Cycle Talk goes out to 2500 households. I don’t know the total membership
figures for Scotland,
but let’s say that the average number of members in a household is 2 and that
there are about 5000 CTC members in Scotland.
I know that there are just over 1000 members in the Lothians DA. Now that does
not mean 1000 people out for each Sunday DA ride, nor does it mean 1000 people
mountain-biking it independently over the Pentlands every weekend.
We tend to talk about ‘the DA’ as if it were the members who join in ‘Club’
activities, but in fact it is all the CTC members
resident in a geographical area. All these people are members of CTC
for a reason. It’s obviously not the ‘club’ side – some are not interested,
or can’t fit it into their schedule, or don’t live anywhere near where there
is a group. We sometimes say ‘It must be for the Insurance’, but it’s possible
to get reasonable insurance elsewhere. Is it because CTC
campaigns for better facilities on the roads? Well, many would argue that the
‘specialised’ campaigning groups do that very well, so CTC
campaigning is not needed so much, at least in the cities.
Does CTC’s strength lie in its status and
long history, and the standing it has in dealing with national and governmental
bodies? Well, as CTC (UK) doesn’t know very
much about Scottish law or Scottish government, and all the work entailed in
this is dealt with in Scotland by a very few volunteers (and we are all rather
new to dealing with a government here anyway), this is probably also not a main
reason why people join us.
I’m led to the conclusion that it must be a bit of all of these, and more.
I’ve no idea what the turnover of membership is like, but I guess that many
remain CTC members for some considerable time
even when they are not active within one of the CTC’s
groups. It’s not like a magazine subscription where people often say “I’ve been
reading this for 5 years now, there’s nothing new, I’ll give it up”. People
do stay with us, so we must be providing something they want or need. We would
really like to know what it is – so that we can improve it. If there are elements
missing, we’d like to develop them. Above all, we would like more members to
be actively involved in what CTC stands for.
This does not necessarily mean joining in the Sunday runs. It may be that
you do some campaigning activity locally either on your own or with other CTC
members in your area (with or without assistance from CTC
or CTCS). It could be helping with a school
‘Safe Routes’ project or cycle training at a school. In all of these CTC
can help, and CTC Scotland or the Scottish
Cycling Development Project can be your first port of call to get advice or
help. I think that often people don’t even know that there are other CTC
members living in their street or just round the corner, and where two or three
are gathered together your impact and effectiveness is just that bit greater.
On the more formal side, in 2000 the CTC
produced its ‘Vision 2000’ – the development plan for the UK
body. In Scotland
our committee produced ‘Moving Forward’ which linked what CTCS
is doing into the UK
plan. On the government’s side money has been put into Cycling, Walking and
Safer Streets (CWSS), and the Scottish version of the National Cycling Strategy
is being worked up. There’s a lot going on, and a lot being progressed slowly,
but one of the problems that we have is money! There is no money from CTC
to cover administration in the regions (of which Scotland
is one), and of course there is no subscription or levy to belong to a DA or
even to CTC Scotland. CTC
will cover some expenses relating to certain specific expenses but the range
of our activities means that we have less coming in than going out (Mr Micawber
had something to say on this).
I recently attended an evening training session organised by SALSC (the Scottish
Association of Local Sports Councils) and the SSA (Scottish Sports Association)
where the theme was partnerships between sport and business. No-one gives away
grants for nothing nowadays, and our Committee is looking at ways in which we
could tackle specific cycling projects which might attract sponsorship, support
or grants from a range of organisations.
The theme of the CTC’s Regional Development
Day which Pat Harrow and I attended representing
Scotland (most
of the English regions as well as Wales
and Ireland
were also there) was that we as a cycling organisation have a product and we
need to market it. The product might be a special event (a Bike Fest, a Charity
Ride) or educational (a training course for adults or children) or a leisure
activity (a series of guided rides for non-members).
If we have 5000 members in Scotland,
we should be capable of organising some of these and getting our name forward.
The Committee feel it is very important that we do brand our events as CTC
events – the chocolate manufacturers don’t sell their products in plain brown
paper bags, the whisky manufacturers don’t sell whisky in plain unlabelled bottles.
We need to market our products and put the CTC
label on them.
Please support the events we already have organised. By the time you read
this the Perth Open Day will have been and gone (unfortunately it was not organised
at the time of the last Cycle Talk), as will the KM Rally, but there are still
the bike festivals in Glasgow (Kelvin Park) and Edinburgh (Meadows) on June
16th and the Grampian Rally in August (details in the two previous Cycle Talks).
I suppose I’m really asking for more involvement from you - the members -
not just in the traditional CTC activities,
but in all the things we need to do to make cycling better for both leisure
cyclists and utility cyclists.
I said earlier that we wanted to know what you think about CTC
Scotland, about what we are doing and what we could do. There’s now a forum
on the web site where you can not only ask questions (and hopefully get answers),
post notices of events, but also start up discussion on things cycling – including
what you think CTCS could or should be. If
you don’t have web access, then write to the Secretary
and your points can either be discussed by the committee, or if you agree, be
posted on the web for others to add their contributions. The forum is at www.CTCScotland.org.uk/mwforum
CTC and the regions
England is
at last regionalising itself, in some cases slowly and reluctantly. CTC
has run a Regional Training Day to help regions set themselves up with a structure,
an image and a sound financial basis. Well, we already have the first two, and
the CTCS Committee
is working on the third. A part of the problem is that there are no DA subscriptions,
no CTCS subscription and no grants (except
the membership payback each DA gets which is enough to send each household a
letter once every two years), yet we have some small administrative expenses
and larger ones doing the job of promoting and protecting cycling in a Scottish
context.
CTCScotland
The Executive met in early April and the full committee at the end of the
month. The main items discussed were related to the proposed ‘Scottish Cycling’
project (see paragraph headed ‘Scottish Executice’), our current financial
position, representation of CTC members on
the CTCS Committee
and ways in which we could make use of our biggest resource in the cause of
promoting and developing cycling. The biggest resource is, of course, YOU –
the membership, hence the lead article in this publication looking at what CTCS
has to offer the membership and what the membership has to offer CTCS.
Cross Party Group on Cycling
This is still meeting regularly, with a principal aim being to inform MSPs.
The last session had Matthew Simpson (Cycling Officer for Edinburgh)
speaking about recent infrastructure developments, and Dave du Feu from SPOKES
presenting SPOKES’s annual analysis of Council spending on cycling. As he said,
his main point was not to show that some Councils do spend what they are allocated
while others do not, but to show the overall trends over time – which are not
favourable to cycling.
Scottish Executive
There is still no real progress on the ideas being discussed to provide an
over-arching information structure for those wanting to find out about cycling
in Scotland.
These seem to have been overtaken by a design for a development structure which
would involve a team of paid staff in areas under a Director of Cycling. (While,
if there is funding for this, it would be welcome, it’s not quite what we were
thinking of to start with). Anyway, the issues commented on in the last issue
of Cycle Talk – the losing of a department and associated staff within the Executive
– have not been resolved, and the new person taking over the responsibility
is not yet up to speed with the issues involved.
[Editor’s note: By the way, the credits for that article in the last issue
should go to SPOKES. I replaced some notes on the Scottish approach to the National
Cycling Strategy with that article at the last minute, and forgot the byline.]
CTC (UK)
and membership
At last the computer data is getting sorted out. Some DAs are now getting
correct lists. Please tell HQ if yours are not yet correct. We have also managed
to get a list of affiliated organisations (Campaigning Groups, Bike Clubs and
others) – including some we didn’t know about. The Secretary
will be writing to them soon.
Cyclists Welcome
This should have been enclosed with the last issue of CT&C but we believe
that in several areas this was not done. If you didn’t get one (and if it hasn’t
been enclosed with this issue) then contact HQ at Godalming (don’t tell us,
please).
Conferences
TRANSform Scotland
had its conference on ‘Is transport good for your wealth?’ recently, which attempted
to focus on the real costs of current transport policies (attended by Peter
Hawkins and Mike Harrison).
Cycling Friendly Infrastructure was the title of a conference at Nottingham
(attended by Peter Hawkins), and the Cycle Campaign Network had its spring meeting
in Dorchester (attended by Mike Harrison). A summary
of the points made is posted on the web site at www.ctcscotland.org.uk/conferences
What’s On
This was compiled by SCDP and printed by the Edinburgh Bike Co-op. While the
events were copied accurately, some of the contact details were taken from old
and inaccurate data. Please check for the latest information on the SCDP website
– www.scottishcycling.co.uk.
Bikes on Trains
railfuture (the Railway Development Society) used to have a cycle
liaison officer. It now has a small group of reps. who can each take up
issues with their local TOCs (Train Operating Companies).Mike Harrison is a
member of railfuture and has volunteered to be the contact for Scotland
- i.e. Scotrail, and relevant GNER and Virgin routes If you contact a rail company
with a problem, it would help if you could copy your problem and the replies
to him; if you need help, also contact him.
Just another sponsored ride?
As a DA Secretary I receive a non-stop supply
of information on cycle challenges and sponsored events of various kinds. These
are usually posted in the Clubroom, but in case you haven’t heard of it, there
is a rather unusual event going on this year. You can find out more on the web
at www.abchallenge.org.
The basics of the story are told by David Abrutat – “The project itself is all
about blood. Myself and another ex-servicemen Nigel Rogoff both owe our lives
to large blood transfusions and we want to give something back to the National
Blood Service. We aim to recruit 100,000 NEW blood donors this year and also
to raise £100,000 for the Royal British Legion POPPY APPEAL.”
They are leaving TowerBridge,
London on May 10th, and plan to
get back there on September 10th having hand-cycled2680
miles and canoed2260 miles round the coast.
As well as the business of raising money, they would like other cyclists
or canoeists to join them and ride or paddle with them.CTC
members can also help in showing the way! By the time you read this, they will
already be in North Devon, but you can still contact
Dave, and offer to join in when they reach Scotland.
You can contact him on Mobile 07989 388063, Pager 07654
615840, Email abrutat@orange.net – and
do have a look at the web site.
Deeside Way
project
A report on the development of the ‘Deeside Way
- Culter to Crathes - the critical link’ has been published by Crathes, Drumoak
& Durris Community Council. The old railway line has long been eyed for
development as a path, though it has already been preyed on for isolated developments,
and there is a railway project proposed for a few miles.
The report, written by the local CTC-RtR
rep, sets out a way forward through consultants and grant aided funding,
to establish an off-road multi-user path over the next three years. Copies
available from: brachmont@yahoo.co.uk
30 June: Saughton Cycle for Kids
Fun family cycle ride from Saughton to Cramond and back via Roseburn, Craigleith
and Davidson’s Mains. Free BBQ and Cash bar at return at HMP Edinburgh’s Officers
Club.
Event is to raise funds for CHILDREN 1st. Volunteers needed to act as marshals.
Contact Adam Quin 0131 444 3000 ext
5035
7 July: Dundee Ride
– change from 14 July
Contact: Diane@maths.dundee.ac.uk
01382 884 540
PEDAL for SCOTLAND
Scotland’s biggest mass participation bike ride
Now well-established and
growing in numbers each year. As the numbers grow, so there is need for more
helpers - from loading bikes into lorries at 0700 in the morning, registering
riders and marshalling at the start, marking the route, assisting at the stops,
handing out certificates at the end and generally picking up the pieces. If
you are not riding, can you help anywhere along the route?
If you’re not riding, please help.
If you’re not helping, please ride.
Offers of help to the Organiser
please:
Pedal for Scotland,
PO Box 13873, Portobello,
EDINBURGH, EH15 3YE
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