Pride Day Events:
This year I have attended Swansea, Cardiff, London and Reading Pride Day events. All have been exciting, well supported by our members, and a great opportunity to celebrate our 50th Anniversary and attract new members. During this year, many GOC Groups around the country have taken on this project with great success and I hear with excellent results. So well done!
However, I appreciate that not all our Groups are able to organise a team to take part, but whether you just walk in the parade or go the extra mile and have a stall, the exercise is well worthwhile. Going forwards, I would encourage Group Coordinators to either attend their local Pride Day event or to join with other Groups to take part. I’m sure everyone will benefit from the experience.
Annual Outdoor Gathering 2025
The dust has now settled following our successful Annual Outdoor Gathering in Northampton and we are now looking at next year’s event, which is taking place over the weekend of 25th – 28th July in Lancaster. Please make a note in your diary! I am excited that we are travelling North to join our members in that part of the country.
Although the Club has been there twice before, most recently in 2017, for me and our newer members it will be our first time. Lancaster sits west of the Pennine range with the Lune Valley to the north and the Ribble Valley to the south. It is also within easy reach of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and so there will be a fantastic range of possible walks and cycle rides. The Transpennine Group assisted by the Adventure Out Group will be organising these events so if you are able to assist by leading one, please contact David Harbottle (Transpennine) or Dave Archer (Adventure Out).
Please Get Involved:
As we announced at the AGM, the Club’s membership is growing and now stands at over two thousand. New members’ expectations differ widely. Some are looking for friendship, some to meet new people and others wanting to ‘get out’ more. Whatever the reason that new members join, it is our Group Coordinators’ responsibility to provide an exciting programme that includes a wide variety of events. But they cannot do it alone! If you can, please support your local group by offering to lead an event.
This also applies to running the Club. Although I am delighted that most of our board appointments have been filled, one post that is still vacant is that of Membership Engagement Officer, with responsibility for managing and improving communications between the club and its members. May I ask anyone who feel they could undertake this role to contact me as soon as possible so that I can send them a job description. Hopefully, we will soon be able to fill this important post! Thank you!
Jim Cornwell (GOC Chair)
