GOC strategy workshop and Committee meeting

Thank you for joining us!

Saturday 4 – Sunday 5 October 2025 at Radcliffe Space 12, Warwick University Conferences near Coventry – see directions and the outline agenda below.

We will be meeting, eating and staying in the Radcliffe conference centre, equivalent to the Scarman that we have booked for the 2026 AOG. We have a site visit arranged to the main event space that we have booked, The Slate, but unfortunately it turns out that this is not available on Sunday so we have rescheduled that for Saturday evening.

For those arriving by train at Coventry, the 11 and 12 bus routes both serve Warwick University Conference centre. Both buses call at the Rail Station Bridge SD stop on Warwick Road; a one-minute walk from Coventry station:

For those arriving by train at Leamington Spa, the U1 and U2 buses serve Warwick University Conference centre. Both services stop at Parish Church Stand B; a seven-minute walk from Leamington Spa station:

For those arriving by car, the University have introduced ANPR parking in all car parks on and around campus, including Radcliffe and Scarman. Delegates are required to pre-register their vehicle ahead of their arrival with the promotional code QXOMR to guarantee complimentary parking:

Conference Parking – Warwick University

Context

Several new members have joined the committee in recent months, and we hope to have a new Chair soon as well – see From your new interim Chair – an appeal and an opportunity!

So we are preparing to meet together as a committee on the weekend of October 4-5, in the venue of our 2026 Annual Outdoor Gathering at Warwick University, to form as a new team with new leadership and plan how we can all deliver the club’s strategy together over the coming year:

“to make GOC a diverse and inclusive club that is friendly and welcoming, vibrant and dynamic – where everyone in the LGBTQI+ community can be themselves and feel at home while making friends and enjoying outdoors and social activities together”.

We are taking the opportunity to invite other volunteers to join us for parts of the weekend, in order to learn and plan together as a larger team – those who are already most actively engaged in the work of the committee, and those who have expressed an interest to get more involved in the coming year.

Meals and accommodation will be provided, and travel costs will be reimbursed according to our travel policy. Thank you for joining us!

Martin Gilbraith, acting Chair

Our aims for the weekend

to form as a new team with new leadership – the committee, and the committee with other club volunteers
to plan how we can all deliver the club’s strategy together over the coming year, and build alignment and shared commitment to our plans – among ourselves and among our groups and our members
to inspire, enthuse and mobilise us as volunteers, in order that we can inspire, enthuse and mobilise others.

Who is expected

See Governance & Committee

For the Saturday afternoon Strategy workshop and following AOG site visit

Those who are already most actively engaged in the work of the committee, and those who have expressed an interest to get more involved in the coming year, from Saturday lunch until Saturday dinner inclusive:

Simon Ball, Archivist
Peter Blackburn, Magazine Editor & AOG 2025 committee
Carl Davies, member engagement volunteer
Michael Goodrum, member engagement volunteer
Gavin Hose, assistant Treasurer
Andy Russell, assistant Secretary/AOG 2026 committee
Julian Donald, Website User Group
Chris Thomas, Website User Group
Sugianto Wijaya, Marketing committee

For AOG site meeting only

Those who will be most involved in organising next year’s AOG in Warwick, from 6.30pm on Saturday, followed by dinner at 7.30pm:

Martin Darby, Western Midlands GC
Martin Brown, Western Midlands walk leader
John Jones, Western Midlands walk leader
Jonathan Raeburn, Western Midlands walk leader

For all of Saturday afternoon & Sunday morning

Current and prospective new committee members, from Saturday lunch until Sunday lunch inclusive:

Anne Coombes, candidate for Chair
Robert Minikin, Secretary
Ian Widdowson, Treasurer
David Willis, Membership Secretary
Gabby Giuffre, Inclusion and Diversity Officer
Al Evans, Women’s Representative
Shaun Waller, Partnership Officer
David Millar, Membership Engagement Officer
David Ledsham, Group Liaison (Sunday morning only)
Ben McQuillan, National Events Officer
Martin Gilbraith, Web & IT Manager

Also invited but not expected:

Dave Archer, Adventure Out GC & AOG 2025 committee
Daniel Atkinson, Marketing committee
James Bailey, Western Midlands GC
Alexander Barr, Magazine Proof Reader
Brenden Bourne, candidate for Marketing Officer
Martyn Lane, Marketing committee
Andy Fisher, Website User Group
Chris Loy, Adventure Out GC & AOG 2025 committee
Bill Pilcher, Website User Group
Peter Van Der Walt, Magazine Cover Designer
David Woodward, prospective committee member
Edward (Ned) Voelcker, Marketing committee

Agenda

Saturday 4 October – Strategy retreat, facilitated by Martin (see martingilbraith.com), followed by AOG site meeting

12.30	Arrivals & lunch
1.30	Welcome, introductions & overview – aims, approach & agenda for today. Name labels provided.
2.00	Reviewing the past to prepare for the future – building a shared picture of the unfolding history of GOC, sharing stories, discerning patterns & trends, and drawing insights to inform our planning
3.00	Reviewing the club’s values, vision and strategy – as developed in consultation with Group Coordinators and other volunteers and members from July 2023 and approved by the Board in January 2024
3.30	Break
3.45	Where are we now – what are some key present Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats, now in October 2025?
4.30	Our strategic objectives for 2025-26 – what 1 or 2 ‘SMART’ objectives will we each aim to achieve each quarter to December 2026? (Strategic, Measurable, Appropriate, Result-oriented, Time-bound)
5.30	Reflection & close
5.45	Break, and check-in for B&B
6.30	2026 AOG at Warwick University – brief 2026 AOG update and Q&A, site visit to The Slate, decisions & next steps
7.30	Dinner & departures

Sunday 5 October – Committee meeting, chaired by Martin

7.00-	Breakfast
9.00	Opening – aims, approach & agenda for today
9.15	Agenda items submitted by committee members – for decisions & actions, assuming reports read in advance
11.00	Break
11.15	Continued How we will work together – pattern, dates & locations of committee meetings (virtual, hybrid, in-person); email, file-sharing etc. between meetings Any other business
12.45	Reflection & close
1.00	Lunch & departures

Advance reading & preparation

Please all take a look in advance at:

Committee members, please also share and read read in advance:

Committee member reports (½-1 page of bullet points each) plus any appendices, papers resolutions or proposals as agreed.