I too received the ramblers e-mail. I did support the original appeal, but with some reservation. The Ramblers have taken over the Walking for Health project and as a large and popular group, should in my opinion be campaigning more for better overall access to the countryside rather than administering social projects. The have, I believe, a recent history of financial mismanagement and are an organisation with an extensive inner core, who seem to manage their own agendas, I would prefer to see more visible campaigning to neuter the Country Landowners Associations successful protection of large estates that block the way for local and long distance access in many parts of the country.
I hope Walk England is a benign organization and if so will maintain and campaign to extend national ways so that there is more choice.