Sustrans changes name to Walk Wheel Cycle Trust

[briantrumpet]

Have to admit I was deeply unimpressed by a Sustrans bod I (for once) had time to stop & chat to. Thought I might engage him on some specifics of local cycle routes, but it quickly became apparent that he didn't know any of them (certainly in any detail whatsoever), wasn't interested in my constructive suggestions, and was only interested in signing people up (he was being paid to be there), so he more or less walked away to try to catch others passing on bikes.

 

[mjr]

Have to admit I was deeply unimpressed by a Sustrans bod I (for once) had time to stop & chat to. Thought I might engage him on some specifics of local cycle routes, but it quickly became apparent that he didn't know any of them (certainly in any detail whatsoever), wasn't interested in my constructive suggestions, and was only interested in signing people up (he was being paid to be there), so he more or less walked away to try to catch others passing on bikes.

Ah, the chugger, the scourge of many charities!

 

[icowden]

Or W.H. Smith being renamed TG Jones.

W.H. Smith has not been renamed TG Jones.
WH Smith trades as WH Smith and has sold off all shops (including staff, fixtures and fittings) outside of "transport hubs".

The purchaser of those shops is Modella Capital. They own Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop.
They didn't want to turn the shops into either of those, so they have created a brand "T G Jones" to resonate with former Smiths customers.

The manager of our WH Smiths is now the manager of T G Jones. She excitedly reported "Don't worry - nothing has changed but the sign".
TBH if that's their business model it'll be closed by Christmas. The place looked like it belonged in a zombie apocalypse film when it was Smiths.

 

[mjr]

The manager of our WH Smiths is now the manager of T G Jones. She excitedly reported "Don't worry - nothing has changed but the sign".
TBH if that's their business model it'll be closed by Christmas. The place looked like it belonged in a zombie apocalypse film when it was Smiths.

Modella have done a sneaky in our town and closed the Hobbycraft that was on the UBS-owned tarmac-wasteland retail park. I expect a Hobbycraft concession will appear in the TG Jones near the High Street, like the Post Office and other ones in there and make it look like they've increased sales, helping Modella sell it to the next mug if they've done that in enough towns. More profit for Modella + another empty shop + redundant workers = trebles all round(!)

 

[Gwylan]

W.H. Smith has not been renamed TG Jones.
WH Smith trades as WH Smith and has sold off all shops (including staff, fixtures and fittings) outside of "transport hubs".

The purchaser of those shops is Modella Capital. They own Hobbycraft and The Original Factory Shop.
They didn't want to turn the shops into either of those, so they have created a brand "T G Jones" to resonate with former Smiths customers.

The manager of our WH Smiths is now the manager of T G Jones. She excitedly reported "Don't worry - nothing has changed but the sign".
TBH if that's their business model it'll be closed by Christmas. The place looked like it belonged in a zombie apocalypse film when it was Smiths.

Christmas? How I love an optimist

 

[Bristolian]

Have to admit I was deeply unimpressed by a Sustrans bod I (for once) had time to stop & chat to. Thought I might engage him on some specifics of local cycle routes, but it quickly became apparent that he didn't know any of them (certainly in any detail whatsoever), wasn't interested in my constructive suggestions, and was only interested in signing people up (he was being paid to be there), so he more or less walked away to try to catch others passing on bikes.

The chances are he didn't actually work for, or was even a member of, Sustrans. Many charities utilise third party companies to do their street enrolment/sales pitch and they, in turn, use agency staff on a day-to-day basis and who might have been doing something completely different the day before.

 

[mjr]

The chances are he didn't actually work for, or was even a member of, Sustrans. Many charities utilise third party companies to do their street enrolment/sales pitch and they, in turn, use agency staff on a day-to-day basis and who might have been doing something completely different the day before.

Yes, chuggers, aka charity muggers, are often hired-in. It's a particular skill, they often get abuse from passing people, and it burns out most volunteers fast.

 

[classic33]

Yes, chuggers, aka charity muggers, are often hired-in. It's a particular skill, they often get abuse from passing people, and it burns out most volunteers fast.

"Chuggers" are not volunteers, they're paid staff.
Doesn't excuse the abuse though, just walk on by if you're not interested.

 

[mjr]

"Chuggers" are not volunteers, they're paid staff.
Doesn't excuse the abuse though, just walk on by if you're not interested.

They can be either.

I agree there's no need to abuse them. Fact is that people do, though.

 

[briantrumpet]

The chances are he didn't actually work for, or was even a member of, Sustrans. Many charities utilise third party companies to do their street enrolment/sales pitch and they, in turn, use agency staff on a day-to-day basis and who might have been doing something completely different the day before.

Well in that case, they did their cause a disservice. Sounds like they might be a bit lost as a charity, if the actual people representing them to the public aren't actually, erm, representing them.

 

[Oldhippy]

I've never understood why Sustrans, Cycling UK don't work together putting cycling as regular transport for all. The name change seems pointless and costly for little if any gain long-term.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Its worth mentioning some of the companies that offer that sort of service do scam their employees as well, long working hours, commision only pay, and other dubious practices have been reported.

If you want to donate to a charity, call them direct and do it.

 

[mjr]

I've never understood why Sustrans, Cycling UK don't work together putting cycling as regular transport for all. The name change seems pointless and costly for little if any gain long-term.

It's a consequence of history. Sustrans's precursor Cyclebag (of Bristol and Bath Railway Path fame) was formed in the 1970s/80s when Cycling UK's precursor CTC was being especially stupid and short-sighted in opposing non-motorised routes due to a fifty-year fear that it would result in cycling be legally banned from more carriageways if there were more cycleways (a lack of confidence in their ability to make the argument that nobody would need to be banned from carriageways if the cycleways were any good, IMO), rather than what actually happened which is that cycling was bullied off most A-road carriageways and "designed off" new "improved" dual-carriageway A-roads like the "improved" dual-carriageway sections of A5, A43 and A46 in the Midlands, without even rubbish alternative provision, let alone anything good. Lots of other cycling campaigns were formed in other cities and towns around the same time: I think LCC, Camcycle, GMCC, Pedals and Spokes all started in that period.

So CTC was primarily about riding, while Sustrans was primarily about building. I think history has shown that both approaches are insufficient, but Sustrans's was probably needed more at the time. Until CTC converted to a charity, it was probably legally awkward for Sustrans and CTC to unite. Even now, their aims and structures may be different enough to make it difficult, so is it worth spending resources doing it? I don't know. They used to work together in the 2010s as part of the "Active Travel Alliance" but it didn't really work well. Not heard of it? I'm not surprised.