The NF's local presence divided into "groups", which had under twelve members, and "branches", which had over twelve. Fielding stated that in July 1973 the party had 32 branches and 80 groups, while the journalist Martin Walker claimed that in January 1974, it had 30 branches and 54 groups. The majority were in south-east England, with 11 branches and 8 groups in Greater London and 5 branches and 22 groups elsewhere in the south-east. It had five branches and 3 groups in the midlands, 7 branches and 11 groups in the north, 1 branch and 7 groups in western Britain, and one group each in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each branch or group had its own five-person committee, with annual elections for the committee positions. Branch meetings typically took place in pubs, and were preoccupied largely with practical issues like raising finances. Some NF branches established supporters' associations for individuals who backed the NF but were not willing to become members out of fear of repercussions. In April 1974, the party introduced regional councils to co-ordinate between the national party and its local groups and branches.