REDSPEARLANDS FOOTPATH GROUP 2009 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD AT THE READING ROOM, VICTORY HALL, DALSTON,
ON FRIDAY, 9 APRIL, 2010


PRESENT- Committee. Alan Lyne(AL) (Acting Chairman and Secretary) Alan Jackson(AJ) (Treasurer) Judith Mandale(JM) (Volunteer Notetaker) Membership. Elizabeth Craig, Mike Worral, Bill Hogg, Elizabeth Luck, Dennis Donald, Ronnie Auld, Elizabeth Auld, Paul Gilchrist, Jools Gilchrist, Sandra Stockley, Sue Nichol

APOLOGIES- Stewart Hudson, John Clarke, Liz Clay, Glenys Donald, Colin Rowcroft, Terry Nichol, Judith Stark, Donez Xiques, Ruth Cook


REPORTS-

Treasurer     
AJ circulated copies of the Income and Expenditure for the Financial Year, January to December, 2009. Questions were raised by Mr Worral (PROW tracking expenditure) and Mr Auld (photographic expenditure). Both questions answered by AL. The Treasurer's Statement was then approved by the Meeting.

Secretary
AL circulated copies of the Annual Report. An error regarding the route of the Joint Walk with Ivegill Footpath Group (IFG) was pointed out by Mr Worral. The Report will be corrected to read Castle Sowerby and Sebergham parishes. The remainder of the Annual   Report was approved by the Meeting. Action: Hon. Secretary


ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Chairman
No nominations having been received for this appointment, the position of Chairman remains vacant. JM drew the attention of the Meeting to the vacancy which is required by the Group's constitution. AL has agreed to continues serving as the temporary Acting Chairman. The Meeting was asked to assist urgently with finding someone willing to serve in this capacity.

Secretary
AL agreed to continue serving as Hon. Secretary and sought approval to obtaining the assistance of a former member with organising the correspondence and confidential files. The Meeting indicated its approval to his request.

Treasurer
AJ agreed to continue serving as Hon. Treasurer

ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Mr Auld, speaking on behalf of Dalston Parish Council, expressed the Council's appreciation of the work done by the Group in respect of maintaining and improving the infrastructure of the Parish. He asked for the Parish Council's thanks to be recorded. Mrs Auld, former Parish Clerk, endorsed the Council's thanks, mentioning in particular the Group's participation with Walking for Health and the Parish Paths Initiative (see below).

AL reminded the Meeting of a notice pasted on the Group's website some eighteen months ago, informing members of the demise of ECCP. The predicted outcome would be for PROW maintenance work within the City boundary to henceforth be undertaken on a five-year rolling programme by Carlisle City Council's 'Green Spaces Unit' (GSU), based at Bousteads Grassing. Andrew Nicholson, formerly of ECCP, has been taken on by GSU as a part-time rights of way officer. Dalston's turn in the five-year programme falls due in 2011, hence the reason for this year's re-survey of all Dalston PROW so that a complete list of work, in order of priority, can be handed to GSU at the start of 2011.

Mrs Craig raised the condition of some bridleways, a number of which are impassible. AL referred the questioner to his previous reply regarding routine maintenance. AL also asked Mr Auld to comment on the situation regarding the Roewath Bridge bridleway. Mr Auld replied that there had been an objection to an application for a modification to the Definitive Line by Mr J Couthard of Roewath Cottage. However, the objector had been told that only completely new evidence would be considered, therefore the route as drawn on the County Council's Definitive Map is correct and is the legal right of way.

AL asked the meeting to make a point of visiting the Group's website at www.dalston.org.uk/rfg at least once a month to check for information updates.

Replying to a question regarding the Parish Paths Initiative, AL advised that, so far as he was aware, the plan for this financial year was to continue replacing stiles with kissing gates on the stretch of Cumbria Way from the small wood to Bog Bridge.

AJ confirmed that he was happy to continue keeping the Group's accounts, but felt it would be a sensible precaution for RFG to ask a non-member to informally audit his figures. There is no legal requirement for the accounts to be audited.


WALKING PROGRAMME

Walks for the season were discussed. The first walk will take place on Saturday, 8 May, with JM as walk leader. First Ivegill walk, Saturday, 22 May. Full details of walks for the remainder of the year will appear on the RFG website in due course.

The Annual 'Joint Walk' with Ivegill Footpath Group has been set for Saturday, 10 July,  most probably a route in an unexplored part of Sebergham Parish. As a member of both groups, Mr Worrell volunteered to be the walk planner and coordinator. AL thanked him for this.

Annual Bike Ride. This has been arranged for Saturday, 19 June, avoiding RFG's regular second Saturday fixture. An offer to plan and lead a walk for non-cyclists was made by JM who will discuss with the bike ride's organiser. It is proposed for the walk to start at Raughton Head School and end at Thackwood Nook for the barbeque.


VOTE OF THANKS

Mr Gilchrist offered a vote of thanks to the Officers for their conscientious work during the year.

There being no further business, the Meeting closed at 8:23pm


Alan Lyne,
Hon. Secretary