Maybe new people did come forward a few years ago with new ideas and opinions, often groups can get set in their ways and aren't overly keen with new members, the younger generation and their new ideas.

It's regrettable to see that Cleveland Group have ceased . Often it's the same faces inputting to the local LDWA groups for years : helping on committees , leading social walks or assisting on “their� local events . When I joined in 2005, the age demographic inputting to the local groups was around 60 , now it's nudging 70 plus . The local group demographic gets older together , reaching a point of wanting to keep walking socially as they always have done but perhaps informally , or understandably feeling they've done their bit & it's time to hand on the organising baton . Or with increasing red tape it's all become too much faff to organise the “XYZ� event after the 20th staging .The group walks are accordingly reduced over Strider issues in number & distance , not enough come forward to assist & events are abandoned; and so forming a committee at each AGM becomes increasingly difficult . Some taken for granted events reappear as non LDWA events , with entry fees trebling or more , negligible catering , a medal in lieu of a certificate : no longer a walker's event but a runner's race . Apparently the LDWA has record membership or thereabouts , but (in normal times) where are they at local group level ? Have they joined to grab discounted entry to widely recognised cheap & increasingly popular LDWA events or to access LDP info ? On the group walks it's often the same faces turning up and has been for years with a very occasional new member ; in fact it's a bit of a novelty (pre pandemic) if you see someone turn up for a group walk you don't recognise . There's a collective “who's that� if an unfamiliar car parks up !

And as has often been said , it's worth remembering the local groups & their very small number of volunteers are the lifeblood of the LDWA : without them there is no LDWA , no challenge event offering discounted entry . No custodian updating LDP info . For sure many of the mid to larger groups before lockdown were thriving with multiple events & a varied social walk programme . But the demise of Cleveland & recent merging of the Isle Of Wight group makes you wonder if this is part of a trend in the next few years that will see some of the small to medium sized local groups struggling to stay quorate ; either merging with a neighbour or leaving an area bereft of an LDWA group altogether . Not so much “use it or lose it�, record membership levels & the pre pandemic popularity of events suggests the LDWA is flourishing ; rather input to your local group or risk losing all they have to offer . It's disappointing that no new faces came forward to help keep the Cleveland group going for the next generation .

So sad to hear this group has fallen by the wayside.
I did several walks with this group and even though I had to travel a distance, it was always worth the journey. Some very nice people.
The Hanging Stone Leap Challenge was a highlight in the calendar.
The group will be missed.