LATEST COMMITTEE MINUTES

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE MINUTES – 3RD MARCH 2022

Group Finances

It was reported the Group’s finances are in a healthy and stable position  with a majority of its expenditure on printing and postage. The Group is aware of increased postage costs in the Spring.

Social Event 

Treasure Hunt – 14 July 2022

Venue start – Great Doddington Working Men’s Club

Tickets would be sold in advance for the buffet at £5 each with final numbers by 1st July.  There would be a £1 charge on the night for the treasure hunt

Walk Co-ordination

Chris Shaw (Chair) referred to duplication of walks on the programme with the same walk (or parts of walk included) being put on within days and also the same weekday by different leaders.  He asked the committee if there was a case for asking leaders to change their walk.  However, Chris emphasised he did not want to put off people leading walks.

John Mann (Programme Secretary) thought that although some leaders may be able to change a walk at short notice many leaders would not wish to consider this. Nina Fletcher (Social Secretary) said that different groups of people walked on different days and felt duplication wasn’t a problem.

The committee agreed that leaders should not be asked to change a walk. 

Walk Programme

Two new members had offered to lead walks and it had also been suggested that the Group ask Chester House Estate if we could put up a poster advertising Wellingborough Ramblers walks.

Chris Shaw has subsequently written to Jack Pishhorn, the Estate Business Manager regarding placing a poster(s) in the Visitor Centre advertising our walks.

Website

Our present Pages https://www.ramblers.org.uk/wellingborough contain details of Events and our Walking Programme. The Walking Programme is up to date and will, in future, be the point of information where Members will get details of our walks. It is vitally important that Members do know where to look to check for any alterations or new walks. It is vital, therefore, that any communications sent to Members, whether it be a Printed Walks Programme or Newsletter, contain the address of our Pages in a prominent position. www.ramblers.org.uk/wellingborough

Some feedback from Area Council Meeting in 16 February [Chris Shaw – Area Representative]

Chester Farm Footbridge.

Real progress looks like being made. Fabrication of the bridges will take up to 12 weeks to the end of May/beginning of June.  Site preparation and installation taking 9 weeks, then opening probably the first/second week in September!! 

A43 crossings: (south of M1 junction 15A Northampton and Towcester to M40). A site inspection with National Highways took place for potential crossing sites on 11th January. National Highways have set criteria for pedestrian crossings over major trunk roads – they are responsible - such as the A43 and would report back to the Northamptonshire Local Access Forum in the near future on their findings. This raises the question why can’t National Highways consider at the A45 with a footbridge opposite Chester Farm Estate nearer to home.

The Area AGM has been arranged for Sunday 20th November and will take place at Denton Village Hall, Denton. Chris said he had considered the village hall at Denton a better venue than the village hall in Irchester because it offered a greater choice for the morning walks.