means that they can get on with the actual fixing of problems.
On that note, as you may know, SCC appointed Thomas Chatfield as their new Volunteer Co-ordinator & he’s now well & truly got his feet under the table (actually, he’s mostly out & about, not at a desk) & he sent a message out to the volunteers at Christmas, in which he stated “over the last 12 Months, volunteers such as yourself, have contributed to over 2000 hours of work, from over 500 volunteer attendances. Together, we have built 17 bridges, installed 28 gates, 60 fingerposts and over 150 steps. We have cut over 18 km of overgrown vegetation and improved well over 60km of public rights of way.” Take a look in the latest edition of South East Walker (out soon) for the full story.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the people involved with this work, particularly Barbara Bulman & her Ken’s Krew team.
For those of you who read the consultation document “draft guidance for walk leaders” back in November, you’ll probably be pleased to hear that having received over 900 responses, Ramblers Head Office have basically gone back to the drawing board with this! There’s a series of Zoom sessions for group chairs about this document & I attended one a couple of weeks ago. The new version (we weren’t shown it) is apparently going to be released in “the Spring” & is going to be circa 8 pages rather than the 32 that was issued in November & they’re going to produce a pocket sized edition too.
On the (thorny) subject of Risk Assessments (RA), there will be the promised revised guidance. There will be generic RA available on Assemble, but there will not be a requirement to complete one for every walk – unless a more arduous walk in, say the Peak District. Here in sunny Surrey, they accept that the risks are relatively low. However, if leaders want to complete a RA, they of course can.
We all, as we go about our daily lives, are continually doing “Dynamic Risk Assessments” (DRA) whether we think we are or not – do I walk under that ladder, or go around it? Should I just walk across the road, or should I wait for that car to pass? The key things as a walk leader are to ensure that you & the whole group are safe for the whole walk, advising the group that there’s a road crossing, narrow road, cattle in field. etc. & to enjoy leading the walk!

Happy walking – enjoy the emerging spring flowers
Deb Skinner Chairman East Surrey Walkers