John Radford Memorial Ride

On Sunday 2 August 2015, Huddersfield and District CTC will hold a ride to honour and remember John Radford, a CTC Councillor who tragically lost his life on 5 November 2014 from injuries sustained after being knocked off his bike in July 2013. The ride is free but donations in aid of CTC’s Road Justice campaign, which John supported, will be gratefully accepted.

Jaki Lowe

Recent Changes in the CTC

Over the last 12 months there have been many changes in National Office, with the executive team having to respond to a ever more challenging budget. Sadly many of those changes have impacted on staff. Recently I have had a number of representations from my members in connection with the latest changes which impacted on the function providing dedicated touring support.

The CEO Paul Touhy and his team of directors have a very challenging job, tasked with sustaining and growing CTC with a reducing budget and as a result had to look hard at how to achieve this. In reality in such a small organisation the options are few. The reality was that a very small number of people accessed the dedicated technical assistance that was available and this did not sustain retention of that function as it was. Council were consulted on this change and we could see that whilst it was regrettable, it was a decision taken in the best interests of the organisation.  Matt Malinder, the Membership Director intends to strengthen support to member groups as a result and will be liaising with you in coming weeks and months as he will want to know what you would like to see happen.

Paul and his team have already been very successful in bidding for central government funding so crucial to our long term plans and which also allows the CTC to get involved in activities which will raise its profile nationally and to all those cyclists who currently are not aware of its existence, or do not think its for them. Amongst other things this has enabled a successful pilot of The Big Bike Revival and puts the CTC in a more optimistic position starting 2015.

The emails I have received talk of technical touring functions being eradicated completely and this is not true. Members will continue to be able to access Technical and Touring features, Q&As and reviews in Cycle magazine, on CTC website and by dipping into the breadth of CTC members’ experience via the CTC forum.

Cycle touring remains a key strand of our strategy along with the many other forms of cycling in which people participate. What is different about the CTC is that we are potentially able to attract and represent the interests of all those cyclists. However as much as this is a unique positive feature of CTC it also presents a challenge for the executive, who have to determine how best to serve all of those interests. 

I assure you also as your councillor and someone who is very active in matters in and supporting council, that we are all fully involved and there is no sidelining taking place. In fact as well as being on the Operations Committee I have also undertook additional work supporting events for members, recruitment of the CEO, organising discussions with council itself on future facing challenges. I usually go to all the formal national committees and meetings. At AGM time I try to get to 2 or 3 member group meetings and I attend the East Midlands AGM and meetings a couple of times a year. I am also the equalities champion. I feel very strongly about the issues faced by cyclists in rural areas, as is the case in many parts of our region, more recently I made representation on the consultation on closures and changes to rail crossings across the region and how this impacted on the wonderful lanes we enjoy.

I can assure you also that for me personally it is important that CTC continues to be the natural home for people who see themselves as cycle tourists. I don't get out as consistently as many of you reading this might but I enjoy nothing more than a ride around the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire countryside and touring across the UK and beyond. For the first 8 months of this year I was doing a lot of rides trying to improve my cycle fitness and during this time undertook some sportives. Whilst I enjoyed these I can honestly say that a perfect cycling day for me involves being with friends on a leisurely bike ride, at least one long stop for coffee, cake and a chat and being able to soak in our beautiful ever changing scenery.

I will be at the East Midlands AGM later this month and I hope to see you there. Your emails and views are shared with Matt Malinder, the Membership Director as they arrive and I will provide updates to this blog accordingly.

Jaki Lowe

CTC East Midlands Councillor

Update from National Council January 2014

This is my regular update and follows an Away Day In November and the first Council of the year a couple of weekends ago.

Council matters remained busy through to the end of the year. Our policy work has been very successful and our staff have built good links with the new Minister for Transport Robert Goodwill and his team. All political parties seem to support increased cycling, better infrastructure and safer roads. CTC will want to see these promises delivered and good consultation and quality implementation where new schemes are agreed. The Road Justice campaign has highlighted the way courts fail to take injuries and deaths of cyclists sufficiently seriously in sentencing and banning drivers who cause collisions. Next year both prosecution and sentencing guidelines are up for review and we will be lobbying hard on this.

Council has had to take a very close look at our 2013-4 budget because of increased insurance costs and the decline in external income as some major funded projects come to an end. Although we have recruited many new members and the new “in- house” membership team is working well we also lose members each year. We need to grow if we want to achieve more for cycling and have a sustainable organisation.

A constant theme at Council was how do we attract new generations of cyclists from diverse backgrounds to join us at CTC – to ride, tour, campaign and develop new traditions that will sustain cycling into the future. A working group was established to oversee the work of Forster Communications who have been carrying out systematic research on the CTC brand. This work has included desk based research, interviews, a brand workshop, focus groups, used qualitative research through an online survey completed by over 7000 members and further detailed research from a further 63 members/potential members. Forster have successfully engaged with as wide an audience as possible of cyclists and potential cyclists. The working group has used Skype to meet regularly and carefully monitor progress and the results of the research were discussed at Council meeting on 18th January. There is currently a period of reflection.

Team CTC was very successful in 2013 but we have not been able as yet to secure ongoing sponsors for the team in 2014.

A highlight of the Council Awayday in November was a talk by Isabelle Clement of Wheels for Well Being. This is a small London charity concerned with inclusive cycling and using adapted bikes and hand cycles to enable people who cannot (or who can no longer) ride conventional two wheelers to enjoy cycling. Council wants to see CTC attracting a wider range of cyclists including younger people, urban commuters and campaigners, members of minority communities and those who would like to ride more often or explore further but are put off by the speed and volume of traffic and safety concerns.

CTC Member Group AGMs

I managed to attend three of the AGMs, one being the East Midlands CTC AGM last Saturday. It was good to see John Allen looking and feeling so well and back in his seat as Chair. I was joined by Paul, my partner, and there was some reminiscing with John and Keith on the Leicestershire patch.

My Own Rides

Well it was a good year. In September I joined an event jointly organized by Sustrans and Skedaddle to do the Coast and Castles Challenge from Newcastle to Edinburgh. A stunning ride indeed with a great group including some CTC members. In November I went to Lanzarote to Club La Santa – this time for a very indulgent 3 weeks. I rode most days –and occasionally had to walk the bike up the tough bits.

I haven’t managed to keep on my wheels in December and January. I was tempted to join Terry’s ride in Nottinghamshire last weekend but worried it may be a little fast. . . although I was heartened when another member mentioned on Saturday, with some humour, that it might not be good to drop your national councilor on a ride. . . .

and finally...

Don’t forget you can join almost 21,500 others and follow all CTC developments immediately as they happen by following our twitter feed @CTC_Cyclists. You can also follow me on @lowe1_jaki to see my views and exploits on cycling but you will also see what I say about my day job in human resources!

Want to ask me anything about CTC, whats in this message or what you would like to see more of - then contact me:

jaki.lowe@ctc.org.uk

@lowe1_jaki

07873335516

Jaki Lowe

East Midlands Regional Councillor

CTC

Campaign information from Greater Nottinghamshire Transport Partnership

I have copied below the campaign material from the Think! Cycling Campaign. Further information can be found at http://think.direct.gov.uk/cycling.html

Jaki Lowe
East Midlands Regional Councillor
@lowe1_jaki
07873335516

THINK! cycling campaign: Autumn 2013
Introduction
The THINK! campaign is due to launch it’s first paid‐for media campaign targeting drivers and cyclist with cycle safety messages.
Working in partnership with Transport for London (TFL), THINK! are using TFL’s successful ‘tips’ campaign and extending it to run in five cities across England where cyclist KSIs are highest (outside of London):
 Leeds
 Manchester  Birmingham  Bristol
 Cambridge
TFL is currently running the campaign in London until the end of October. Part of their messaging will focus around HGVs as a high proportion of cyclist deaths in London are caused by collisions with goods vehicles. More information can be found on the TFL website.
Campaign activity
The campaign will consist of “outdoor” advertising running in roadside locations. Outdoor media has been chosen as it enables us to reach and remind drivers and cyclists at the point of action and when behaviour is more likely to be positively influenced (i.e. when they are driving or cycling).
In addition to the advertising, the DfT press office will be working to launch the campaign with the media to generate some associated press coverage that will communicate key campaign messages.
Timing
The campaign will launch on the 21st October and will run for 4 weeks; coinciding with the end of British summertime and the clocks going back.
Key messages
The campaign consists of a series of tips, developed to be even‐handed and balanced in their approach and to educate both drivers and cyclists about the correct way to drive and ride, and reduce the number of collisions on the road.
We are using the following tips for this campaign:

•   Drivers, look out (for cyclists) when getting out
  
•   Cyclists, ride a door’s width from parked cars
  
•   Drivers, look out for cyclists at junctions
  
•   Cyclists, ride central on narrow roads
  

Campaign creative
Support
Please support the campaign in any way you can; we will be tweeting about our activity @thinkgovuk and would be grateful for any re‐tweets.
For more information, visit the THINK! website http://think.direct.gov.uk/cycling.html

Contacts
If you would like any more information about the campaign, please email the THINK! team. 

October Update From East Midlands Regional Councillor

October 2013


Dear CTC Member,

As the East Midlands representatives on CTC Council, I try to provide a regular ‘Councillor’s Update’ to keep in touch with all CTC members and volunteers in the region. The CTC has a broad membership base and I appreciate your views and feedback as this helps shape how the CTC develops.

I sent our last Update in May. 2013 has been very busy on the cycling front, I have been getting to grips with my role as councilor at a time when the profile of cycling has exploded but also at a challenging time for the CTC. I have also been trying to be more consistent with my riding as well! I have been increasing the length of my regular rides and have completed the Coast and Castles Challenge and I also did The Way of the Roses with friends. Both superb and come highly recommended. Next year I am signed up for the Deloitte Ride Across Britain so you see I have some training to do! I also led a ride from Southwell in the summer, it was the first I have led and I had a good number join me. It was a very hot day so we were very ready for our refreshments at Hockerton Dairy.

Below is a summary of the various activities I have been involved in.

CTC Council

Council has met four times in 2013, the January meeting was at Excel in London and enabled us to spend a couple of hours at the Bike Show afterwards. The business was mainly procedural, setting up the key committees for the coming year, introducing new Councillors etc. Highlight was the launch of Team CTC our new Women’s Racing Team who are now raising the profile of women’s cycling. For more information on Team CTC, please see www.ctc.org.uk/team-ctc

Our April Council received a visit from Bernhard Ensink CEO of the European Cycling Federation and we discussed how we can make the most of our links to this key supra-national body. There is potential to influence EU policy on cycling, vehicle specifications etc as well as setting up joint projects (like the current one on cycle logistics), learning from how other EU countries get people cycling and also using ECF’s understanding of cycle touring and international cycle routes.

We set in motion sub-groups concerned with increasing membership, advancing our diversity and equal opportunity commitments and improving CTC’s image and popularity.

The July meeting focused on preparing for the Brand refresh and hopefully you all got involved in having your say on the questionnaire. We also reviewed the progression of Dalby Forest, some of you may know that CTC has a national
 off-road centre of excellence in Dalby Forest, near
 Pickering in North Yorkshire. In partnership with
Pace, we offer mountain bike skills development
 courses and led rides, along with the traditional
 range of education courses and qualifications, a 
store, bike rental and bike servicing. Dalby is a 
stunning location For more information on CTC courses and the Dalby Bike Barn, please see http://www.dalbybikebarn.co.uk/

Last weekend was the October Council. It was a challenging meeting as we were required to agree the budget which is challenging in the context of changed funding arrangements and the need to grow the membership.  We had an excellent presentation from the new membership manager Matt Malinder and David Dowling. They have some really great ideas about what we should be doing to raise the profile of the CTC and also to attract and retain our membership. Team CTC have had a great season and we have really seen the girls raise the profile of CTC nationally and in areas we are not traditionally well known in. So we have agreed to continue to support the team subject to our co-sponsors remaining committed. You can see the list of events on the CTC websites.

CTC AGM

This year’s AGM and Annual Prize Giving Dinner was in Guisborough on the North Yorkshire Moors. After the formal reporting and questions we had resolutions on subs (keeping them the same this year), planning and road maintenance and revisions to the Highway Code. These become policy commitments that CTC Council will be working to. In particular we agreed a motion to encourage highway authorities to use highways maintenance budgets and funding via the planning process to improve facilities for cyclists.

This year’s innovation was a Saturday morning discussion session with local members on topics of interest suggested by the Member Group Steering Group. It worked well and encouraged more members to come along and give their opinion.

We will repeat this next year in Glasgow. On the Sunday, CTC Teeside members led us on a choice of great rides to the coast or up onto the Moors

Cycling Policy

Our Strategy and Policy Committee (one of the two sub-committees which reports to Council) has been investigating how technology can help CTC to extend our influence and get more people cycling. We are considering a number of CTC Smartphone apps, starting with improvements to our pothole and road defect reporting app, Fill That Hole.

We have also had a small working with a small group of Councillors to look at our image and our key messages. Our aim is to build on the excellent work that’s taken place during the past 18 months and increase brand awareness, while using this to extend our reach to other cyclists, increase membership and further extend our influence nationally. On the 6^th November the Councillors will be looking at what this tells us and considering what the next steps will be.

Road Justice

We recently launched our www.roadjustice.org.uk. We saw a very proactive approach with members delivering key messages to police commissioners across the country.

... and finally...

Don’t forget you can join almost 16,000 others and follow all CTC developments immediately as they happen by following our twitter feed @CTC_Cyclists. You can also follow me on @lowe1_jaki to see my views and exploits on cycling but you will also see what I say about my day job in human resources!

Want to ask me anything about CTC, whats in this message or what you would like to see more of - then contact me:

jaki.lowe@ctc.org.uk

@lowe1_jaki

07873335516

Communications from Regional Councillor

Hello all and apologies that it has taken me a little while to get up and running on this blog. I will now get into a routine of providing updates following each Council but also on other matters as they arise.

First to say that like many of you I was very disappointed that it was necessary to cancel the York Cycle Show this year despite the best endeavours of the organising committee. Arthur Spurr has invited me to the extraordinary meeting on the 22nd June which will consider how to move this event forward in future years. If you have any views, suggestions you would like to share with me beforehand or expertise you can lend to the YCS, then please let me know ahead of that date and I will provide an update following the meeting. Jaki.lowe@ctc.org.uk or contact me on my mobile 07873335516

The next matter to update you on is the launch of the Road Justice Campaign which needs your support to make this successful. CTC is launching the Road Justice campaign to make the justice system take bad driving seriously. 

Sarah-Charlotte’s Story

Sarah-Charlotte was hit by a car driver on a roundabout on an afternoon in August 2012.  She suffered serious leg injuries in the crash. Her career plans have been put on hold as a result and she now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. She didn’t receive any support from the police and never heard from the officer that attended the crash scene. In court the driver admitted that she had not looked properly before entering the roundabout, yet was only found guilty of careless driving. The driver received a paltry £110 fine and 9 penalty points and was able to drive again the same day.

This is just one of many stories that CTC is hearing about all the time. 

Road Justice

CTC’s Road Justice campaign aims to press the police, the prosecution services and the courts to treat bad driving with the severity it warrants. Starting with the police, let’s demand that they investigate road traffic collisions thoroughly and keep victims properly informed so that other people don’t have to go through the same ordeal as S-C.

We cannot hope to improve the justice system without your support. Visit the Road Justice website to hear other cyclists’ stories and to find out how you can get involved with the campaign. this is the link ti the website: http://www.roadjustice.org.uk

FreeCycle and RideLondon

You may be aware of the CTC involvement in Prudential RideLondon, and in particular the massive

FreeCycle event in central London on August 3^rd.  It’s the biggest ever Olympic legacy event, and should be great fun.  We’re delivering a range of activities and providing volunteer help – we need over 400 volunteers in total, and we’re about a third of the way there.

I’d be grateful if you could really push these volunteering opportunities through your networks and activities.  We need crossing marshals, route safety marshals, flag marshals, bike maintenance mechanics and helpers for the main hubs in London and Surrey, partly for FreeCycle but also for the 100 on the following day.  Transport to volunteer locations will be provided for those who can’t make their own way, and although volunteers will need to bring their own food and drink some costs will be reimbursed.  Minibus hire for whole teams of volunteers will be reimbursed, so we’re hoping for people from all over the country.

CTC will receive a small donation for every volunteer we provide, and each one will receive a uniform, equipment and training + health & safety briefing before the event.

Mark Slater has produced an email that can be distributed to individuals or organisations, and he can also provide you with promotional material and more information.  There’s an online application form. visit the website for more information.

Thats it from me for now - I am reporting in from my holiday in Lanzarote, interesting the contrast between local roads and driver behaviour here and at home. Excellent cycling to be recommended. Perhaps one final note from me - you all appreciated very much the involvement of John Catt as my predecessor in this role and he brought great experience and knowledge to this role. i don't have his experience or local knowledge and relationships with local member groups so if you have any suggestions of what you would like from me as your councillor then please let me know.

Jaki Lowe

CTC East Midlands Regional Councillor

jaki.lowe@ctc.org.uk

07873335516

Councillor's Viewpoint October 2012

www.ctceastmidlands.co.uk

Charity

The merger of the "Club" and the "Trust" into a single charity has now taken place and will be effective for the current financial year. It is already helping us get a clearer perspective when reviewing our finances.

A formal application has now been submitted to HMRC to allow the CTC to take advantage of Gift Aid. The bureaucratic machine grinds slowly so we do not have a date for when this will be available.

One immediate benefit of being a combined charity is that our investments are no longer subject to capital gains so that our investment portfolio is being rationalised without the need for concern about tax liabilities.

Web site

The new website was originally "set live" with a "beta" address as there was still considerable work to be undertaken to ensure that it all worked smoothly. Most of this work is now complete and the site will be migrating to the original www.ctc.org.uk shortly.

Oversight of the website has now been formally passed to the Editorial Committee, that also monitors "Cycle" magazine.

CTC Volunteer of the Year Awards 2012

This competition recognises the often unsung heroes of cycling - the volunteers  who keep cycling alive at a local and regional level. The CTC Voluntary Achievement Awards are for the people and groups throughout the UK and Ireland who deserve the most recognition for their achievements as volunteers.

Any member can nominate any CTC member or any CTC affiliated group. Awards will be presented at the CTC Annual Dinner in May, with national winners and recognition of the best regional candidates too. So this is the chance to recognise your local hero? The super organiser who puts on the best events in the region? The tireless group secretary? Campaigners who fought off a dangerous road scheme?

More details can be found at http://beta.ctc.org.uk/about-ctc/history/volunteer-and-voluntary-group-of-year-winners.

Strategy

Considerable work had been put into writing a new strategy. There may be some further refinements but the basic outline that Council intends adopting appears below.

CTC Strategy 2013-20

TheShort Version

This strategy aims to give us more members, more influence and more impact. It builds on what is special about us, and sets out four themes that we will use as the basis of our decisions and targets for the coming years:

1. We protect cyclists
2. We inspire people to cycle
3. We promote cycling
4. We operate a highly effective organisation

As the national cycling charity we will reach over 100,000 members and serve the interests of cycling and cyclists throughout the four nations of the UK. We will have integrated teams of staff and volunteers throughout the UK carrying out campaigning, outreach work, training and education and serving members. We will be widely regarded as the leading organisation bringing people to cycling and removing barriers to diverse groups of potential cyclists. For both on-road and off-road cyclists we will be the natural home. We will be effective influencers of policy at national and local government levels. We will be a highly regarded employer, with a motivated and high performing team of staff and volunteers. And having championed cycling and cyclists for 134 years, we will be financially sustainable and secure.

For each of the four themes we have set targets for what we’ll achieve over the next three years:

1 We protect cyclists

Throughout its history, CTC has supported cyclists facing difficulties. We will maintain and build on this heritage by acting to protect the interests of cyclists (and potential cyclists) individually and collectively. As the national cycling charity CTC will be the most effective champion for the UK’s cyclists.

• We will engage substantially more people in advocacy for cycling
• We will provide effective leadership in protecting the interests of off-road cyclists
• We will provide the best possible support for individual cyclists in difficulties

2 We inspire people to cycle

We have a proud tradition of community engagement and a network of cycling companionship throughout the UK. We will encourage more people to participate in cycling and remove the barriers they may face, and we will raise our own profile as their source of inspiration.

• We will inspire more people to participate in cycling
• We will remove barriers to more diverse participation in cycling
• We will help other people to make cycling more accessible
• We will change the way that CTC is viewed

3 We promote cycling

We are passionate about the positive difference cycling makes to individuals, communities, our nations and the environment. We will promote a compelling vision of cycling for the future and we will grow as cycling grows.

• We will provide “thought leadership” in cycling policy
• We will substantially increase membership    -->
• We will promote cycling within communities

4 We will operate a highly effective organisation

As the national cycling charity we will become a genuinely nationwide organisation, operating across the four nations of the UK with a culture of excellence and a track record of delivery. We will increase our resources in order to reach more people.

• We will become a genuinely nationwide organisation
• We will embed effective planning and performance throughout the organisation
• We will become an outstanding employer
• We will ensure financial sustainability

Each of these four themes extends across CTC, so that teams will need to work across departmental lines and all staff and volunteers will have a role to play in each area of the strategy.

New Councillor

As I reach the end of my 3 year term at the end of this year, I shall be retiring and am delighted that Jaki Lowe has volunteered to take on the role. For the last year there has only been one lady on Council and with the addition of Jaki, plus Janet Gregory, this will increase to 3. Still a long way short of the 50% that would be desirable.

I hope that Jackie finds her term as a CTC Councillor both enjoyable and satisfying.