The Ramblers Association, East Surrey Walkers Group
40th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
2PM Saturday 12th November 2022 at St Andrew’s Church Hall, Limpsfield Chart
1. Chairman’s Welcome: Deb Skinner welcomed 45 members to the AGM.
2. Apologies for absence: Steve Hanks, Stephen Thresher, Lorna Ball, Lisa Dunning, Helen MacDonald
3. Minutes of the 2021 AGM held on the 6th November 2021.
The minutes were available on the ESW website and so were not read out. The minutes were approved by a show of hands.
4. Matters arising: There were no matters arising.
5. Chairman’s Report
The Reports had been made available on the website and Deb said that she did not propose to read them out. There were no questions on the Chairman’s report.
6. Treasurer’s Report
Karen Holdsworth highlighted two points from her report. Firstly, the budget for 2021-22 requested and received from Ramblers had included £1000 specifically for installation of kissing gates. Secondly, would members booking with Ramblers Worldwide Holidays please quote ESW as their registered group as we receive £20 per booking.
Adoption of the Treasurer’s Report and Accounts was proposed and passed on a show of hands.
7. Officers’ Reports
Membership Secretary
Janette Ruiz said that ESW membership numbers hadn’t changed from end September 2021 to end September 2022. The Ramblers central membership database had various problems. If members don’t receive a renewal notice they should query it with Ramblers. A question was asked - if membership was sometimes unclear, whether walk leaders could rely on Ramblers insurance? Janette said that when she queried with Ramblers why a member was not on their database they were quick to acknowledge it was their error.
In reply to a question about membership numbers elsewhere, Janette said that numbers in Surrey Area had gone up from 6358 to 6534 between September 2021 and September 2022.
Walks co-ordinator
Helen MacDonald was away and Nigel Poulter was available to answer questions. The Walks Co-ordinator’s report was on the website. Deb said that ESW were very grateful for its loyal walks leaders but needed more. There were no questions.
Local Footpath Secretaries
Tony Pearson said that Surrey County Council’s Rights of Way Team had proved incompetent over the last two years. It had just been re-organised and hopefully would improve.
During the year ESW had funded and installed 3 gates near Lingfield. Installation of a further 4 gates on a path off Tandridge Lane has been agreed and ESW will fund the supply of two of these. Titsey Rotary will fund the supply of a gate near Oxted Mill which KK will install.
Limpsfield Parish Council has created a waymarked 4.5 mile circuit to Limpsfield Chart and back which could be used for ESW walks. Limpsfield Parish Council has been very proactive on rights of way with 15 gates installed over the last few years.
There were no questions.
Ken’s Krew
Barbara Bulman reported that Surrey County Council’s (SCC) reorganisation of the rights of Way team included a new Volunteer Co-ordinator. She hoped the changes would lead to improvement but had yet to see evidence of this. At SCC’s request Ken’s Krew continue to be stood down from work other than vegetation clearance until January 2023. SCC had failed to provide First Aid training for KK since 2017.
BB requested that ESW members notify her of any footpaths that need vegetation clearance. This request should be included on a NoticeBoard.
8. Report on Surrey Area
Deb said that Surrey Area was looking for a volunteer to take on the role of Secretary.
Surrey Area had held a “Summer in Surrey” event in 2022 but it had been too far from ESW area for us to participate. In 2023 it would be centred on Brockham and we will be able to participate.
Deb said that Ramblers currently had two websites and Assemble which all require separate log ins. She had brought to their attention that it would be a lot easier if one only had to log in once. Currently the training module for leaders is very hard to find on the website and again she had brought to their attention that it would be a lot more user friendly to have a link from the Home page direct to Training.
Deb expressed her view that the Ramblers requirement for written Risk Assessments did not reduce risks if they were just filed. Again she had fed this view back to Ramblers. However she did stress the importance of a full briefing by the walk leader before the start of walks, including highlighting any particular risks on the walk.
It was generally agreed that the requirement for written risk assessments put members off becoming leaders.
9. ESW 40th Anniversary events
Deb said that ESW had had printed a 2023 calendar which was available at the meeting.
A one week Walks Festival was planned for late April 2023 with at least one walk every day.
An anniversary lunch or dinner was planned during the Festival. Deb proposed that this be a lunch with a walk before, e.g. from Bletchingley Golf Club. On a show of hands members preferred a lunch to a dinner.
Helen Whiteley suggested that the Festival should include special interest walks and an afternoon or early evening walk.
10. Election of Officers
The existing Committee members had all completed one or two years of their three year term and were therefore available for re-election and willing to stand. They were re-elected en bloc on a show of hands.
Role Candidate
Chair Deb Skinner
Treasurer Karen Holdsworth
Secretary Arthur Darby
Membership Secretary Janette Ruiz
Walks Co-ordinator Helen McDonnell
11. Any other business
11.1 Walks Survey Results
Deb reported on the results of the survey. She thanked members for the 93 responses received.
Q1 What lengths of walk do you prefer – 70% 5-7 miles, 41% 3-4 miles, 34% 8-10 miles, 9% over 10 miles.
Q2 What days of the week do you/would you walk with ESW? – 57% Wednesday, 52% Thursday, 52% Saturday, 44% Sunday, 43% Tuesday, 36% Friday, 26% Monday.
Q3 If not walking why not? – common answers included health, other commitments, and should get back to walking with ESW!
Q4 Comments/suggestions – more variety of start times, some evening walks, have booking system, car sharing, and a variety of other comments.
Deb said it was difficult to draw conclusions from the survey other than that Wednesdays were popular and Mondays not so, that short medium length walks were popular, and that we should encourage leaders to enter afternoon/evening walks in the planner from time to time.
11.2 Walk Leaders
Deb had analysed last year’s walk data to try to find a common thread as to why a few walks had no one attend and others had a very small number. She recognised that when this happened it was deeply discouraging for leaders. She had not been able to find a common thread, although extreme heat or heavy rain obviously reduced numbers. Brian Smith said he had put down two walks, one had only one ESW member turn up and the other (in Friday Street) had no one turn up.
Average numbers on walks (other than Wednesday circular walks) was 9. The average for Wednesday circular walks was 21.
Deb was preparing a Walk Leader survey to go to all members so as to include both existing leaders and those who might consider leading. It would try to get suggestions on what the Committee could do to encourage members to lead. Deb noted that the forward commitment of entering walks in the planner might discourage some. However it was always possible to add walks nearer the time and/or rearrange walks already in the programme.
Deb said that Ramblers had a new Walks Manager which is currently being trialled by some other groups. It is intended that it would allow leaders to add walks directly to the Walks Manager. It will be interesting to get feedback from the trial.
Some leaders find the Ramblers expectation of a new recce before every walk tiresome for walks they have done before and/or are familiar with.
11.3 Publicity/Action Plan
Tony Pearson said that the basic cause of ESW’s difficulties with a shortage of leaders and static membership was that existing members were getting older and not enough 50/60 year olds were being attracted. He said more publicity and more social media presence were required as part of an action plan from the Committee.
Deb replied that the Committee were aware of the problem. They had sought a new Publicity officer and a new Facebook manager via Noticeboard but had had no response. They had investigated why some Surrey groups were increasing membership and in a couple of instances this seemed connected to the use of the Meetup app. The groups using it had pointed out that they had found they needed a Meetup manager to make it work and, given the lack of response in ESW to the Publicity and Facebook roles, the Committee had not sought a person.
Brigette Parry-James asked whether ESW had the funds to employ someone as Facebook manager? The Limpsfield Community Orchard had found a Facebook manager through the Oxted Volunteer Centre. Other suggestions including advertising “social walking” and splitting up the roles.
Deb said the Committee would look again at Publicity and social media but also asked members to be on the lookout for candidates for these roles when out walking.
11.4 Autumn Social
The Whiteley twins said that only 22 ESW members were attending the Autumn Social out of a total of 57people going. Should they change the format for 2023? By a show of hands those present showed they preferred an evening to a lunchtime event, and a barn dance, skittles, and quiz to a disco.
11.5 Thanks
Deb thanked Sue Halsey and her helpers for providing tea and cakes.