Our next AGM will be held at 2pm at Scholes Cricket Club on 7th November 2026. It will be preceeded by an 8 mile walk starting at 10.30 from the Cricket Club. All Leeds Ramblers members are invited and encouraged to attend both the walk and the meeting
Agenda
- Attendees
- Apologies
- Chair
- Minutes of the AGM 2024
- Matters Arising
- Walks – long & short
- Walk leaders and training
- First Aid & CPR sessions
- Area
- Footpath maintenance
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Membership
- Walks Coordinator
- Footpaths Officer
11. Election of Officers
Chair Report
Well now, it’s hard to believe three years have passed since I was kindly nominated to become Chair! So many things have happened in that time both within our Ramblers family and our own personal lives…… new friendships and relationships, births, marriages and sadly the passing of our dear loved ones and friends. Throughout all of this our Ramblers group remains a stalwart of support and friendship of which I am grateful and happy to belong. However, time rolls on at quite a pace and now is right for me to pass the baton to someone else.
Before the business - just a brief note about Area which moved into a new era this year. As mentioned at the last Area AGM Steve Rawlings stepped down and our own Helen Wood stepped up as Area Chair! She has spent the year getting to know the groups within the region and joining walks across the group. Her biggest concern, as with all committees, is getting folks to volunteer for the positions within the Area Committee. There are a number going begging! If you feel you can join Helen on her journey as Chair please let her know. Please also try to make time to attend the next Area AGM which will be held in Leeds towards the end of January 2027.
It's been another busy year for Leeds Group. Amidst what has been a pretty spectacular summer with wall-to-wall sunshine we continue to have good attendance for both the Wednesday and Saturday walks and regularly have new members for both days. Once again I thank our walk leaders for giving their time to recce and lead walks.
It’s also been another eventful year for group trips both in sunny Blighty and abroad with Jane organising a few days in Coniston over the May bank holiday and Gerry and Garry organising a further week walking along the Wolds Way. Gerry and Garry went on to arrange a walking holiday for a group of intrepid Rambler travellers in Chamonix. Pretty tough walks but spectacular photos. A lovely time had by all on all trips!
Amidst all of this we have our individual travellers who regularly post their lovely pics and messages from far and wide on the WhatsApp chat group keeping us entertained. Some of our Ramblers regularly join the Coach Rambles organised by Sally Grady – always a good day out! Another highlight of our year - we were honoured to have the Ramblers President, Amar Latif join us on Peter’s Fountain’s Abbey walk recently in September.
Whilst in Chamonix Gerry (The Elder) was singled out and given the title ‘Veteran’. It had its monetary benefits!! He now proudly sports a Veteran Rambler badge on his rucksack! That aside, Gerry celebrates his 20th year in Leeds Ramblers, with much of that time as a walk leader. He has the capacity to remember walks, places and faces that a computer would envy!! He is an amazing example that age isn’t a restriction to getting out there and doing it …… in a manner of speaking!! We thank him for his leadership, kindness, fun and support.
We had a second very successful First Aid Day, delivered by Mark who is happy to provide further one day sessions, specifically tailored for our needs. As all those who wanted to take the course have now done so it may be beneficial to consider offering the course to other groups and charge for it. Unfortunately I didn’t feel the second CPR session we had (from WYA) was very good this time. So again, it may be more apt to ask Mark to do the full first aid and always include CPR training.
Just briefly back to the walks ……
We are noted for being a ‘fast paced’ group and indeed comments have been made from newcomers and other group ‘visitors’ on both the Saturday and Wednesday walks. One guy who regularly walks with other groups told me at the end of a Wednesday walk that it was ‘quite a speed’. He hasn’t returned. Whilst we can bound along with our usual core cohort it’s important that walk leaders are mindful of ensuring we account for all abilities. We want to keep our newcomers …..
Whilst we have a pretty good number of walk leaders, we could always do with more! If you feel you could lead walks now and then please let us know and sign up!
And now finally - AGM business ……
Firstly I thank the Committee that has remained constant throughout my tenure and has been a privilege to Chair. Our only loss was when Bill stepped down earlier this year for personal reasons. I thank Bill for his valuable input and many amusing anecdotes! The Committee has worked well together (far more amicable than other committees I’ve served on!!) so things get done.
A few personal thanks ….
To Julie who has been a fastidious Treasurer. She will say she hasn’t really done anything – but she’s kept all finances in order and ship shape.
To Lee who has been our Footpaths Officer – for ever! He has a wealth of knowledge and works tirelessly with other bods and organisations to help maintain our pathways, rights of way and keeps us informed. Thank you Lee, it’s been a pleasure!
To Garry for networking, taking notes and doing minutes, Helen for being walks co-ordinator, and to Peter, Anne, Kay (and Bill!) for their input as Committee members whilst I’ve been Chair.
Special thanks however go to Peter, who has been my mentor and sounding board throughout! He knows everything and even though he said he was stepping down last year he still sweeps up when others can’t do or don’t have time to do certain tasks!! I don’t think I could have done it without him.
All officers on the Committee are elected annually at the AGM and the current Committee is:
Chair – Aileen – stepping down at this AGM
Treasurer – Julie – stepping down at this AGM
Secretary – Garry – has mooted he is stepping down from this role but will remain on the Committee as a member.
Walks Co-ordinator – Helen
Footpaths Officer – Lee …… stuck record thing – he needs an assistant!
We have four Committee members: Peter, Helen, Anne and Kay – Peter, Helen and Anne will remain on the Committee. Kay is stepping down at this AGM.
There are three posts that have in essence remained vacant throughout my tenure:
Website Manager, Membership Manager, Countryside Officer.
So …… that leaves a few definitive posts to be filled:
Chair, Treasurer (potentially Secretary) and Committee member (though there is no particular limit on Committee member numbers!)
Once again, please think about how you may be able to help and give some of your time to fill any of the above positions. They are not onerous tasks.
Signing off for the last time. Thank you all for your support and here’s to yet another year of walks, weather and waffle!!
Aileen Bussooa, Chair, Leeds Ramblers. AGM 2026
Footpath Officer report
This summary covers the period between November 2025 and mid-October 2026, but I had to
suspend Ramblers work during October to December 2025.
All Leeds Planning Applications which are Major applications or where a Public Right of Way or a
Claimed path runs on or close to the site are sent to me as a consultee. If the sites are in the NW or
NE areas of the district I send them on to the officers for the Lower Wharfedale and (former)
Wetherby Groups respectively. I then read the remaining applications to see if action such as a visit
or a comment is needed. Many cases require no further action and these are not listed here.
For those cases where I send a comment, it is shown immediately on Public Access. (Comments
from members of the public are now hidden from view and the site shows only the proportions of Support/Objection comments
Activity Number of cases
Planning applications involving responses 26
Site visits 16
Traffic Regulation Orders (temporary closures) 2
Planning applications North Yorkshire 2
Path problems reported outside Leeds encountered in my own 17
walking
Path problems reported to me by public 4
Visits to Leeds paths to check on their state 7
Path problems encountered by me in Leeds 2
Correspondence with DfT, WYCA Mass Transit, Ordnance
Survey, North Yorkshire Council, Leeds Local Plan, other
Group/Area FP officers etc 10
FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR YEAR ENDED 30 SEPTEMBER 2026
Balance at 01/10/2025 £554.88 cr
Add Basic allowance from Ramblers Association £655.50 cr
from RWH Travel £150 cr
Less AGM expenses £ 281.70 dr
Balance at 30/09/2026 £ 1,078.68cr
Draft Minutes of Annual General MeetingHeld on Saturday 1st November 2025 at 2.00 pmScholes Cricket Club
Present Aileen Bussooa(Chair), Julie Waddington (Treasurer), Helen Wood (Walks Coordinator), Garry Hall (Secretary) Peter Sweeney, William Gale (Committee Members), Gerry Taylor, Christopher Tye, Sue White, Karen Lawson, Diane Scott-Dickinson, Adele Christian, Christine Szewiola, Alyson Wort, Gerry Tierney, Jane Ashley, Andrew Gullett, Victoria Russell, Eleanor Gleed, Meya Corcoran, David Milner.
2. Apologies Anne Forbes, Kay Cooper, Lee Davidson, Sue Richmond-Sterry, Caroline Harvey, Sarah Barnes
.3. Chairman’s Opening Address (AB) Welcomed everyone to the meeting. Thanked the committee. Asked whether everyone had read her report, she had emailed
4. The Draft Minutes of the Leeds Annual General Meeting 2024 were accepted as a true and accurate record, held 9th November 2024
5. Matters Arising
a) Walks – Long: We regularly have a good cohort of people coming out on our Saturday walks. Where there are 2 walks for the same day, it is better not to have both similar in length and grade.
b) Short: Please can we keep these Wednesday walks to 5 - 6 miles. We have a nice group of people coming out now. In addition, we willintroduce evening walks once a month during the summer months. A consensus felt either Monday or Thursday would be best.
c) Walk Leaders and Training: Most of our leaders have completed the Training program, which some were reluctant to do as we don’t like change, but is in fact very good and doable. If anyone wants to become a leader, please do the training program.
d) First Aid & Other Training: We had a really good session just for walk leaders in September given by Mark (a qualified mountain rescue first aid trainer). A suggestion we could do a similar course next year and perhaps invite members from other ramblers' groups.
e) Area: There is currently a H.O. consultation within the Area as to its viability. There is a shortage of people willing to become committee members. If anyone here wants to be a committee member, please shout out now. There is a suggestion by H.O. that all Areas are disbanded and replaced by Hubs. Part of the consultation is discussion of the ways to keep the benefits of Area such as communication between groups on such things like footpaths. Perhaps setting up a WhatsApp? Steve (Area Chair) wants to step down from his post at the AGM in January after completing his 12 months in office. He is disillusioned and fed up dealing with H.O.’s shilly shallying. So, Area is in bit of a pickle at the moment. Maybe things will become clearer after the AGM on 31st January.
On a more positive note, the Area website isverygood for finding walks on other days than offered by Leeds.
f) Footpaths Maintenance and Potential Funding: As ramblers, we are all pathways' officers. When out on walks we will find styles/gates in various states of disrepair. We can report them. There will obviously be a cost of repair which the local council may not be in a position to fund. However, we can apply to ‘'Wades’’ Charity if the offending problem is within the old Leeds post code areas. Many of our outer suburbs are not included. We need to have a plan for projects regarding these potential repairs. Then, when we’re out walking,simply take note of the problem and report back to the committee, who will then create a bundle of works together that need to be done. It was acknowledged; the committee has quite a task getting this underway.
6. Treasurer: I have not a lot to say really. We received a grant last week from Area. We have a healthy balance of £1200.00
7. Secretary: Nothing to report.
8. Membership: Although the number is still around 500, the actual figure is now at 497. The number of people on the mailing list is only 330, so there are 167 we are not in contact with.
9. Walks Coordinator: I put walks on every Wednesday, so if you submit a walk on or after Thursday and you want it registered before the following week, just send me a text message. I am grateful to all who put walks on
10. Footpaths Officer: Normally he would give us a detailed report of all the pathways etc.he has reviewed over the last 12 months, but unfortunately, Lee is not with us today as his wife died recently. He is very conscientious and puts a lot of time looking into keeping pathways and access open.
11. Election of Officers: Peter is finally stepping down from all his previous titles but will remain on the committee to support. Aileen expressed a desire to step down from her role as Chair but is willing to stay on for another 12 months if nobody else puts their name forward.Aileen B. (Chair) proposed Eleanor, seconded Sue WhiteGarry H. (Secretary) proposed Gerry Taylor, seconded DianeJulie W. (Treasurer) proposed Jane, seconded AlysonHelen W. (Walks Coordinator) proposed Gerry Tierney, seconded EleanorWilliam G. (new committee member) proposed Helen, seconded Sue White.
12. Any Other Business. As a big thank you to Peter for his 20 years of membership of Leeds Ramblers and his almost as many years serving on the committee in every post (at one point all of them) Aileen presented him with a ‘'retirement gift’'. Peter thanked Aileen and gave a short speech.The meeting was closed at 3.00 pm.