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First Aid Course

A full day First Aid course was arranged in February for Oxfordshire members at the Red Cross Centre at Abingdon. The course was limited to 14 people but the intention is to have further similar courses in future to train more of the Area’s walkers. Almost all the groups in Oxfordshire were represented, including the Weekend Walkers and 20s & 30s Group. Mr Keith Turner, the Full Time Trainer at the Centre, took us through the types of emergency situations that might be encountered while on a walk and the appropriate First Aid response.

The main circumstance envisaged was that of encountering someone in distress or who is unconscious, whether a member of the walking group or not. The ambulance service should be called, using 999 or 112, for all serious conditions. A simple flow chart was used to show the appropriate actions, after first checking for any dangers in the vicinity of the individual. The actions are then dependent on whether there is a response from the individual from questioning or, if he/ she is unconscious, whether there is breathing. If the individual is breathing but apparently unconscious we were shown how to place him/ her in the recovery position. If breathing is not discernible, or is abnormal, after checking for 10 seconds then Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is necessary. We had the use of dummies to practise the CPR technique. I think most were surprised at how rapidly the chest compressions should be applied, which should be at 100 to 120 per minute (about the same rhythm as the theme tune to “The Archers”), and how deep they should be (some 5 to 6 cm).
Mr Turner then described the appropriate actions for a number of situations including: choking, bleeding, burns, heart attack, stroke, bone breaks, sprains/ strains, diabetic emergency, hypothermia, overheating and epileptic fits. We were shown how to apply a bandage to a wound and fit an arm sling. Many of the participants had received some form of First Aid instruction in the past but for most that was many years ago and the course was a very valuable one to either refresh those skills, or for others with no previous knowledge to learn them. One would hope that such courses are held for all Areas so that at least one person on a led walk has had some First Aid training.

Stuart Hughes (photos by Annie Batten)


One Day Course on Practical Introduction to Footpath Maintenance
This course, which was held on Thursday September 13th, was organised by Susan Maguire and the following account is drawn from her report on the course to the October meeting of the Oxfordshire Area EC. Its purpose was to train existing, and prospective, footpath volunteers. In attendance at various times, were:-

- 6 members from OCC Countryside Access including Hugh Potter (team leader);
- 4 people from Central Office, including Benedict Southworth, CEO;
- 3 members of the Chiltern Society (Southern Section);
- 2 representatives from TOE2 including the Chair of the trustees;
- 1 representative from Natural England (talking about funding);
- 15 members of Oxfordshire Ramblers, from nearly all the Area groups.

Jon Beale, Field Officer for South Oxfordshire, talked at length of the practical ways to get started. Topping the list was contacting your local field officer before embarking on any plans, to check if work on that particular site was in hand. Stephen Fox and Howard Dell from the South Chiltern Path Volunteers, described their method of working and how, over a period of 10 years, their group had developed. The SCPV, covers an area just slightly bigger than H&G’s patch. It has 30 volunteers to call upon which is made up in part by H&G members. Regular working parties are held: on a Wednesday morning fortnightly and on a Saturday morning monthly. Very often on a work party day there are several jobs, often in different locations which may need only a small number of people to complete the task ie 2 for a post, 2 for clearing after a brushcutter and about 8 for a gate. Each parish is covered by a path warden, who reports to a team leader as well as OCC. There are 3 team leaders who hold twice yearly meetings with their path wardens. Note that this covers just H&G’s patch. The SCPV would be very happy for interested people to attend their days or shadow them.

Benedict Southworth talked about the need for Ramblers to assist their local County Countryside team but not to take over their job.

In the afternoon we had a site visit at the Chalk Pitts by the Ridgeway just outside Watlington where we were split into 4 groups and were taken round by members from OCC Countryside Access. Following this Peter Harden (D&W and Chiltern Society) laid out the huge variety of tools used by their team.

The photographs below show some of the group off to the training site, and an illustration of a recent stile replacement by SCPV.














Oxfordshire Area Picnic 2012
Ramblers from Bicester & Kidlington, Henley & Goring, Thame & Wheatley and Vale of White Horse Groups were joined by the Weekend Walkers and 20s and 30s Groups, for the annual picnic at this year's venue in Kirtlington Quarry.

The picnic was hosted by Bicester & Kidlington, and Lionel Howse gave the welcome greeting. I believe he also baked most of the cakes shown below.










The two special "Year 2012" cakes shown here were decorated with a crown for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, an Olympic torch and the Ramblers logo.

B&K Group certainly provided a delicious selection of cakes and drinks which was apreciated by all - the front of the cake tent was a popular spot.



















Fortunately it was a fine day and dry so there was no problem finding somewhere to sit.







All participants (including dogs) were well fed and watered for the return leg of their walk.



























White Horse Show, August 2011
Ramblers members were out in force on the stand at this year's show. There were members from the Vale and Weekend Walkers groups. There were four of us each day, a good turnout. Each days was slow to start but from about 10:30 it was non-stop the whole day. As before, the Guess the Distance competition was very popular, with some of the younger contestants borrowing string to estimate the distance. On the Monday we hid the string so one of them used the string from his balloon!


























Area picnic 2011
Following last year’s successful picnic held on Shirburn Hill to celebrate the Ramblers’ 75th anniversary it was decided to have an Oxfordshire Area picnic on an annual basis. This year’s picnic was held at Abingdon Abbey Meadow on Saturday June 25th. The event was hosted by the Vale of White Horse group who also supplied the refreshments and some of the cakes and biscuits. The weather was overcast, there was a stiff breeze but it remained dry. Shelter was provided by a gazebo borrowed from the Choose Abingdon partnership, whose officer, Heather Brown, joined the Vale’s walk. Their group started from the Meadow, following the Thames Footpath and Thame Lane to Culham Lock, returning to Abingdon along the Thames Footpath. Five other Oxfordshire Rambler groups participated: Banbury & North Oxfordshire , Bicester & Kidlington, Henley & Goring, Thame & Wheatley and the Twenties & Thirties. Altogether nearly fifty ramblers met at the Abbey Meadow and enjoyed the food and drink and the company of other walkers.












The Area hopes to continue the tradition of the annual picnic, to be hosted by another of the Area's groups







General Council, Keble College, April 2011
Oxfordshire Ramblers hosted General Council over the week-end of April 16 – 17; the meeting was held at Keble College, Oxford, a splendid location for the occasion and we were fortunately blessed with beautiful weather. Over 50 volunteers from 9 groups in the area helped out with providing transport to the college, manning the reception desk and providing tellers and scrutineers for the council votes and handing out microphones to the speakers. Jim Parke, our new Publicity Secretary, assembled a display of Ramblers’ activities provided by the groups in Oxfordshire and members of Oxford group led walks on Sunday both before breakfast and in the afternoon at the end of the sessions – in total over 60 people took part in the walks around Oxford. The one motion put forward which directly affects us in Oxfordshire (although less significantly than for other counties such as Buckinghamshire and Warwickshire) was related to HS2. The amended motion which was passed “reiterates Ramblers’ traditional support for public transport, supports the Charter for High Speed Rail published by CPRE and urges for campaigning to reduce the adverse effects on rights of way on foot”. This was very much in line with the majority feeling at the Oxfordshire AGM in January although we do appreciate that some people feel more strongly against the whole project.











Local Rambler Gains National Award
Susan Maguire, Chairperson of the Henley & Goring Ramblers and Secretary of the Oxfordshire Area, has been chosen as the winner in the Ramblers’ 75th Anniversary Awards in recognition of her volunteer work for the organisation at both local and Oxfordshire area levels. Nominated by her local committee, Susan’s energy, initiative and enthusiasm were commended by the judges. There were over a hundred nominations and the judges commented that all of them ‘were of an exceedingly high standard’. As she had no idea that her committee had nominated her, Susan was surprised and delighted by the news that she had won. Fellow committee members were not at all surprised as they think the award is richly deserved.

White Horse Show, August 2010
The Area were present at this show on the bank holiday Monday and day before. Much interest was shown by the public, particularly in the 'Guess the distance' competition for which ten routes had been prepared, with three on display at any one time. Some people were so keen they asked for more than three goes. We were amazed how well one nine-year-old girl was doing until we realised she was leaning over the table and looking at the answers. Her quoting of the exact distance was her undoing, but in the meantime she had gorged on a couple of Mars bars. Another younger young lady burst in to tears when she only won a small chocolate bar because her older brother had won a bigger bar. Who'd have thought that would be a problem? Lots of complimentary copies of Walk were given out and there was interest throughout both days. See the gallery link above for more photos. Many thanks to members of the Banbury & North Oxfordshire, Vale and Weekend Walkers groups for their attendance.