Ramblers Association Seeks To Silence Members...

The Ramblers' Association is taking steps to curb the power of its members to determine the organisation's policies following a Charity Commission visit in October.

At present the RA's ruling governing council, elected by 450 local groups, determines policy for the organisation's trustees who sit on an executive committee. However in April, the charity's chief executive and trustees will attempt to persuade the council to allow the committee to take full responsibility for running the Association.

The proposed changes follow on from the Charity Commission's advice that the trustee board must be in full charge of the charity in order to comply with charity law, but is also in line with the executive's wishes.

"We are taking steps to restrain the hitherto absolute power of members to dictate policy," said chief executive Nick Barrett. "We want the trustees to be advised by the membership rather than being mandated by it."

Barrett then stressed that he still wants the membership to have a voice and hold the trustees to account, but we'd have thought the proposals are likely to go down like a lead balloon with the members who value the RA's 'grass roots' feel.

More broadly, the moves are part of a wider intiative to focus on the Association's charitable nature. "We have to do a better job to emphasise that we are a charity and deliver public benefits," said Barrett. "A part of our membership doesn't readily identify with the Ramblers Association as a charity."

So there you go, the Ramblers Association is not just an organisation catering for its members' interests, but an outward-looking charity aiming to promote the benefits of walking to the world at large.

Come little cod and jump into the hot fat frier... more details on the Third Sector web site. For examples of the new thrust of RA policy, see their news section which includes the RA's call to the government to publish a National Walking Strategy to help fight obesity.