The challenge we face in the GB Ramblers’ Association is to recruit younger and ethnic committee volunteers at local and national level. Once a youthful campaigning group when it grew fast between the 1930s and 1960s it is now almost wholly managed by retired and often quite elderly national trustees and local committee members. Though our constitution aspires to non-discrimination and a large number of volunteers are indeed women, our volunteer profile is almost entirely white middle- class. The association has historically been closely association with the socialist wing of the Labour Party and many of its trustees and members are members of the party. However, in many rural areas the members are non party political, so the association can seem quite different in political terms at national and local level.

The GB Ramblers’ Association has around 50 area branches, based mainly on counties, with around 500 local groups within these areas. For the past ten years younger members have been able to join new age based groups, namely the ‘Hike’ or 20s & 30s and more recently the 40s groups, whose members are mainly based in urban areas. This has quickly widened the existing generation gap within the association as the younger members do not feel as drawn to the traditional town and rural based groups as to those in their own age and demographic groups.

Many local committees are now facing closure as there are fewer with the necessary skills to replace the long serving chairs, secretaries, treasurers, membership, publicity and other important officer posts. The explanation for this dire state of affairs is that younger members are too busy to do committee and practical work, so there is still a tendency to rely upon retired members, whom tend to share conventional outlooks on management. This can make it hard for new members who do try to get involved to introduce new ideas. Group and area websites which do exist are limited and poorly managed and around 50% of groups do not have websites. Only 55% of local membership officers have published email addresses on the national website and many cannot be contacted by phone. Although areas had the option to employ part-time staff, this option was removed by the national trustees in 2008. Management is becoming more centralised at the London offices, where further cutbacks and rationalisations are due.

The main question I feel should be addressed is whether the separate age based groups should be closed down in order to create a better mix of young and older members, and to break down class and racial barriers? Or, should these internal problems be permitted to lead to the total breakdown of local branches and, thereby to the collapse of the national structure. In other words, if an organisation has failed to renew itself due to administrative problems, whether natural or due to long-term mismanagement, and the point of no return has been passed, should it wind itself up to give new or existing organisations to take up its public benefit purposes? These purposes are to improve access to the countryside, to protect the natural environment and to encourage walking for health.