Committee meeting

Monday 13 Jul 26 ECR Committee Meeting 13th July 2026

Meeting at 13:00

Location Macclesfield Tennis Club

Agenda

EAST CHESHIRE RAMBLERS COMMITTEE MEETING

13^th July 2026 at 1.00pm

Macclesfield Tennis Club, Learning Zone Campus

Park Lane

Macclesfield SK11 8LF

Meeting called by Maggie Swindells


Attendees	Maggie Swindells	Chair Chair
	Margaret Kemble	Treasurer
	Steve Hull	Secretary
	Anne Ball	Membership Secretary
	Jennefer Mellor	Social Media Secretary
	Louise Whitaker	Footpath Secretary
	Gina Thompson	Social Secretary
	Jeremy Barnett	Committee Member
	Melanie Davy	Committee Member
	Richard Higham	Committee Member
	Terry Pritchard	Committee Member

1.	Apologies and welcome
2.	Minutes of Last Meeting
3.	Matters Arising from the last meeting
4.	Walk Programme
5.	Reports from Officers
5.1	Chair
5.2	Treasurer Report
5.3	Footpath Secretary Report
5.4	Membership Secretary Report
5.5	Social Secretary Report
5.6	Social Media Report
6.	Succession Planning and committee membership 2026/7
7.	Website
10.	AOB
11.	Future Meeting Dates - 28^th September 2026. Walk Coordinators Meeting TBC AGM 28^th November

To be followed by a demonstration and discussion of the latest website.

Reports

Contents

Report 1 Chair. 2

Report 2 Treasurer. 7

Report 3 Footpath Secretary. 8

Report 4 Membership. 9

Report 5 Social Secretary. 11

Report 6 Social Media. 13

Report 1 Chair

prepared by Maggie Swindells

WEBSITE

Major improvements have been made to the new ECR website. ECR has benefitted enormously from Richard Hyman’s expertise, and creativity and the new site looks excellent. Thanks also go to the small group of volunteers who have tested and re tested some of the new features.

New Features

The menu bar has been reduced – it’s worth clicking all the high-level menu links to see what lies below them.
You’ll find committee reports and information in the home menu
The Walks menu now contains everything related to walks; walk leader information, maps, how to list walks, Collections of Walks etc.
The Photo Gallery displays a month by month collection of current photos and we have added Photos of the Past which capture memories of past times.
Social Events and Training has been renamed as ‘Diary Dates’ – clicking the link in the list will provide you with more details.
Latest posts appear on the right of the home page
The site spreads to two pages and it’s worth visiting both
The Walks Information provides everything we had before, but in more detail
To see walks listed beyond the published list click the more walks button at the bottom
There is an archive menu where you’ll find information about past walks, news, walk reports
The Footpath menu is work in progress but will be added to over time
We have also added a help button at the top of the page

WALKS MANAGER AND SOCIAL EVENTS

ECR Walk Leaders have been amazing! Most have successfully switched to listing walks on Walks Manager. The process has gone well with very few problems. Thanks to all those Walk Leaders who have listed walks so far. We have decided to switch to an ‘inhouse’ system for advertising social events and training rather than using the event system in Walks Manager. This should ensure ECR members get to hear about social events first. We are currently working on a booking system which will enable members to book online. When we have more information, we let members know how to access it.

WALK LEADERS

We are still extremely grateful to all our volunteer Walk Leaders, some of whom offer walks in more than one programme. Without them we couldn’t run our extensive programme of walks. As always, we are keen to encourage more members to volunteer for this important role. If you would like to discuss this opportunity in person, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me chair@ramblerseastcheshire.org.uk. We will provide you with lots of support and training.

RAMBLERS ACCOUNT INFORMATION

It is well worth ensuring that your Ramblers Account Information is kept up to date. To do this sign in to Ramblers https://www.ramblers.org.uk/ using your username (usually your email address) and the password you used for your Ramblers account. On the home page scroll down to ‘My Details’ and check everything is correct. Ensure you click save at the bottom. This is important as ECR receives your contact information from Ramblers and, as a result, we can email you updates and social event information.

REPORT FROM GENERAL COUNCIL

The Board began by outlining significant achievement in 2025.

223 more miles of footpaths opened in 2025
All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Outdoor Recreation and Access to Nature set up in Parliament following Ramblers lobbying.
Discounted First Aid courses provided for walk leaders
The ‘Out There’ Awards, established to help young people learn outdoor skills such as map reading and navigation, were introduced to give them confidence in accessing the outdoors. If young people complete the course they get a year’s free Ramblers membership
16000+ wellbeing walks operated
'Walks for Women' set up in Wales
735 applications for 'Don't Lose your Way' from Ramblers
Improved Financial Performance

Total Income 23/24 £13.2m versus £12.2m in 23/24

Operating Surplus £0.85m

Postcode Lottery maintained but represents a lower proportion of total income, thus improving financial resilience.

The main item on the agenda was a discussion, and vote, on the proposed new Governance model motion. The basic principles were outlined prior to the open discussion (you will already be aware of this but for completeness, key elements below).

Trustee Elections - all members of 1 year+ will have a vote increasing the number of votes from 150 to 90,000. This is considered to have addressed the desire to increase democracy in appointing trustees.
Reduce the number of trustees to 12, with 6 being appointed by membership
General Council to be abolished
More inclusive discussion with 6 Regional Forums, 1 in Scotland, 1 in Wales, and 4 in England
AGM to address business issues only
GB wide forum from time to time
No changes to Area and Group structure (each area and group to be represented at the Regional forums)

There then followed a discussion, the key elements were as follows:

Several speakers were against abolishing General Council meetings. The response being that at this year’s General Council, only 59 areas were represented out of a possible 120.
Several speakers were against members electing only 6 trustees. The response being that the board need to retain the capacity to appoint a certain number of trustees to maintain a balanced skill set within the trustees.

Most other elements were supported by speakers

Several members suggested we should be voting on individual elements of the proposal as there was agreement on the general direction, but there remained opposition to certain elements. Unfortunately, some individual speakers felt so strongly about the areas of disagreement, they stated they were prepared to vote against the motion.

There followed a vote on the motion (75% required for adoption). Unfortunately, only 72% supported the motion (ECR and Congleton, who represents Cheshire East Area voted for the motion). Therefore, the motion was defeated. Our impression was that the board and trustees were shocked and somewhat annoyed by this outcome and no comment was made about further work. We assumed the work over the last 2 years will be confined to the annals of history and we would continue as we are. There has since been an update see below at the end of the report.

Other Motions

Motion to remove Group 96 from the Membership Application Form (this allows members to join without affiliation to a group). Research shows lower retention of members who opt for this option. Plus, Group 96 members don't get walk details. Motion passed.
Motion to modify guidance on walk leader to walker ratio. Motion failed to pass.
Motion to produce guidance on occurrences of harassment on walks. Motion passed.

Next steps for Cheshire East Area

The Chairs of the three Cheshire East (CE) Groups will meet with the CE Secretary on the 20^thof July.

UPDATE FROM RAMBLERS BOARD OF TRUSTEES

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, thank you to those members who attended the General Council Annual General Meeting on 25 April. The was a lively engagement and debate on the governance proposals. As you know, most members who voted supported the proposals, with 72.5% voting in favour. However, this fell short of the 75% threshold required for constitutional change.

The trustees continue to believe that change along the lines proposed would strengthen the Ramblers and help ensure that the charity remains fit for the future. It is clear from the vote that many of you also support change. However, it is also clear that there remain concerns about the proposals. We want to better understand those concerns and reflect on them carefully before deciding next steps.

As a reminder, the areas that we have considered together during the governance review have focused on how to achieve the following:

A more democratic and accessible system for electing trustees 
General Council asked the Board to “find a more democratic voting system for trustees”.
A stronger and more effective Board
We agreed that the Ramblers needs a strong and effective Board. The Board should align with current best practice in terms of size and composition, with the skills, knowledge, background and experience to guide the organisation and support its strategic ambition and charitable objectives.
Better, more meaningful member engagement
You told us you want:

more open, inclusive spaces for discussion
opportunities for meaningful two-way engagement between members and the Board
more accessible formats for debate than the previous formal processes.

A simpler, clearer governance model
Feedback during the consultation process showed you supported the need to simplify existing arrangements, clarify responsibilities and reduce unnecessary complexity, so members can easily understand how decisions are made.

With these aims in mind, and in line with our continued approach of fully engaging with members on the review and resulting proposals, we would like to ask you a few questions to better understand your views. In addition to seeking your view on how you think we should proceed, we are especially keen to hear which elements of the proposals you supported, which raise concerns, and what changes you feel would be needed for them to be workable or acceptable.

The survey is intended for General Council members, reflecting their direct involvement in decision-making on the proposals as the charity’s legal voting (company) members. However, we are sharing this update with Area officers acknowledging the important role you have played in engagement and consultation throughout the governance review.

The Board will consider the responses and come back to you with an update on what, if any, next steps may be appropriate.

Thank you, as ever, for taking the time to share your views and support the Ramblers’ work.”

Lucy Robinson

Chair, Board of Trustees

MEETING WITH BRIAN HOLMES

I met with Brian Holmes, Vice Chair of North and Mid Cheshire Area, on Monday 6^th July. Brian requested the meeting as a follow up to the one he called last September. He shared several points; footpath work, Walk Leaders, Training, and Governance. We agreed that an opportunity to meet with the Chairs of Cheshire East, perhaps every six months, would be a useful way to share good practice. I’m meeting the Cheshire East Chairs on the 20^{th of} July and I will discuss this proposal with them.

TRAINING PROGRAMME FLYER 2026 – DATES AND TIMES BELOW

ORDNANCE SURVEY APP TRAINING FOR SMART PHONES AND DEVICES

A practical session designed to help walkers use and apply the features of OS Maps App.

ECR WALK LEADERSHIP ‘Thank You’ DAY

A day to celebrate the contribution ECR Walk Leaders make to our walk programme. As well as lunch and plenty of cake we will be introducing Walks Manager, a new way of posting walks and adding walk details. We will provide an opportunity for Walk Leaders to come together to share their expertise and experience. More information to follow.

Thanks to everyone involved in running the training programme. It wouldn’t happen without you.

My thanks, as always, to all the committee for everything you do for ECRs.

Report 2 Treasurer

prepared by Margaret Kemble

Overview

The balance of the ECR Unity Bank A/c at 29 June 2026 was £7049.37 Cr.

We have received the 3rd quarterly budget payment from the RA of £325.00. Also, a commission payment of £60.00 from RA holidays.

Socials & Holidays

Since the last report, there have been 3 events

The 3 peaks weekend = £50.36 surplus

Llangollen coach trip = £38.65 surplus

Buxton walk = Nil

Report 3 Footpath Secretary

prepared by Louise Whittaker

[April to June 2026]

FP Committee	Tony Battilana is stepping down from the FP Inspection Co-ordinator role. Recruitment of replacement to commence. Tony is willing to support the new volunteer.
Parish Boundary Changes	This has created much work. FP Database is updated but continue to find little glitches. CEC have supplied e-files & maps are being printed at Peartree Printers in Whaley Bridge to be issued to those FP Inspectors affected by the changes. Some distribution has started.
Reduction in PROW Maintenance Officers	Only 2 PROW Maintenance Officers currently Peter Atkinson & Richard Ankers] – reduction from 4. Peter is covering all ECR parishes except for Marton & Eaton. CEC has stated ‘with reduced officers we will have to prioritise issue reports and react accordingly’. Good news – CEC are actively recruiting for 2 new officers.
A54 Crossing	Discussions continue with PROW to improve safety of Gritstone Trail crossing A54.
Meetings Attended	· FP Committee met with Peter Atkinson [PROW Maintenance Officer] 30^th April 26. Already Pete has resolved some issues discussed.
Adlington FP5	CEC invited Neil/Louise to meet in situ [22^nd June]. The diversion to Adlington FP 5 has been signed off but the path [in part] is impassable in wet weather. Solutions were discussed and CEC is costing them.

Report 4 Membership

prepared by Anne Ball

Membership Numbers

At 3 July 2026 we have 586 members and 25 affiliate members, a total of 611 on the ECR membership list. This is slightly down from 619 in April (620 in January).

Volunteer Numbers

We currently have 150 members who fill 223 volunteer roles with East Cheshire Ramblers. These include leading walks, compiling walk programmes, footpath inspection, footpath maintenance and website work.

Walk Leaders

At 2 March 2026, any Walk Leaders who had not completed the leadership requirements were removed from the register of Ramblers Walk Leaders. Only leaders who have completed the Walk Leader leadership requirements are covered by Ramblers insurance and are certified to lead Ramblers groups walks. Walk Coordinators are kept updated with any changes in the list of validated Walk Leaders and should only ask those on that list for offers of walks.

A Walk Leader training workshop was held on 11^th June. The session covered all the mandatory leader training modules and as a result we have four new qualified walk leaders. This brings the number of validated walk leaders to 106.

Walk Leader Names on Walks Programme

Walk Leaders are now posting their walks using Walks Manager, and this is generally going well. One difference between the Notice Board on the old site and the walk listings on the Walks Programme on our new website is that unless the leader ticks the relevant box in Walks Manager Contact Preferences for their name to be published, it won’t appear on the Walks Programme listing.

We are asking all Leaders, if they are happy to do so, to give this permission as walkers really appreciate being able to see who the leader is for each walk. The leader’s name will appear only as first name and first letter of second name (e.g. George S.). Leaders can also give permission for phone number and email if they wish. The phone number will then automatically be included in the Contact Details box in the leader’s future walk postings. Email addresses of leaders are not published, but if permission is given by a leader for email, walkers can contact the leader through a Contact Form.

ECR Stall at Rainow Church Fete

We have accepted an invitation to have a stall at this Rainow Church Fete on Saturday 11 July, where we hope to raise the profile of our Ramblers Group. ECR Volunteers will be on hand to talk with visitors and provide information about ECR, our upcoming walks and how people can join them.

Report 5 Social Secretary

prepared by Gina Thompson

Past Events

Since my last report we have had three successful events:

Three Peaks Weekend: 17-19 April organised by Richard Higham Based in Clapham, North

Yorkshire. Each of the three walking days was organised around a walk up one of the three peaks (Pen-y-Ghent, Ingleborough, Whernside). On the first two days there were separate long and medium walks and on the third day there were two medium walks split into 'fast' and 'slow' parties. Most people succeeded in climbing all three peaks. Evening meals were taken at the New Inn in Clapham and at a hotel in Settle. The weekend attracted over 30 members in total.

Curry Night at Potyo Wilmslow: 29th April organised by Andy Davies this was attended by 11 curry loving Ramblers. Many thanks to Andy for organising this regular event.

Coach trip to Llangollen: 9th May organised by Gina Thompson. A great day out attended by 46 Ramblers who took part in one of four walks which were led by Anne Ball (Long Walk) Ann Thompson (Medium Walk) Maggie Swindells (Short Walk) and Denise Hutchinson (Stroller Walk). Many thanks to you all for your efforts.

Coming Up

Manchester guided History Walk: 14th August organised by Benita Kassas.

This event has SOLD OUT.

Music & Quiz Night: 4th September at Macclesfield Tennis Club Starring Susan Mayes, who has a wide selection of popular songs that we can sing along to, plus a 70’s themed Quiz. Susan hosted this 18 months ago, it was a great evening so we thought we’d do it again!

OS Map App Training: 15th September at Macclesfield Tennis Club.

Coach Trip to Llanberis: 3rd October organised by Steve Hull, offering a range of 4 walks Long, Medium, Short, and Stroller.

Whitby Weekend Away: 16th-19th October organised by Ann Thompson offering a range of walks over three days.

PLEASE DO LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR THE SOCIAL CALENDAR. Contact me at mailto:gina.thompson@ramblerseastcheshire.org.uk

Report 6 Social Media

prepared by Jennie Mellor

For the period ending 5^th July 2026

Facebook stats show a slight decrease in performance from around 2^nd June.

Followers in the previous period was 1103 – a small increase to 1165 this quarter.

Minutes

Present
Maggie Swindells MS Chair
Steve Hull SH Secretary
Margaret Kemble MK Treasurer
Anne Ball AB Membership Secretary
Gina Thompson GT Social Secretary
Louise Whittaker LW Footpath Secretary
Jennefer Mellor JM Social Media
Terry Pritchard TP Committee Member

1. APOLOGIES
Melanie Davy (MD) Committee Member
Jeremy Barnett (JB) Committee Member
Richard Higham (RH) Committee Member
2 MINUTES OF LAST MEETING - approved
2.1 No comments received
3 MATTERS ARISING FROM LAST MEETING
3.1 (6.1) Roger Jubb has been added to the volunteer list as Footpath Maintenance Team Leader
3.2 (10.3) GT has explored various options for alternative meeting venues, but for various reasons there is nothing suitable at present. We have budget available to continue meetings at the Tennis Club, but doubts were raised as to whether we need the bar to be open for social events. GT and MK are to check the Tennis Club charges. Action GT/MK
4 WALK PROGRAMME
4.1 SH has circulated walk numbers for the first half of 2026. Most programmes show a small decline in the number of walkers, but the evening programme numbers are down significantly. TP and GT said that this might be because the pace was felt to be too fast, especially if the walks were led by long walkers. Further discussion of this issue was thought to be more appropriate to the forthcoming walk coordinators meeting. Action MD/SH
4.2 AB and SH were concerned about the days on which medium midweek walks were held and that it was becoming increasingly difficult to recruit leaders for all the slots. Again, it was felt more appropriate to discuss this issue at the walk coordinators meeting. MS felt that although there were some gaps in the weekend long walks programme these usually get filled later in the quarter.
JM said that both these issues had contributed to the late circulation of the consolidated walks programme for July to September. Action MD/SH
5 REPORTS FROM OFFICERS
5.1 Chair – Refer report
5.2 Treasurer - Refer Report
5.2.1 MK reported that there had been expenditure on printing new parish maps for footpath inspectors and for work associated with the new website.
5.2.2 MK said that there was £500 allocated in the budget that could only be spent on footpath work and that the envisaged work by Cheshire East council was not now going ahead. LW will let Roger Jubb know that this money is now available to be spent on footpath maintenance supplies or equipment. Action LW
5.2.3 MK said that we would ask for additional training budget for next year because there had been a slight overspend this year.
5.3 Footpath Secretary - Refer report
5.3.1 At the recent Rainow fete a Gawsworth Parish Councillor raised a number of footpath issues with the ECR members who attended the event. The committee discussed the possibility of contacting parish councils to explain the work that we do on footpath maintenance. LW stated that the Footpath Committee did not have the capacity to do so at this time. LW agreed to reply to the email from the Gawsworth Councillor in order to signpost the help available to him. Action MS/LW
5.3.2 LW emphasised that we had limited resources for footpath work and that we should concentrate on those things we did well and not get sidetracked into miscellaneous work.
5.4 Membership Secretary - Refer Report
5.4.1 AB reported that the stall at Rainow fete had been worth the effort and had produced a small number of enquiries from prospective new members. MK said that members could claim expenses for money spent on publicity materials such as ink and paper. Action MK/MS/AB
5.5 Social Secretary - Refer Report
5.5.1 After a brief discussion it was agreed that the mileage rate for car journeys should remain at 28p. The recent increase in rates circulated by Ramblers was only to the maximum rate that was allowed to be claimed against tax by HMRC. The committee agreed to review this annually.
5.6 Social Media - Refer Report
5.6.1 MS said that RH had suggested a subgroup be set up to discuss how social media should be handled. MS to email JM to agree a date and who the membership should be. Action MS
6 Succession Planning and committee membership 2026/7
6.1 All current committee members are willing to stand for re-election. JB is to stand for the new position of vice-chair.
6.2 LW said that the Footpath Committee is in need of new recruits. Preferably these would come from existing footpath inspectors. Tony Battilana is standing down from his current role, so a replacement is needed.
6.3 AB said that all members should think about who would succeed them when they stepped down. GT wondered about how younger people could be recruited to the committee. Action All
7 WEBSITE
7.1 The meeting was preceded by a demonstration of the new website by MS. The committee were impressed with the progress that had been made and noted their thanks to all concerned, especially the work undertaken by RH.
7.2 New features that are to be introduced include a booking system for events and a shared cloud storage for documents. This will be discussed at the next meeting.
8. AOB
8.1 The walk coordinators’ meeting date has had to be changed. MS and SH to circulate attendees with a list of alternative dates. Action MS/SH
8.2 There was discussion about a speaker for the AGM. It was felt that a demonstration of the new website would not be appropriate. MS and LW are to approach Cheshire East Council to ask if they could provide a speaker. Action MS/LW
8.3 There is to be a walk leaders’ event on 13th November. This may be an appropriate time to demonstrate the new website and re-emphasise the lessons learnt from our move to using Walks Manager. The programme for the meeting will be discussed at the next training committee meeting. Action MS/AB
8.4 LW and MS were concerned about the new training required for footpath maintenance teams by Ramblers head office. These were felt to be largely for insurance purposes. LW will outline her main concerns and MS will raise them with central office. Action LW/MS
9 MEETING DATES
9.1 The next meeting is scheduled for Monday 28th September.
Action GT