Recently, The Times has been describing the Ramblers as ‘the walkers’ organisation’. Not surprising given the range of work we do: last year we led 45,000 walks, saved 700 paths from closure or unwelcome changes, created more than 1,400 walks on Ramblers Routes, and launched our website as the online home for walking in Britain. Our annual meeting, General Council, in April, was a chance for our members to check on the work that our Trustees have been doing to lead the organisation in the last year.
It’s also a time to celebrate what we have achieved, swap expertise and meet old and new friends. But for everyone who wasn’t able to attend General Council, there are lots of ways to catch up on all that we’ve been doing together. Five minutes will give you time to watch our inspiring short videos on everything we have achieved in the last year. Ten minutes will let you skip through our Impact Report giving more information and a breakdown of our finances. And half an hour will allow you to read our annual report. Check out www.ramblers.org.uk/gc2013report.
This transparency is one way of ensuring we thrive and our governance is strong. You can now find out what’s happening at the Board by looking at the minutes of the meetings – visit our website soon after each meeting (search for ‘Board minutes’). So take a look. Because whatever kind of walking you enjoy doing, and whether you’re passionate about protecting our open countryside or your local footpaths, it’s your Ramblers and together we work for all walkers.
Benedict is chief executive of Ramblers – you can follow him on Twitter at @BenedictSouthwo.