7 and 8 March 2020 Marine Hotel, North Berwick
Ramblers Scotland’s Scottish Council 2020 Final delegate pack #RamblersSC20
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Contents
Scottish Council agenda SC20 01
Ramblers Scotland annual report SC20 02
Election of honorary officers SC20 03
Scottish Council 2019 draft minute SC20 04
Report on action taken on Scottish Council 2019 motions SC20 05a
Draft signage guidance to members SC20 05b
Statement of accounts 2018/19 SC20 06
Scottish Ramblers Gathering accounts 2018/19 SC20 07
Report on Ramblers Scotland finances 2018/19 SC20 08
Nomination form for Scottish Council Executive Committee SC20 09
Nomination form for Motions Committee SC20 10
Scottish Council draft motions order paper SC20 11a (Final motions order paper will be given out on the day)
Directions to venue SC20 A
Scottish Council expenses claim form SC20 B
Bid to host the Gathering 2021 SC20 C
Evaluation form SC20 D
How to obtain your single Ramblers account SC20 E(i)
Logging in to Assemble for the first time SC20 E(ii)
How to create a warm welcome for new members SC20 F
Turning non member walkers into Ramblers SC20 G
Welcome letter tips and template SC20 H
Key walk leader training courses SC20 I
Ramblers Scotland staff support SC20 J
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SCOTTISH COUNCIL 2019 (7/8 March) Macdonald Marine Hotel, North Berwick
ATTENDANCE LIST (as of 27/02/2020)
PRESIDENT: Ben Dolphin
SCOTTISH COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Ronnie Forbes (Convener)* Alison Mitchell (Vice Convener) Alistair Cant (Hon. Treasurer) Elly Macdonald Trevor Jones Linda Moyes Jay Wilson Douglas Tullis* *Also on Scottish Council Agenda Committee
SCOTTISH COUNCIL MOTIONS COMMITTEE: Barry Pottle Liz Hunt James Bennett
AREA DELEGATES: Clydesdale to Solway Stuart King Dorothy King Forth Valley, Fife & Tayside James Forret Mike Morris Grampian Anne MacDonald Claire James Highland & Islands Ann Hadley Lothian & Borders Martin Davison Sandy Janas North Strathclyde James Lawson David McCrossan South West Scotland Michael McGuire
GROUP DELEGATES: Aberdeen Young Walkers Max Sheridan Badenoch and Strathspey Louisa Beveridge Balerno Fiona Alexander Bearsden & Milngavie Ramblers & Hillwalkers Karine Davison Cumbernauld & Kilsyth Ian Jarvis Cunninghame Cheryl Newall Dalgety Bay & District Ben Douglas Dumfries & District Vivienne Pickering Dundee & District Jean MacGillivray East Lothian Ramblers and Hillwalkers Graeme Yarwood Edinburgh (family walkers) Martha Mattos Coelho Edinburgh Young Walkers Gary McGlone Eildon Sue Thomas Forfar & District Christine Ferguson Glasgow Eleanor Chapman Glasgow Young Walkers Scott MacPherson Helensburgh & West Dunbartonshire Patricia Schooling Inverclyde Martin Blain Inverness Roger Smith Inverurie Henry Webb Isle of Bute Wendy Wilkie 1
Kilmarnock & Loudoun Sandra Bogle Kirkcaldy Beth Dickson Linlithgow Ramblers Roderick Aird Lochaber and Lorn Denise Jones Perth Paula Bowman South Ayrshire Rena Mundell St Andrews & NE Fife Jane Houston Stirling, Falkirk & District Allan Drew Stonehaven Aileen Philip Strathkelvin Archie Leishman Tayside Young Walkers Angharad Gibreel Wigtownshire Ben Klinck
Guests and Observers: Adrienn Hortobagi (Glasgow Young Walkers) Alan Watt (Glasgow) Angus Macarthur (Linlithgow) Andrea Steel (East Lothian Ramblers & Hillwalkers) Ann Martin (Strathkelvin) Anne McGuire (Cunninghame) Anne Thomson (Cumbernauld & Kilsyth) Annette Bonar (Glasgow) Barbara Rimmington (Isle of Bute) Bridget Wilcox (Edinburgh) Brian MacGillivray (Dundee & District) Catherine Watt (Glasgow) Christopher Hodgson (Board of Trustees) David Nichol (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) Evelyn Leishman (Strathkelvin) Elise Dougan (Strathkelvin) Eric Pickering (Dumfries & District) Fiona Aird (Linlithgow) Ian Findlay (Guest, Paths for All) Jane Mackenzie (Edinburgh) Jason Finch (Guest) Jean McBride (Cumbernauld & Kilsyth) Jim Campbell (Isle of Bute) Lindsey Hutchison (Edinburgh Young Walkers) Lorna Dunster (Cumbernauld & Kilsyth) Kate Ashbrook (Board of Trustees) Katie McKenna (Cycling without age) Mark Pierzchalo (Stirling, Falkirk & District) Miles Walsh (Helensburgh & West Dunbartonshire) Paula Wise (Bearsden & Milngavie) Peter Land (Linlithgow) Quintin Lake (Guest speaker, architectural & landscape photographer) Rebekah Cork (Glasgow Young Walkers) Richard May (Board of Trustees) Richard Schooling (Helensburgh & West Dunbartonshire) Robbie Sharpe (Dundee) Sarah Small (Glasgow) Sheelagh Nichol (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) Sheona Wilson (Linlithgow) Susan Ellis (Wigtownshire Toni Cameron (Clyde Valley) Tom Bowden (Cumbernauld & Kilsyth) Wendy Bannister (Cumbernauld & Kilsyth) Wraight Shepherd (Stirling, Falkirk & District)
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VOLUNTEERS: Anne Stronach (Registration and walk leader) Christine George (Teller/scrutineer) Eileen Turnbull (Teller/scrutineer) Margaret Allan (Registration) Sheila Williamson (Returning officer)
Ramblers Scotland Staff: Brendan Paddy, director Scotland Danny Carden, communications & engagement manager Helen Todd, campaigns & policy manager Hildegarde Berwick, governance & events administrator Jeannie Cranfield, delivery officer Luke Phillips, project manager - mapping Scotland’s paths Ruth Bowen, project officer - walk leadership Sam Knight, project officer - young adult development
Ramblers GB Staff: John Nicholls, learning manager Sarah Marfleet, director of membership & fundraising Suzanne Rodrigues, volunteering communications manager Wendy Halley, project manager, volunteer portal
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Scottish Council Agenda
Ramblers Scotland’s annual Scottish Council conference, North Berwick 7 and 8 March 2020
Saturday 7 March, morning and afternoon sessions
11.00 Registration
12.00– 13.00 Lunch Opportunity to meet members of Scottish Council Executive Committee (SCEC)
(Additional seating is available in the Bass Rock foyer and conference suite when seating in the Craigleith restaurant is full)
13.15 – 13.40 Welcome Ronnie Forbes, Ramblers Scotland convener and trustee on GB Board
13.40 – 14.05 Ramblers Scotland – our year Brendan Paddy, Ramblers Scotland director
14.05 – 14.10 Questions and adoption of annual report Paper 02
14.10 – 14.30 Everyone is welcome… come on in! As a new decade beckons, how can we reach out to more walkers to grow and diversify our wonderful community of the Ramblers’ members across Scotland and beyond? Sarah Marfleet, director of membership and fundraising
14.30 – 14.35 Arrangements for nominations and elections to Scottish Council Executive Committee (SCEC) and Motions Committees. Appointment of returning officer, tellers and scrutineers Formal election of president and vice presidents Paper 03 Election of convener, vice convener and treasurer 14.35 – 15.10 Coffee break
15.10 – 15.50 Scottish Council Challenge Presentation from winner of the 2019 Scottish Council Challenge • Magnificent Eleven, Catherine Watt, Glasgow Ramblers • Clachnaben Path, Alison Mitchell, Grampian area Ramblers
Group Successes • Growing membership – Bekah Cork, Glasgow Young Walkers • Promoting Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood – Wraight Shepherd, Stirling and Falkirk Ramblers
Page 1 of 4 • Why we love the Rambler app – Eric Pickering, Dumfries and District Ramblers • Being a walk leader trainer – Lorna Dunster, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Ramblers
Questions 15.50 – 16.45 Formal business • Apologies
• Approval of minute of Scottish Council 2019 meeting and matters arising Paper 04
• Report and action taken on 2019 motions Paper 05
• Statement and adoption of Scottish Council and Gathering accounts – Alistair Cant, treasurer Papers 06 & 07
• Brief summary of the finances of Ramblers Scotland – Alistair Cant, treasurer Paper 08 • Questions from floor on the accounts
• Appointment of independent examiners
16.45 – 17.00 Out There Award Sam Knight, young adult development officer, Ramblers Scotland
17.00 – 17.45 Tell us what you think – a mixture of open discussion forums on a range of different topics and information sharing surgeries.
1. Do area structures serve us, especially in rural areas and how do we replace them? Discussion led by Ronnie Forbes. Berwick Law
2. Modernising Scottish Council, making it more relevant for the 21st century. Discussion led by Douglas Tullis. Traprain Law
3. Attracting and retaining members – sharing best practice, success stories and ideas. Discussion led by Sarah Marfleet. Scald Law
4. How do we build a progressive onward journey for members who have outgrown their 20s-30s group? Discussion led by Sam Knight. East Kip
5. What should Ramblers Scotland’s vision be for landscapes and nature in Scotland? Discussion led by Brendan Paddy. West Kip
6. What would members like to see more (and less!) of within their communications from Ramblers Scotland. Discussion led by Danny Carden. Carnethy
7. What can Ramblers members do to improve their local path network. Discussion led by Helen Todd. Arthurs Seat
8. Hunting down the past – creating an oral or digital record of Ramblers Scotland’s first 35 year. Discussion led by Alison Mitchell. Moorfoots
Page 2 of 4 9. Help with Assemble, the new volunteer website. Surgery led by Wendy Halley. Downstairs in Ben Sayer Room
10. Digital and data, getting to grips with the app and dashboards. Surgery led by Richard May. Conference foyer
17.45 Hand in nomination forms for SCEC and Motions Committee to returning officer. Papers 09 & 10 Check into rooms. (If you’d like to add a credit card to your room to pay for additional items, please do this after the group check-in as it takes time and we’re keen to avoid a lengthy queue, thank you).
Saturday 8 March, evening
18.30 Bars open - Links bar and lounge and conference foyer
19.30 Dinner Followed by…
Dick Balharry Memorial Talk Quintin Lake, an outstanding architectural and landscape photographer. Quintin walks for weeks at a time and is inspired by the serenity of the wild landscapes he encounters on foot. In 2015 he embarked on a 10,000km 5 year walk around the British coast in sections, The Perimeter. Share your comments on #RamblersSC20.
21.30 Short evening stroll along the beach with Danny Carden, communications and engagement manager. It’ll take under an hour. Bring a torch!
Sunday 8 March, morning session
07.30 – 08.30 Morning walk and talk Clear your head with a one-hour brisk early morning walk along the beach led by Douglas Tullis, member of the Scottish Council Executive Committee.
09.30 – 09.35 Update on Motions Order Paper Paper 11b
09.35 – 10.00 Campaigns and policy update Helen Todd, campaigns and policy manager, Ramblers Scotland
10.00 – 10.15 Mapping Scotland’s Paths Helen Todd, campaigns and policy manager Luke Phillips, mapping Scotland’s paths manager
10.15 – 10.30 Questions
Page 3 of 4 10.30 – 10.45 Elections
Scottish Council Executive Committee and Motions Committee elections, nominees will stand to be introduced
10.45 – 11.30 In conversation with….. Ian Findlay, Paths for All chief officer. Ian is a hugely experienced and influential voice within Scottish walking and is widely respected throughout the charity and environmental sectors. We look forward to hearing his thoughts on how we can all help get even more people walking in Scotland. Please do get involved during any question and answers session and comments can also be posted at #RamblersSC20.
Chaired by Brendan Paddy, Ramblers Scotland director 11.30 – 12.00 Coffee break Place your vote for ordinary members of the Scottish Council Executive Committee and Motion Committee by 12 noon
12.00 – 12.20 Walk leadership update John Nicholls, learning manager, Ramblers GB
12.20 – 12.30 Ramblers volunteer awards Kate Ashbrook, president Ramblers GB
12.30 – 12.40 Questions
12.40 – 13.00 That warm fuzzy feeling …. my three years with Ramblers Scotland Ben Dolphin, Ramblers Scotland’s outgoing president
13.00 – 13.15 Competition results
Announcements Election results for Scottish Council Executive Committee and Motions Committee
Closing remarks Ronnie Forbes, Ramblers Scotland convener and trustee on GB Board
Collect your packed lunch from reception.
13.30 Walk & talk A lovely walk west along the coast to Yellowcraig joining the John Muir Way to Archerfield House, returning by Dirleton and the John Muir Way back to North Berwick. 5.5 miles. Kindly led by Anne Stronach from East Lothian Ramblers and Hillwalkers.
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Ramblers Scotland’s Annual Report 2018-19
This paper sits alongside the Ramblers GB Annual Report.
1 Oct 2018 - 30 Sept 2019
Our vision
Our vision is to create a Scotland where everyone is encouraged, supported and enthused to enjoy the outdoors on foot, and benefits from the experience.
Who we are (as of 30 September 2019)
Honorary officers: President: Ben Dolphin Vice-presidents: Dennis Canavan, John Foster, John Holms, Cameron McNeish, Andrew Murray, Malcolm Payne. Former vice-presidents Rennie McOwan and David Grosz died in October and December 2018, respectively. Convener: Ronnie Forbes Vice-convener: Alison Mitchell Honorary treasurer: Alistair Cant
Scottish council executive committee: Ronnie Forbes*, Alison Mitchell, Alistair Cant, Andy Malby, Trevor Jones, Jay Wilson*, Elly Macdonald, Douglas Tullis, Linda Moyes, Kate Nustedt, Meg Wright (*also on Board of Trustees)
Motions committee: James Bennett, Liz Hunt, Barry Pottle
Members of staff: Director: Brendan Paddy Campaigns & policy manager: Helen Todd Communications and engagement manager: Danny Carden Delivery officer: Jeannie Cranfield Project manager - Mapping Scotland’s Paths: Luke Phillips Project officer - walk leadership: John Nicholls Project officer - young adult development: Sam Knight Area and governance administrator: Hildegarde Berwick
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Our groups and subgroups
Clydesdale to Solway area South West Scotland area North Strathclyde area Biggar Cunninghame Bearsden & Milngavie Clyde Valley Kilmarnock & Loudoun Cumbernauld & Kilsyth Dumfries and District South Ayrshire Glasgow Moffat Wigtownshire Glasgow Young Walkers South Lanarkshire Older Helensburgh & West Walkers Highland & Islands area Dunbartonshire Badenoch & Strathspey Mid Argyll & Kintyre Forth Valley, Fife & Tayside Inverness Monklands area Lochaber & Lorn Strathkelvin Blairgowrie & District Brechin Lothian & Borders area Renfrewshire, Cowal & Dalgety Bay & District Balerno Bute area Dundee & District Coldstream (in abeyance since July 2016) Dundee Family Walkers Edinburgh Eastwood Dunfermline & West Fife Edinburgh Family Walkers Inverclyde Forfar & District Edinburgh Young Walkers Isle of Bute Forth Valley Young Walkers Eildon Paisley Glenrothes Linlithgow Kinross & Ochil Livingston Grampian area Kirkcaldy Midlothian Walkers Aberdeen Perth & District North Berwick Aberdeen Young Walkers St Andrews & North East Fife South Queensferry Inverurie Stirling, Falkirk & District Tweeddale Moray Strathtay Stonehaven Tayside Young Walkers
Organisations affiliated to Scottish Council: Red Rope Scotland and Scottish Rights of Way & Access Society
Organisations Ramblers Scotland is affiliated to: Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland, Scottish Outdoor Access Network, Cairngorms Campaign, Scottish Environment LINK, National Trust for Scotland, Scottish Sports Association, North East Mountain Trust, Hostelling Scotland, Scottish Campaign for National Parks, Scottish Rights of Way & Access Society, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Transform Scotland, Voluntary Health Scotland.
Convener: Ronnie Forbes Ramblers Scotland Vice-convener: Alison Mitchell Caledonia House, 1 Redheughs Rigg Director: Brendan Paddy South Gyle, Edinburgh, EH12 9DQ
Tel: 0131 357 5850 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland Twitter: @ramblersscot Facebook: @ramblersscotland
The Ramblers' Association is a registered charity (England & Wales number 1093577, Scotland number SC039799) and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales (number 4458492). Registered office: 2nd floor, Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7T
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Foreword
By Ronnie Forbes Ramblers Scotland convener It is my pleasure to present this summary of Ramblers Scotland’s strong progress during 2018/19. I appreciate that for many walkers, business plans, corporate visions and objectives can seem a world away from the freedom and sense of wonder we all enjoy during days outdoors. However, when you read this Annual Report, I’ll hope it will help you get a sense of not only what Ramblers Scotland does, but why and how we’re working to ensure more people enjoy Scotland on foot. I hope that, like me, you take pride in Ramblers Scotland’s increasing focus on helping everyone experience the many health and social benefits of walking. Particular highlights during 2018/19 included:
• our highly-successful Out There Award; inspiring a new generation of young adults to kick-start their journey in the outdoors • the launch of Mapping Scotland’s Paths; an ambitious project aiming to vastly increase coverage of our path network through digital mapping • Ben Dolphin’s series of President’s Walks, attracting new audiences to the Ramblers and helping us raise our profile in the media and online; and • the ongoing expansion of the Scottish Walk Leadership project, which has proved so successful that is now being rolled out south of the border too.
Sadly in June 2019 we said good bye to our former director Jess Dolan, who moved on after four excellent years to a new role leading the Scottish Government’s equalities unit.
We were delighted to welcome back Brendan Paddy, who had previously covered for Jess during her maternity leave. Brendan has instantly hit the ground running on his return as director, and it’s been really exciting to begin working with him on initiatives to grow our membership, develop our volunteers and increase our profile during the coming year - and beyond.
Finally, I am incredibly grateful to all members and volunteers for the vital role you have played in our ongoing achievements. From leading walks and welcoming new members, to running campaigns and guiding local committees, your support is truly invaluable.
Thank you.
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Creating a country designed for walking
The Out There campaign Out There is our ongoing campaign to help more people enjoy Scotland's world-class landscapes and access rights. To achieve this, we've been working to do three things:
1. Get more paths on the ground Volunteers across Scotland supported or led path projects during 2018/19, such as the John o’ Groats Trail, the Magnificent 11 in Glasgow and the Fife Pilgrim Way. We commissioned an Edinburgh University research paper into the barriers/motivators to outdoor recreation, showing a clear demand and need for paths on the ground – and we will communicate results to the media and decision-makers in early 2019/20, making the case for investment. 2. Get more paths on maps During 2018/19 we launched the Mapping Scotland’s Paths project to vastly improve the digital mapping of our path network. Thanks to support from players of People's Postcode Lottery, we appointed a full-time member of staff to manage the project for two years. We started a ‘proof of concept’ mapping trial in the West of Scotland. Building on the learnings, we will create a free Scotland-wide online mapping layer, with further quality path datasets gradually added over time. The dataset will be a valuable and accessible resource for the good of the entire nation. In summer 2019, we commissioned research into paths in West Dunbartonshire. This found that paths from 12 of the 22 West Dunbartonshire Council core path maps were only partially visible or not visible at all on publicly-available OS 1:25,000 mapping. In the coming year, we will work with partners, including the National Access Forum, to agree the first-ever criteria to determine which paths should be mapped. We are excited by the potential for Mapping Scotland’s Path to enable communities to promote routes, help landowners to better manage access and make it easier for everyone to get out there.
3. Break down barriers to the outdoors And finally, we have been involved with a range of exciting activities, all aimed at tackling the barriers that stop people – especially beginners – from getting out there. In summer 2019, we launched our exciting new Out There Award, to help 18 to 26-year-olds kickstart their journey in to Scotland’s outdoors. More on this later. We’re particularly excited about the forthcoming Introductory Walks pilot, starting in spring 2020 – which will initially help around ten Scottish groups to attract new members, by creating and digitally-marketing attractive walks designed just for them.
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Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood award We worked with volunteers and partners across Scotland to promote the Ramblers’ second annual Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood award. The award aims to celebrate neighbourhoods that allow everyone easy access to quality green spaces and walking routes from their doorstep. The 2019 award flourished with 82 nominations and “It’s a testament to the extensive local and national media coverage. The award reached new audiences with 89% of the 12,000 people commitment of the council who voted being non-members. Over 5,500 new working together with local campaign supporters opted-in to further campaign communities that Falkirk has communications. been transformed in recent years into a place that is enjoyable and We were delighted that both Elgin and Falkirk made the easy to walk around, building a top ten shortlist – and that Falkirk won the public vote. It real culture of walking.” stood out for its 383 miles of paths; upon which recent maintenance, connectivity and signposting improvements Wraight Shepherd, chair of have taken place. A Westminster celebration was Stirling, Falkirk & District attended by 18 MPs and peers, while a further ceremony Ramblers at Callendar House in Falkirk gave local volunteers a chance to celebrate alongside council members, Ramblers staff and our vice-president Dennis Canavan.
Hilltracks As co-conveners of Scottish Environment LINK’s Hilltracks group, we gained excellent national media coverage of our hilltracks campaign (including on the BBC Scotland television news), strong social media engagement and more than 850 supporters took our e- action calling for legislative change. Sadly, the Scottish Government passed up a golden opportunity to strengthen hilltracks laws in summer 2019, by voting against excellent amendments to the Planning Bill. However, they did commit to review the issue again as a priority in early 2020. We will hold them to that.
Coul Links We actively campaigned to stop a golf course being built at an internationally-protected wetland site at Coul Links, working alongside seven other conservation and access charities – including ScotWays. We attended the public inquiry in Dornoch in spring 2019, produced social media videos outlining our concerns, regularly opposed the plans in media articles, and our online e-action sparked almost 1,000 letters to Ministers. We await the Scottish Government’s final decision in early 2020.
Campaigning with partners We increased our involvement in partner campaigns during 2018/19: including major ones such as ScotLINK’s Fight for Scotland’s Nature and the victorious Have you got the bottle? campaign to reduce litter by introducing a deposit return scheme for bottles and cans. We responded to many planning applications and consultations, including a parliamentary member’s bill to introduce 20mph zones in Scotland and a proposal to introduce a zipwire across Loch Leven in the west Highlands. We were delighted in summer 2019 to see the withdrawal of plans to build a Flamingo Land resort on Loch Lomond’s banks.
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Growing members, supporters and income Membership figures Membership in Scotland has remained broadly stable for several years. We’re now working with GB colleagues to deliver ongoing strategies to return us to growth.
Ramblers Scotland membership, as of 30 September 2019 9000 7764 8000 6806 6813 7000 6414 6459 6407 6541 6524 6527 6520 6167 6369 6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Ramblers Scotland membership by area, as of 30 September 2019
347 405
408 1,936
420
422
1,291 1,291
Lothian & Borders Forth Valley, Fife & Tayside North Strathclyde Clydesdale to Solway Renfrewshire, Cowal & Bute South West Scotland Grampian Highland & Islands
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Strong Scottish uptake of member app We launched our new app for Ramblers members across GB during 2018/19, to help even more people walk in the great outdoors, attract new audiences to the Ramblers and help us gain a better of understanding of who walks with us. There was particularly strong uptake in Scotland, where many volunteers acted as trailblazers for this important technology. By September 2019, 30% of all GWEM-published led walks in Scotland took a walk register using the Ramblers app, and some Scottish groups are already using the app to take registers on all of their walks. In total, individuals out with Ramblers groups were recorded walking more than 40,000 miles in Scotland using the app during the year.
Walking events Our popular volunteer-led festival, The Gathering, was held in Melrose in May 2019, very successfully hosted by Eildon Ramblers and attended by about 100 members. It was the second year that the event has been organised by The Gathering sub-group, a cohort of volunteers who are looking to gradually grow and develop the long-running event. Our young adult development officer helped volunteers organise our first-ever Scottish Young Walkers Get-Together in Gairloch in September, with more than 80 young walkers attending from five groups and more than 20 walks from Munros to beach strolls. It was so successful that the groups instantly began organising the 2020 event.
Our president Ben Dolphin held a series of six ‘President’s Walks’ to mark his final year in the honorary role, with 88 walkers attending, including 39 non-members. The series helped us raise our national and local media coverage and gain strong reach on social media.
Supporting Scottish groups and areas Our delivery officer helped establish one new group and attended 15 group or area meetings during the year to build stronger relationships with volunteers, provide updates on our work and share new initiatives and ideas with groups.
We ran a half-day training course for general secretaries in Edinburgh in March exploring communicating with members, managing complaints and disputes, organising AGMs and minute-taking. One-third rated the course content as excellent and two-thirds as very good.
We worked with our GB digital team to deliver a digital day for South West Scotland area to help members get to grips with the Ramblers app and the new membership dashboards generated by our Insight Hub. Representatives from Cunninghame, Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Wigtownshire and South Ayrshire attended the training day.
Our new young adult development project officer Sam Knight joined in early 2019, to support Ramblers volunteers with the growth of Scotland’s five young walking groups. This role bridges the gap between the staff team and the young groups, supporting the young walkers’ determination to run thriving groups and walking programmes – while ensuring Out There Award participants continue their walking journey with likeminded young adults after completing the three-day scheme. The role also supports the formation of new young walking groups, including the Forth Valley young walkers sub-group. Thanks to our amazing volunteers, membership of our young groups is booming with Glasgow Young Walkers showing an amazing 61% increase from 64 members at the start of the project (Feb 2019) to 103 in September 2019.
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We have been supporting our access volunteers. We held an access training session in Glasgow in November 2018, and in September 2019 we joined forces with other outdoor recreation bodies to host a workshop in Perth for Local Access Forum members. Staff also attended area AGMs to meet members and provide additional information.
Proactive communications We had a strong year in our communications, growing our supporter numbers while building our profile both online and in print. This included more than 1,800 e-action letters written on hill tracks and Coul Links campaigns, with national newspapers repeatedly carrying our quotes and statements. We vastly expanded our in-house video production, with about 20 videos produced in Scotland, with good engagement results. One short video from the Young Walkers Get- Together was our most successful Twitter video ever, gaining 6,000 views. Our media releases and reactive responses regularly gained national coverage, including staff appearances on BBC Scotland television and radio to discuss hilltracks, camping byelaws and the excessive Arrochar car park charges.
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Helping everyone find their feet Scottish Walk Leadership Project With more than 3,500 group walks here every year, we’re committed to supporting walk leaders to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to lead safe, fun and exciting walks.
Over the last year we have seen some fantastic progress. Using funding from Active Scotland, shared via Paths for All, we have tested and co-designed with volunteers a new set of training materials and developed a structured framework to support walk leaders.
The training content is spread across two days – called Essentials and Next Steps – with a six-month development period between the two. To provide the delivery and ongoing support we have also trained seven volunteer trainers and piloted a mentoring programme.
From January to September 2019 we engaged 48 walk leaders in training in Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Edinburgh and Kinross. A further 24 volunteers have registered for courses between October and December 2019 in Nethy Bridge, Aberdeen and Inverness. The evaluation of the Essentials course has been overwhelmingly positive:
• 100% of participants giving a positive overall rating of 4 or 5 out of 5 • 92% feel the objectives were met • 89% felt the training went into enough depth • 98% would recommend the course to new walk leaders
Of those attending the courses, over half (55%) have experience in walk leadership and the rest were new volunteers. Increasingly our younger walkers are engaging in the programme, bringing the mean age of participants down to 60.6 years. The average age of our membership is 64 years, with most walk leaders being older than this.
Building on the good work in Scotland and thanks to generous support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, similar training will soon be delivered across England and Wales.
Young Adult Development So far almost 50 young people have completed our “I had been wanting to try hill walking three-day Out There Award scheme, funded by for a while but never knew how to get Active Scotland and players of People’s Postcode started or know anyone to go with. As Lottery. The scheme has gained excellent national I have a visual impairment, I was news coverage, and a particularly strong response anxious about this affecting my on social media. independence outdoors. I thoroughly enjoyed doing the award and have A survey of participants at the outset and conclusion already signed up to five walks. I no of the scheme has tracked improved self-reported longer feel like my poor eyesight is data on confidence, skills, knowledge, safety and stopping me from getting out there.” social support networks – and early results have been extremely encouraging. Joanna Mitchell Out There Award participant The award is targeting 120 young people to take part in its pilot stage by September 2020, with 50% of participants being women. So far the award has had over 70% female participation and 90% retention rates from attendance to completion of the award.
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Becoming a great charity
We worked alongside GB colleagues to deliver many elements of this theme. You will be able to read more detail in due course in the Ramblers GB Annual Report in About Us on our website. Supporting Scottish Council Executive Committee We successfully advertised for, and recruited, two new co-opted SCEC members to fill specific skill gaps. Four SCEC meetings were held during the year, with minutes published on the Ramblers Scotland website. We also continued to support the SCEC Access Sub-group, which has advised SCEC on important strategic decisions – including around which access cases we should prioritise for legal funding.
Scottish Council 2019 Our AGM was again highly successful with 127 attendees, a strong programme and a 98% overall satisfaction rating. In fact, 60% rated it as excellent, and 31% as very good. In total 61% of groups were represented and all areas were in attendance. As well as presentations from volunteers and members about their latest successes, we were pleased to be joined by Nizhny Novgorod Mountaineering Club, who shared their intrepid Russian adventures and sang us wonderful trekking songs. We were pleased to welcome photographer Peter Cairns who gave the Dick Balharry Memorial Talk and shared his bold vision of a rewilded Scotland, where wildlife and people flourish.
Maintaining our voice in key national forums Throughout 2018/19 we held introductory meetings with a range of stakeholders including The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, and Mountaineering Scotland. We attended key sector events including the opening of the Beinn a' Ghlo path with the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland and National Lottery Heritage Fund. We jointly hosted the first National Access Workshop for representatives of user groups in September 2019, and we will build on its recommendations during ongoing Scottish Outdoor Recreation Alliance meetings. In the coming year we will join the Scottish Rewilding Alliance - and develop our role within the new Scotland’s Landscape Alliance.
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Scottish Council 2020 - Election of Honorary Officers
The following nominations have been made:
Position Nomination Proposed Seconded President Lucy Wallace Elly Macdonald Alison Mitchell
Vice president Dennis Canavan Alison Mitchell Elly Macdonald
Vice president Ben Dolphin Alison Mitchell Elly Macdonald
Vice president John Foster Alison Mitchell Elly Macdonald
Vice president John Holms Alison Mitchell Elly Macdonald
Vice president Cameron McNeish Alison Mitchell Elly Macdonald
Vice president Andrew Murray Alison Mitchell Elly Macdonald
Convener Alison Mitchell David Fenlon Jane Catto
Vice convener Vacant
Treasurer Alistair Cant John Holms Alison Mitchell
Appointment of independent examiners
Scottish Council Accounts: Paul Kenny, proposed by Alistair Cant
Scottish Gathering Accounts: David Fenlon, proposed by Alison Mitchell
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Lucy Wallace – Honorary President Elect Lucy Wallace is to become the first woman president of Ramblers Scotland. Lucy is a professional wildlife and mountain guide who holds the Winter, Summer and International Mountain Leader awards. She is also a well-known blogger and instructor. She lives in Arran and is an accredited Duke of Edinburgh’s Award assessor.
Lucy will succeed countryside ranger Ben Dolphin as Ramblers Scotland’s honorary figurehead. Lucy hopes to use her presidency to encourage even more people to appreciate Scotland’s landscapes and world-class access rights and to enjoy the health and social benefits of adventures on foot. Photo credit: Kirstie Smith
Dennis Canavan – Honorary Vice-President Dennis was Honorary President of Scottish Council from 2007 to 2009 and Convener from 2009 to 2012. He was subsequently elected Vice President from 2012.
A native of Cowdenbeath, he graduated from Edinburgh University and worked as a schoolteacher from 1968 until 1974. He was MP for West Stirlingshire from 1974 to 1983 and, following boundary changes, MP for Falkirk West from 1983 to 2000. From 1999 to 2007 he was MSP for Falkirk West, winning the seat as an Independent in 1999 and again in 2003 with the biggest majority in Scotland.
Dennis enjoys hill-walking and when in the Scottish Parliament he championed the people's right of access to the countryside, successfully introducing amendments to the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill in order to extend the right of access to country estates, including land belonging to the Queen.
Ben Dolphin – Outgoing Honorary President Ben Dolphin is a countryside ranger, blogger and writer. He is also a self-confessed nature nut and his enthusiasm for the natural world has seen him writing regular columns for the Press & Journal, Walkhighlands and Outdoor Enthusiast Magazine. He has spent the last couple of years working in the Cairngorms for the National Trust for Scotland. Ben is currently working as a ranger in West Lothian, based out of Beecraigs Country Park.
A keen walker and advocate of the great outdoors, Ben served as Honorary President of Ramblers Scotland between 2017 and 2020.
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John Foster CBE – Honorary Vice-President John was President of Scottish Council from 1995 to 1998 and is also a Vice President of Ramblers GB. He is a lifelong supporter of the Ramblers, earning widespread respect for his unstinting efforts in the joint causes of access and conservation.
Forty years ago, as Director of the Peak National Park Planning Board, John organised Ramblers volunteers to assist in the implementation of the first access agreement on Kinder Scout. Under his directorship the Board was later awarded the first Council of Europe Diploma for landscape conservation. In 1968, John was appointed Director of the Countryside Commission for Scotland (now Scottish Natural Heritage), a post from which he retired in 1985. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. He lives in retirement in Perthshire.
John Holms – Honorary Vice-President John joined the Ramblers in 1993 when living in Killin. He was appointed Secretary of Caledonian Area, a post which carried a permanent position on the Scottish Council Executive Committee. The Area was engaged in developing much of Highland Scotland for Ramblers Scotland and in campaigning on various environmental issues such as the Harris super-quarry. John took on the development of the Ramblers Scotland newsletter and became Vice-Chairman in 1999. He subsequently became Chairman of Scottish Council in 2002 and for those three years served on the Ramblers GB Board of Trustees.
Cameron McNeish – Honorary Vice-President Cameron McNeish is a writer and television presenter and a past president of Ramblers Scotland.
Cameron was editor of TGO (The Great Outdoors) magazine for over 20 years and is now Managing Editor of Scottish Walks and Scottish Cycling magazines. He is recognized today as one of Britain’s best known outdoor commentators. He wrote and presented numerous programmes during the ‘80s and ‘90s. He has been President of The Backpacker’s Club.
In 2010 Cameron was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for services to geography.
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Dr Andrew Murray – Honorary Vice-President Dr Andrew Murray, a past president of Ramblers Scotland from 2013 - 2016, has held a number of other leadership positions in health in the UK and beyond, including serving as the Scottish Government's first Physical Activity champion.
The GP and father of two enjoys nothing better than a walk with his wife and girls, while he is an accomplished athlete, having run 4300km from John O'Groats to the Sahara and winning 12 international marathons/ ultramarathons.
Alison Mitchell – Convener Alison joined the Ramblers over 30 years ago when a group was formed in her home city of Aberdeen and has been supporting the Ramblers ever since. She has undertaken roles in the Aberdeen group and Grampian area committees, is a walk leader and has a good knowledge of the local countryside
Her knowledge of the organisation has grown having served on SCEC as a committee member, vice convener, and convener. From 2000-2010 she served as a Ramblers GB trustee and also had two spells on the Board of Trustees ex officio as Scottish Council convener.
Alison heads up a team of volunteers organising the annual Ramblers Scotland Gathering. From 2009-2017, she was treasurer of the European Ramblers Association, had a role on its Presidium and gained a broad knowledge of walking in Europe. Her working life was spent in British Telecom, WRVS and the NHS in Scotland in personnel, training and finance management roles.
Alistair Cant – Honorary Treasurer Alistair has a background in housing, environmental issues and conservation and is interested in land reform, access, devolution and good policy development. He lives in Edinburgh with his family and has three children.
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Scottish Council 2019 Draft Minute
FORMAL MINUTE Scottish Council 2019 minute RAMBLERS SCOTLAND SCOTTISH COUNCIL 2019 MINUTE OF THE THIRTY SECOND ANNUAL MEETING Held on Saturday - Sunday 9/10 March 2019 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro Hotel
Saturday 9 March
1. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
1.1 Alison Mitchell opened the event by welcoming everyone to Scottish Council. She introduced Jess Dolan, director of Ramblers Scotland, Alistair Cant, treasurer of the Scottish Council Executive Committee, and Andy Malby, vice convener of SCEC. She introduced Ben Dolphin, president of Ramblers Scotland.
1.2 Ben Dolphin welcomed everyone to Dunblane. He encouraged the good opportunity to speak to other delegates and visitors. He welcomed Vanessa Griffiths, chief executive officer of Ramblers GB, and the other Ramblers GB staff, and Chris Hodgson, chair of the Welsh Council Executive Committee. He welcomed the Russian guests, a delegation of five from the Nizhny Novgorod Mountain Group.
1.3 Ben noted that there are staff members are available if anyone required assistance, and buddies available for first time attendees of Scottish Council. Volunteer buddies Martin Davison (Lothian & Borders area), Eric Pickering (Clydesdale to Solway area) and Vivienne Pickering (Dumfries & District group) stood to identify themselves.
1.4 There were 127 members attending, which is the same as the previous year. Representatives came from 7 areas, 32 groups, and there were a number of local exhibitors.
2. ANNUAL REPORT – Ramblers Scotland
2.1 Jess spoke about the Ramblers Scotland 18/19 year. She referred to the Annual Report, highlighting the Ramblers Scotland team. She went on to describe the Annual Report through three key stories.
2.2 Jess spoke about Strategic Opportunism, meaning that there is a strategy in places, but she stays aware of when to jump on opportunities as they arise. She explained how the Out There campaign has been running for over a year now, and she described how its aims. With this Strategic Opportunistic method, Jess explained how Ramblers Scotland was able to work with Active Scotland on a social media campaign targeted at younger audiences, which led to a video campaign that Danny Carden, communications and engagement officer, that generated 50,000 views across three videos. Jess explained a new twelve-month project with two aims –
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working directly with young walker groups, and supporting a programme for 18-26 year olds to give them skills training and a challenging walk. Jess explained that ideally this will lead to them volunteering for the current groups and becoming new Ramblers members.
2.3 Jess spoke on the theme of Reaching Out through focusing on volunteers and members. She explained that the Walk Leadership programme has received good feedback and is growing. She mentioned the Roadshow in Stirling, area leadership, digital support. Jess also highlighted Jeannie’s Journeys across Scotland
2.4 Jess spoke on the importance of Collaboration, both formal and informal, and how this is key to how business gets done in Scotland, particularly in the small, well- formed charity sector. She mentioned the cross-organisation collaboration Ramblers Scotland participates in, such as the Scottish Environment Link. She mentioned the collaboration on Fight for Scotland’s Nature. Jess recognised the support across Ramblers GB.
2.5 Jess spoke about the collaboration across SCEC. She mentioned the end of Alison’s term as convener, and she thanked Alison and encouraged the Council to do so. Vanessa stepped to the stand to thank Alison and presented her with a card.
2.6 Alison stepped to the stand to speak. She gave a reflection on her past three years as a convener, saying she hopes to be fully involved as vice convener. She spoke on the highlights from her time as convener, including working with the staff, Ben, and the volunteers and members.
2.7 Jess spoke about future plans for Ramblers Scotland. She explained her goal to grow the reach and impact, mentioning the investment at a Ramblers GB level for the Walk Leadership programme. She explained her goal of increasing outreach and relevance through young adult programme and the project for Mapping Scotland’s paths.
3. Impact of Our Campaigns and Policy Work
3.1 Helen Todd, campaigns & policy manager, Ramblers Scotland, spoke about the impact of campaigns. She commented on how it has been a challenging time full of change internally and externally. Encouraged Council to campaign more as members in their groups, explaining that a lot of the work is through influencing the community.
3.2 Helen explained that the most high-profile event of the past year was the January 2018 Parliamentary event, which Ramblers Scotland members attended. Helen spoke about the time she spends responding to public enquires and collaborating with the Scottish Environment Link as well as giving interviews.
3.3 Helen explained the thinking Ramblers Scotland considers when questioning if the organization is having an impact. Helen highlighted how repetition of message and collaboration results in positive impact for Ramblers Scotland campaigns, highlighting specific campaigns on access, specifically two court cases where the access authority won, in which Ramblers Scotland gave public support. Helen mentioned the current work on Coul Links, where Ramblers Scotland is rejecting the planning for a golf course.
3.4 Helen mentioned the current work on paths – not all 84,000kms of paths appear on OS maps in Scotland, including some of the 21,000kms of core paths. She explained that 75% of members surveyed found that people would enjoy Scotland’s paths more
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if they were on the ground and on the map. She mentioned the work the local groups have been doing, specifically a response to the River Clyde 2050 strategy by the Glasgow group, and more.
3.5 In looking forward, Helen commented that the majority of her work in the coming months will be on the Coul Links public inquiry, where Ramblers Scotland has partnered with ScotWays. She also mentioned the forthcoming Parliamentary debate in May 2019 for the Planning Bill, which will include an amendment on hilltracks, and the mapping Scotland’s paths project is moving forward. Ramblers Scotland recently joined the Scottish Landscape Alliance in April 2019 in order to protect landscape at the same level as grade listed buildings and working more with engaging with young people.
4. QUESTIONS AND ADOPTION OF ANNUAL REPORT
4.1 A question was asked as to what the proportion is of young walkers in Ramblers Scotland. Laura Scarlett, data & digital transformation director, Ramblers GB, said that 4% of Ramblers Scotland members are under the age of 40.
4.2 There were no further questions. The Annual Report was accepted by the Council and therefore was formally adopted.
5. DIGITAL AND DATA TRANSFORMATION – ROADMAP FOR 2019/2020
5.1 Laura gave an overview of the progress of the programme so far and details of what’s in development.
5.2 Laura’s overall plan is to build a Ramblers GB data centre online. She explained that the new system will bring all the Ramblers data into one warehouse that supports members and geographical assets. From this data centre, Laura explained that various tools will be developed in order to gain insights in the wider Ramblers community, such as Insight Hub, Assemble, Mobile app, path tools, communications engine, and the public website overhaul.
5.3 Laura explained where the progress of the digital transformations has gotten to over the past year, citing the work being done on various tools.
5.4 For showcasing, Laura gave a description of Insight Hub, described as a form of self- service intelligence to help members understand their group and area activities. Laura commented that it helps Ramblers evidence their impact, and that data quality is improving, with nearly 1000 volunteers on the Hub, path issue submissions increased, and email opt-ins have increased.
5.5 Laura also gave a picture walk-through of the members app, which is likely to be launched in April 2019. The app will give access to all led walks and routes available in Great Britain. Users will be able to submit walks, access mobile membership card, access a message inbox, and groups will be allowed to communicate directly with members, as well as other features. The second version of this is in development.
5.6 A member commented that last Council, a motion to support telecommunications improvements for mobile phone coverage was rejected and thus certain groups will be disadvantaged from the app. Alison commented that there is a time to respond to rejected motions later in Council.
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6. ARRANGEMENTS FOR NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS TO SCOTTISH COUNCIL EXECUTIVE AND AGENDA COMMITTEE
6.1 John Andrews, Perth group, was identified as the Returning Officer and nominations forms should be handed into him by 5.45pm that afternoon. If there were seven or fewer nominations for SCEC and/or three or fewer nominations for the Agenda Committee received there would be no election, but if there were more there would be an election on Sunday morning.
7. APPOINTMENT OF TELLERS AND SCRUTINEERS
7.1 Margaret Cook, Stirling, Falkirk and District group, and Mike Gray, Forth Valley, Fife and Tayside area were appointed as tellers and scrutineers. They identified themselves to Scottish Council and will count the votes over the weekend.
8. Formal business
8.1 The Convener read out the apologies received from Honorary Vice Presidents
8.2 The Convener intimated the deaths of several key members and volunteers who had sadly died in the last year: Dr Rennie McOwan (Vice President), David Grosz (Vice President and former Chairman), Penny Sinclair (Strathkelvin group), and John Watt (former Chairman of Edinburgh group)
9. APPROVAL OF SCOTTISH COUNCIL 2018 MINUTE
9.1 Scottish Council accepted and approved the minute (Paper 03). This was proposed by Michael Docherty, Paisley group, and seconded by Douglas Tullis, Edinburgh group. There were no matters arising from the minute.
10. REPORT AND ACTION TAKEN ON 2018 MOTIONS
10.1 The Convener presented the paper outlining the actions that had been taken on motions passed at Scottish Council 2018.
10.2 Douglas, Edinburgh Ramblers, explained SCEC's rejection of the motion remitted to it by Scottish Council 2018. Ramblers Scotland and Ramblers GB have a Memorandum of Authority in place which sets out their respective areas of influence which, by and large, correspond with the matters that are devolved to Scottish Government or reserved to Westminster under the Scotland Act. This motion concerns telecommunications which is reserved to Westminster and correspondingly to Ramblers GB. Ramblers Scotland's contacts are with Scottish Government and Scottish organisations which have no role in relation to telecommunications. Any campaign to extend the coverage of mobile phones would more appropriately be pursued by Ramblers GB, and, if those proposing this motion want to pursue it further, they might consider putting it before General Council.
10.3 Alistair went over the action taken from last year, referencing paper 4b. Motion 2, about bridges, and Motion 5, about guidance for local members have both passed for material to be prepared, and a paper was circulated.
11. STATEMENT AND ADOPTION OF ACCOUNTS
11.1 Alistair gave details of the income and expenditure audited accounts (05), the Ramblers Gathering Accounts (06), and of Ramblers Scotland finances (07). Alistair
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highlighted that in comparison to previous years there has been a significant drop in income and spending as the Scottish Council expenditure is now included in the Scottish Office accounts.
11.2 Alistair explained that most of the funds are volunteer and SCEC related expenses. There was also a campaign fund that has no future reports as it has a zero balance, and a small surplus that was given to Ramblers Scotland staff to use on Scottish Council. Alistair gave a brief overview of the funds for the Gathering. He described the report that covers the costs of the Ramblers Scotland office accounts, which comes from a variety of sources including membership fees, donations, and from Ramblers GB. Alistair concluded by giving an overview of the Ramblers GB accounts, highlighting the income from the People’s Postcode Lottery which is being spent on new initiatives such as data and digital transformation project and the Walk Leadership programme.
12. QUESTIONS
12.1 There was a question from the Council asking for clarification on how the budget balances out, and general discussion on how to make the Ramblers Scotland budget account for the income from Ramblers GB.
12.2 There was a question about whether Ramblers GB had a pension deficit, which Vanessa answered and explained why Ramblers GB does not have a pension deficit.
12.3 Alistair commented that General Council will have the full accounts information for those who are interested.
12.4 The adoption of accounts was proposed by Trevor Jones, SCEC, and seconded by Andy Malby, SCEC, and accepted by the Council and was therefore formally approved.
13. APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS
13.1 The appointment of Paul Kenny as the independent examiner for Scottish Council accounts was agreed. The appointment of David Fenlon for the independent examiner for the Scottish Gathering accounts was agreed. Scottish Council accepted both appointments.
14. FORMAL ELECTION OF PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENTS, AND HONORARY OFFICERS
14.1 There was only one nomination for convener and vice convener and therefore the following honorary positions were announced:
Position Nomination Proposed Seconded PRESIDENT Ben Dolphin Alison Mitchell Andy Malby
VICE PRESIDENT Dennis Canavan Alison Mitchell Andy Malby
VICE PRESIDENT John Foster Alison Mitchell Andy Malby
VICE PRESIDENT John Holms Alison Mitchell Andy Malby
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VICE PRESIDENT Cameron McNeish Alison Mitchell Andy Malby
VICE PRESIDENT Malcolm Payne Alison Mitchell Andy Malby
VICE PRESIDENT Dr Andrew Murray Alison Mitchell Andy Malby
CONVENER Ronnie Forbes Trevor Jones Ann Jones
VICE CONVENER Alison Mitchell David Fenlon Jane Catto
TREASURER Alistair Cant John Holms Andy Malby
15. APPROVAL OF ORDER PAPER
15.1 Convener of the Agenda Committee, Barry Pottle, explained the role of the Agenda Committee.
15.2 Barry said there are no amendments or late motions, but Motion 3 is being withdrawn. Barry explained that the first three motions were submitted by the same two people, but the constitution says that no person may submit more than two motions. Alistair and Douglas, the proposers of Motions 1 – 3 were given the choice to decide which motion to withdraw and they decided on withdrawing Motion 3. Barry noted no further recommendation for wording, that there was no need for compositing motions together, and that the order was decided by the order submitted.
15.3 Alison thanked Barry for presenting the order paper and opened the floor up for debate.
15.4 The order paper was duly accepted.
16. MOTIONS
16.1 Motion 1 – submitted by Scottish Council Agenda Committee
16.1.1 Alison Mitchell called on the proposer Alistair Cant (member of SCEC) to present the motion. The motion stated:
To amend the Constitution and Standing Orders to rename the Ramblers' Association Scotland as Ramblers Scotland
Alistair explained that there have been changes in the Ramblers GB and Ramblers Scotland across the years and across branding, and that this new name with be simpler and cleaner.
16.1.2 The motion was seconded by Douglas Tullis. There were no questions, comments or oppositions.
Vote – The motion was passed unanimously.
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16.2 Motion 2 – submitted by Scottish Council Agenda Committee
16.2.1 Alison Mitchell called on the proposer Alistair Cant (member of SCEC) to present the motion. The motion stated:
To amend the Constitution and Standing Orders to rename the Agenda Committee and Order Paper to Motions Committee and Motions Order Paper
Alistair explained that the name was inherited and does not suit the role of the Committee.
16.2.2 The motion was seconded by Douglas Tullis.
16.2.3 Liz Hunt commented that the Agenda Committee of Ramblers GB is changing names as well this year.
Vote – The motion was passed unanimously.
16.3 Motion 3 – submitted by Scottish Council Agenda Committee
16.3.1 This motion was withdrawn by the proposer, Alistair Cant, (member of SCEC).
16.4 Motion 4 – submitted by Clydesdale to Solway
16.4.1 Alison Mitchell called on the proposer Eric Pickering. The motion stated:
Waymarking Scotland’s Paths by Ramblers Volunteers.
This Scottish Council believes, that in line with Ramblers Scotland’s Vision and Strategic Framework to promote walking for Scotland’s wellbeing, making all core paths easier to follow by utilising Ramblers volunteers to follow, say, French waymarking practice would be worthwhile, and therefore instructs SCEC to investigate the feasibility of this proposal.
Eric explained how hardly any paths are waymarked, and how this is an issue. His proposal would look to have volunteers mark paths in an agreed way, in order to have more paths identified.
16.4.2 The motion was seconded by Garry Tait, Moffat group.
16.4.3 There was a question as to the legal position of marking on someone else’s land. Douglas answered that Ramblers Scotland volunteers have no legal basis to mark core or other paths without the consent of the landowner. He went on the say that local access authorities do have this power and can appoint volunteer rangers to waymark.
16.4.4 There was a question as to how this motion relates to the Out There campaign. Jess answered that it relates in the sense of mapping Scotland’s path, which is currently working with digital datasets. Part of the next phase of will be looking at waymarking and signposting. She commented that the legality of the situation is not something Ramblers Scotland could decide, rather that it would require robust partnerships.
16.4.5 There was a comment about how the John O Groats trail worked with landowners successfully. There was a comment addressing concern for how clear the signs would be and how to educate people on a new way to read signs. There was a
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comment about how this project could expand volunteer roles in local communities. There was a comment about how no waymarks can cause concern for landowners.
Vote – There was a clear majority who voted in favour. There were none against. There were two abstentions.
16.5 Motion 5 – submitted by Glasgow group
16.5.1 Alison Mitchell called on Eleanor Peacock, Glasgow group to propose the motion on behalf of the group. The motion stated:
Planning Regulations are needed to tackle the proliferation of damaging hill tracks on the uplands of Scotland
16.5.2 The motion was seconded by Catherine Watt.
16.5.3 There was a comment that the motion needs to look at something wider than planning permission, due to the nature of people creating hill tracks being able to remove the condition on their permission that sets a time limit to the permission and are thus able to have the hill track indefinitely.
16.5.4 There was a question as to whether the Scottish Environmental LINK amendment to the Planning Bill is coming into Scottish Parliament. Helen commented that the Planning Bill is coming into consideration at Scottish Parliament in May 2019. Her aim is to focus on the tracks that are not in the planning system and then turn to making the planning system better with some measure of public scrutiny.
16.5.5 Alison Mitchell commented that SCEC will look to support the motion.
Vote – The motion was passed unanimously.
16.6 Alison thanked everyone who took part in the debate and proposed motions.
17. ANNOUNCEMENT OF SCOTTISH COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND AGENDA COMMITTEE
17.1 It is noted that the following people were nominated for SCEC: Trevor Jones, Elizabeth Lawie, Elly MacDonald, Andy Malby, Linda Moyes, Garry Tait, Douglas Tullis, and Jay Wilson. All the candidates stood to introduce themselves.
17.2 There was no election necessary for the agenda committee as three nominations had been received for the three places available. Those elected were delegates are James Bennett, Liz Hunt, and Barry Pottle.
17.3 Alison noted that the delegates need to place their votes by 12.00pm.
18. ELECTION RESULTS
18.1 There were eight people standing for election. The results were that Elly MacDonald, Andy Malby, Douglas Tullis, Linda Moyes, Jay Wilson, Trevor Jones, and Garry Tait will form this year’s SCEC. Liz Lawie was thanked but will not serve on SCEC this year.
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18.2 Alison thanked Catherine Watt for her time and service, noting that she was standing down. Alison thanked Andy Malby for his work as vice convener the past three years, noting that he will continue to serve on SCEC.
19. CLOSING REMARKS
19.1 Alison thanked everyone for attending Scottish Council and for representing their group or area, as well as the staff and Board members. Special thanks were given to Jeannie for her hard work on the event, Ben, Chris, Kate, the Nizhny Novgorod Mountain Club, as well as the tellers and local volunteers.
19.2 Alison reminded delegates to fill out the feedback survey, and travel expense forms should be placed in the appropriate box at the registration desk. Lastly, she highlighted that there is an afternoon walk led by Ray, Stirling, Falkirk & District group.
End of minute
Jessica Browning, Governance and Events Administrator, 30 April 2019 with reduction to a FORMAL minute by Alison Mitchell, Vice Convener, 16 January 2020
The FULL minute is accessible at ramblers.org.uk/ScottishCouncil2020.
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Action on Motions to Scottish Council 2019
Motion 1 submitted by Alistair Cant and Douglas Tullis
To amend the Constitution and Standing Orders to rename the Ramblers' Association Scotland as Ramblers Scotland
The motion was passed at Scottish Council 2019.
Action taken At the SCEC meeting, 08 May 2019, it was noted that: The motion has been confirmed by the Board of Trustees and the Constitution and Standing Orders have been amended.
Motion 2 submitted by Alistair Cant and Douglas Tullis
To amend the Constitution and Standing Orders to rename the Agenda Committee and Order Paper to Motions Committee and Motions Order Paper
The motion was passed at Scottish Council 2019.
Action taken At the SCEC meeting, 08 May 2019, it was noted that: The motion has been confirmed by the Board of Trustees and the Constitution and Standing Orders have been amended.
Motion 3 submitted by Alistair Cant and Douglas Tullis
This motion was withdrawn by the proposer, Alistair Cant, (member of SCEC).
Motion 4 submitted by Clydesdale to Solway area
Waymarking Scotland’s Paths by Ramblers Volunteers.
This Scottish Council believes, that in line with Ramblers Scotland’s Vision and Strategic Framework to promote walking for Scotland’s wellbeing, making all core paths easier to
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follow by utilising Ramblers volunteers to follow, say, French waymarking practice would be worthwhile, and therefore instructs SCEC to investigate the feasibility of this proposal.
The motion was passed at Scottish Council 2019.
Action taken SCEC, having taken advice from the Access Sub-Committee (ASC), considers that it would not be feasible or desirable to introduce a French or similar system of waymarking for core paths in Scotland. SCEC recognises the current lack of uniformity of Scottish waymarking but believes that any move towards greater uniformity should be based on the 'arrows' waymarks recommended for use in Scotland in the Outdoor Access Design Guide published by Paths for All in 2016 about which Ramblers Scotland were consulted at the time. While doubting whether it would be within the capability of Ramblers volunteers to waymark the whole of the current 20,000 km of core paths in all parts of Scotland, SCEC would strongly encourage Ramblers volunteers to become involved in the waymarking of paths of all kinds. To assist in that task SCEC and ASC have approved a guidance document 'Signage on paths in Scotland: guidance for Ramblers members and volunteers' which will be available at Scottish Council 2020 [and is investigating the possibility of producing waymarking signage bearing the Ramblers Scotland logo]. SCEC notes that for legal reasons any such waymarking in Scotland can only be done with the consent of landowners and/or in association with local authorities which have statutory powers.
Motion 5 submitted by Glasgow group
Planning Regulations are needed to tackle the proliferation of damaging hill tracks on the uplands of Scotland
The motion was passed at Scottish Council 2019.
Action taken Ramblers Scotland has continued to play a leading role as co-convener of the LINK Hilltracks sub group in campaigning for change to permitted development rights for hilltracks. During 2019 this involved working with Andy Wightman MSP to put forward a motion to the parliamentary debate on the Planning Bill. Although this was unsuccessful we did nevertheless raise the profile of the campaign and help to show the widespread public interest in the topic by having 863 people responding to our e-action and contacting their MSPs. There was good coverage of the campaign in the media and on social media. The Minister made a specific commitment to look at the issue in a forthcoming review of permitted development rights, and this is now underway with hilltracks a priority topic. A consultation on hilltracks is expected to run for 12 weeks from the end of February. We will continue through the LINK group to campaign on this issue in 2020.
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Signage on Paths in Scotland Guidance for Ramblers Scotland members and volunteers
Signage is a very important way of communicating with people who are out for a walk in Scotland. Signs can give directions or they can give advice on responsible access, for example by asking people to temporarily avoid areas used by ground-nesting birds. This guidance focusses on directional signage which helps people to find their route. Signage of all kinds is also very useful for land managers to encourage people to avoid any sensitive or unsafe areas.
Scotland doesn’t have a national waymarking system, and for historic and cultural reasons it’s unlikely that this idea would gain widespread support. However, there are plenty of ways that our volunteers and groups can get involved in improving local path signage.
Paths for All has provided comprehensive guidance in its downloadable Signage Guidance for Outdoor Access. In addition, its Path Managers’ Guide to Grading gives useful information on the language to use on signs.
What is a sign in this context?
Signposts are posts at either end of a path, often where it leaves a road or at a junction of paths, with an arm pointing in the direction the path runs.
Waymarks are coloured arrows or other marks along the route of a path to help users to follow it confidently, often in places where the route isn’t obvious.
Scottish access rights apply to most land and inland water, and there is no requirement to stick to a path if you’re walking on land where access rights apply. However, paths are very useful in encouraging more people to get outdoors and enjoy all the benefits of walking, and, in turn, that signage can give people confidence and show them where there are paths and routes to use.
Who can put up signs?
In England there is a legal duty on all highways authorities to signpost Rights of Way, but this is not the case in Scotland. However, local authorities do have the power to signpost paths without landowners’ permission and can appoint volunteer rangers to do this on their behalf. Many other organisations and landowners install signage with landowner consent, such as Forest & Land Scotland, ScotWays or local path developers, but Ramblers Scotland volunteers have no legal basis to mark core paths or other paths without the consent of the landowner. The Scottish Government encourages signposting and has indicated it would like all core paths to be signposted. Planning permission is sometimes required for signs, and it should be noted that signs next to public roads must abide by road regulations and with the approval of the roads authority.
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Why are there so many types of signs?
Scottish access rights are designed to be implemented at a local level, and because there are so many bodies which install signage this means there is no national system apart from the thistle sign used for the official long-distance routes, Scotland’s Great Trails. Signage can therefore use logos which promote local attractions, such as the Fife Coastal Path, or highlight the funders of a route. In some cases, a section of path may have multiple waymarks on a single post as the route may be a section of one or two long-distance routes as well as a locally-promoted route. This ability to promote local paths is valued by communities and local authorities. Historically, the walking culture in Scotland’s upland areas is to minimise any man-made intrusion and maximise self-reliance through the use of navigational skills, rather than depending on signs. Therefore, it is unlikely that any calls for a national waymarking system, or for more signage in the mountains, would gain widespread support.
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How can Ramblers members get involved?
There is a valuable role for volunteers to get involved locally in improving their path networks, whether by auditing routes, joining a path maintenance team, signing up to be a path warden, or helping to install signage and waymarks. This can also include raising funds for new signage on paths.
The first step for any individual Ramblers Scotland volunteers or groups to get involved is to contact their local authority access officer or local paths group and see if there is any existing process for them to join in with. If there is a long-distance route passing through a group’s territory then there may already be a “Friends of”-type group. If nothing is already established, consider setting up your own small group. Perhaps you can start by auditing your local path network to see where signs are missing or what new signs would be useful? Then you can work with the access officer or that group to consider how these signs can be funded and installed.
January 2020
For more information, contact Helen Todd at the Ramblers Scotland office on [email protected], or call 0131 357 5850.
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SC20 06
Scottish Council Accounts 2018-19
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SC20 07
Scottish Ramblers Gathering Accounts 2018-19
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Commentary from Alison Mitchell on behalf of the Gathering Working Group October 2019
1 The breakdown of the registrations is as follows – 123 @ £20 = £2,460 5 @ £10 = £ 50 3 @ £ 5 = £ 15 Total = £2,525
The lower fees are for the new day-registrations introduced this year.
2 There were lower coach hire costs as several of the walks were circular from the Gathering Hub and therefore did not require transport.
3 No room hire charges were levied as the Hub Hotel provided this free as the hotel was occupied by Gathering guests.
4 Unity Bank charges introduced this year with a 30p per person handling charge for cheques. 81 cheques were processed. Bank transfers of the registration fee was available which is free. This will be on offer again this year.
General It should be noted that there is requirement to maintain a healthy balance, as each year is different in terms of expenditure on coach and room hire etc. It may also be that a deposit has to be paid in advance for some expenditure items.
Implementing the Strategic Plan approved by SCEC at its August 2019 meeting will involve extra expenditure as we explore new initiatives and fill volunteer roles which require more meetings of volunteers.
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SC20 08
Scottish Council
A summary of the finances of Ramblers Scotland for 2018/19 This report provides a summary of the financial performance of Scotland for the 2018/19 financial year (1 October - 30 September), based on payments to areas, groups and council. A summary of the financial performance of Ramblers GB is also included. These numbers are based on our draft statutory accounts as they are yet to be signed off by our auditors.
Ramblers Scotland Activities
2018/19 2017/18 Variance £000’s £000’s £000’s Income Membership 192 175 17 Donations 13 6 7 Gift aid 34 34 - Project income 90 63 27 Advertising (Walk mag) 19 19 - Other 7 4 3 Total 355 301 54
Expenditure Office (Salaries) 219 197 (22) Office (overheads, etc.) 58 91 33 Project costs 87 64 (23) Area/Group costs 55 45 (10) Scottish Council/SCEC 3 3 - Total 422 400 (22)
Net position (67) (99) 32
Overview The net position shows that expenditure on activities in Scotland was £67,000 (2018: £99,000) greater than the income generated within Scotland.
Income Membership and fundraising are GB-led activities under the Director for Membership & Fundraising. Membership income increased by £17,000 and the number of members increased by 93. The capacity in the GB fundraising team has increased over the year and so has their fundraising activities. This has resulted in an increase in donation income apportioned to Scotland.
Miscellaneous income for this year includes £3,100 in legacy income.
Project income is £27,000 more that the previous year due to the receipt of a grant for the Young Adult Development Project.
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There was a £22,000 increase in salary costs during the financial year. This is due to the recruitment and handover cost of the new Director and supporting the Young Adult Development programme.
Office overheads are £33,000 less than last year. This includes £10,000 on the CALL landscape partnership to support the creation of "Posties Path" which is a medium length path along the Coigach coast. £11,000 to commission the "Getting Out there safely" video funded by Scottish Government which did not re-occur this year. In addition there was an £8,000 underspend on IT related costs as the majority of IT costs were paid from the GB IT budget .
There were no expenditure from the designated legal fund during the year - the fund remains at £25,000.
Expenditure on projects with external funding partners' was £23,000 more than 2017/18. This is in-line with an increase in income.
Ramblers GB is one organisation and Ramblers Scotland and Ramblers Cymru are constituent parts (Nations) of that body. Thus certain spending for these two Nations can be identified as shown in this brief summary report above. However there are central incomes and costs which cover the wide range of general activities including membership, fundraising, governance, administration. A methodology, agreed with the Devolution Committee some years ago, identified a way to apportion these costs to Ramblers Scotland (and Ramblers Cymru). At the time this was seen as very useful information as to what costs are incurred 'on behalf of Scotland' by Central Office.
The allocation of income has been included in the summary report above but not the allocated costs. The allocated costs for 2018/19 amounted to £396,000 (2018: £314,000). The net position including these costs is a deficit of £463,000 (2018: £413,000)
Ramblers GB activities 2018/19 2017/18 Variance £000’s £000’s £000’s Income Membership Income 2,946 2,875 71 Legacies 1,291 1,647 ( 356) Donations 297 185 112 Gift aid 526 536 ( 10) Grants 674 1,056 ( 382) Activities generating funds* 2,723 5,727 ( 3,004) Investment income 154 33 121 Incoming from charitable work ** 2,098 2,075 23 Total 10,709 14,134 ( 3,425)
Expenditure Rights of way 1,813 1,303 ( 510) Countryside protection 1,096 670 ( 426) Freedom to roam 1,109 847 ( 262) Promoting walking 6,391 6,683 292 Raising funds 960 634 ( 326) Total 11,369 10,137 ( 1,232)
Surplus (660) 3,997 (4,657)
There is a deficit of £660,000 for the financial year which includes income received from the People's Postcode Lottery during the year but also the expenditure relating to income received from the same source in previous financial year. The deficit therefore represents a reduction of that fund.
Further information on Ramblers GB finances for the 2018/19 financial year can be found in our annual report which will be available on our website from late April.
*- Publishing, book sales, fund-raising, raffles, etc. ** - Coach rambles, walking holidays, social events
Prepared by: Nicky Russell Date: 17/02/2020
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Nomination form for Scottish Council Executive Committee (SCEC)
Are you interested in becoming a member of the SCEC? Any Ramblers Scotland member (who has been a member since 7 March 2019 or earlier) can stand for election to the Scottish Council Executive Committee. The elections are held at Scottish Council (Ramblers Scotland's annual conference held in March). Someone wishing to stand for SCEC is not required to attend Scottish Council but it is highly recommended, especially as the first SCEC meeting is held immediately after the end of Scottish Council.
Scottish Council is an essential part of the way Ramblers Scotland is run. It gives members like you the opportunity to help create a vision for Ramblers Scotland; influence how you want it to operate and help create a charity that really puts its members at the heart of the organisation. We hope you can attend.
The benefits of joining SCEC • You will be involved in advancing the interests of the Scottish membership nationwide. • You will have a say in how Ramblers Scotland is shaped. • You will be given the opportunity to undertake training which will further develop your own skills. • You will receive travel and other allowable expenses if necessary when attending meetings.
What does being involved in SCEC mean? • You will be expected to attend at least 4 meetings a year as well as the meetings held pre- and post- Scottish Council which is normally held in early-mid March. • Meetings are currently held in Perth or Edinburgh on a weekday between 4.30pm and 8.30pm, however this is subject to change depending on what is most suitable for committee members and staff. • You may also be invited to take part in smaller short term working groups which may be formed to undertake tasks between SCEC meetings. • Your time preparing for and attending meetings is not paid for and it is contributed on the understanding that the Ramblers is a charity governed by volunteers. • SCEC does important work and it is vital that committee members act responsibly and carefully to progress the aims of the Ramblers as a whole in Scotland. • You will be invited to a short Induction session for new members in advance of your first full SCEC meeting. • All new members joining SCEC will be given links to relevant strategic and operational documents. The Treasurer is there to explain and advise on financial matters.
How do I become a SCEC member? • There are 7 places for members on the SCEC (see the Scottish constitution for certain restrictions) and you will need another Ramblers Scotland member to nominate you.
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• If there are 7 or fewer nominations, then everyone is deemed to be elected, and no vote is needed. Otherwise a vote will be held and SC delegates will vote to decide which 7 are elected. If you stand for election you will be required to submit a short written piece (max 200 words) about yourself, why you wish to stand and what you hope to contribute; and a photo.
What Next? • Why not speak to an existing SCEC member and ask their opinion. Contact details are available from the Ramblers Scotland office. • Please scroll down and complete the form below if you would like to stand for election.
Ramblers Scotland’s constitution is available here on the Ramblers Scotland website or it can be posted out to you.
If you have questions about what the role involves, please email our convener Ronnie Forbes, or vice convener, Alison Mitchell, who will be happy to help.
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NOMINATION FORM SCOTTISH COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (SCEC)
Please complete the form below and return it to the Ramblers Scotland office by Thursday 5 March 2020 or bring it with you to Scottish Council on the 7 March and hand it to the Returning Officer by the deadline. (The Returning Officer and the deadline for handing in nomination papers will be announced by the Convener during formal business at the Conference).
If you are unable to attend Scottish Council, then your nomination can still be accepted, provided that the nomination form is completed correctly.
Please note that you may not be a candidate for both SCEC and the Motions Committee in the same year.
PROPOSER
I wish to nominate ______(candidate name)
as a candidate for the Scottish Council Executive Committee for the coming year.
Proposer______(Signature)
______(Print name)
I am a Ramblers Scotland member and my membership number is ______
(Please note the Proposer must be a member of Ramblers Scotland)
CANDIDATE
I am willing to stand as a candidate for the Scottish Council Executive Committee.
Signed______Date______
My Ramblers Scotland membership number is ______
(Please note Candidates must be a RS member for at least 12 months before the date of Scottish Council)
I enclose a short written statement about myself, why I wish to stand and what I can bring to SCEC (about 200 words) and a photo.
Return to: Hildegarde Berwick, Ramblers Scotland, Caledonia House, 1 Redheughs Rigg, South Gyle, Edinburgh. EH12 9DQ or email [email protected] by Thursday 5 March 2020 or hand to the Returning Officer at Scottish Council by the deadline. (The Returning Officer and the deadline for handing in nomination papers will be announced by the Convener during formal business at the Conference).
Incomplete forms will be invalid
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SC20 10
Nomination form for the Motions Committee
Are you interested in becoming a member of the Motions Committee? The Motions Committee has an important part in Ramblers Scotland’s annual conference, Scottish Council. They ensure the competence of motions submitted, they may composite motions which are on a similar topic and decide in advance, in a fair and unbiased way, the order in which motions should be debated to ensure the ones of the greatest importance are debated first. The committee may also ask for clarification of poorly worded motions, to help ensure better informed debate. The Motions Committee then sets out the order of motions in an Order Paper which is submitted to Scottish Council for approval.
What are Motions? Motions are about urging the Scottish Council Executive Committee, Ramblers Scotland or external bodies to take action. Motions may also be passed by Scottish Council, for submission to General Council, the Ramblers GB annual conference. Debating and voting on a motion is a way to call upon an action towards a certain purpose. This might be public- facing action, such a backing a public campaign or releasing a policy statement on a certain issue, or it might be internal action such as promoting some new activity.
The benefits of joining the Motions Committee: • You will advance the interests of Scottish members by enabling informed debate on motions at Scottish Council • You will encourage interesting motions to come forward from members for consideration
What does being involved in the Motions Committee mean? • The Motions Committee does not normally hold any meetings, as business is mostly conducted by email. • Your time reading and responding to documentation circulated by email is not paid for and it is contributed on the understanding that the Ramblers is a charity governed by volunteers. • Whilst there is no formal induction, existing members of the Motions Committee will be happy to advise you. • You will be elected to consider motions submitted for the following year’s Scottish Council, so you will be expected to attend Scottish Council that year. • The committee is elected annually. Whilst normally there will not be another Scottish Council meeting until the following year, it is possible that there could be an extraordinary meeting of Scottish Council during the year, in which case the Motions Committee’s role will apply to the extraordinary meeting.
How to stand: Each year Scottish Council elects three representatives to the Motions Committee.
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The committee also includes two representatives from the Scottish Council Executive Committee, The Convener and one other.
If you would like to stand for election to the Motions Committee you must be registered as a voting delegate for Scottish Council. This means you must be the official delegate attending Scottish Council on behalf of your Area or Group or affiliated organisation. Alternatively, you may be a retiring member of SCEC or honorary officer.
WHAT NEXT? If you would like to stand, please complete the form below.
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NOMINATION FORM MOTIONS COMMITTEE (MC)
PROPOSER
I wish to nominate: ______(candidate name) as a candidate for the Motions Committee for the coming year.
Proposer:______(Signature) ______(Print name)
(Please note the Proposer must be someone with voting rights at Scottish Council)
CANDIDATE
I am willing to stand as a candidate for the Motions Committee.
Signed ______Date ______
(Please note the Candidates must be someone with voting rights at Scottish Council)
I enclose a short written statement about myself and why I wish to stand for the Motions Committee (about 100 words) and a photo. (It is optional whether to provide a statement and/or photo, but please tick the box if you are doing so)
Return to: Hildegarde Berwick, Ramblers Scotland, Caledonia House, 1 Redheughs Rigg, South Gyle, Edinburgh. EH12 9DQ or email [email protected] by Thursday 5 March 2020 or hand to the Returning Officer at Scottish Council by the deadline. (The Returning Officer and the deadline for handing in nomination papers will be announced by the Convener during formal business at the Conference).
Incomplete forms will be invalid
Please note:
If you are a delegate to Scottish Council but for some reason are unable to attend, then your nomination can still be accepted, provided that the nomination form is completed correctly and that you have not been replaced officially as a delegate.
You may not be a candidate for both SCEC and the Motions Committee in the same year.
Ramblers Scotland’s constitution is available here on the Ramblers Scotland website or it can be posted out to you.
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SC20 DRAFT 11a
Motions Order Paper
(for approval by the Meeting under Standing Order B2.5)
Note: This Motions Order Paper refers only to the Agenda item “Motions 2020”. It will be updated, if any amendments to the motions indicated below are submitted timeously.
Membership of the Motions Committee In terms of Standing Order A2.3, the Motions Committee comprises the Scottish Council Convener, one further member appointed by SCEC, and three members elected by and from Scottish Council. The current Convener of Scottish Council is Ronnie Forbes, and the further SCEC appointee for 2020 is Douglas Tullis. Scottish Council 2019 elected Jim Bennett, Liz Hunt and Barry Pottle to the Motions Committee for 2020 The Motions Committee elected Barry Pottle as its Convener for 2020.
Motions submitted for Scottish Council 2020
A. Motions affecting the Scottish Council Constitution
None submitted.
B. Ordinary Motions
1. Motion submitted by Bearsden & Milngavie Group: Mobile Phone Signal Coverage This Scottish Council calls upon its Executive Committee to liaise with the Board of Trustees regarding the Association becoming actively involved in the current government-sponsored campaign for increased mobile phone signal coverage, in order to improve the safety of walkers in hills and remote areas throughout Great Britain. Background Note: A major programme upgrading and extending the mobile signal coverage in the UK, the Shared Rural Network (SRN), was developed by the Government and mobile network operators in late 2019. The project includes £530 million contribution from UK’s mobile network operators plus up to £500 million Government investment. Completion date is 2025. It goes further than Ofcom’s proposed coverage obligations, which would require only two operators to reach 90% 4G geographic coverage. The SRN would take all four to 92% and aggregate coverage to 95%. The SRN project, apparently world's first, requires all four operators to share transmitters. Concern for preserving our natural environment and appearance is entirely commendable but balance must be struck when safety of those enjoying the countryside is the issue, without involving drastic visual impact. A modest increase in mobile coverage would be a positive improvement in safety for hillwalkers. This
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proposal, is as we work to increase membership, which, in Scotland, means more active hillwalkers, increasing risk of sudden illness or becoming lost in a remote area. There is greater reliance by the younger generation we hope to attract, on being able to summon urgent help, or confirm position, by mobile phone. Effectiveness of this depends solely on signal available. Without it, safety is greatly compromised. While Mobile phones have improved significantly, the extent of signal cover is almost unchanged, large areas of Scotland have limited or no cover.
2. Motion submitted by Kilmarnock & Loudoun Group: Mapping of Scottish Rights of Way This Scottish Councils requests that Ramblers GB campaigns for the establishment of a publicly accessible, legally definitive, map of the Rights of Way of Scotland to match the definitive maps of England and Wales. Background Note: Ramblers who have been active in both England and Scotland understand how the absence of Ordnance Survey mapping of Rights of Way in Scotland encumbers and deters Scottish lowland rambling. Ramblers GB is rightly proud of the Rights of Way mapping work they have done in England and Wales over the last 70 years. Scotland has been missed out of this programme. Scottish lowland foot paths are disappearing because of this lack of Rights of Way mapping. If Ramblers GB are at all serious about increasing the number of recreational walkers in Scotland we need to fix the mapping deficit problem. The route to producing a definitive map for Scotland would be for the Holyrood parliament to amend the “Core Paths” section of the 2003 Land Reform and Access Act to include all the routes in the National Catalogue of Rights of Way and all publicly subsidised permissive paths. That is only going to happen through national lobbying. None of the members of the Motions Committee are members of either of the Groups which have submitted motions, so no disclosure is required in terms of Standing Order A2.4. The Motion Committee recommends that both of the above motions be accepted as competent.
Order of motions The Motions Committee recommends that the motions be taken in the order shown above.
Amendments Amendments to any of the above motions may be submitted by: • any RA Scotland Area or Group, or • any organisation affiliated to Scottish Council, or • any two people who are: Honorary Officers, SCEC members, Motions Committee members, or Board of Trustees representatives but must be received at the Ramblers Scotland Office by Saturday 29th February 2020. If any amendments are received by that date, these will be incorporated in an updated Motions Order Paper to be circulated at the start of the meeting.
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Late motions or amendments In terms of Clause 6.11 of the Scottish Council Constitution, business not affecting the Constitution may be moved by a Council member as a matter of urgency with the agreement of two thirds of those present and voting. In the event of this provision being invoked to allow submission of any late motion or amendment, and this is notified by 12 noon on Tuesday 3rd March 2020, it will be incorporated in the updated Motions Order Paper, with a note that it may only be accepted for discussion with the agreement of two thirds of those present and voting. In the event of any motions or amendments being notified after that time, they will be notified verbally to the meeting by the Convener of Scottish Council and, again, may only be accepted for discussion with the agreement of two thirds of those present and voting.
Undisposed of motions Standing Order B2.2 requires this Motions Order Paper to indicate that day and time at which, in the view of the Motions Committee, all motions and amendments that have not been disposed of by the AGM should be remitted to the SCEC with power to take decisions on the matters contained in them, except that any Constitutional amendments not disposed of by the AGM shall be deemed to have fallen. The Motions Committee has seen a draft Agenda for Scottish Council which indicates that motions will be taken between 9.30 and 10.15 am on Sunday 8th March 2020. As there are only two motions to be discussed this year, the Motions Committee believes that ¾ hour should be sufficient for approval of this Motions Order Paper and debate and voting on both motions. However, it is possible that the Agenda may be changed, or that there may be delays causing the start time for discussion of motions to be later than 9.30 am If all motions have not been dealt with by 10.15 am, the Motions Committee recommends that further time be allowed for the remaining motions. Rather than continue discussion of motions beyond 10.15 am, it might be desirable to have the flexibility of moving on to other business and resuming discussion of motions later. Accordingly, the Motions Committee recommends that the day and time, when undisposed of motions be dealt with as stated above, should be 1.15 pm on Sunday 8th March 2020.
Motions Committee: Jim Bennett, Ronnie Forbes, Liz Hunt, Barry Pottle (Convener), Douglas Tullis.
End of Motions Order Paper
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SC20 A
Directions to Venue
Macdonald Marine Hotel Cromwell Road, North Berwick East Lothian. EH39 4LZ Tel: 0344 879 9130
https://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our- hotels/scotland/north-berwick/macdonald- marine-hotel-spa
Getting There Situated just off the A198 coming into North Berwick, the hotel and is very easy to reach both by public transport and by car.
By Train North Berwick train station is a very short 0.4 mile walk from the hotel. Come out of the station, turn left on Station road, cross the junction onto York road and continue along into Cromwell road. The hotel is towards the end on your right.
Please note trains from Edinburgh on Saturday 7 March are frequent, approximately every 30 minutes, however trains from North Berwick back to Edinburgh on Sunday 8 March run only every hour (departing at 13.36, 14.33, 15.36 etc). The train takes approximately 30 minutes and costs £7.30 return or £7.10 single fare.
By Bus East Coast Buses operates several services between Edinburgh and North Berwick with buses every 30 minutes. Service 124 / X24 https://eastcoastbuses.co.uk/r124-x24/ A further X5 service timetable can be found here. https://eastcoastbuses.co.uk/rx5/. Alight at the Church Road stop and the hotel is a short walk.
By Car The hotel is just off the A198 coming into North Berwick from Dirleton. There is a car park just opposite the hotel. If it’s full, you’ll likely find on street parking in Cromwell Road and adjacent streets. There’s also a car part at the train station just off Station Road.
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SC20 B
Scottish Council 2020 - Claim Form
This claim form is issued to all those attending Scottish Council. Please note only certain people are entitled to claim expenses and this is explained below:
Those entitled to claim:
1. Anyone attending as the official voting delegate representing their Ramblers areas (2 per area) or groups (1 person)
2. Existing SCEC, agenda committee members, SCEC officers, president and vice- presidents attending.
3. Official guests for the weekend and volunteer helpers.
What happens to those not in the above categories:
• Members of the Board of Trustees should claim from Ramblers GB in London and Ramblers staff should claim from their office.
• Representatives from affiliated organisations are asked to meet their own expenses.
• Observers (i.e. non-voting delegates) may be sponsored by a Ramblers area or group, in which case the person should claim from the relevant area or group. If not, they are asked to meet their own costs.
• If you are entitled to claim but had a lift from another person who will get reimbursed, you will not be able to claim as you didn’t incur any direct expenses.
How much travelling expenses can be claimed by those entitled to claim
• If you travel by public transport then the bus fare, standard class rail fare and any necessary taxi fares will be reimbursed. Please keep tickets/receipts and obtain the best fare deal.
• If you travel by car then you can claim up to the current mileage rate of 28p a mile. You do not have to claim this amount and can claim less if you wish, e.g. petrol costs.
• We encourage you to share transport where possible to minimise the impact on the environment and keep Ramblers’ expense costs down. Thank you.
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Members & Volunteers Expenses Claim Form - Scottish Council 2020
Month & Year of claim March 2020 Name ______
Brief description of type and Receipt Date of reason for reference expenditure expense number Amount SUN Accounts allocation Budget holder's initials (see note below) N/L Cost Theme Activity Fund Code Centre 8501 CORE 70SC SCBT U
Total claimed £
I confirm that the above expenses are correct and were incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of my duties as a Volunteer of the Ramblers.
Claimants signature: ______Date ______
Ramblers Membership No. ______
Address (for cheque payment only) If you prefer your claim to be reimbursed directly into a bank account, please provide details: Name of Bank: ______Account Holder: ______Account Number (8 digits): ______Sort Code (xx - xx - xx): ______
Claim authorised by: ______Date ______(Budget Holder)
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SC20 C
Bid to host the Gathering
Would your area or group like to host the Gathering in 2021 or beyond?
The Gathering is Ramblers Scotland’s annual walking festival taking place over the weekend which includes the first Monday in May. It has been a key fixture in the Ramblers Scotland calendar for the last 30 years and offers members a fabulous 3 days of walks, talks, socialising, fresh air and fun.
The Gathering regularly attracts over 100 members each year and has been held in locations all over Scotland. The Gathering in 2020 is being hosted by the Isle of Bute Ramblers and will showcase walks on the island. We are now looking for a group or area that would be interested in hosting the Gathering in 2021 or beyond.
What’s involved in hosting: The Gathering is entirely volunteer led - it’s a members’ event, run by members for members. If your group or area would be interested in hosting the event, we would require you to:
• Provide a programme of varied and interesting walks over two days that members would enjoy. • Recruit enough Ramblers volunteer walk leaders to lead the walks. • Think about your locations suitability to host and accommodate over 100 members and help us make contact with local hotels to get the best deal. • Find a suitable venue as a focal point (hub) for the festival where we could hold a ceilidh, talks and social events. • Think about suitable public transport links to your location to ensure it’s easily accessible for members from across Scotland. • Participate in quarterly Gathering Working Group meetings in the year you are hosting the festival. • Consider if there is local conservation work which members may wish to participate in
Who can attend? Members of the Ramblers in Scotland whether they walk regularly with a group or not. Many groups now organise their own weekends away but not all and traditionally there have been small parties of friends who have enjoyed meeting up and have a great time on nice walks in grand locations.
Love to get involved? If you’d like to find out more, or make a bid to host the Gathering in 2021, please email: [email protected] or call Alison Mitchell on 01224 322580
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SC20 D
Scottish Council 2020 Evaluation Form
We are committed to improving Scottish Council each year and ensuring you get the most from the event. We take your views and ideas seriously, so please take a few minutes to give us some feedback to help us with future planning. Thank you for your help and support.
1. How would you rate your overall experience of Scottish Council?
Overall event □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Programme content □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Information packs □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Event organisation □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Helpfulness of staff □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Venue □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Location □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
2. Did you enjoy the event?
□ excellent □ very enjoyable □ enjoyable □ not at all enjoyable
3. Are there ways we could improve the programme for next year?
______
4. Which elements of Scottish Council did you find the most inspiring / useful / interesting?
______
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5. What elements of Scottish Council did you find the least inspiring / useful / interesting?
______
______
6. Please rate the plenary presentations:
Ramblers Scotland – our year. Brendan Paddy □ Inspiring □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Everyone is welcome – come on in! Sarah Marfleet □ Inspiring □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Out There Award. Sam Knight □ Inspiring □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Campaigns and policy update. Helen Todd □ Inspiring □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
In conversations with Ian Findlay □ Inspiring □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Walk leadership update. Walk leadership project officer □ Inspiring □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Mapping Scotland’s paths. Luke Philips, Helen Todd □ Inspiring □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
7. Is this your first time at Scottish Council? Yes No (please circle)
If not your first time, how many times have you attended? (please tick) □ 1-2 times □ 3-5 times □ 5-10 times □10+
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8. What is your main reason for attending Scottish Council this year?
9. How would you rate the group successes?
□ Inspiring □ excellent □ very good □ good □ satisfactory □ poor
Which presentation/s did you find the useful or inspiring?
□ Magnificent Eleven – Glasgow Ramblers
□ Clachnaben Path – Grampian Area Ramblers
□ Growing membership – Glasgow Young Walkers
□ Promoting Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhoods – Stirling & Falkirk Ramblers
□ Why we love the Ramblers app – Dumfries & District Ramblers
□ Being a walk leader – Cumbernauld & Kilsyth Ramblers
10. How would you rate the discussion forums?
□ inspirational □very interesting/useful □ interesting/useful □ not at all interesting/useful
Tell us which one you attended:
______
Anything further to add about the discussion - thoughts and insight on the topic?
______
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______
______
11. Did you enjoy the talk by Quintin Lake (if applicable)
□ excellent □ very enjoyable □ enjoyable □ not at all enjoyable
Are there ways we could improve this element of the programme for next year?
______
12. Are there other speakers you’d like to hear from in the future?
______
13. Any ideas for Scottish Council 2021 (format, workshops, venue, location, speakers, etc)?
______
______
14. Anything else you’d like to tell us about this year’s event?
______
______
______
______
Thank you for your time! Please put this form in the box at the registration desk or hand to a staff member on departure
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It’s really annoying to have loads of different usernames and passwords to remember. The single Ramblers’ account will mean you’ll only need to remember one for all of our systems. All of the new apps, sites and systems will use this and we’re gradually updating our existing ones too.
If you recognise the orange box, you do! So, you can just stop reading and go and log in. If you’ve used the Members’ App, Assemble or the Insight Hub, you’ll already have set up your account
That’s not the same. Our website uses a different login, at the moment, so you’ll need to get this new single Ramblers’ account for the other systems.
(you only do this once) 1. Go to https://ramblers.goassemble.com 2. In the orange box, click Sign Up. 3. Type in your email address and a new password. It should be at least 8 characters long and must include upper and lower case letters as well as a number or special character (!@$#%ˆ&*). 4. Type in your surname in the box provided. 5. Type in your Ramblers’ membership number in the box. 6. Click on the orange SIGN UP button. 7. That’s it! You’ll be taken to Assemble. 8. Save Assemble as a favourite/bookmark in your browser so you can log in again easily. Don’t save the page with the orange box.
Whenever you see the orange box use the email and password you’ve just set and click Log In. It’s that easy. Whether it’s the Members’ App, Insight Hub, Membership Secretaries’ Dashboard, Pathwatch Dashboard – they all use the same orange box so your single Ramblers’ account works there.
Contact [email protected]
Getting your single Ramblers’ account March 2019 Page 1 of 1 Logging in to Assemble Soon you’ll only need to for the first time remember one username How to guide and password for all Ramblers sites and apps: Welcome to Assemble – our volunteer website. the website, Ramblers’ app, Insight Hub Here you can find everything you need for your or Assemble. The Ramblers’ single volunteering, link up with other volunteers, read account will make it easier to link these the latest volunteer news and manage your all together. own details. You can do all this through the easy-to-use website. This guide takes you through your first visit. Finding your way around Go to the Ramblers’ Assemble Assemble works like any other website website, so just click and explore. The menu is always in the side-bar To get to the site, go to on the left, so you can always go https://ramblers.goassemble.com – just click back Home. this link or copy it to your browser’s address bar. You’ll be taken to this login page:
If you have an iOS or Android device, you can get the Ramblers Volunteering app to let you use Assemble on your If you have a single Ramblers account (the one phone or tablet. Search for Ramblers with the orange screen) use this to log in. Volunteering in the App Store or Google Otherwise, you’ll need to play. create one by clicking on Sign Up.
Doc title Ramblers Charity: England & Wales No: 1093577, Scotland No:month SC039799 year Page 1 of 3 Registered office: 2nd Floor, Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7TW
News automatic email whenever you receive a The latest volunteer news is on the homepage, message, so you don’t even have to log in to so you can keep up-to-date really easily. If you read a message. want more news, or to find a previous article Notifications story, go to the News section, where you can These alerts let you know when something has search using any keyword. happened that might be of interest to you.
Document Hub We’re only gradually adding All the resources you need for your Areas to Assemble, so please volunteering are here and really easy to find. only message volunteers you You’ll only see folders and documents relevant know have logged in already – to you. otherwise they won’t get a notification. To find a resource, you can search for any word you think might be related to it (for Your profile example law) – you don’t need to know what the document is called as it searches the Update your contact details, tell people a little document’s description too. about yourself and log out. Assemble will log you out automatically if you don’t use it for a Click on the document name to see a more while. detailed description and the options to download it or add it to your favourites. Just for you Chairs, secretaries, path maintenance team leaders are The top-bar shows items personal to you: all “managers” so will be able messages, notifications and your profile. to see your email address and phone number. This is so that they can contact you. Storing this information in Assemble keeps it secure.
Click on the icons to access these. Messages You’ll be able to contact your volunteer manager and any other volunteer or member of staff using Assemble’s built-in messaging centre, keeping your email address completely confidential. You’ll get an
Logging in to Assemble for the first time – How to guide Page 2 of 3 September 2019 What to do on your first visit Assemble doesn’t share any You may want to just have a quick look around of your personal details. – but as you’re the very first volunteers to use Being in the directory or Assemble, there are only a few documents and Near Me won’t let anyone some ideas news stories so far. Here are of (who’s not a manager) see your email what to do: address, where you live or your phone 1. Go to your profile by clicking on your initials number. It only lets them send you a at the top right and selecting View profile message on Assemble. details: Any questions? Use the Talk to Us item in the menu to ask a question or tell us something, or you can email [email protected]
2. Upload a profile picture (Click on Upload photo) and check that your information in the Details tab is right. 3. Tell other volunteers a little about yourself in the About box – this will show in your entry in the volunteer directory. 4. Check that we have the right role and group/area recorded for you in the Roles & Responsibilities tab. If not, let us know. 5. Set how you want to use Assemble in the Contacts tab.
Don’t worry if the roles listed for you are wrong. A lot of people have out of date information linked to them. You can choose not to appear in the We can easily sort it out for you and volunteer directory so that other volunteers then keep it right. Just let us know. can’t contact you through the message centre. However, you won’t be able to contact them either. You can also choose whether to appear in the Near Me map. This lets you see how many other volunteers are within 20 miles of your address (unless they’ve opted out). You can then click on the number to see them in the Directory.
Logging in to Assemble for the first time – How to guide Page 3 of 3 September 2019 How to create a warm • Highlight any introductory walks you do for new walkers – ideally shorter walks at welcome for new an easier pace. members • Let them know about any social events At the Ramblers, we want everyone to feel you’ve got coming up. welcome and included when they join. The first • Make sure your walks include an easy-to- interactions you have with a new member find starting point. really count – you only get one chance to make a first impression!
Whether you’re a membership secretary, walk When you’re giving a leader, or just a long-time group member, this starting point, try to include guide gives you some tips on creating a warm a postcode, and a clear welcome. We really value the work that our description with nearby members and volunteers do to make others buildings or sights. Not feel welcome, and most of the advice here has everyone will be happy come from our groups. reading a grid reference or finding that tucked away When a new member joins parking spot you’ve used When a new member joins your group, you’ll be able to see their name and contact details on your membership secretary dashboard. These members might not have been on a “At the beginning of group walk yet or know much about your each walk the walk group or the Ramblers. leader asks if there are Here are a few ideas to make them feel any new walkers – we welcome: have a standard introduction which then explains who we are (Ramblers • Send them a personalised email or letter group, nations walking charity etc...) welcoming them to the group. Let them and members/committee make a know how to find the latest walks and point of talking to each new walker on explain a bit about your group and the that walk – even if just a few minutes, Ramblers. to make them feel welcome.” Stag Walkers • Send them a welcome shout-out on your group’s Facebook page.
• Let them know they can bring a friend or family member to their first group walk.
Ramblers Charity: England & Wales No: 1093577, Scotland No: SC039799 Registered office: 2nd Floor, Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7TW
Their first walk with you After their first walk with you It can take a lot of courage to attend your first Making someone feel welcome doesn’t end walk. Make it simple for them: after the first walk. Some people go on their first walk but never come back for a second • Make sure your starting point is easy to one. find and your group is easy to spot. Why not hold up a banner with your group name It’s important to follow up to make sure they on it? found everything ok, and to encourage them to come back again: • Before you start walking, give a welcome to anyone who’s new to the group. Ask • Send them a friendly follow-up email and them to put their hands up so everyone use it to ask for any feedback about the else can make them feel welcome. walk.
• Find some group members who are happy • Let them know when the next walk is to “buddy up” with new walkers and make going to be. sure they feel welcome on the walk. • Highlight any social events coming up they • Give a clear run-through of what to expect might be interested in. on the walk, including the next refreshment point and loo break! Remember this might be the first time “The group sends out a they’ve been on a group walk – what’s weekly email about latest obvious to you might not be to them. walks, news and latest planned socials. People • Make sure there’s a back-marker to help love receiving these messages as they keep an eye on everyone. No-one wants to make them feel included and part of a feel lost or left behind on a walk. big family.” • Finish the walk at a pub or café to give new West Kent people a chance to socialise with the group. Get in touch! • At the end of the walk, ask them how they That’s just a few tips to get you started – we’d found it, and if they have any feedback on love to hear what works for you and how we how it could be better. can improve our advice, so feel free to email • Say you hope to see them again soon! [email protected] with your stories and ideas.
“The important thing is to make the walk as sociable as possible. Cake is a real leveller – and makes the walk a lot more sociable. We always go for coffee afterwards, people like that, and helps people who come on their own.” Eildon Walkers
How to create a warm welcome for new members Page 2 of 2 August 2019 Send them a personalised email or letter thanking them for joining your walk and inviting them to come to another one. This email At the Ramblers, we want everyone who walks with us for the first time to come back and become fully fledged members. The key to this, is making sure that they’ve all the right • a link to a about your walk information, so they feel confident joining you • information about your group and your on their walks. This is why the on the • links to your Facebook page or other is there to support you in accounts making sure you don’t miss out on an • a bit about the Ramblers and the opportunity to get more members. of becoming a member • a link to the (reminding them to select your group when they sign up)
When a new walker joins a walk, you’ll be adding their details through the on the . You’ll be able to see the
names, email addresses and the specific walks they’ve done with your group of have found it beneficial to all non-member walkers on the send out a welcome email to . From here, you can find non-members who have out more about your non-member walkers. given consent. This contains information about the group and their upcoming walks, links to their social media and a link to the Ramblers membership page. From this, they have increased their membership from 100 to 120 members. Ramblers offices send those who’ve consented to being contacted a series of five emails, each within a week of each other. They contain information on the benefits of Ramblers membership and how to sign up.
Page 1 of 3 Ramblers Charity : England & Wales No: 1093577, Scotland No: SC039799November 2019 Registered office: 2nd Floor, Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7TW
Remind them that they can up to three free walks with your group before “Specifically, to welcome committing to becoming a Ramblers member. we regularly hold Introductory Include them in your Walks where we to members about your encourage non- walks programme. You may do this weekly, members to try us out (we follow the monthly or quarterly, but make sure they know rule that a non-member can try us what walks and events you have coming up for out for free three times before we ask the next few months. them to become a member of the Ramblers. An introductory walk is a walk between 4-7 miles, we try to ensure the walks start at locations with access to public transport to appeal to a wider The information you can audience. We hold an introductory access on the membership walk at least every month, but every secretaries’ dashboard is couple of weeks in the new year, to consented. This means that appeal to those starting New Year’s you can email your walks resolutions.” programme, as they have given consent to receive Ramblers “marketing” by email on the Ramblers app.
“The group sends out a weekly email about the latest walks, news and latest planned socials. People love receiving these messages as they That’s just a few tips to get you started – we’d make them feel included love to hear and how we and part of a big family.” can improve our advice, so feel free to email with your stories and ideas.
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Title: <
Hello <
{insert social media links}
The Ramblers helps everyone, everywhere, enjoy walking and protects the places we all “The group sends out a love to walk. We are the only charity dedicated to looking after paths and green spaces, weekly email about the leading walks, opening up new places to explore and encouraging everyone to get latest walks, news and outside and discover how walking boosts your health and your happiness. latest planned socials. People love receiving these messages as they make them feel included Join the largest walking community in Great Britain and exploreand hundreds part of aof big group family. walks” and thousands of independent walks, an exclusive app and discounts on outdoor gear, whilst protecting and expanding access to the places we all love to walk. Ramblers membership starts at £3.05 a month.
Find out more here: ramblers.org.uk/get-involved/join-the-ramblers
If you’re still not sure about becoming a member, you can still try out another two free walks with us.
Hope to see you again soon.
<
PS / Don’t forget to choose us as your group when you sign up!
Page 3 of 3 November 2019
• Inform them of any other ways they Welcoming new members – can get involved in your group – for example path maintenance or template email protecting rights of way.
At the Ramblers, we want everyone who walks with us for the first time to come back Consents and become fully fledged members. The key A welcome letter or email is to this, is making sure that they’ve all the right part of a member’s contract information, so they feel confident joining you with the Ramblers – so you on walks. can send a welcome to any When a new member joins your group, you’ll new member, as this be able to see their name and contact details communication isn’t on your membership secretary dashboard. marketing. These members might not have been on a group walk yet or know much about your group or the Ramblers.
Here are a few tips on writing your welcome To get you started we’ve included a template email or letter to a new member: email for you on the next page. Amend as you need! • Include some brief information on the types of walks you offer Get in touch!
• Let them know they can bring along a That’s just a few tips to get you started – we’d friend or family member – it can be love to hear what works for you and how we scary attending by yourself! can improve our advice, so feel free to email [email protected] with your • Provide some tips on attending their stories and ideas. first walk with you – such as what to wear, when to turn up and who to contact if any questions
• Let them know a bit about your social events and any coach trips
• Give them information on how to find your latest walks and meet other members
• Provide a contact name and contact details in case they have any questions
Welcoming new members to your group [Template email] Page 1 of 3 Ramblers Charity : England & Wales No: 1093577, ScotlandJanuary No: SC0397992020 Registered office: 2nd Floor, Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7TW
Here is a letter/email template you can adapt and use:
Title: Thank you for joining <
Hello
Welcoming new members to your group [Template email] Page 2 of 3 January 2020
What’s the best way to get to the meeting point for group walks? Most of our walks are accessible by public transport, and where a car is needed, we offer a car sharing scheme. Get in touch with the walk leader for more information. Can I bring a friend or family member with me? You’re very welcome to bring along a friend or family member – they can try out three walks for free. If they enjoy it, they can join you and become a member too! Can I bring my dog on group walks? <
Welcoming new members to your group [Template email] Page 3 of 3 January 2020
Walk Leadership Essentials training courses 2020 This 2-part training course is suitable for both new Ramblers walk leaders and for those who are more experienced who wish to brush up on their skills and have an input into the shape of future training. The course covers the ethos behind being a Ramblers walk leader and the practicalities, legal requirements, ideas and some skills needed for planning and leading a walk.
95% of participants would recommend to others!
“Good to find out more about the expectations of walk leaders”
“Trainers Practice Walk was very empowering”
“Great to share ideas and learning”
Course Location Dates Walk Leadership Part 1 North Berwick 7 Feb Walk Leadership Part 1 Edinburgh 29 Feb Walk Leadership Part 1 Glasgow - Mugdock 4 April Walk Leadership Part 1 Highland - Newtonmore - Young Walkers Weekend 15,16 May Walk Leadership Part 1 Dumfries 19 May Walk Leadership Part 1 Kinross - Fife / Tayside 20 June
Walk Leadership Part 2 Kinross - Fife / Tayside 21 March Walk Leadership Part 2 Kilmarnock - Central West 18 April Walk Leadership Part 2 Aberdeen - Grampian 25 April Walk Leadership Part 2 Nethy Bridge - Highland 9 May Walk Leadership Part 2 Fort William - Highland 13 June Walk Leadership Part 2 North Berwick 19 June Walk Leadership Part 2 Edinburgh 20 June Walk Leadership Part 2 Glasgow - Mugdock 10 Oct Walk Leadership Part 2 Dumfries 20 Oct Walk Leadership Part 2 Highland - Newtonmore - Young Walkers Weekend 30, 31 Oct Walk Leadership Part 2 Kinross - Fife / Tayside 28 Nov
For more details go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/account/ or please email [email protected] or call Ruth on 0131 357 5850
Support from Ramblers Scotland Staff
Brendan Paddy Ramblers Scotland director Brendan leads the team in Scotland. He is part of the Senior Leadership Team for Ramblers GB and works with the Scottish Council Executive Committee to set the strategic direction of Ramblers Scotland and to ensure that the Ramblers Scotland business plan is delivered effectively.
Jeannie Cranfield Delivery officer Jeannie can support you with existing and new initiatives to help diversify your group’s activities. She can also help you to get the most from Ramblers’ systems and is the point of contact for all areas and groups in Scotland, responding to queries, problems and support requests.
Helen Todd Campaigns & policy manager Helen can give you advice and support on anything related to campaign topics, especially access, whether that’s dealing with obstructions or just understanding more about how access rights and responsibilities work in Scotland. Helen can also advise on issues to do with local planning applications, how and when to contact councillors, MSPs or MPs about local matters and help with wider land management questions. [email protected]
Hildegarde Berwick Event & governance administrator Hildegarde is your point of contact for all governance issues. She works with our Scottish Council Executive Committee providing them with administrative support in addition to supporting Ramblers events.
Ramblers Scotland Caledonia House, 1 Redheughs Rigg South Gyle, Edinburgh, EH12 9DQ
Tel: 0131 357 5850 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ramblersscot Facebook: @RamblersScotland and @OutThereScot Instagram: @OutThereScot
www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland
Support from Ramblers Scotland Staff
Danny Carden Communications & engagement manager Danny has a background in journalism, PR and digital communications and can give advice and training on how to make the most of media opportunities, social media and digital media.
Ruth Bowen Project officer (Walk leadership) Ruth provides support to all our volunteer trainers, mentors and walk leaders to ensure you benefit from a suite of walk leadership, navigation and first aid training courses. She’s managing a cascade model of training for new walk leaders and is recruiting experienced walk leaders to act as mentors to help newer leaders build their confidence with structured and ongoing support.
Sam Knight Project officer (Young Adult Development) Sam is the main point of contact and support for all our young groups to help them build capacity. He is also leading on the delivery of our Out There Award - a series of skills and volunteer challenge events to introduce 18 – 26 year olds to the outdoors, giving them confidence to enjoy walking with us and access the outdoors safely.
Luke Phillips Project manager (Mapping Scotland’s Paths) Luke is managing our Mapping Scotland’s Paths project which is aiming to increase the number of paths which are available to the public on digital maps. This will help Ramblers members and members of the public to find places to walk and promote local path networks more easily.
Ramblers Scotland Caledonia House, 1 Redheughs Rigg South Gyle, Edinburgh, EH12 9DQ
Tel: 0131 357 5850 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @ramblersscot Facebook: @RamblersScotland and @OutThereScot Instagram: @OutThereScot
www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland