The Ramblers is a charity with 115,000 members across Britain. We are a democratic membership organisation and all members can take an active role in determining Ramblers policy. We have thousands of volunteers who give their time to get involved in a wide range of work and activities in pursuit of our charitable aims as well as to run and support our structure of Areas and Groups across England, Scotland and Wales.
Groups – local
There are nearly 500 local Groups across Britain. When you join the Ramblers you are allocated to a local Group according to your postcode. Each Group is run by a voluntary committee which co-ordinates the work carried out by that Group. But it’s not all committee work. Groups deliver a programme of led walks, many run local campaigns and some do practical footpath work. Groups communicate with their Area by sending a delegate to Area Committee meetings. This ensures that Groups are represented at Area level and Areas are aware of the work being carried out by all the Groups in that region.
Areas – regional
There are over 50 Areas across Britain, broadly coinciding with a county or regional boundary. Areas are similar to Groups in that they too are managed by voluntary committees. However, the role of an Area is primarily to support and oversee the work being carried by the Groups in that region. Areas therefore have a wider perspective on the work of the Ramblers. They are also responsible for distributing funds to their Groups and ensuring that all activities are in line with the Rambler’s charitable aims. Areas also play a key role in communication as they are often the first point of contact for the Ramblers in a particular region – both for the numerous Groups within the Area as well as for outside organisations, Local Authorities, District Councils and Ramblers staff.
General Council and Board of Trustees – national
Ramblers policy is decided at General Council, the Ramblers annual conference. Areas send delegates to vote on the issues being debated, which in turn will shape the direction of the organisation for the forthcoming year. General Council is also where members are elected to the Board of Trustees. The trustees are responsible for ensuring that decisions made at General Council are implemented effectively.
It is this structure, Group – Area – General Council – Board of Trustees, that makes the Ramblers democratic and membership-driven throughout. Everyone actively involved in a Group, an Area, at General Council or right up to governance level on the Board of Trustees is a volunteer, giving their time to further the charitable aims of the Ramblers.
For more information take a look at a diagram of our structure.
