Vale of Belvoir Ramblers

Vale of Belvoir Ramblers AGM, 23rd November 2025

Agenda and Officers’ Reports

Elaine Hobson
27 The Banks
Bingham
NG13 8BT
appletrees.hobson@gmail.com
18/11/25

AGENDA

1. Apologies
2. Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting
3. Matters arising from the Minutes
4. Chairman’s Report, Angela

5. Secretary’s Report, Elaine
6. Treasurer’s Report, Scott
7. Membership Secretary’s Report, Barbara
8. Webmaster and Publicity Officer’s Report, Dave
9. Walk Co-ordinator’s Report, Gail
10. Footpath Officer’s Report, Paul
11. Ramblers and Nottinghamshire Area Ramblers – Dave
12. Election of Officers
13. AOB

2. Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting

These can be found here here.

4. Chair’s report - Angela

We’ve had another successful year, with a walk every Sunday, a series of evening strolls in the summer, a weekend away and several social events. The weather and ground conditions have been less challenging than last year but still very wet and muddy on occasions, necessitating some changes to walks. Nevertheless, the commitment of our walk leaders has meant we have had a full and varied walk programme. Many thanks to Gail and everyone involved in producing the programme and leading the walks.

We try to prepare three-month walk programmes well in advance but getting walk leaders is a continuing issue, as members often have other commitments and, increasingly, health issues. This is your group, and we’re dependent on our members to lead walks, so please do keep volunteering. If you haven’t led a walk before but would like to, the Committee will help you plan and recce it, so please ask us.

The Ramblers now require walk leaders to be qualified, either by having led 12 walks in the past 3 years or by completing their online training course. The course takes only a couple of hours and is easy to do; you can’t fail it. I encourage members to do this course. However, if you want to lead a walk before completing the course, you can do so as long as you do the walk with a qualified walk leader.

We’ve had a good programme of social events. Instead of a Christmas dinner we opted for a post-Christmas lunch at The Duck at Woolsthorpe which everyone enjoyed. In the summer, we had a picnic lunch with tea and cakes in Dave and Elaine’s garden, to which we invited some of our past members. At the end of July, we also had our popular and enjoyable annual skittles evening. Thanks to everyone who helped organise these events and to Dave and Elaine for hosting the picnic lunch.

There was a very enjoyable and fun weekend away, with 13 members staying at HF's Peverill of the Peak Hotel at Thorpe in the White Peak in Derbyshire and others using nearby accommodation. The area’s proximity to Nottingham facilitated recceing the six walks on offer and meant some members could just come for the day. Thanks to Scott for booking the hotel and everyone who helped organise the weekend and recce and lead the walks.

Our blog continues to be an invaluable and well-used resource, providing details of walks, which can be updated as needed to keep members informed of any changes. With the entertaining pictures and notes, it is also an excellent record of previous walks. Details of walks are also now given on the Ramblers website, which has attracted more visitors on our walks. Thanks to Paul for doing this, Dave Hobson for maintaining the blog and everyone who contributes to it.

There have been several changes to our Committee this year, with Scott elected as Treasurer at the last AGM, and a Secretary and Chair taking over during the year. Thank you to all the Committee members for their efforts over the last year, in particular to Elaine for taking over as Secretary at short notice when Brenda became ill. Thank you too to all group members who have assisted us in running the group.

Brenda is still in hospital but may be able to return home soon. Some of our regular and past walkers have also suffered various ailments and injuries. I send my best wishes to them all and hope they continue to enjoy going on walks.

I was voted into the role of Chair by the Committee when John Young stood down and am happy to put my name forward for election for the coming year.

5. Secretary’s Report - Elaine

I took over this role after last year’s AGM due to Brenda’s ill health. Brenda had been Secretary since 2011 and had carried out the role with great enthusiasm and attention to detail. We are very grateful for all her hard work and wish her well in future.

I would like to thank the VBR Committee for all their support and guidance in the past year at Committee meetings. We have organised several social events in the summer and run a full programme of Sunday walks and evening strolls in the summer and the annual Weekend Away.

We have booked the Bingham WI hut for Sunday December 21st for a Christmas social gathering after a 5-mile walk in the morning. As an alternative to the Christmas meal, we ask you to bring food to share followed by a quiz and raffle and the usual mulled wine (alcoholic or non alcoholic) and mince pies will be available in the warmth as an alternative to previous occasions.

The WI Hut will be open before we walk for food to be left. Note that there are parking restrictions in the main car park in Bingham so please use on-street parking. All members and guests are invited. Please come and support us. Any donations for the raffle will be very welcome.

If anyone would like to take over this role in future, I would be delighted to pass it on to them.

6. Treasurer’s Report – Scott

The Ramblers Organisation finance period runs from 1st October to 30th September.

At the end of September 2025 our Unity Bank account stood at £1092.30.

This was made up of:
£571 76 Main Funds
£632.08 Self Funds (of which £389 was to be paid out for mileage claims and refunds related to the HF holiday)
Note: Self Funds amount includes our HF shares (£111.54).

There were only two expenditures from the Main Fund in this finance period, both related to the November 2024 AGM (£68.94).

We receive funding from HQ every quarter into our Main Funds. In the 24/25 period this was four payments of £49.25. The 25/26 payments will £51.25 each quarter.

There has been more activity during October 2025 (including a number of mileage claims related to recces for our walks programme).

As at 15th November our account stands at £617.75 (of which £119.54 is Self Funds).

7. Membership Secretary’s Report - Barbara

Currently membership stands at 85. Recently 10 members have left the group either moving to another group, resigning or letting membership lapse.

There are 2 affiliated members.

8. Publicity Officer’s Report - Dave H

VBR presence on Ramblers’ website
We keep updated our content on the Ramblers’ website.
Paul now uploads our walks to this website and this has resulted in more members from other groups joining us.

VBR Website and blog
The website has been re-registered and is routinely kept updated.
Our primary method of communication is the blog which is updated weekly. In the event of very late, important changes, in particular to the advertised Walks Programme, communication is via email.
The blog comprises photos and routes of most of our 763 walks since 2014 and is a valuable database for planning future Walks Programmes. Thanks to our assistant photographers and track recorders, in particular, Steve, Rab and Paul.

The blog also contains information about Notts Area Ramblers three-monthly meetings which the Secretary and I attend.

Publicity
Whenever possible, the Group posts an abbreviated form of the Walks Programme (date, general location and distance) on local noticeboards.
Ramblers members from other Groups often contact me before a walk and are provided with information about our Group.

9. Walk Coordinator’s Report - Gail

We have had a successful year, providing a lead walk every Sunday plus evening strolls in June & July.

The Ramblers’ is now insisting that walk leaders are qualified. Fortunately we have a handful of people who have this qualification & can also supply support for a leader who is still training.

The last programme from October to December was filled very quickly & I can’t thank enough those members who give up considerable time throughout the year to help me complete the programme.

As I write this I’m working on the programme from January - March. Currently it is completely blank! Beware when I sidle up to you on a walk!

10. Footpath Secretary’s Report - Paul

1. On the NCC website, I log any Notts problems on paths that are reported to me. I can return to the website and check on the progress of any problems that I have reported. I also report issues encountered to other councils as required.

2. I publish all of our walks on the official Ramblers website. This has resulted, occasionally, in visitors from other groups joining us.

3. Neil Stafford, as Rushcliffe Coordinator occasionally asks me to comment on planning applications in the VBR part of Rushcliffe. I make appropriate responses.

4. I have recently decided to attend Notts Area Rights of Way Zoom meetings in order to be more aware of issues county-wide.

Solar Farms

These installations continue to be a local and national issue. Because of the old coal-fired power stations in our area, there is the infrastructure available for the easy plugging in of solar arrays. Apart from the proliferation of the smaller arrays of 50 megawatts which local councils decide upon, there are larger National Infrastructure arrays, decided upon at a national level, like to GNR Solar Park that will generate 800 megawatts. This will take vast tracts of land to the north of Kelham. The RoW committee drew up a response and submitted it.

Many paths will be altered as a result of this project. The visual impact for the villages will be considerable and there is concern about the use of relatively high grade land.

50 megawatt schemes in the Vale of Belvoir have gone to the planning inspectorate and approved. (Barkeston and Muston recently which are in the process of construction.)

11. Ramblers and Nottinghamshire Area Ramblers - Dave

1, Meetings at Notts Area Council have been reported on the blog at https://vbramblers.blogspot.com/p/news-from-ramblers-co-and-notts-area.html . In particular, the subjects of Walk Leader Recruitment and Training, Walk Statistics, and Reporting ROW problems have been discussed.

2. Earlier this year, Ramblers Board of Trustees initiated a review of the organisation’s governance - see below. This has been the subject of much debate and opposition as it would see the demise of the existing county-based organisations. VBR in particular have objected to the new structure as it would weaken our links via Notts Area with Ramblers at national level. The proposals have since been withdrawn but meetings with Notts Area representatives are planned for the new year to seek a way forward.

The Ramblers’ governance review proposes a new model to streamline structures, boost engagement, and modernise decision-making. Groups would become the primary organising units, with simplified constitutions, direct central funding, and core volunteer roles. Areas would evolve into flexible networks without formal governance, while Scotland and Wales retain national autonomy. The Board of Trustees would have up to 12 members through a mix of elections and skills-based appointments, with term limits. Annual regional/national gatherings would replace the motions process, fostering discussion and collaboration. All members of one year’s standing would gain voting rights, with trustee elections held online before a streamlined AGM.

Elaine's 9.7 mile walk explored the River Doe Lea/River Maun watershed on the Notts/Derbys border. It started at the end of the Rowthorne Trail and took us up through Rowthorne village and Ault Hucknall before entering Hardwick Park. We dropped down past a quarry to a series of fishponds on the River Doe Lea before stopping for drinks at the nearby cafe. After circumnavigating Miller's Pond and walking past Great Pond and Duck Decoy Pond, we climbed up past Hardwick Old Hall for lunch near the National Trust Visitor Centre which, unlike the Hall gardens, was open to walking and cycling non-members.

After lunch we dropped down past the Stone Masons' Workshop and through Lady Spencer's Wood to Norwood Lodge where Elaine and three others took a shortcut across to the the Rowthorne Trail. The remainers crossed fields to reach St Katherine's Church in the manorial village of Teversal (the fictional home of Lady Chatterley) for a short break. The route back then followed the Teversal Trail to regain the Rowthorne Trail and car park.

The start - seven VBR membes and two visitors

Rowthorne village

St John the Baptist Church in Alt Hucknall dates back to Saxon times

Entering Hardwick Park

Walks in Hardwick Park

Distant view west towards the Derbyshire hills (on a good day)

Quarry which supplied stone used in the construction of Hardwick Hall

Bridge near Miller's Pond

View of Hardwick Hall and Hardwick Old Hall across Great Pond

Sculpture next to Decoy Pond

Building next to Decoy Pond where nets were stored to catch unwary ducks

Approaching Hardwick Old Hall

Hardwick Hall (1597) - visited on the recce when we were allowed through the gate. Note Bess of Hardwick's initials, ES on the parapets

Hardwick Old Hall

National Trust Visitor Centre - lunch stop

Stone Mason's workshop - worth a visit when open to see how Hardwick Hall is being restored

St Katherine's Church, Teversall

Both the Rowthorne and Teversal Trails make use of the trackbeds of the disused railway lines which once served local coal mines like Teversal, Silverhill and Pleasley. Both were constructed on impressive embankments and through deep cuttings in the local Magnesian limestone bedrock