As part of our ongoing work to make the Ramblers more efficient and effective by easing some of the administrative and bureaucratic burdens of the local volunteer structure, we are currently developing a pilot to set up ‘easygroups’ within interested Areas.
These easygroups will be recognised within our membership system and the Group Walks Finder and will have members assigned to them, but will not have a formal committee or constitution, working instead under a written agreement with their Area to deliver certain types of activity, such as led walks of specific kinds (for example short and easy) or for specific audiences (for example younger walkers, families). Through the pilots we will develop an easygroups toolkit that we aim to make available across the Ramblers by Autumn 2011.
Easygroups are not intended as a replacement for our existing constituted Groups, particularly those who deliver a wide range of Ramblers activities including local campaigning and lobbying, but should work well alongside them. They are intended primarily as an option for existing Groups that are in danger of dissolution through failure to maintain a committee, and where there are keen volunteers who want to run specific activities like walks programmes but are put off by the formalities of setting up a Group. This is particularly important at a time when recruiting and retaining members is a major priority.
The easygroup proposals follow the ‘Liberating Led Walks’ consultation ran which ran from 22 February – 8 May 2011, inviting volunteers to respond to various proposals for making it easier to deliver varied programmes of led walks and other locally organised activities. Almost 70 responses were received, including 48 from individual volunteers, and more informal discussions took place at a workshop at General Council in April and elsewhere.
The consultation showed widespread support for many of the steps we are already taking within the existing structure for improving the way led walks are organised and promoted – including streamlining processes and procedures, encouraging flexibility in volunteer roles, and working towards better volunteer training and support and much enhanced use of the web and e-communications.
While there was little appetite for constitutional change, the consultation did underline the demand for more flexible and less bureaucratic groupings of members within the current structure such as sub-groups, especially those with a focused aim such as delivering specialist programmes. In practice this is happening on the ground in many areas, with sub-programmes and groupings that run without committees, but currently central office is unable to service these groupings nationally in an effective and coherent way. Defining a simple procedure for setting up easygroups will enable us to do this.
If you would like to participate in the easygroups pilots, or for any other information, please contact the Group Walks Development Officer, Gemma Petty, gemma.petty@ramblers.org.uk.
Read a summary of the consultation responses.
