Contents. Introduction 03. Section 1: Context 04. Section 2: Overall direction 09. Section 3: Strategic priorities 12

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1 Ramblers Business Plan Ramblers Business Plan Introduction

2 Contents Introduction 03 Section 1: Context 04 Ramblers: who we are and what we do 05 Achievements What were we aiming to achieve? 06 What did we achieve? 07 What wasn t completed? 08 Learning lessons 08 Section 2: Overall direction 09 Ramblers GB priorities Overarching Themes Renew and revitalise Delivery of mission Stabilise and grow Ramblers Scotland and Cymru 29 Section 4: Implementing the plan Ramblers Business Plan Contents

3 Introduction Welcome to Ramblers two-year business plan. The plan covers the period starting 1 October 2014 through to 30 September It outlines what Ramblers aims to achieve in the next two years. This plan is supported by two separate documents, in line with Ramblers devolution agreements: Ramblers Cymru/Y Cerddwyr business plan. Ramblers Scotland business plan. Our last business plan for was also devised as a two-year plan. Before this we produced new business plans every year. The reason for the change was to give more time for planning, action and delivery than a one year planning cycle allows. It has also provided us with a longer period over which to reflect on progress, achievements and lessons learned. Following an internal review of the impact of a two-year process, we have decided to continue with a two-year planning cycle. The purpose of the business plan is to set out how we will continue to deliver the charitable objectives of the organisation: a) To provide and protect footpaths. b) To protect and enhance the beauty of the countryside for the benefit of the public. c) To provide facilities for the organising of open-air recreational activities. d) To advance the education of the public in subjects relating to access, the preservation and conservation of the countryside, and the health benefits of outdoor recreational pursuits. 03 Ramblers Business Plan Introduction

4 Section 1: Context 04 Ramblers Business Plan Section 1: Context

5 Ramblers: who we are and what we do The Ramblers helps everyone, everywhere, enjoy walking and protects the places we all love to walk. We are the only charity dedicated to looking after paths and green spaces, leading walks, opening up new places to explore and encouraging everyone to get outside and discover how walking improves health and increases happiness. We are the leading voice on walking matters, nationally and locally. We protect, maintain and keep an expert eye on every single path you walk. Because of us, you can explore the wilds of the Scottish countryside, walk along the pioneering Welsh Coast Path and enjoy England s stunning national parks and trails. Whether you re taking your first steps or are a seasoned walker, we can provide the expert advice and support you need to get the most out of the walking and open spaces. From our vast range of group walks to our expertly developed Ramblers Routes, we offer thousands of ways to start and keep you walking. So if you love the great outdoors, enjoy the places you walk now and want to open up more of beautiful Britain, take an extra step and join us today. By becoming one of our members, joining our team of dedicated volunteers or supporting our work through campaigning or donating, together we can get everyone, everywhere walking. 05 Ramblers Business Plan Section 1: Context

6 Achievements What were we aiming to achieve? 1) Vision: to work with our members, supporters and others with outdoor recreational interests to develop a vision for Ramblers across Great Britain, which would increase awareness and respect amongst present and future supporters. 2) Mission: We will deliver all aspects of our charitable objectives, everywhere, through both supporting groups and integrating the different ways we deliver our mission, and by doing so increase our influence. 4) Supporters and volunteers: to develop ways of working that based on a participation and partnership to attract more people of all ages and backgrounds to support our work. 5) Communication: boost our ability to campaign by ensuring we have a strong IT and communications infrastructure that helps us to campaign proactively and reactively across Great Britain. 3) Stability: maintain stability and strength by engaging in activities that helped to secure membership numbers and promote growth at a time of external economic stress. 06 Ramblers Business Plan Section 1: Context

7 What did we achieve? More places to walk - We successfully campaigned to ensure continued funding for the England coastal path, which has resulted in a commitment by the Government for it to be completed by 2020 and include the Isle of Wight. Ramblers received a Great Outdoors Award for the best campaign of Guardians of the footpath network - we continued to safeguard paths, access land and green spaces with our volunteers working in every part of the country. We published two reports on the extent of local authority budget cuts to budgets across England and Wales. Together we have saved created or maintained 1,500 paths and advised and financially supported almost 30 pieces of casework. We ve lobbied parliamentarians to ensure bills and consultations work for walkers. Our volunteer path teams has donated one million pounds worth of their time to keeping our footpath network open and accessible. Walking for Health - after successful delivery to over 600 health walk schemes, we have extended our partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to at least Ramblers is now the key deliverer of walking for health walk schemes in England and Wales having secured an extension to Let s Walk Cymru as well. Our online presence - our new website launched in This allowed us to integrate our campaigning, microsites and social media presence, and gave members the ability to update their details online.»» Our website now features an integrated, searchable database of local walks, routes and groups. Hosted web pages provide a consistent web presence for all constituent areas and the walking groups within them.»» We have created Ramblers Routes to engage with and inspire walkers who are not Ramblers members. 1,790 routes are available on the new Ramblers website. Membership numbers - We have improved the way that we engage with members at the point of membership renewal. This has helped to stabilise our numbers and retention is now consistently 90%. Interaction with volunteers - in 2013 we established the Volunteer Sounding Board, an advisory board made up of volunteers, which helps us improve our recruitment, support and management of volunteers. We also set up the Web Advisory Panel, volunteer meetings with area chairs and secretaries and a programme of volunteer development days. Young people and families - Ramblers Cymru has piloted activities to increase family walking opportunities and challenges for teenagers. We launched SCRAMBLERS, a new youth image for Wales. Medal Routes - in Scotland, our Medal Routes project, which was inspired by the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, develops short circular walking routes to encourage people to be more active in their daily lives. By September 2014, we had established over 120 Medal Routes hubs and launched a new Medal Routes app. Restructure of management teams - The management structure across GB has been gradually revised to improve our capacity to deliver our mission 07 Ramblers Business Plan Section 1: Context

8 What wasn t completed? The business plan was wideranging. It combined our need to stabilise the organisation and to foster internal dialogue to identify how best to make improvements to our operations. Despite the number of projects originally proposed, only 6% of activities set out in the plan were not initiated at all. However, we made progress on all of our headline objectives. We did not deliver fully on an expansion of fundraising income, focussing instead on retention of current members. Nor did we fully complete our ambitions for a new vision and governance review, preferring to spend more time talking with the walking community. As an organisation that works on a number of charitable objectives using a variety of approaches, including practical interventions, campaigning and walking promotion, we will always have more ambition than resources. Learning lessons The most important lesson for us from the planning period is that although we wanted to make progress against all the outcomes identified in the plan we did not have the resources to secure all the outcomes in one two-year period. Unless we can expand our non-membership income we cannot service all expectations placed upon the organisation while ensuring that we support our members. We also need to build confidence in decision-making so that prioritisation of activities and resources can happen with the support and understanding of our membership as to why we are focussing on a particular part of the plan. 08 Ramblers Business Plan Section 1: Context

9 Section 2: Overall Direction Ramblers Business Plan Section 2: Overall Direction

10 Ramblers GB Priorities The business plan is based on the following strategic priorities. They do not represent a significant shift from the previous two years. They recognise the increased resilience of Ramblers and the need for us to continue to adapt what we do while retaining our values and sense of who we are. Overarching themes Mission delivery remains key to our existence. We work hard to achieve all of our charitable objectives everywhere. Therefore the delivery of walking programmes; protection of paths and rights of access; expanding where we can walk and protecting and improving our landscapes through advocacy and campaigning, will be at the heart of any Ramblers business plan. We must capitalise on our stability. We have a healthy financial position and a stable membership, but we must both protect and manage these assets and seek to expand. We have a window of opportunity in which we need to move from managing and mitigating decline to managing expansion. We are one organisation of many parts. We appreciate the diversity of interests and passions within the Ramblers and seek to appeal to all groups and individuals within society who appreciate our enthusiasm whether young or old, from different genders or different communities. This will help us achieve our mission and ensure that we have the resources to undertake our work. We must never miss an opportunity to engage with supporters on our passions. We must understand what attracts and inspires supporters and stakeholders to ensure that we capture their participation emotionally and indeed, financially, to further our influence and help us achieve our mission. We must complete the work to change our processes for staff, IT, vision and governance. We have made a large ongoing investment to understand the ways we need to change and have made significant progress in making those changes during the last business plan. We now need to finish this project to fully benefit from this work. We need to develop models of how we deliver support and training to our volunteers. We recognise that everything depends on our volunteers - the people who, in many different ways, give their time, energy and knowledge to deliver our mission. We must build on our approach to volunteering and do more to support specific volunteer roles. 10 Ramblers Business Plan Section 2: Overall Direction

11 Renew and revitalise To continue to revitalise the Ramblers, through a new vision, a sense of being one organisation in which diversity flourishes, and a framework for increased engagement with Ramblers activities. Deliver our mission To continue to create frameworks that will enable us to deliver all aspects of our mission, everywhere. Stabilise and grow To maintain Ramblers as a stable and well led organisation, taking all opportunities to expand and grow our activities. 11 Ramblers Business Plan Section 2: Overall Direction

12 Section 3: Strategic priorities 12 Ramblers Business Plan

13 1. Renew and revitalise To continue to revitalise Ramblers, through a new vision and a sense of being one organisation in which diversity flourishes. Over the next two years we will lay the foundations for Ramblers membership and leadership to better reflect the communities we serve. We will continue to effectively devolve decision-making to the relevant body including national executives in Wales and Scotland. Over the next two years we will place greater emphasis on reflecting and serving different generations of walkers in what we do. We will create opportunities for the future development of the organisation to be based on the desires or new generations of walkers. Over the next two years we will strengthen our structures and support for the way we foster and manage local diversity within a unified and effective Ramblers. We will implement frameworks to support key volunteer roles including: recruiting and looking after members, advocating on behalf of walkers and walk leaders. We will support areas to strengthen their leadership skills within a clear understanding of the role and remit of areas. We will continue to develop IT and communication systems that support the work of individual volunteers. We will evaluate the success of our programmes for young people, particularly in Wales and Scotland with a view to developing a framework* and projects for future expansion. * We define a framework as an agreed set of processes and ways of working that guide us to achieving our objectives 13 Ramblers Business Plan

14 1. Renew and revitalise (continued) Within the next two years we will have re-shaped our activities around our new ten-year vision and streamlined our governance to make it more effective. We will ensure that the vision, direction and values of the organisation are understood and accepted by our members. We will maintain a culture of transparency, leadership and participation in decisions. We will implement any governance changes agreed by Ramblers General Council (GC). Over the next two years we will continue to create the framework for increased engagement with Ramblers activities, to bring about increased numbers of supporters, members and volunteers, leading to financial support, influence, awareness and activism. Over the next two years we will ensure that volunteers have a positive experience with the Ramblers, whatever their role and wherever they live. We will establish consistent practices for people who manage volunteers to deliver our mission, in particular volunteers who manage other volunteers. We will introduce frameworks to ensure that practical support for volunteers is developed in a consistent manner, including learning and development, support resources and key policies. We will build relationships with our supporters to ensure that we understand how they want to support us and to give them an opportunity to support us in a number of ways, under the umbrella of engagement. Everyone who takes any action supporting the Ramblers mission (including members, volunteers, donors, campaigners, followers or advocates) is valued. 14 Ramblers Business Plan

15 1. Renew and revitalise (continued) What we will do How we will do it 1. Governance 1.1 Ensure that governance bodies operate effectively. Support General Council (GC), board, subcommittee and council meetings and area AGMs 1.2 Strengthen our governance system. Potential changes and formal proposals brought to GC 2015 for discussion and implement agreed changes, post-gc. 1.3 Develop a new vision which provides a framework for decision-making for the next ten years. Potential changes and formal proposals brought to GC 2015 for discussion and implement agreed changes, post-gc. 2. Giving people an opportunity to support the Ramblers 2.1 Attract new supporters who engage with us in a variety of ways and stay with us. Define a supporter journey and develop systems that enable us to customise our relationships depending on a supporter s interests and level of engagement. Manage data in a way that allows us to use it to engage more effectively with members, donors and supporters. Represent the Ramblers brand consistently across the organisation, including branded merchandise. 15 Ramblers Business Plan

16 1. Renew and revitalise (continued) What we will do How we will do it 3. Ramblers volunteers will have a positive and consistent experience in delivering our mission 3.1 Create a positive culture towards volunteer management. 3.2 Create a high-quality volunteer journey, regardless of volunteer role or location. Embed our approach to volunteering. Hold Volunteer Sounding Board meetings. Raise the national profile of volunteering for the Ramblers. Hold more volunteer development days. Overhaul the disputes and complaints policy. Host volunteer awards events. 3.3 Volunteer managers have tools and frameworks to allow them to support volunteers consistently. Define and support volunteer manager responsibilities. Develop a volunteer training framework. Review and update the volunteer welcome booklet. Review and update all policies that volunteers may use. 16 Ramblers Business Plan

17 2. Delivery of mission To continue to create a framework that will enable us to deliver all aspects of our mission, everywhere across GB. More people walking more often Over the next two years we will inspire more people to go walking more often by supporting volunteers to help other people to go walking whether that s on their own, with family and friends, or as part of an organised group. Participants will be inspired to deepen their relationship with the Ramblers. We will develop a pathway from the sofa to the summit that supports walkers and potential walkers to enjoy all the pleasures and benefits that come from walking as part of an organised group. We will support people to start walking on short free health walks close to where they live, and help them to progress onto more challenging walks if they wish. In England we will inspire the most inactive people, including those with long-term health conditions, to start walking through our 12 week outreach programmes. By developing stronger links between health walk schemes and Ramblers groups, we will also help people who have been active, to step down to shorter easier walks, if they need to. We will expand our online library of Ramblers Routes. Our routes will inspire people who want to walk on their own, or with family and friends. We will develop all kinds of routes, for all kinds of people. Short routes will be freely accessible for everyone to benefit from. Ramblers Routes, walks and groups will all be easily searchable in one location. Our new online integrated services for walkers will become valued as the go to destination for walkers, with all areas and groups providing inspiring content. We will deliver national walking festivals, including the long-standing Festival of Winter Walks. During the next two years we will renew and refine our festivals, drawing together health walks, group walks, routes and partners to make sure more people are inspired to get outdoors on two feet. We will step up our work to deliver practical improvements to the places we love to walk. We will clear more paths and make them easier to walk. We will strive to extend the coverage of Great Britain provided by our local path teams, and continue to work closely with local authorities to be the organisation of choice to help them to deliver their responsibilities. 17 Ramblers Business Plan

18 2. Delivery of mission: More people walking more often (continued) What we will do How we will do it 1. Sofa to summit pathway 1.1 We will continue to deliver and develop Walking for Health in England to ensure everyone has access to a short, free and friendly walk close to where they live. Our volunteers will continue to deliver welcoming, safe, fun walks. We will expand our Every Step Counts 12-week outreach programme designed to encourage the least active to walk. Every Walking for Health scheme will meet agreed quality standards. We will train new volunteer walk leaders using a cascading training model. We will launch our new database. We will conduct an external evaluation to assess the impact of Walking for Health on the least active. Our volunteers are our best asset in supporting and encouraging new walkers. We will improve our processes to recruit and retain them. We will continue to engage with health and social care professionals to ensure that they are aware and supportive of our health walk offer. We will conduct targeted outreach to increase participation by BME communities and people living with long-term health conditions, including cancer. 1.2 More joint working between health walk schemes and Ramblers groups to enable walkers to step up/down to longer/shorter walks. Our volunteers will deliver more 3-5 mile walks. We will ensure that all of our groups and walking schemes use a consistent approach and incentives. We will continue to monitor extent and impact of joint working. 18 Ramblers Business Plan

19 2. Delivery of mission: More people walking more often (continued) What we will do How we will do it 1.3 We will continue to deliver and develop our existing group walks programme whilst increasing the number of volunteer walk leaders who have access to high-quality training. Walk leadership skills training will be provided at volunteer development days. We will establish an advisory panel to feed into the ongoing development of our walk leader cascade training. We pilot a walk leader training framework. 2. Information & inspiration 2.1 We will help more people to walk by expanding the online library of Ramblers Routes. Our volunteers will develop and check routes. The library will provide greater coverage and variety of routes available. We will develop new partnerships to continue to expand and improve the quality of the library. 2.2 We will ensure that more people are inspired and informed by our different walking services and are easily able to move between them. We will inspire walkers and celebrate walking though our national walking festivals. We will encourage greater uptake by supporting areas and groups to use and update their local webpages. We will work to increase the number of Ramblers groups using our new online group walks and events manager system as their main walk programme management tool. This has been developed to promote, monitor and record information about the walks our groups offer. The Walking for Health programme in England will continue to be promoted through dedicated communication channels. 19 Ramblers Business Plan

20 2. Delivery of mission: More people walking more often (continued) What we will do How we will do it 3. Practical improvements 3.1 We will continue to make the places we walk more accessible through practical improvements and maintenance. Our volunteers will continue to devote time to deliver practical improvements to the places we walk. We will increase geographical coverage of our volunteer path teams. We will continue to develop relationships with local authorities and reinforce their perception of the Ramblers as the main provider of volunteer path maintenance. 20 Ramblers Business Plan

21 2. Delivery of mission: Through advocacy and engagement Over the next two years we will use engagement as a way of delivering our mission. We will engage with stakeholders to increase financial support, awareness, influence and activism at a local and national level. Within the next two years we will successfully launch our new vision, positioning the Ramblers as a modern and relevant organisation. We will have a clear case for support that everyone understands and compelling evidence of Ramblers impact as the pre-eminent walking charity. We will work closely with a wide range of organisations on issues ranging from health to conservation in order to amplify our ability to campaign and achieve change. We will benefit from proactively planning ahead as well reacting to developing events in Westminster and Whitehall, exploiting their advocacy potential as they unfold. We will win the argument and ensure walking is now considered by decisionmakers as relevant and important to helping resolve some of the big issues they face. And we will offer plans and strategies to put into action. We will be seen by decision-makers as a trusted source of knowledge and advice and be valued as an important delivery partner on several high-profile government-backed schemes. We will be an organisation that delivers its mission and benefits people who walk in both rural and urban areas. Over the next two years the Ramblers we will continue to be the guardians of our footpath network and champions of the right to roam. We will successfully respond to wider macro-economic and political changes that have resulted in a smaller role for the state and local authorities and increased dependence on the private sector, third sector and wider society. We will prioritise supporting volunteers to protect the network under the umbrella of engagement and, for the first time, launch a state of the nation report which provides an assessment of the quality of the footpath network, raises awareness and engages thousands of new supporters. By 2016 we will have opened up more new landscapes for the public. We will achieve this by highlighting the importance and benefits of providing access to walking environments. We will be the organisation that calls for, and gets increased walking opportunities for all. We will continue to protect our walking environment by empowering our volunteers to protect their landscapes and play our part in building an environmentally sustainable future. Over the next two years we will renew our policies on issues affecting walkers in a way which allows us to plan, be proactive and reactive in a coordinated manner. We will create a volunteer support programme,which enables volunteers to deliver our mission in their locality through engagement and identifying new funding opportunities. 21 Ramblers Business Plan

22 2. Delivery of mission: Through advocacy and engagement (continued) What we will do How we will do it 1.1 We will ensure that walking is seen by government, society and professionals as the answer to some of the major challenges the country faces. We will also demonstrate that Ramblers is best placed to deliver some of the solutions. We will strive to get stakeholders in national and local government to recognise the health, social and economic benefits of walking and provide with plans and strategies to reflect this. We will continue to deliver a cross-organisation campaign on walking and health. Ensure that we have successfully made the case for walking with major political parties in the run-up to and during the 2015 General Election. We will provide support to Ramblers Cymru and Ramblers Scotland to deliver 2016 election campaigns. Our content will be compelling and engaging and bring the Ramblers vision and mission to life for all audiences. We will develop and launch a new strategy for political engagement, produce proactive policy development and provide a clear, up to date policy position accessible to key audiences. Develop framework for coordination of policy in Great Britain. Support the urban green space agenda and champion active travel. 1.2 We will consolidate our position as guardians of the path network. We will continue to monitor changes to the path network and measure the Ramblers impact. We will launch a strategy on rights of way and access in line with our new vision. We will develop a model to identify new and sustainable sources of funding. We will extend our engagement with stakeholders to protect and enhance public rights of way. During the timeline of this plan, we will develop and conduct an engagement project to survey all rights of way delivered across England and Wales. 22 Ramblers Business Plan

23 2. Delivery of mission: Through advocacy and engagement (continued) What we will do How we will do it 1.3 We will support our volunteers, members and the public in protecting the path network. We will revise and implement our framework for supporting legal casework and continue to resource where strategic and important. We will revise volunteer training to ensure local advocacy and engagement activities are effective and supported. We will provide support to our areas, groups and partners to identify sources of funding. We will seek funding to deliver a campaign to discover lost rights of way before the cut off date of 2026 when they will be gone forever. 1.4 We will devote our energy to making sure that people are able to enjoy expanded access to many parts of the countryside, coast and forests and can more easily reach the places that they wish to walk in. We will develop and implement a new strategy expand walking opportunities. Volunteers working on the English Coastal Path will receive support. We will deliver a project with the Forestry Commission to survey rights of way in woodlands with a view to increasing access to woodland walking. We will provide national advocacy and engagement support on all policy areas which expand the ability to walk. We will support work on the Green Paper and Assembly review of outdoor recreation and access in Wales. 1.5 We will protect landscapes we love. Success will be largely dependent on our further developing and establishing a reputation as a progressive organisation with an important role to play in tackling climate change and building an environmentally sustainable future. We will produce and maintain national policy positions and volunteer guidance on environmental protection. We will assess the feasibility of a campaign to support parks and urban green spaces. 23 Ramblers Business Plan

24 3. Stabilise and grow To maintain Ramblers as a stable and well led organisation, taking all opportunities to expand and grow our activities. We will not assume that all we need to do over the next two years is maintain stability. Instead, we will develop new opportunities to grow in a controlled manner. We seek to increase our membership. It is essential that Ramblers members are drawn from an even wider range of backgrounds that is currently the case. We will achieve this by working in partnerships with our local areas and groups to develop new ways of recruiting and retaining members. During this business cycle we will increase the proportion of our income that comes from sources other than membership income. We will achieve this by: working with more corporate partners; seeking to fund more of our work through trust and statutory income; working in strategic partnerships with organisations that share our vision and by offering members of the public a more compelling case for support, so that people everywhere understand the value of financially supporting our work. We will reorganise our IT infrastructure to support engagement activities across Ramblers. The Ramblers is sometimes seen as a cautious organisation. We understand that risk is inherent in pursuing new opportunities and that to fully embrace these opportunities the risk must be well managed. Over the next two years we will ensure that the leadership and management of Ramblers remains strong and able to seize new opportunities by developing maintaining and consistently applying effective risk management processes to all of our projects. We will ensure effective leadership of the organisation by the chief executive and the board of trustees. We recognise that a highly skilled and expert staff body provides the organisation with a vital capacity. Over the next two years we will continue to develop, completing the restructuring work, developing better support for staff and developing a culture of mutual respect and partnership between staff and members. We will review our cash and investment management and develop a property strategy. 24 Ramblers Business Plan

25 3. Stabilise and grow (continued) What we will do How we will do it 1. Leadership of organisation 1.1 We will improve on ensuring that the president, chief executive and chairs time is used effectively. 1.2 We will continue to work effectively with key partners and allies. Develop and distribute a programme of events and associated communications plan for members, areas, groups and staff. We will develop and communicate a programme of meetings with partners and improve our participation in coalition meetings. 2. Coordination and management 2.1 We will implement a framework for supporting the leadership of our areas. We will work with areas to ensure that they are clear about the aspirations of the organisation and what authority they have. Provide training and support to area chairs and secretaries. We will work with area volunteers so that they understand the business plan and the reasoning for major projects. 2.2 We will have an effective staff body that is well led and managed. We will implement devolution agreements. We will finalise the current staff restructure. We will finalise the job evaluation programme for use across the staff body. Where applicable we will update HR policies. Implement a new staff training and development programme. 2.3 Manage all risk effectively. Maintain and regularly review the risk register. Use project management methodology for major projects. 25 Ramblers Business Plan

26 3. Stabilise and grow (continued) What we will do How we will do it 3. Management of resources 3.1 We will update our IT infrastructure so that it can engage between areas, groups, Ramblers national office and externally with supporters. 3.2 We will continue to efficiently manage accumulated cash and investments across the organisation. 3.3 We will mitigate the costs of management of historic pension deficits. 3.4 We will ensure the most cost-effective access to appropriate property assets through our GB-wide office property holding strategy. 3.5 We will develop a consistent GB-wide policy on property use. IT hardware and software will be updated across the national network, including web to provide an integrated platform for delivery. We will develop a fully functioning, engaging digital experience for all users (volunteers, members, journalists, activists, fundraisers, donors, walkers, supporters). We will use accumulated legacies to finance investment. We will ensure that routine management information is produced at regular intervals for finance and operations sub-committees, reporting deficit management opportunities. We will complete the review of lease arrangements of all current office locations across Great Britain and update our staff home-working policy. Complete a review of all property currently held but not occupied for office use. 26 Ramblers Business Plan

27 3. Stabilise and grow (continued) What we will do How we will do it 4. Members 4.1 Ensure that current members remain members. We will maintain or improve upon the overall member retention rate of 90% through improved customer service standards. 4.2 Increase member numbers. We will hit our new member targets. 4.3 We will draw members from more diverse backgrounds than at present. 4.4 We will develop a cross-organisation framework for recruitment and retention activity. A significant strand of our recruitment strategy will focus on increasing member numbers of younger people, people under fifty, women and people from a wider range of backgrounds including BME communities and disabled people. Membership secretaries will be invited to participate in the development of a framework to support recruitment and retention of members. Upon its completion, we will implement the recruitment and retention framework. 27 Ramblers Business Plan

28 3. Stabilise and grow (continued) Ref What we will do How we will do it 5. Fundraising for our charity 5.1 We will foster a more active fundraising culture to support our charitable objectives. 5.2 We aim to increase the financial contribution from individual supporters. 5.3 We will increase in the proportion of income that comes from non-members. 5.4 Enable corporates and other organisations to support the Ramblers and to maximise partnership opportunities. 5.5 We will enable trust and statutory bodies to support our mission delivery activities. We will develop a compelling case for supporting our work. We will implement an additional raffle and develop new options to donate. Our aim is for income from other sources to exceed 22.5% contribution to turnover of membership subscription income. During this business cycle, we will develop new corporate relationships and nurtured existing ones to create new sponsorship, commissioning and fundraising opportunities. We will identify and establish a development programme for key funders. Establish a range of project funding opportunities. 28 Ramblers Business Plan

29 Ramblers Scotland and Ramblers Cymru Our board of trustees devolves the delivery of Ramblers mission to the executive committees of Ramblers Scotland and Ramblers Cymru. Volunteers are elected by the membership to the executive committees of Scotland and Wales. Ramblers GB works in close cooperation with the devolved bodies to support and coordinate delivery of the mission and to ensure that we meet our legal requirements as a charity. Ramblers GB provides two types of service. Infrastructure support and central services including IT, human resources, finance, facilities, membership services, legal, insurance and management support. To make its easier for the reader to understand the full range of our ambitions across the three nations we have included here the key activities and outcomes for Ramblers Scotland and Ramblers Cymru. For full details of what Ramblers Scotland and Ramblers Cymru will achieve in the next two years please refer to these nations individual business plans. Support to enable the delivery of the mission including, where appropriate, frameworks that operate across the three nations. This support includes the framework for recruiting, supporting and managing volunteers and our communications. 29 Ramblers Business Plan

30 Ramblers Scotland What we will do How we will do it 2.1 Ramblers Scotland will continue to be recognised as the main organisation working on Scottish access rights. Celebrate the 2015 anniversary of the Land Reform Act. Continue to represent interests of walkers at a national level, and our members are supported to work locally on access issues. Work to widen the scope of the Land Reform Bill to include consideration of arbitration processes. We will develop the Scottish access strategy. We will consider the modification of agricultural funding to include more access provision working across Great Britain. 2.2 We will engage with all political parties in the 2016 Scottish elections. 2.3 Make sure Ramblers Scotland becomes associated with maintenance of the path network by volunteers. Develop our Manifesto for the Outdoors by Establish path maintenance teams with Ramblers volunteers. 2.4 Protect the walking environment. Influence the Scottish Government s Land Use Strategy to ensure better protection for areas outside mapped core wild land. Hill tracks constructed after new planning systems are established are monitored to highlight any bad practice. Support members who are engaging with local planning issues. 30 Ramblers Business Plan

31 Ramblers Scotland (continued) What we will do How we will do it 2.5 Ramblers Scotland will work towards Scotland becoming a more active nation. Secure funding for 2015/16 with clear targets and priorities established. Contribute to the implementation of the National Walking Strategy. Assure the sustainability of Medal Routes project by securing funding to November 2016 & priorities delivered. 2.6 Enable people in Scotland to walk more often. Undertake progression from health walks within the Scottish context. Diversify the range of walks offered. Establish new young walkers groups. Establish a training framework to focus on walk leadership skills in the GB framework. Get Outdoors Weekend is established as an annual event. Deliver a programme of volunteer training within a GB framework. 31 Ramblers Business Plan

32 Ramblers Cymru 2. Deliver our mission What we will do How we will do it 2.1 Protect footpaths in Wales. Sign up by 500 more volunteers in Wales. Lead all-wales engagement in volunteer path team work. Publish a report highlighting the investment or otherwise in the Rights of Way networks across Wales. Hold an annual Rights of Way stakeholders meeting. Improve the alignment, interpretation & communications plan for the Wales Coast Path. 2.2 Expand access in Wales. Set out our vision for access in a Ramblers Cymru green paper and lead the advocacy and engagement on this to establish Ramblers Cymru as the lead body for access in Wales. Improve the promotion of Agricultural Environment Schemes with more access to the public. 2.3 Support urban walking agenda on the the active travel bill. Work with appropriate partners on the active travel bill. 2.4 Engage with political audiences. Manifesto for 2016 launched and policies adopted by parties. 2.5 Diversify our audiences, particularly young people and families. Develop youth member task & finish teams to engage in and deliver the outcome. Set up more diverse/themed walks. Launch Scramblers. Put plan in place for family walking packs roll out. Support making Family walking packs available across GB. 32 Ramblers Business Plan

33 Ramblers Cymru (continued) What we will do How we will do it 2.6 Health walks Come to an understanding regarding the future of Let s Walk Cymru. Identify areas of good practice for progression. 2.7 Devise a training programme for volunteers to confidently lead walks. Provide a comprehensive walks programme. Review existing provision. Produce and promote quarterly programmes locally and nationally. 3. Stabilise and Grow What we will do How we will do it 3.1 Deliver an annual national walking event. 3.2 Develop ability increase our membership. 3.3 Engage with the national curriculum. 3.4 Engage more fully with the Department for Education. BIG Welsh Walk in 2015 and Deliver BIG Welsh Walk challenge in 2015 and Put in place a 2-year plan. Seek funding for an education officer. Become a recognised DfE partner. 33 Ramblers Business Plan

34 Section 4: Implementing the Plan 34 Ramblers Business Plan Section 4: Implementing the Plan

35 Implementing the Plan The Board of Trustees have charged the Chief Executive with ensuring the implementation of the operations of Ramblers across the three nations. He ensures that progress is being made and effective reporting is made to the relevant Governance bodies. The Board has two subcommittees: one on our mission and the other on finance and operations, which monitor progress against the plan through mixture of performance indicators and submitted reports. In addition there are executive committees in Wales and Scotland that monitor progress against their national business plans. The Board receives key performance indicators on progress in all three nations at every meeting. Minutes of the Board are made available as soon as practical after each meeting so that our members can see how well we are doing. Queries on this plan should be directed to the Chief Executive 35 Ramblers Business Plan Section 4: Implementing the Plan