Cowardly Ramblers keeping quiet
Walk Magazine, the quarterly glossy from The Ramblers, popped through my letterbox the other day and I picked it up, anxious to read what Tom Franklin, The Ramblers’ CEO, had said about the financial constraints that led to the draconian cuts in the Welsh and Scottish operations.
You can imagine how surprised I was when I realised that the subject hasn’t been mentioned at all? It’s curious because I know of a number of people who said they had written letters of objection to the magazine, but nothing has appeared - it’s as though life continues merrily in the Metropolitan bubble that is The London Ramblers. I guess the magazine editor, Dominic Bates, who’s a good bloke, has been gagged by management.
In Franklin’s own column he twitters on about walking through fields of cows and how nice it is to see “these beautiful animals close up.” Pretty banal stuff and what a lost opportunity at a time when the organisation he is supposedly running is on the verge of being broken up. I can tell him of at least half a dozen issues here in Scotland that the old Ramblers Scotland team would have been addressing if he had allowed it to stay intact. As it is Scottish director Dave Morris, the sole employee of the Ramblers in Scotland, is up to his eyes in admin work and doesn’t have the time to campaign effectively.
I think this is another example of the way Franklin and his Board want to keep the membership in the dark and I find it astonishing that at such a time of financial crisis, apparently, in The Ramblers that the management don’t use the organisation’s magazine to inform members of what’s going on. But perhaps that’s part of the same management ploy that doesn’t reply to members’ emails and letters about the financial cuts. I think it’s called the mushroom method of management - keep them in the dark and heap shit on them from time to time.
September 4th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Glad it’s not just me. I had to check a few times to see if there was any explanation, but no. I shall be writing for an explanation.
September 4th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Franklin is a politician through and through and a New Labour one at that. What do expect from these guys. They have no shame. Look at Blair, Brown et al. They live in a fantasy world. I’m just glad that this happened just before I was about to join the Ramblers and not after. The whole thing stinks. You really should look at their accounts. Something has gone very wrong.
September 4th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Don’t hold your breath Bob and yes, I think you’re absolutely correct Robin, they do live in another world. It would be very interesting to see the accounts and my guess is that senior members of The Ramblers are earning very high salaries. And that the cuts to Scotland and Wales have been made, in part, to sustain those high salaries. Has Franklin taken a wage cut? I bet he hasn’t…
September 5th, 2009 at 1:16 am
It’s very frustrating when people ignore letters and emails isn’t it? It’s also very easy to jump to conclusions and make accusations based on supposition. There are accepted methods and procedures for questioning the management of a charity, and presumably as a democratic organisation the decisions of management are open to scrutiny by its membership. As I’m sure you’re aware, being a charity the accounts are available for public scrutiny quite easily…in case you’re not aware here’s a link on how to gain access to the information http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/accountsonline.asp
Whatever the rights or wrongs of the decision to cut the staffing level in Scotland and Wales there is no requirement to jump to one persons demands for what does or doesn’t get included in a magazine - no matter how well known the person’s name, and as a magazine Editor yourself I’m sure you know this! In fact the decisions, and reasons behind them are already displayed on the Ramblers website, so there is no immediate necessity to duplicate the information in a knee jerk reaction to accusatory individuals at the expense of other, unpublished, content.
A full explanation of the finacial situation, and how the decisions were taken is available at http://www.ramblers.org.uk/Volunteer/Financial+situation.htm - where it also clearly states that YES THE CEO HAS TAKEN A VOLUNTARY REUCTION IN PAY. Perhaps as a journalist you should have done this research before casting accusations and insinuations!
The answer is quite simple, if you don’t like the decisions of management then raise it at the General Council and see if you have the support of the membership.
I doubt whether you’ll allow this to remain on your site, being comment that doesn’t coincide with your own, but believe it or not there are other opinions than “The great Cameron McNeish”
September 5th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Thanks Ben, that’s really useful. What a pity no-one thought of putting that information in the Ramblers’ mnagazine.
As to the decisions of the management, we have already put it to the Scottish Executive Committee who have agreed to go forward to the Ramblers General Council with a motion seeking independence. I think that’s a big thumbs down to the current Board of Trustees.
September 5th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Ben,
I’ve had a bit of time to look at the links you kindly mentioned. Wow, the one with the explanation of finances etc takes some finding doesn’t it? Whoever wrote the stuff answers that question by saying:
“The vast majority of people visiting the Ramblers website are not volunteers, or members, or involved in running the Ramblers in any way. Information which is specifically for volunteers is kept in this section of the website. Most Areas and Groups know to look here for information.”
I didn’t.
However, that aside, there are some interesting things in there. It’s suggested the Senior Management Team has been cut from 7 to 4 to save money. Mmm, that includes the former Directors of Wales and Scotland. There is now no representative of either Wales or Scotland on the SMT.
It also suggests that Tom Franklin has taken a voluntary salary cut (temporary), and I apologise unreservedly for suggesting he may not have. However, I wonder if that cut is the same as former Scottish Director Dave Morris whose salary has been almost cut in half (permanent)?
I’m afraid the content in the link you gave me begs more questions than answers, and it would seem that neither Tom or the chair of the Board are willing to answer either letters or emails containing those questions. Indeed, when the news first came out about the cutbacks, following a meeting of the Scottish Executive Committee, Scottish Convener Dennis Canavan put together a well thought out paper with some suggested alternative strategies. It was sent to Franklin and the Chairman of the Board Rodney Whittaker. Dennis, to this day, has not had a response.
Dick Balharry, President of Ramblers Scotland, wrote a series of emails to Franklin. None were answered.
These guys are not just members of the Ramblers, they are democratically elected officials, and yet they were treated as though they did not exist. And you wonder why I’m pointing the finger at Franklin and Whittaker and asking for explanations!
After considerable pressure both gentlemen came north for a meeting in Milnathort but it was clear at that meaning that neither had any inclination that Scotland was a separate nation, with its own laws, its own government, and its own traditions. Indeed, the Scottish office was described as a “regional office.”
Finally, check through the other threads on this website and you’ll see that it’s open for anyone to comment on anything I’ve written, whether in agreement with me or not. I believe in democracy - I’m not so sure about the Ramblers current crop of Trustees and its CEO.
September 5th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I agree the information is not exactly front page on the website, but although not a volunteer myself I found it in less than ten minutes. Personally I think there should be at least a link to the information on the front page, given the magnitude of the decisions.
My biggest problem, however, with your initial post is that the inclusion of the the accusations regarding the questions not being answered and that the CEO won’t have taken a pay cut are easily rebutted and that diminishes the overall argument. That argument should not be about whether or not the magazine has answered the questions you ask, but whether the Ramblers is relevant to Scotland and Wales.
The news that the Scottish Executive is going to push for independence is more than welcome. The reality is that the issues facing ramblers in Scotland are entirely different to those facing ramblers in England and Wales. Heritage, laws and the very nature of the geography in Scotland are so completely removed from the urbanised and access restricted land south of the border that a unified body is no longer capable of serving both adequately. I think the present row may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Scottish ramblers (and visiting ramblers from elsewhere) in the long term. The time for arguing over minor details like whether or not emails have been answered is long gone - it’s time to say clearly that the Ramblers as an organisation has failed Scotland, has had its day and is no longer relevant. Keep to this issue and you have an almost unarguable case - dilute it with easily discredited accusations and insinuations that even an A Level student could rebuff in 10 minutes diminishes the validity of the rest of the argument.
The argument regarding the Scottish office being referred to as a “regional
office” is an entirely seperate matter, and is political rather than an environmental or conservation issue. Perhaps you’ll get your answer to this with the proposed Independence Referendum, but until then legally Scotland is NOT a seperate nation but a member of The Union so the argument is pure semantics
September 5th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Well said Cameron.
Gibson
September 5th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
I don’t know what salary cut Tom has taken but I am reliably informed that his salary was roughly equivalent to the entire proposed budget for Ramblers Scotland.
Not much sign of a move from the central London office either as they are still recruiting staff there:
http://www.ramblers.org.uk/aboutus/Vacancies/
September 6th, 2009 at 12:22 am
Also - I think Ben Acchie is optomistic if he thinks the answers to your questions re the financial situation are to be found on the Charities Commission website.
A parcel of rogues…
September 6th, 2009 at 9:36 am
Re Ben Acchie’s comments:
Nation- 1.”a people with a common origin, tradition and language”
2. “a community of people possessing a more or less defined territory and government”
Not a nation Mr Acchie? Think again.
September 17th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
The statement on the RA website can be found with a bit of effort, despite them being moved from where they were initially, but it’s just so much fluff and doesn’t really say much at all. You’d be forgiven after reading it if you thought the extent of cuts was that custard creams would no longer be provided at area meetings!
Regarding pay and temporary pay cuts, I think look at the RA accounts may change peoples perspectives on this magnanimous gesture: by my reckoning the 2007 and 2008 accounts show that someone got a pay rise of between £10,000 and £30,000 (you can’t tell exact figure because they use £10k bands to mask detail, fairly common I believe). What other pay rises were dished out I wonder and how were any of them justified?
I’ve also written to RA HQ and received no response. Next time I’ll include an SAE!
September 17th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
I agree with you about the fluff Gary, and intrigued re the big pay rise. Incidentally, I’ve been told the CEO has a agreed a pay freeze, and not a pay cut. Big difference, especially if he’s the one who’s just recently had the huge increase. BTW I’m not making accusations, merely speculating.
I’ve also had a ltter from Tom Franklin addressed to me, for publication, in TGO. It will appear in the next issue. Don’t get too excited though - there’s little in it that’s new information.
September 22nd, 2009 at 5:35 pm
At last a meeting of the Trustees and they are admitting that they have failed
to address many issues.Minutes from the meeting have been emailed to Area Chairs and beyond. It would appear that they have noted that emails and letters to Tom Franklin remain unanswered.
September 22nd, 2009 at 8:31 pm
I have seen a copy of the communication from that last meeting (entitled “Post-Board Communication from Rodney Whittaker on Behalf of Trustees to Area Chairs and Secretaries,” 21st September) and I’m sorry to say it’s just yet more ‘fluff’; it says nothing of any substance. I think I’m fuming even more, especially after the last “wait and see what we have to say” communication.
Gary