Membership: subs, benefits and where it all goes.

Thought I would put this up on the News blog before we get it ‘set’ into a page of its own somewhere

Membership is now (Aug 2014) approx 560 members and we had just under 250 at the end of 2012.

Having a large number of members is important for political clout and also the more members the more activists that may emerge.

500 was the target so that is a success but if we reach 700 we have the same per capita strength as the London Cycle Campaign

So pls get friends and colleagues to join too!

Below is member info: subs, benefits, and where it all goes

Membership Subs Sep 1 2014 – Aug 31 2015

Joining on-line or by post

Individual £6 Household £8 Concessions £4

 Membership offers

Affiliation to CycleSheffield for CTC members and Norton Wheelers

CycleSheffield is prepared to negotiate membership for cycling clubs or groups of cyclists such as bike user groups, enterprises and workplaces.

Individual £4 Household £5 Concessions £3

Contact us at membership@cyclesheffield.org.uk

 ‘Corporate’ membership

CycleSheffield is prepared to negotiate membership for entreprises that offer services or benefits to CycleSheffield or its members.  Please contact the membership secretary at membership@cyclesheffield.org.uk to discuss this.

 Current corporate members are Heeley Development Trust and the enterprises below who offer benefits/discounts to our members.

 Membership Benefits

Affiliation to CTC

CycleSheffield members can become affiliated members of the CTC.

Currently (Aug 2014) the affiliate sub is £16 pa

and you get a CTC affiliate card.

(Full CTC sub is £41 pa waged/£25 pa unwaged).

As a CTC affiliate member you get the CTC 3rd party liability insurance and access to all CTC on-line services and newsletters.

You don’t get access to the CTC legal services or the Cycle magazine.

We assume you get CTC discounts where those apply and on production of your CTC card.

To become an affiliate member of the CTC please contact membership@cyclesheffield.org.uk

(CycleShefffield recommends that all members get 3rd party liability insurance)

Local benefits/discounts

CycleSheffield does a monthly “bike shop run”.  This gives us a chance to talk about the health of cycling with bike businesses in Sheffield.  We have negotiated discounts from some businesses and plan to negotiate with others.  CycleSheffield is grateful for this support for our work through supporting our members.

Some businesses have good reason not to offer discounts so treat any discount as a welcome bonus.  A discount for CycleSheffield members does not mean we specifically endorse the business and we all have our favourites.  If you are an enterprise that would be willing to offer discounts to CycleSheffield members then please contact us at membership@cyclesheffield.org.uk

You will need to have your membership card to get a discount and at some bike shops its best to tell them before you get the servicing or purchase sorted out.

Amici & Bici (corner of Abbeydale Rd/Chippinghouse Rd): newly opened cafe/coffee shop with focus on cycling and cyclists. Offers 15% discount on production of CycleSheffield cards – nice food & coffee too!

Bike Rehab (Wellington St): offers a 10% discount to CycleSheffield members.

Giant Store (Queens Rd); offers a 10% discount to CycleSheffield members

JE James (All branches): offers a 10% discount to to CycleSheffield and CTC members

La Bicicleta (Greystones Rd): offers discount on services and always offers best price on bike purchase

Langsett Cycles (Langsett Rd): offers a 10% discount for Cycle Sheffield and CTC members.

Nourish (Pinstone St opp the  Peace Gdns) uses a bike for deliveries. Offers 10% discount to CycleSheffield members.

ReCycleBikes (Thirlwell Rd): offers a 10% discount for CycleSheffield members on servicing.

Russell’s Bike Shed (Bike Hub at Sheffield Station): offers £5 discount on any service (usually £35/£55) he does to CycleSheffield members.

and we still have to negotiate with

Evans: offer 10% for CTC members and will consider the same for CycleSheffield as we are affiliated to CTC – so tbc

and still to go are Bike Tree (Abbeydale Rd S, Dore), Tony Butterworth (Catchbar Lane, Hillsborough),.

AE Butterworth (Abbeydale Rd. opp The Broadfield): does not offer discounts as he works as cheaply as he can for all

Cycles in Motion (Harland Works, John St): does not offer discounts as he works as cheaply as he can for all.

Edinburgh Bike Coop (corner Broadfield Rd/Bedale Rd): have their own charitable causes and  are willing to donate to one-off events but don’t offer over-the-counter or on-line discounts to any group.

Halfords and Decathlon don’t do over the counter discounts – I think Halfords does 10% on all products and sale prices if you are in British Cycling.

Are there any other benefits for CycleSheffield members?

The main benefit is that your membership ensures cycling in Sheffield is  defended and improved.  We are working hard on this.  So you should feel good about belonging and supporting.

We are all members on the email list and that is the one forum where member speaks unto member.

CycleSheffield is affiliated to CycleNation, the national cycle campaigning group, and we give and take support and advice with other cycle campaign groups

CycleSheffield’s affiliation to the CTC means CycleSheffield events and rides, e.g Sheffield FridayNightRide and Polly’s women-only rides are insured by the CTC

What does your membership sub go towards?

Our subs are inexpensive and mostly go towards running the organisation, production of campaign, publicity and membership materials, and partially supporting members to go to cycle campaign meetings & conferences nationally and occasionally internationally

Out of your subs we pay for CycleSheffield’s subs to CTC, CycleNation etc, IT costs (eg subs for hosting websites, we also support the Twenty’s Plenty website for Sheffield), hire of meeting rooms, publicity materials (posters/banners/badges/cards/brochures etc), fairs and events costs, stationary and postage for membership, some kit (like our stall and a laptop for use at meetings), conference attendance and travel.

As officers we use our own ‘office kit’ and space, and phones, transport for CycleSheffield work.

Nobody is paid for working for CycleSheffield

We have built up a surplus which was enhanced by the CycleNation Conference we hosted in Nov 2011.

What do members do?

Each activist gives something – even if its just the sub – and we just need more activists giving as much as they feel they can each, whether its:

• joining as a member – most important;
• getting other people to join CycleSheffield;
• reading the discussions on our email list/summary newsletter or fb page or our website;
• contributing to the discussions on-line or at a meeting;
• going to a CycleSheffield meeting;
• staffing the stall at fairs/events;
• running local campaigns, a very good example is what CycleSheffield members have done on monitoring Asline Rd, Sheaf Valley Cycle Route;
• writing up meetings/policy/emails;
• meeting officials/councillors/MPs;
• researching and monitoring development plans/developments;
• maintaining, editing and contributing to the website;
• maintaining and developing our publicity strategy/materials;
• maintaining and developing our membership db;
• maintaining and monitoring our finances;
• attending and participating at national and international meetings and conferences.

Any questions, amendments or queries about membership or your membership or affiliating to the CTC then pls get back to membership@cyclesheffield.org.uk

ALL this for

Subs Sep 1 2014 – Aug 31 2015 £6 individual; £8 household; £4 concessions

Astonishing!!!!