Julia Bradbury: confirmed as president of the 120,000-member organisation

Traditionalists held the upper hand at the Ramblers’ annual meeting at the weekend.

The General Council of the campaigning charity met for the 75th time at Egham in Surrey to formulate policy and elect new members of its board of trustees.

The meeting was seen by many as an opportunity to question the organisation’s chief executive Tom Franklin and its board after a torrid year which saw the Ramblers endure a cash crisis and shed 17 members of staff.

A group calling itself the Concerned Ramblers had two of its members – Keith Wadd and Robert Peel elected to the board, a third Christopher Bush missing out on the other available place. The Concerned Ramblers, with Mr Wadd at its head, has been at the forefront of the criticism of the handling of the Ramblers finances and the direction it was being taken in its quest to attract a wider, younger  membership.

The General Council is the Ramblers’ ‘parliament’ with delegates elected by its constituent areas.

The council called on its managers to concentrate on core issues such as pursuing legal cases to protect rights of way and take action against landowners who block footpaths and bridleways. It  called on the trustees to look at establishing a ‘legal action fund’ for England and Wales, similar to the legal defence fund set up by its Scottish Council, to be used solely to fund legal work in England and Wales, to which individual donations and legacies could be dedicated.

Chief executive Tom Franklin: subject of criticism by the Concerned Ramblers

Another successful motion called on the board to review the rights of way system and devote enough cash and resources to fighting for the all rights of way, including coastal routes and that this should be seen as a core part of the Ramblers’ work.

The slashing of staff in Scotland and Wales has led to calls for breakaway organisations for the two nations, but the Ramblers’ council voted in favour of keeping a united body throughout Britain. However, it asked for a working party to report next year on the possibility of Scotland and Wales setting up their own operations.

There were further motions calling on the board to look at governance and to increase the amount of accountability of the trustees to the General Council.

However, a modernising motion did commit the Ramblers to broaden its membership – a cause long espoused by chief executive Tom Franklin. Criticism that the Ramblers is largely composed of a white, middle-class and aging membership led to the adoption of a policy of encouraging new members from diverse backgrounds and ages, with special interest walking groups and an improvement to the service offered to members.

The General Council also committed the Ramblers to pursuing access to woodland and waterside areas – canals and rivers – and to campaigning for local authorities to be forced to consult the organisation on the grading of their priorities on blocked footpaths.

The gathering heard that the Ramblers had, in the past year, turned their significant financial losses into a small surplus.

One less contentious issue was the confirmation of walking star Julia Bradbury as the Ramblers’ president. Welcoming Ms Bradbury, who presents the BBC’s Countryfile and is credited with increasing the popularity of hillwalking with her series on Wainwright’s Walks, Tom Franklin said: “We are thrilled to be marking our 75th anniversary with such a well loved, vivacious president as figurehead.”

Ms Bradbury said: “My ambition with the Ramblers over the coming year is simple: get Britain on its feet. The country is stuffed with beautiful walks and a 130,000-mile [209,214km] footpath network – I want everyone to get out there and enjoy it!”

The Ramblers represents more than 120,000 of its members and is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a series of ‘baton walks’ across Britain throughout the year.