The Walks Programme is our major achievement where we have offered 255 walks and had 4,438 people out walking. Our two Wednesday long walks continue to be the mainstay of our programme. These were joined last year by a third, shorter more leisurely paced walk that has attracted a strong following. Thursday morning walks continue to be popular and we have increased our Sunday walks with a morning walk every week and an additional long walk every other week. Our Friday summer evening walks were not well attended this year and we plan to re-launch them as Friday evening pub walks next year. We also enjoyed a number of special walks such as on the IOW, a breakfast walk, a supper walk, Secret London and a number of walks ending with Christmas or New Year Lunches. We also hosted London Blind Ramblers in June.
Membership numbers are up six on this time last year. We attracted 49 new members during the year. We now have a member of Committee specifically tasked with New Member Liaison.
Our financial position remains strong.
Our Footpath Working Party had a busy year. We have donated and installed four kissing gates and three field gates this year as well as installing a further three gates funded by the landowner. Very special thanks must go to David H for his many years of dedication as number 2 to Jim. David has now passed the baton to John F. This is valuable work carried out in conjunction with SCC and it has been good to see a number of new faces joining the team this year.
The Area Footpath Secretaries (Ian, Jean and David H) continue to monitor activities in their parishes to make sure paths are kept open.
Our social programme has been a busy one yet again. The first event of the year was a very successful skittles evening held in October attended by 40 members. The next event was the New Year Lunch where 80 members enjoyed lunch with lots of chatter at the Frensham Ponds Hotel. In February we held a Quiz Night and in March a photographic evening. July saw us holding a BBQ at The Barley Mow, Tilford.
We had two holidays this year. The Spring Break in April was to the Mendips and gave us three days of wonderful walking.In September the Group Holiday was to the small seaside town of Baska Voda in Croatia with HF. Walking, in some instances, proved to be challenging.
The one-day coach walks continue to be popular. In June, we went to Wakehurst Place in Sussex and in mid-July to Syon Park, near Kew. Our third coach walk, a Hampshire Day Out, due to take place in August was postponed allowing members to attend the funeral of member Sue Edgington.
Next year we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the inaugural meeting of the Haslemere Ramblers Group. We are delighted that a founder member, Richard, is still active within our Group