North Norfolk Fit Together Fit Together Walks & Activities Spring/Summer 2016 Taking small steps together - Free walks. See back cover for places where you can pick up the programme North Norfolk Fit Together Information North Norfolk Fit Together is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). This means that as a charity we can apply for a wider variety of grants and can also fundraise. All monies collected through fundraising and our regular activities will now go towards keeping our own scheme going. We have a Board of Trustees who will work together with the coordinator to ensure the future of our scheme. The Board of Trustees consists of: Phil Harriott, Brenda Stibbons, Joy Eglen, John Tomlinson and Christine Joyce. These individuals have seen Fit Together grow and develop and wish to maintain our provision of walks and activities for North Norfolk. David Bailey has also joined the ranks as our Grant Officer. We will be doing more fundraising events and will also have bright yellow collection boxes at our walks so that if you wish to you can make a donation. The money will go towards the printing of the programmes, insurance and other running costs. If you have any ideas about fundraising events or would like to hold your own then please contact me, Mel Brown, using the contact details on the back cover. To keep up-to- date with any news and announcements please visit our webpage – www.activenorfolk.org/north-norfolk Donation cheques can be made out to “North Norfolk Fit Together” and sent to Mel Brown, c/o NNDC, Holt Rd, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9EN – please mark “private & Confidential” on the envelope. Since Christmas, there has been just one fund raising event - the Easter walk and raffle which raised £300. There have been donations from Mrs J Bottomley, Mr & Mrs Westgate, Christine & Philip Joyce, and Enid & Martin Gude together with £287 in the collecting boxes. Thank you to everyone for your support – Phil Harriott - Treasurer Message from the Chairman Although it was not of our making I am sorry there has been so much misunderstanding and angst about following recent letters in the local press about announcements which in fact do not apply to North Norfolk Fit together. I would like to use this space to make it unequivocally clear that North Norfolk Fit Together’s programme of walks is not ceasing. This programme covers the months of May through to August and before too long our thoughts will be turning to the programme due out in September. The fund raising we do is to ensure this organisation continues well into the future and in case the funding from Active Norfolk that we get presently ceases then we have funding saved to ensure we could pay our expenses for a full year and have time to plan in such an eventuality. Our savings are secure and available only to North Norfolk Fit Together. However, at the last meeting Trustees had to consider stricter guidelines from Active Norfolk and this has resulted in some change to what we can provide to our walkers. Being part of Walking for Health provides us with a national backing, free insurance for our walks, advertising, equipment and paperwork and training for our coordinator and volunteers. This is in addition to the local support and the grant we receive from Active Norfolk which covers the cost of buying in our coordinators time. If we are to keep our existing support and funding we have to adhere to the guidelines. What this means in practice is we shall concentrate our programme on walks and activities of up to 4 miles in length and make sure our “other” activities and any new activities we do in the future cater for beginners. Those members who wish to do the longer “progression” walks (over 4 miles) will need to do that as an independent Rambler Group from within NNFT. Our coordinator will offer support to help set this up and the Trustees see this as walkers having the best of both worlds. Walkers can stay as members of NNFT and can do any of the walks that we offer in our programme keeping the same social connections but if they want to do 1 walks over 4 miles they can do those with their fellow NNFT members but under the Ramblers insurance and procedures Over the year the Trustees receive many comments about lots of things and inevitably there are differing views e.g. that walks are too long, too fast or not long enough. A common and abiding view however is that that the very firm and close friendships people have made in NNFT have become an essential part of their life often in a time of need and the impression is this does not depend on the length of walk they do. Being active, socialising and making new friends is an important part of mental and physical health and the Trustees will always do their best to try and ensure everyone’s needs are catered for. Joining the Ramblers is one way of continuing longer walks As a group or individual who has outgrown Fit Together and want to concentrate on walks over 4 miles you can either transition to your local Ramblers group or continue the former “progression walks” but function as a group under the Ramblers instead of Walking for Health. Here is the information you need. First check the Norfolk Ramblers programme to see if they offer brisker walks over 4 miles – they produce hard copies for members but the programme can be found at www.norfolkra.org.uk or use the Find a walk search: http://www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/find-a-walk-or-route.aspx. If they do you could simply transition yourself or group to these already organised walks. If your local Ramblers group does not offer brisker suitable walks see below: Leading walks as part of the Ramblers 1. Decide as a former Fit Together individual or group of friends that you would like to offer walks over 4 miles on a regular basis 2. Go on a Ramblers walk so you can see the difference in set up to Walking for Health. You can try a few out before you have to join. 3. Join the Ramblers – go to www.ramblers.org.uk/healthwalkdiscount or ring 020 7339 8595 and add/give the code C15M5A to receive 30% discount for your first year - £23.80 instead of £34 (current cost) 4. Contact your local Ramblers group secretary and tell them what you would like to offer and when 5. Once they have agreed send them your programme for addition in their hard copy programme which is sent to all Norfolk members and the website 6. As a Rambler you will be covered by insurance to lead or attend walks and you will receive free publicity, the quarterly Walk magazine and discounts with partners. 7. Training and guidance will be offered and high viz jackets can be supplied. 8. Group secretaries are: Sheringham – John Fawcett (01263) 710730 and Fakenham - Vic Cocker – (01263) 713613 9. As these walks are for fitter people the insurance regulations are much more relaxed. There is no paperwork and anyone can be a leader without undertaking a walk leader course. Of course there is also the option of just meeting up as a group of friends!! News and Special Events: Walks - We have all the old favourites and our Three Peaks Challenge to look forward to – we will have one progression walk every summer! We have also replaced the old Swanton Abbott walk with a new one that has less walking on a busy road. Four of our former progression walks are now grade 3s – either because they meet the 4 mile limit or because we have tinkered with them. We have a couple of picnic walks and evening walk and are introducing Walking Bingo – for those of you who either like a gamble or you just need some other reason to get out on a walk then this may be for you!! 2 Take your Fit Together membership card into the new Mountain Warehouse shop on Church Street in Cromer and receive a 10% discount!! Upcoming Grand Auction of Promises Fancy afternoon tea in Parliament with the Rt Hon Norman Lamb MP, or a day boat for 8 people for 8 hours, or a signed print by a Cromer based Professional Photographer of the Year, or a tour of Adnams Brewery or the English Whisky Company’s distillery, or pub meals, theatre, cinema and show tickets, a slow cooker or steamer, or books, or free entry to BeWILDerwood, Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens or Amazona Zoo etc etc. Well, you better get along to GRESHAM VILLAGE HALL on SATURDAY 4th JUNE for our GRAND AUCTION OF PROMISES AND DONATIONS which starts promptly at 7.00PM. There’s something for everyone to bid for. Any of our members who would like to donate a “promise” of some of your time or expertise then please contact John or Patsy Tomlinson (tel 01692 582522, mobile 07747084902 or [email protected]). It could be anything, cake decorating, computer help, dog walking, golf lesson, gardening or anything else you can think of. A catalogue of the lots received to date will soon appear on our web site www.activenorfolk.org/north-norfolk. Any further lots will be added and an up-to-date catalogue will be available on the night. Memory Walks – look out for these starting again from June to the end of September 2016 – the programme can be viewed at www.activenorfolk.org/north-norfolk on the North Norfolk page.