What has been going on with membership?
Its been a lot of work and time to get the paper records onto an electronic database and tidy up our membership db – thanks to Matthew for building the db and transferring the old paper data and entering new data and now thanks to Tony for working on the database tables, forms, reports, queries and entering data for repeat subs.
I’ve been trying to get on top of the work of entering the data from the on-line form.
We are still repairing holes!
BUT we think we may have bottomed out the work and we should be able to build up from now and have some reasonable faith that everybody who should be on the subs list is on the subs list.
(Please be tolerant; don’t forget we do this in our spare time)
We have approx 280 members incl all household members.
How do you know you are a member?
We spent a day printing and envelope stuffing, sticking and stamping this week and we think we have sent everybody on the db the membership cards they are entitled to, with name, membership number & the expiry date clearly printed on them.
Every individual and household member should have got a card
Hope you have got them OK.
If there are ever changes in your contact details or circumstances then let us know.
We should soon be able to automatically send reminders by email to let you know when your sub(s) are due.
We prefer it if you pay by standing order but you may pay by PayPal. (As we grow we may be able to set up direct debits but that is a way off).
We don’t like repeat payments by cheques (too much admin) or cash (too insecure).
We have been taking cash subs from first time subscribers at fairs and events where we can account for the dosh!
Are there any benefits for CycleSheffield members?
The main benefit is that cycling in Sheffield should be defended and improved. We are working hard on this.
We are all members on the email list.
CycleSheffield is affiliated to CycleNation, the national cycle campaigning group, and we give and take support and advice with other cycle campaign groups
CycleSheffield is affiliated to the CTC and this means CycleSheffield events and rides, e.g Sheffield FridayNightRide and Polly’s women-only rides are insured by the CTC
Our members can become affiliated members of the CTC. At the moment the cost 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. I assume you get CTC discounts where those apply.
We are in the process of negotiating discounts locally for CycleSheffield members (on production of your card) with bike businesses and cafes.
We should have a list ready for beginning of September.
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/event;
running local campaigns, a very good example is what CycleSheffield members have done on monitoring Asline Rd;
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.
We need as many activists as we can to do a (their) bit.
New ‘class’ of membership
We are delighted to announce that from Sep 2013 we have a corporate member, Heeley Development Trust.
HDT will be providing some services for CycleSheffield and in return we have negotiated a number of CycleSheffield memberships for them to allocate amongst their workforce.
If you know of any other enterprise or group that may be interested in corporate membership please let us know and we can negotiate something with them.
What does your membership sub go towards?
Our subs are inexpensive and mostly go towards running the infrastructure 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/
As officers we use our own ‘office kit’ and space, and phones, 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.
I hope to get all this detail plainly set out on our website over the next 3 months.
Any questions, amendments or queries about membership or your membership or affiliating to the CTC then pls get back to me mick.nott@googlemail.com
ALL this for
Subs Sep 1 2013 – Aug 31 2014 £6 individual; £8 household; £4 concessions
Astonishing!!!!
Mick, Chair & Membership Secretary
