Cycling UK Forum

What are the benefits/advantages to us of CTC as a Company/Club? Most of the arguments focus on the issues for/against becoming a charity. Aside from some pecuniary gains, what advantages does charity status offer members, as well as the CTC that company status doesn't already encompass? It is possible that we members currently enjoy a certain amount of autonomy, preference, and decision-making ability as company shareholders that we might lose as charity contributors and purchasers of services. This latter point might prove to be significant for current members in future. And is it really realistic to run an organisation that aims (somewhat like Sustrans) to convert the entire nation to cycling on behalf of itself and requires us to become a charity to do so? So far we have managed to promote CTC very successfully particularly to current CTC members (individuals and groups) through Cycle magazine and the internet-based Newsnet (both members-only media), but also to politicians, and while still a Company. Yet nowadays we seem perhaps stuck between a rock and a hard place vis-a-vis our member status, our finances, and our future direction and goals. As company members we can initiate policy and so on and so on, and this ability to initiate is really ingrained in our status; as charity members we are perhaps likely to be driven by other imperatives/motives that we ought to consider before jumping over the fence.

We don't have to fall in with CTC's line on becoming a charity - as members we all have the right to vote to remain a club run as a limited company.

CTC won't collapse if we stay as we are.