Walk East Norfolk

RISK ASSESSMENT

Risk No.	Hazard	Who May Be Harmed	How Can Risk Be Controlled
1	Slips and trips on eneven and/or muddy ground	Every walker	Be careful of potential 'Hazards' along the route & wear sensible footwear.
2	Danger whilst walking on or crossing roads	Every walker	Take care and be vigilant. Walk in single file. Walk in accordance with the highway code. Use 'crossings' where available.
3	Falling in open water	Every walker	Be careful of potential 'Hazards' along the route
4	Trips and slips whilst climbing stiles, gates and/or steps	Every walker	Be careful of potential 'Hazards' along the route. Wear suitable footwear. New walkers to complete questionaire to ascertain any potential difficulties.
5	Livestock escaping	Every walker	Ensure gates are closed.
6	Dehydration in hot weather	Every walker	Ensure you carry water.
7	Exposure to adverse weather conditions	Every walker	Wear appropriate clothing.
8	Exhaustion	Every walker	Check the length of the walk via the website.
9	Overhanging branches or overgrown vegetation	Every walker	Avoid by taking alternative routes.

HEALTH & SAFETY

1	We do not employ qualified guides, leaders or first aiders on any of our walks. The group works on the same basis of being a group of friends who go walking together, who invite others to join them.
2	The organisation accepts no responsibility for the safety and well-being of its members whilst travelling to and from a walk, while on the walk or at a location having completed the walk.
3	In registering for membership of Walk East Norfolk newcomers are requested to reveal any health issues which may affect their ability to complete a walk. The Committee reserves the right to refuse any person, whose health issues are a serious cause for concern, until that person has sought guidance from a medical professional.
4	Walks are clearly graded according to distance. It is the responsibility of the participant to opt for those walks they are confident is within their capability.
5	Members are encouraged to carry ‘In Case of Emergency (I.C.E.)’ cards.
6	Members are expected to act in a manner that is conducive to their own safety and well-being and to that of other persons.
7	All walks are planned to keep to public footpaths, footways and permissive routes
8	All routes will be subject to ad-hock assessments which will take note of such things as ground conditions, obstructions, ect that could require a re routing of the walk.
9	Prior to commencing a walk, if required, participants will be given an update on aspects of health and safety pertaining to that walk. If relevant, reminders relating to addition precautionary measures, e.g. bottles
10	In the event of bad weather the Walk Leaders retain the right to cancel a walk if conditions are deemed unsafe, e.g. snow, ice, high winds or high tides in relation to flooding.
11	No walk will assemble at a location where simply, the number of participants creates a danger to individuals e.g. a roadside without a footway.
12	Walks will be ‘staffed’ by at least two volunteers – a leader and a back marker.
13	Official leaders and volunteers will always wear high-visibility vests. Extra vests will be loaned to other walkers if the nature of the route and number of participants justifies such a move.
14	When walking on highways without footways walkers may be asked, as per the Highway Code, to walk in single file and on the right so as to face oncoming traffic. The Walk Leader wearing the high-visibility vest will walk at the front. Occasionally, when it may be safer to walk on the left e.g. blind bends, the back marker wearing the high-visibility vest will walk at the very back. At all times it is intended the group should be as visible as possible to all approaching traffic.
15	Whilst a walk is underway the fastest walkers will be advised to retain the company of the official Walk Leader. The slowest walkers will retain the company of the back marker.
16	Cafes and Public Houses are frequently visited immediately after the walks. Although pleasant ‘after walk’ social occasions enjoyed by most participants, they are not official parts of the Walk East Norfolk scheme and remain informal arrangements between friends.
17	In the unlikely event of an accident, should one occur the details will be recorded in an accident book which will be retained by the Walks Coordinator

CONSTITUTION

Aims and Objectives

Its aim and objective is to improve the physical health, fitness and mental well-being of all members.
This will be achieved by:-
i) Offering, throughout the year, a programme of regular and varied walks between 1 and 6 miles.
ii) By organising, either as part of certain walks or separately, social events such as bring and share picnics or group meals or any other events as agreed and organised by the Committee.

Disclaimer

Everyone taking part in our activities does so at their own risk. We do not employ qualified guides, leaders or first aiders on any of our walks. The group works on the same basis of being a group of friends who go walking together, who invite others to join them.

Powers

In order to achieve its aims the Group may:-
(i) Raise funds.
(ii) Open bank accounts as necessary, to secure the funds of the Group.
(iii) Take out appropriate insurance.
(iv) Work with other Groups and exchange information for the benefit of the Group, provided that such exchange is not in contravention of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), May 2018.
(v) Do anything that is lawful which will help the Group to fulfil its aims and objectives.

Data Protection

(i) Walk East Norfolk holds very limited data relating to its members. This data may include names, email addresses, postal addresses, mobile and/or landline telephone numbers. The online website also holds data relating to members of the group. This data is kept by certain officers of the committee when required as part of their responsibility.
(ii) On resigning from the Committee or leaving the Group, a member shall be required to transfer data to their successor and then delete any records from their own electronic devices.
(iii) No data will be held without the prior consent of the member concerned. That member can, at any time, request their data be removed from Walk East Norfolk records providing it does not breach financial regulations.
(iv) This data will be used only for communication with members, of matters approved by the committee and relating to Walk East Norfolk. This may concern the groups regular programmes of walks, its social events or the general running of the Group.
(v) Data will be held for the duration of a persons membership plus a further twelve months after they have failed to renew their subscription, or to accord with statutory requirements.
(vi) All data will be reviewed and updated annually.
(vii) Data pertaining to members of the Group will not be passed on to any third party without their consent. Walk East Norfolk Walking for fun and fitness
(viii) ”Blanket’ emails to the membership will be sent using the ‘Blind Carbon Copy’ (Bcc) facility.
(ix) No member, past or present, has the authority to use Walk East Norfolk data in furtherance of their own personal agenda.

Territory

The group shall, for most part, function in an area of approximately 15 miles radius of central Great Yarmouth.

Membership

Membership
(i) Membership of the Group shall consist of individual paid up members, of which the membership fee will be agreed and paid annually.
(ii) Membership shall be available to anyone without regard to gender, race, nationality, disability, sexual preference, religion or belief.
(iii) The membership year will run from 1st May to 30th April.
(iv) There will be no refunds on fees paid.
(v) No members of the organisation will receive payment in return for services rendered.
(vi) New members will be entitled to their first walk free of charge.
(vii) The Committee reserves the right to terminate the membership of any person whose behaviour and/or attitude are deemed to consistently fall below a standard expected in order to keep within the spirit of the group, its aims
and objectives.
(viii) The Committee reserves the right to bestow a position of Honorary Membership upon any member who has continued to be supportive of the group, the committee and the ‘Aims and Objectives’ of Walk East Norfolk but who, for various reasons, reaches a point where they feel unable to maintain a full and active membership.
(ix) Honorary members will be invited to join the group’s social activities and the occasional walk if they wish to do so. They will remain on Walk East Norfolk’s contact list, unless they request their details to be deleted, to enable contact relating to social activities etc. All details held will be kept in accordance with GDPR rules.

Management

The management and control of the Group shall be vested in a Committee which shall consist of the Honorary Officers and as many members of the group as the annual meeting shall, from time to time decide, subject to a minimum overall membership of three.
(i) All Committee members shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for reelection.
(ii) The Committee shall decide when and where it shall meet.
(iii) No less than half of the Committee members shall form a quorum.
(iv) The Committee shall have the power to co-opt additional members.
(v) The Committee shall have power to fill casual vacancies.
(vi) The Committee shall receive regular reports from any Sub-Committee established.
(vii) A special meeting of the Committee shall be called as soon as may be possible on the request of the Chairperson or not less than three members of the Committee.

Officers

The Honorary Officers of the group shall be a Chairperson, Treasurer, and Walk Coordinator. As the group may determine in writing or in person to member of the committee. Honorary officers and committee members to be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
They shall retire at the Annual General Meeting following their election, but shall be eligible for re-election.
The Committee will have power to fill vacancies.

Duties of the Officers

The duties of the Chairperson are to:-
(i) Chair the meetings.
(ii) Represent the group at meetings to which the group has been invited tobe represented.
(iii) Act as spokesperson for the group when and where necessary.
(iv) Exercise a casting vote in the event of a stalemate when voting onimportant items at Committee meetings or the Annual General Meeting.
(v) To approve draft copies of minutes and to sign when they have been
accepted as a true record of proceedings at the following Committee meeting.(vi)Being the first point of contact and Deal with correspondence etc.
(vii)Ensuring legal requirements of Data protection are met.
(viii)check any legal Health and Safety requirements for walking groups ingeneral.

The duties of the Meeting Secretary are to:-
(i) Take and keep the minutes of meetings.

The duties of the Treasurer / Membership Officer are to:-
(i) Open a suitable bank account and be one of the signatories.
(ii) Supervise the financial affairs of the group.
(iii) Keep proper accounts to show all income and expenditure accrued by the Group.
(iv) Present a Treasurers report at Committee meetings.
(v) Prepare a final income and expenditure statement and ensure that an audit of the Accounts has been carried out by a suitable person, for presentation to the Annual General Meeting.
(vi) Collect membership applications and fees on behalf of the Group.
(vii) To maintain an up to date record of membership with relevant contact details.
(viii) To liaise with the General Secretary and ensure they are in possession of a current membership list.
(ix)Manage the administration of the web site and email service,
(x)Maintain all WEN files which must be archived for 6 years,
(xi)Manage the public liability insurance. Any increase >12% should be referred to the committee,
(xii)Circulate draft minutes to committee members for comment/amendment,

The duties of the Walk Coordinator are:-
(i)Maintain the WEN walk lists and routes
(ii)Publish monthly list of walks / meeting locations on WEN web site
(iii)Liaise with Events Co-ordinator to include social events that coincide with walks i.e. post walk lunches and picnics etc
(iv)Be responsible for member/ walk risk assessments
(v)Own and update risk assessment section of web site
(vi)Undertake periodic inspections of walks/ routes
(vii)Approve and propose new walk routes
(viii)Ensure each scheduled walk has nominated “Walk Leader’ coverage
(ix)Ensure that at the start, the walkers know where the group will meet forrefreshments.

Sub-Committees

The Committee shall have the right to appoint Sub-Committees and determine the powers and terms of reference under which they must comply.

Resignation or retirement

Any member of a Committee shall vacate his/her office if :
(i) he/she gives notice of intention to resign and his/her resignation is accepted.
(ii) he/she fails to attend three consecutive meetings of the Committee, as may be convened, unless apologies for absence has been sent to the meeting via another Committee member.

Annual General Meeting

In the first quarter of each financial year the Committee will convene an Annual General Meeting of the Group, of which not less than fourteen days notice shall be given to each member and at which meeting all members shall
be entitled to attend and vote. At the meeting all members present will:-
(i) Receive the Chairpersons annual report on the groups activities for the year.
(ii) Receive a copy of the annual Audited Accounts together with a report from the Treasurer on the Groups financial position for the preceding financial year.
(iii) Elect a new Management committee.
(iv) Discuss and consider motions, notice of which will have been given in writing to the General Secretary at least 28 days prior to the Annual General Meeting.
(v) Any other business

Special General Meeting of the Group

A Special General Meeting may be called under the following circumstances by the following:
(i) The Chairman or the General Secretary may do so at any time, OR
(ii) by receiving a request, in writing and signed, by not less than one twentieth of the membership with at least ten (10) members giving reasons for the request. A meeting must be held within 21 days of receiving such a request. At least 14 days notice must be given to the membership. The agenda shall contain matters to be discussed and the terms of any motions which it is intended to move.

Finance

All monies raised by the Group shall be used only for the Group. Any bank account opened shall be in the name of the Group.
Cheques shall be signed by the Treasurer and/or other officers as decided by the Committee.