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Our annual general meeting is commonly referred to as General Council.
Each Ramblers Area, and each national organisation affiliated to us, is entitled to appoint members of General Council. Whilst our Groups and individual members are not directly represented, they can influence the policy of the Ramblers via their Area's Council members. Trustees, our president, vice presidents and members of the Motions Review Committee are also members of General Council.
General Council elects the board of trustees which runs the organisation on behalf of members and for the public benefit. Council considers the annual report and accounts and provides guidance on policy by debating policy motions. It also approves changes to our constitution.
Ramblers is a company limited by guarantee, and General Council is the body of people who are defined as company members for Companies Act and other legal purposes. Members of General Council are entitled to attend the annual general meeting, but remain company members at other times.
The 2020 General Council annual general meeting will take place on 4 and 5 April 2020 in Bristol.
The venue
The Bristol Marriott Hotel City Centre is, as the name suggests, situated in Bristol city centre, minutes from Castle Park and the shopping quarter. The meeting, dinner and accommodation will all be under the same roof.
The hotel is a 10-15 minute walk from Temple Meads station. Car parking is available at the adjacent NCP Broadmead. If you are arriving by car, please try to share cars to save money and reduce the environmental impact. Please note that it is not possible to book parking with the hotel but you can pre-book via the NCP website.
The meeting registration desk and information point will open at noon on Saturday and on Sunday morning. Staff and Avon Area volunteers will be on hand to help with any queries.
Left luggage facilities will be available in the hotel.
Meeting programme
Full meeting papers will be published here, circulated via email and posted (if requested at the time of booking) by 6 March. You can see the outline programme which includes the main sessions, walks and times.
Accommodation
All bedrooms are ensuite and provided on a single occupancy basis. Twin and double rooms may be available, subject to availability. If you would like to share a twin or double room, you can indicate this on the booking form. Rooms will be allocated at a group check-in which will take place on Saturday afternoon. Left luggage facilities will be available for those who wish to go on the Saturday lunchtime walk.
NB Accommodation is provided on Saturday night only. If you wish to arrive earlier or stay later, there are many accommodation options in and around Bristol. If you would like to stay an extra night in the Bristol Marriott Hotel City Centre, this can be booked online or directly with the hotel. NB The hotel will not have details of individual GC attendees until closer to the meeting.
Catering
We will be providing:
Fees and expenses
Fees for Council members (Area representatives, president, vice-presidents, trustees and motions review committee members) are covered by the Ramblers centrally. Affiliated national organisation Council members and Area visitors are required to pay a fee of £200, payable when registering, which includes accommodation and all catering including the conference dinner.
Reasonable travel expenses may be claimed by Council members using the form available at the meeting and on the General Council website after the meeting. Area visitors should agree and claim expenses directly from the Area committee.
Registration for General Council now open
Please register individually to ensure that your personal details and preferences are recorded. The deadline for registration is 22 February. Please note that we cannot accept registrations after this deadline. It would be appreciated if you could register as early as possible as this really helps the staff team plan for catering and accommodation.
For further information about General Council, please email Simon Kellas (simon.kellas@ramblers.org.uk).
We look forward to seeing you in Bristol!
Dates and deadlines
Nomination forms and information
Motions