Hello hikers!
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting me yet, I’m Natalie, a first year PhD student in the School of Earth & Environment, studying rocks and earthquakes! I grew up in Teesside, in north-east England, although no one ever believes me as I’ve lost my accent somewhat. Most people I’ve met this year would probably say my entire personality revolves around being enthusiastic about rocks and hiking, and so I thought it would be a good idea to enforce that stereotype and run for Trip Secretary on the Hiking Club Committee!
So, why do I want to run for the 2022/2023 Committee?
I joined the Hiking Club last October, and took a bit of a gamble by booking a ticket for the three-day Lake District trip without having met anyone in the club. I had previously done some hiking during my undergraduate geology field trips, and more independently around the UK with friends since 2020, but I don’t come from a hiking family and thought I might be a bit underprepared. Nevertheless, the first day of the trip I greatly enjoyed a megahike up and around the Wainwrights of sunny Skiddaw, along with strangers who have since become some of my closest friends in the club.
On this trip, I realised some of my favourite things about this club: the wide-ranging hiking options, its inclusivity, and the fact that the club only ran so smoothly as members gave back by being a leader, driver or on the committee. I’ve since started my training as a Summer & Winter leader, have been a Midas driver for three club trips (meaning I can drive the gear van and nine-seater vans), and attended every single overnight trip, usually the three-day option. I’ve found it a great way to balance out the workload of starting a PhD, staying active and healthy, as well as to meet so many friends in Leeds. Given all this, I am super keen to run for Trip Sec, and start organising the locations and logistics of the trips, even if I have an ulterior motive of wanting to go on all the trips anyway...
Why do I think I am qualified for the job?
Well, I already have experience being on a committee, as I was the 2019-2020 “Talks Officer” for the geology society (super cool, I know!) during my undergrad at Cambridge. This involved sending out loads of emails, and organising talks throughout the year & a conference, as well as helping the rest of the committee with varied weekly social events. Two of the speakers I invited are now my Leeds PhD supervisors, which probably suggests I did something right (#networking). Secondly, in Summer 2021, between graduating and starting my PhD, I spent three months hiking and travelling around northern Britain, wild camping in Scotland, hiking the Three Peaks, and swimming in the Lake District. This means that not only do I have a reasonable idea of the geography of the UK, but I have many many suggestions of where we can go on hiking trips which have a decent range of walks to suit all abilities and desires.
What will I do when I’m on the committee?
I believe that the job of Trip Secretary is three-fold. Firstly, Trip Sec needs to choose where the weekend, Sunday and longer trips will be, and the timing of each. I’ll look forward to researching ideas, and discussing these with the rest of the committee, especially drawing on areas of expertise that they have (for example, I’ve only been to Wales three times, but don’t tell Harry). Secondly, Trip Sec finds and books the accomodation, and the previous committee did an excellent job of finding some lovely bunkhouses and village halls to stay in, and I’ll look forward to maintaining that level of quality, whilst trying to maximise the number of beds available for overnight trips and keeping the cost reasonable. Thirdly, Trip Sec organises the leaders and drivers for the trip, whilst trying to maximise the number of member tickets available, which sounds like a fun logistical challenge. As a Midas driver myself, I’ve seen some of the hard work that goes into organising this, and would welcome working together with the Transport Secretary to ensure that this is done fairly and efficiently.
I’ve heard rumours that the club used to do “Magical Mystery Tours”, and I would be very keen to organise one of those, even if it just brings a degree of novelty to an otherwise normal weekend trip! I’ve additionally spoken to some members, especially those who don’t have undergraduate exams next term, who are keen to do some Sunday hikes in April to June, and I would personally be very interested in making the most of the lovely British spring and organising a few of these with the Transport Secretary (especially given that this is my first May without exams since I was ten years old, we love the British system woop).
To summarise, I’m a super keen hiker, who has already become very involved in club trips, especially given I’ve only been a member for six months (best £18 I ever spent?). I would enjoy working with the rest of the committee to organise club trips to some excellent destinations, as well as continuing my leader training and being a Midas driver. I additionally always try to be a friendly face on hikes, and I’m keen to make new friends and help people feel in their comfort zone. Additionally, my PhD is funded until April 2025, which means I could easily be in the club for at least four whole years and can pass advice onto several generations of committees & leaders! Finally, my music taste has been complimented multiple times on trips, especially my Taylor Swift & eighties playlists, and I would continue to help maintain positive vibes on trips!
Thanks for reading, and I hope that you vote for me!
Natalie xox