Doncaster Ramblers

Ramblers Association Doncaster Group

Minutes of Committee meeting held on 21st May 2018 at The Three Horse Shoes

Committee Members Present: David Gadd, David Horne, Bob Carlisle, Peter Rowsell, Dennis Neal, Tony Marsh and Martin Wyman.

 

  1. Apologies

Apologies received from: Tony Liversidge, Peter Gravestock , Marion Thompson, Dave Binnington and Jim Elvidge.

  1. Minutes of previous meeting 19th March.

Minutes confirmed as accurate BC/TM.

  1. Matters arising from those minutes.

None.

  1. Walking Festival.

BC said we had done our job, but was concerned about leaflet distribution. He had found no leaflets at the Dome and placed some there. So far the booked walks have attracted between 5 and 8 people. We are hopeful of late bookings, particularly if we get a page in the Free Press. PR had placed leaflets at the train and bus stations and the Outlet.

  1. GDPR.

As Area Membership Secretary DG has been involved in producing guidance, and has emailed CO with questions. DG has set up MailChimp for all 122 members with email addresses, so can contact them. MW added that CO were running a ‘re-consenting’ exercise for all members. DG thought that there was little to worry about.

MW asked if Committee members were happy for their names to appear on the Minutes, all present agreed. (Would those not able to attend let MW know if they have any objections).

  1. Wednesday evening walks.

Mick Green has offered to organise Wednesday evening walks for the 2019 Summer programme. TM said he had 7 or 8 walks in the next Get Doncaster Walking Programme, were we in danger of taking too much on?

(BC added that he had talked to Dean Wiffen about GDW and there would be no leaflets. Emma Wilson has taken over, and she said they were getting no new people, everything will be online on the Get Doncaster Moving website.)

  1. Bawtry Sports and Recreation day.

DG asked if it was worthwhile for us to get involved, also with the Edlington Festival. The Committee voted no.

  1. Financial Report.

DH said that we could see from the figures that the SYNED funding had been received.

Due to the large number of Programmes printed he had just about enough money to pay the Fina Print bill, so we needed to be careful.

  1. Publicity Officer

PR said we were still getting articles in the Free Press, and he had met his contact at a meeting at Cast. Also we had an article on Maintenance in the last issue.

DN had asked a new HF member who was looking at Doncaster walking clubs whether she had considered Ramblers and she replied that she had heard bad reports about the pace etc. TM suggested we should push the Thursday walks; perhaps PR could do a piece for the Free Press. MW was asked about offers of leaders for the Thursday Interchange group; MW replied that he had made the offer, but he had received little interest. It appears that there are fewer Ramblers members than before, because they had no intention of walking with the main Ramblers (who travel by car) and saw no point in remaining members. DG asked if we should expand our Thursday walks programme. MW to put on the agenda for the next meeting.

PR said he had emailed BBC radio Sheffield and Trax FM, perhaps they would mention our Festival.

  1. Walks Programme Update.

OE has resigned as Walks Programme co-ordinator and Norman Lewis has offered to take on the role.

                                       

  1. Rights of Way Report

MW

There have been 85 paths reported so far this year.

I attended the PROW Forum on 29th March.

  • Wadworth 1, the paths that goes due west from Wadworth through Wadworth Wood has been closed by DMBC for 6 months as it has become dangerous to use.
  • You may have noticed that the bridge by the prison has not been built. Quotes for the work were too high and money is no longer available. Julie Guest said that the bridge engineer was still hoping for a solution, but with no further information. John Harker, who was chairing the meeting said that lack of funds was not a valid excuse and DMBC could be taken to court if so wished.
  • Network Rail attended again to discuss the Penny’s diversion, and mentioned to me that they wished to consider diversions at Adwick and Hampole, suggesting a site visit.

I contacted Darren Robinson, the LCM for Doncaster, and we met at Adwick on 16th April. The footpath Adwick 8 is one of my problem paths, it is not waymarked and is impossible to follow unless you know it. Both myself and Ian McQuade (part in his square) have been reporting the path as unsatisfactory for the last 5 years, but little happens. Julie responds that the path does not follow the correct line and they are discussing a diversion with the landowner.

The crossing can be used safely if you look at the signal, but northwards there is a curve in the line after Adwick station. Darren timed an Intercity Express from its appearance round the bend to the crossing at 10 seconds, and said that if it had been 8 seconds or less he could close the crossing on safety grounds. With your agreement I intend to support a diversion where the path is accessed to the east of the railway, on the grounds that this will allow more people to enjoy the walk across the fields to Bentley, which is quite pleasant and joins the TPT via Bentley 1.

In addition, I am meeting Darren again with his manager at Hampole with Phil Overton on June 8th. In the past discussions with Network Rail have not led to any action, but they seem much more engaged this time.

TM

Since our last meeting on March 19th our team of volunteers have been in action only once on March 28th, carrying out repairs to a bridge and doing clearance work on Airey Lane at Thorpe in Balne. The planned April date had to be cancelled because Stuart Horrocks was unavailable and consequently we had no transport.

Our next session is scheduled for Wednesday 23rd May at Blaxton where we have to remove two stiles and replace them with kissing gates to create easier access. We will have 8/9 volunteers involved in this one.

  1. Social Report

DN said that to hold the AGM at the Ukraine Club would cost £75-£100 – was it worth spending that amount of money. DG mentioned that some years ago an AGM was held at Potteric Carr, in the afternoon and includuing a walk.TM suggested combining the AGM with a Tuesday walk where large numbers could be expected. MW thought the AGM shouldn’t be associated with just one of our walking days.

DG said that perhaps we should just hold an AGM with no food or entertainment. This was agreed, DN will investigate venues. Set for Thursday October 25th.

13 . AOB.

- TL/PR/DG attended a meeting on Carers walks. Money is available to support this activity and Ramblers’ responsibility is just to put on the walk. We have provisionally agreed to put on a short walk, perhaps based on ending at Cusworth Hall on 11th July, and a longer 3-4 mile walk, perhaps at Chatsworth, in September.

- MW added that a CEO newsletter had said that some funding had been obtained to Walking for Health, and core functions would be provided. MW emailed the contact name to ask if longer walks of 3 to 5 miles would be supported; CO responded that they would soon be running a consultation exercise. DG said that DMBC, in discussions concerning the Get Doncaster Moving strategy, did not think Ramblers had a role to play in assisting health walks.

- DH had received an email from RWH – now Ramblers Walking Holidays – that our Programme advert would need changing. We have also been asked to change the website.

- TM said that following discussions above we should all take a look at the Get Doncaster Moving website.

Meeting closed 21:03