Touring Cyclist Club

[dellzeqq]

Rob

As a CTC councillor I always thought that the members, who were the customers, should come first. The Fridays had a great deal from the CTC, and we signed a good number of people up - either as full members or affiliates. but now I'm simply one of many CTC customers, and, if a better deal is available elsewhere, I'll take it.

I've never cared about the 'campaigning' (which is, in truth, lobbying), and I don't really want to pay for it. I can see that some people would want to make an affinity purchase, but it's not for me.

Is the insurance policy a third party policy? Do you have the policy to hand?

Are you intending to offer organisers insurance?

(We, along with many very senior CTC members, did try and get to the bottom of where the money went. The low point was being shown 'the full accounts' in which a sum of almost £200,000 was shown not broken down in any way. My companion on the day, a man who had been vice president of the CTC, a retired accountant, was at a complete loss...)

 

[swansonj]

From the last few weeks of their weekly email...
http://www.cyclinguk.org/blog/davidmurray/future-cycle-access-countryside
http://www.cyclinguk.org/news/20160630-mayor-promises-autumn-plan-safer-lorries
http://www.cyclinguk.org/campaigning/views-and-briefings/driver-training-testing-licensing
http://www.cyclinguk.org/publication/cycle-campaign-news-cycledigest/cycle-campaign-news-august-2016

And, from a few months ago they directly confronted government over the small proportion of the transport budget that went to cycling.
http://www.cyclinguk.org/news/20160523-cwis

Of course if you don't think they're doing enough it's always open to you to put yourself forward as a trustee....

See, if we just take your last example, the "directly confronting government" one, you feel it demonstrates that CUK are campaigning on the correct issues, but I simultaneously feel it vindicates suggestions of soft campaigning. Telling an all-party committee who already agree with you that we ought to spend more money? Delivering a letter to a Minister and getting it into the Times? Vociferously demanding that we need ... err ... a plan, a pathway and a strategy? It could certainly be a legitimate part of building momentum behind more focused campaigning, but honestly, it doesn't sound like the sort of thing to keep a minister awake at night. Or the civil servant/road planner/motoring lobby.

 

[srw]

you feel it demonstrates that CUK are campaigning on the correct issues,

No - I'm using it as an example of confronting the establishment, which is what you asked for. The establishment (if it exists - but that's another thread) don't really want to spend money on cycling.

 

[swansonj]

No - I'm using it as an example of confronting the establishment, which is what you asked for. The establishment (if it exists - but that's another thread) don't really want to spend money on cycling.

"Confront"? Honestly?

 

[srw]

"Confront"? Honestly?

That was my word, and in the context of polite British lobbying - yes.

Your challenge was to find something that rocks their paymasters' boat - which is rather weaker, and clearly fulfilled.

 

[martint235]

No - I'm using it as an example of confronting the establishment, which is what you asked for. The establishment (if it exists - but that's another thread) don't really want to spend money on cycling.

This is part of my point. Do I want money spent on cycling? Yes. Do I want it spent on the stuff, for want of a better word and there are many, that CTC tells me it should be spent on? No. I'm pretty good at staying upright on two wheels. If we can't persuade motorists to just accept us, let's spend more on cyclist training rather than just going for segregation and "what problem"

 

[snorri]

From the last few weeks of their weekly email...

Of the five links you provide, only one is relevant nationwide and it doesn't say what is being done to make progress in achieving the aims described.

 

[swansonj]

That was my word, and in the context of polite British lobbying - yes.

Your challenge was to find something that rocks their paymasters' boat - which is rather weaker, and clearly fulfilled.

I think we've reached the point of respectfully agreeing to differ. You think there is evidence that CUK are willing to rock their paymasters' boat. I think the activities described will have made such small ripples that no boat at all was remotely disturbed.

 

[srw]

I think we've reached the point of respectfully agreeing to differ. You think there is evidence that CUK are willing to rock their paymasters' boat. I think the activities described will have made such small ripples that no boat at all was remotely disturbed.

I agree to disagree. But I'm slightly surprised you think that the approach is new or has changed much over the last many years.

But if you'll forgive me I'll disagree more vehemently with @martint235, who is missing the point that cycle campaigning and membership organisations aren't all about what he wants personally. The reaons CUK decided to campaign for stuff on the roads is because that's what the public tell them they want. And although I recognise @snorri's concern that was a random and biassed sample from 5 emails. They send 52 emails out per year.


(And if anyone thinks I'm defending CUK uncritically - stop thinking like that. It's not true. I'm in the business of opening minds to alternative possibilities and ways of looking at the world.)

 

[swansonj]

Has anyone else looked at the voting form for CTC Trustees in the latest Cycling? If anyone doubts the extent and the thoroughness of the transformation of CTC from a members organisation to a self-perpetuating professional charity, look no further than the nominations procedure; the history of the various candidates' involvement in CTC or even cycling; and the things they choose to emphasise in their statements.

 

[robgul]

Rob

As a CTC councillor I always thought that the members, who were the customers, should come first. The Fridays had a great deal from the CTC, and we signed a good number of people up - either as full members or affiliates. but now I'm simply one of many CTC customers, and, if a better deal is available elsewhere, I'll take it.

I've never cared about the 'campaigning' (which is, in truth, lobbying), and I don't really want to pay for it. I can see that some people would want to make an affinity purchase, but it's not for me.

Is the insurance policy a third party policy? Do you have the policy to hand?

Are you intending to offer organisers insurance?

(We, along with many very senior CTC members, did try and get to the bottom of where the money went. The low point was being shown 'the full accounts' in which a sum of almost £200,000 was shown not broken down in any way. My companion on the day, a man who had been vice president of the CTC, a retired accountant, was at a complete loss...)

Apologies for the delay in commenting - I've been off the air here for a few weeks. The key questions you ask are about insurance - quick answers:

YES to a TP policy for individual members (available as an optional add-on to the basic membership at a cost of £10 - 12 per annum) It's taking longer than we wished to get it finalised ... but as our paid membership is now at several hundred (from launch on 5 August - a notable date in cycle touring) we should be able to get it sorted very quickly

DUNNO to Organisers' Insurance - that obviously depends on member feedback (see below) but probably not in the short term as an offer for other clubs (which is what I think you are asking) . . .the more likely scenario is that we will have organisers' insurance for events run by TCC members.

We will be planning a meeting for all interested paid-up members of the Touring Cycle Club in Birmingham towards the end of November . . .we'll be broadcasting the date and details to all TCC members and the many hundreds that have expressed an interest in what we are doing (obviously with the opportunity to join before the meeting) The agenda will be a progress report and a structured process for all interested parties to give their ideas . . .and to appoint a "group" of volunteers [We have yet to decide on the expression for the group .... Committee ?... Board ?. . . . Council (I think not!) ]

So watch this space - we have printed materials available from about 15 October and will hopefully have editorial coverage in various forms of medis - traditonal print and online.

We really welcome ideas, comments, feedback - please go to the website (which has scant information at the moment - the resource for TCC members will be behind a log-in, just general information for public viewing) for an online response form - and join the Forum - all at www.touringcyclistclub.org.uk

Rob

 

[robgul]

UPDATE - meeting for members on Saturday 19 November 2016 in Birmingham - see the website for details

Rob

 

[swansonj]

Random choice of thread to resurrect to say:

The Aug/Sep issue of Cycle contains a timeline of “landmark dates and achievements “ of Cycling UK.

Guess what. Not a single mention of charity conversion.

 

[theclaud]

Random choice of thread to resurrect to say:

The Aug/Sep issue of Cycle contains a timeline of “landmark dates and achievements “ of Cycling UK.

Guess what. Not a single mention of charity conversion.

I struggled to get past the double-page Jeremy Hunt spread...

 

[raleighnut]

I struggled to get past the double-page Jeremy Hunt spread...