Minutes of Ramblers Association Doncaster Group

Annual General Meeting – Monday October 20^th 2014

7.15pm Catholic Club

Attendance: Peter Gravestock, David Horne, Noreen McDonnell, Cynthia Elvidge, Jim Elvidge, Dennis Neal, Tony Marsh, Marion Thompson, Owen Evans, Tony Liversidge, Peter Miller, Keith Staines,Sandra Staines, Owen Evans, Martin Vincent, Keith Skelton, Dave Binnington, David Nicholson, Rob Harrison, and May Harrison.

Apologies: David Gadd, Wendy Atkinson, Catherine Palmer, Heidi Milnthorpe and Mansel Heslip.

2. Appointment of tellers: Bob Carlisle and Dave Binnington.

3. Approval of minutes of the 2013 AGM: Proposed: Marion Thompson, Seconded: Tony Marsh. Approved by the meeting.

4. Matters arising from the 2013 AGM: There were no matters arising.

5. Chair’s annual report: Peter Gravestock read David Gadd's report: 

I would like to thank Peter Gravestock for acting as chair this evening in my absence.

It gives me great pleasure to present this report of the Doncaster Group's activities over the past year.

Numbers on the walks continue to be high, with 20-30 members on many walks. Obviously the weather and the location of the walk can affect numbers, but overall we are obviously satisfying many members with the selection of walks on offer. The summer 4-5 mile Wednesday evening walks, organised by Jim Elvidge, continue to attract good numbers, including some people new to walking. The Thursday 6-7 mile walks, using public transport, are organised by Beryl Clarke. This year was the 30^th anniversary of the establishment of the Thursday group and this was marked by a walk and celebratory lunch at The Pastures in Mexborough. The Thursday group needs more people to lead walks and any members who could lead a walk in their local area should get in touch with Beryl. The Tuesday and Saturday walks, organised by Dave Binnington/Bob Carlisle and by Trevor Jenkins respectively, continue to provide walks in most locations within an hour or so's drive from Doncaster. Since we moved to having three people co-ordinate these walks, and pointed out that if most members lead a couple of walks the programme will be filled more easily, the problem of finding leaders has eased..

We have had two successful Christmas walks followed by lunches, at Barnburgh and at Sykehouse. We had a successful coach trip to Robin Hoods Bay in June, despite the dreadful weather, and a successful weekend away to Church Stretton in September. Thanks to the people who organised these events

We are grateful to our advertisers for supporting the walks programme. Obviously their payments contribute considerably to the cost of printing. It is noteworthy that Ramblers Worldwide Holidays now pay for a full-page advert in our programme. Three year ago central office, with Tom Franklin as chief executive officer, made a 3-year agreement with HF, in the process excluding RWH. The Ramblers - RWH link had been in existence since 1947, with RWH contributing about £400,000 pa to Ramblers. However at the following General Council, delegates made it quite clear to the executive what they thought of Ramblers' treatment of RWH, with a unanimous vote of no-confidence. Tom Franklin left shortly afterwards. He was replaced by Benedict Southworth, who appears to be re-aligning Ramblers to be doing what most members think it should be doing.

We continue to provide, independently of our programme, a number of walks for the Get Doncaster Walking programme. Attendances on GDW walks have diminished but while DMBC continues to put these walks on, primarily aimed at getting non-walkers walking, we hope to support them.

The committee has been more active than in the past regarding seeking publicity. We have had a number of items published in the Doncaster Free Press this year, although sending an article doesn't necessarily mean that it will be published. The most notable item was a half-page photo in the DFP of a maintenance team standing proudly around a magnificent new kissing gate at the end of Castle Fields in Tickhill, which replaced a particularly old and rickety stile. Another team installed another kissing gate, at the top end of Castle Fields. These two structures will enable older people and/or people who find it difficult to get over stiles, to complete a lovely local circuit. We were also represented at Health Day at the Crompton factory on the Wheatley Hall Road. This event was to mark the establishment of a total non-smoking policy on the site. We had our photograph display, showing, we hope, the joys of walking as well as the efforts we make to help DMBC maintain the public rights of way network.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who contributes to the running of the Doncaster Group of the Ramblers - every walk leader; every back-marker; our walks programme co-ordinators, named previously; Owen Evans for co-ordinating the entire Walks Programme and liaising with the printer; Peter Gravestock for co-ordinating programme distribution; the organisers of specific events; Kerry Forman for the considerable unsung work he does with the website; Dennis Neal for his work arranging social events; the members of the Rights of Way committee for their considerable work; and last, but not least, the outgoing committee for their work in keeping the Group going.

Peter added the following. That’s the end of David’s report, but it is a feature of AGM’s that everyone seems to get thanked except the Chair, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to rectify that.

David is a reluctant Chair who would happily give it up tomorrow if anybody else would take it on. Unfortunately, that’s not been the case in recent years so David has accepted the responsibility rather than seeing the future of the Doncaster Group put in jeopardy, which it would be if we didn’t have a Chair. He does a tremendous amount of work for Ramblers, both for the Group and for Area, and I think it would be good if we could acknowledge that today.

(Applause from all present.)

6. Rights of Way Committee annual report: Peter Gravestock read the report of the Chair of the RoW committee
   
   Wendy Atkinson:

It is now almost two years since we established a distinct RoW Group and the details, both of the system for walking and reporting on footpaths, and of the follow-up procedures were established.

The vital task of checking footpaths, and the subsequent repair and maintenance work which inevitably follows, is carried out by some 30 members of the group. Close collaboration between our RoW Group and DMBC RoW Dept has been essential, and had this not occurred, progress would have been very limited. Meetings in the Spring with DMBC concerning repairs and maintenance have resulted in a significant increase in the number of volunteer sessions, all of which have contributed to improvements in our local footpaths.

By the end of 2013 we had walked and reported on over 500 of the 590 paths within the DMBC area and carried out numerous repairs and improvements. At this stage in our second year we have not made such good progress in walking our footpaths, mainly as a result of members preferring to start the checking process later in the year. However, we do expect to achieve a similar target by the end of 2014.

Volunteer work to repair and maintain paths has increased significantly since the early Summer months and a more regular monthly programme has been set up for the Winter period. We anticipate that by early in 2015 the list of outstanding repairs will have fallen substantially.

A new roundel has been agreed to be attached to maintenance work, to publicise Doncaster Ramblers work to the public

Martin Wyman added that over 300 paths had now been walked in 2014.

7. Treasurer’s annual report: Treasurer David Horne reported:

The 2013 / 2014 financial year has been a good year for the group. The balance at the end of September 2014 at £965.44 exceeds that at the start of the financial year which was £810.54. Major contributions to the group’s finances came from a SYNED area credit in April for £350.00 and from the Ramblers Worldwide Holidays Walking Partnership worth £240.00. Other regular income also made a worthwhile contribution.

The coach trip in June made a profit with £470.00 coach fare revenue compared to the coach hire charge of £425.00. Donations to the Edale Mountain Rescue this year totalled £157.00 mostly courtesy of the Christmas meal raffles. Financially the group are in very good shape for the next financial year.

Finally my thanks to all committee members for all their hard work during the last financial year. I am happy to stand again as Treasurer for the next financial year.

Keith Skelton asked how much we get from Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. DH replied that it ranges from £25 for a week in the UK to £45 for two weeks worldwide. Do members know about this? There is a full page advert on the back of the Programme.

Dave Binnington thanked DH for the thoroughness of his report.

Tony Marsh asked about the £52.80 received for Programmes. Primarily those sold by Tourist Information.Has the cost of the Programme increased? No, £1 cheaper than last year. Latest Programme is in the current financial year, but DH thought the cost to be about the same.

8.   Election of officers:

9. Any Other Busines

Rob Harrison reported that two weeks ago he had had an accident on a Ramblers walk and was left behind. He didn’t know where to go and needed help from a passerby. Safety issues in Doncaster Ramblers Group have not been addressed.

MT asked if an accident report had been completed. No. It should have been, and this is Group policy.

TM said this should not happen. The Committee had circulated a Questionnaire and the most common complaint was that the pace of walks was too fast and too spread out. Walk Guidelines are not followed and it is difficult to attract new members.

KS added that he had had a similar experience.

MW said the Group had never enforced the Guidelines, it was up to each leader to lead and lead responsibly. But TM added that some leaders forget about mixed abilities.

PG said that one leader had been sent a letter after several complaints.

TM thought that such incidents were not isolated and we as a Group need to subscribe to a common approach. Perhaps the practice of appointing back markers has declined? TM replied that this did not matter if contact was not maintained. BC said a map for the back marker would help. Or a whistle. But RH had a whistle and it was of no use.

DB widened the discussion – it was up to all walk members to take responsibility and inform the leader if there are problems. DB will emphasise when appointing leaders that Guidelines should be followed.

PG summed up the salient points of the discussion. MW should put on the Agenda for the next Committee Meeting and the suggestions we would consider were:

- Ask the Tuesday/Saturday walks programme compilers (Dave Binnington & Trevor Jenkins) to draw walks leaders' attention to their responsibilities when signing up to lead a walk and point them to the Guidelines which are included on the penultimate page of the Walks Programme.

- Put something in the next Group newsletter

- Put something on the website

- Feed back the outcome of our discussions, probably via the website.

DB proposed that the Committee should address this matter with urgency. Seconded TM. Agreed.

There was a further discussion on walk grading. K Staines added that more detailed walk descriptions might help. PG added that all the evidence indicated that it was not the distance or ups and downs that caused the difficulties but rather the pace of the leading group.

MT asked if anyone able to lead a Thursday walk would let Beryl Clarke know. They had lost some leaders.

MT reminded members that next year was Ramblers 80^th anniversary. Think of suggestions.

The business part of the meeting closed at 20:34 and was followed by a very entertaining and well received programme of music from around the world by Dave Binnington and Friends.

A quiz compiled by Dennis Neal was keenly fought and enjoyed by members.