Do you feel valued

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Bazza55
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Joined: 22 May 2013, 4:56pm

Do you feel valued

Post by Bazza55 »

"Do you feel 'valued' as a Cycling UK member?" If so, please say why, similarly if you feel CUK do not value you, also state the reason(s)?
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gaz
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Re: Do you feel valued

Post by gaz »

I'm a Cycling UK member and I currently feel valued. Between the website, Cycling UK's social media, Cycle magazine, and occasional emails I feel sufficiently well informed about Cycling UK's work. I'm happy with the direction of that work. When I have given feedback to Cycling UK I feel it has been well received.

Feeling valued by Cycling UK is quite distinct from feeling that my membership fee represents value for money. I've just renewed, you can draw your own conclusions on that one.
High on a cocktail of flossy teacakes and marmalade
Percy
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Joined: 29 Mar 2021, 8:21pm

Re: Do you feel valued

Post by Percy »

Bazza55 wrote: 26 Apr 2021, 7:28pm "Do you feel 'valued' as a Cycling UK member?" If so, please say why, similarly if you feel CUK do not value you, also state the reason(s)?
Yes, but I think there is a collective value because without the members, the forum would be pointless. More to the point, perhaps, is 'do we value CUK'? I'd say 'yes' to that, too, because it's a valuable source of helpful information.

Okay, where's my prize?
If I knew how to ride a bike, safely, I'd do it every time.
mattheus
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Re: Do you feel valued

Post by mattheus »

It's mainly a club of volunteers. We ARE the club.

(I've mostly shifted into other cycling areas/clubs, so do sod-all volunteering for CTC; therefore I value the actual volunteers even more!)

My membership fee isn't a gift to a person/group that should be grateful to me. It's a necessary evil - doing stuff in the modern world costs money. And it spreads the cost of stuff more evenly amongst the members/volunteers (instead of a tiny minority constantly being leached via their kindness)
Bazza55
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Joined: 22 May 2013, 4:56pm

Re: Do you feel valued

Post by Bazza55 »

I think we WERE the club. The organisation is ran for money now and the members come well down the list of priorities. I always thought that the club could have valued and utilised the membership better when it was the CTC before it became a charity. Sadly it now views members as a source of revenue and at times treats them with contempt, hence the changes to subscription rates for older members and the cessation of CTC Holidays and Tours. So after 42 years of membership, being awarded volunteer of the year for Yorkshire and Humber in 2009 for the work I did for CTC and cycling in general, it is good bye from me, I will not be renewing my membership at the end of this month. I have now joined the National Clarion, membership costs me £20 instead of £48, I still receive 3rd party insurance and free legal representation. We are now in the process of setting up a local Clarion group and many of my friends who also feel betrayed are making the jump with me. Enjoy your Cycling UK.
Oldjohnw
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Re: Do you feel valued

Post by Oldjohnw »

Bazza55 wrote: 15 Aug 2021, 11:39pm I think we WERE the club. The organisation is ran for money now and the members come well down the list of priorities. I always thought that the club could have valued and utilised the membership better when it was the CTC before it became a charity. Sadly it now views members as a source of revenue and at times treats them with contempt, hence the changes to subscription rates for older members and the cessation of CTC Holidays and Tours. So after 42 years of membership, being awarded volunteer of the year for Yorkshire and Humber in 2009 for the work I did for CTC and cycling in general, it is good bye from me, I will not be renewing my membership at the end of this month. I have now joined the National Clarion, membership costs me £20 instead of £48, I still receive 3rd party insurance and free legal representation. We are now in the process of setting up a local Clarion group and many of my friends who also feel betrayed are making the jump with me. Enjoy your Cycling UK.
I joined National clarion a year ago. Apart from paying my fee I have heard not a squeak from them.
Last edited by Oldjohnw on 16 Aug 2021, 7:51am, edited 1 time in total.
John
Carlton green
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Re: Do you feel valued

Post by Carlton green »

Bazza55 wrote: 26 Apr 2021, 7:28pm "Do you feel 'valued' as a Cycling UK member?" If so, please say why, similarly if you feel CUK do not value you, also state the reason(s)?
Why would anyone expect to feel individually valued when they’re part of a large membership organisation? Why would anyone feel that they have a one to one relationship with CUK or that they should have? Each ordinary member is - as is common throughout most of life - pretty much a faceless number and (realistically) can’t expect to be much more than that. Membership gets the member voting rights and some services both of which the member can choose to use or to ignore.

Do I lament the loss of the CTC? Yes, I do. Am I happy with CUK? No, not particularly, but it’s a membership organisation and like any other membership organisation I’m but one insignificant person who can choose to either make the best of what it offers or leave - seems like there are plenty of others joining CUK. Perhaps if more people in the past had valued the CTC and taken a more active role in its management then it wouldn’t have changed into CUK. I’m as guilty as others in that respect, but life is busy and you do what you can.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
soapbox
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Re: Do you feel valued

Post by soapbox »

Carlton green wrote: 16 Aug 2021, 7:28am
Bazza55 wrote: 26 Apr 2021, 7:28pm "Do you feel 'valued' as a Cycling UK member?" If so, please say why, similarly if you feel CUK do not value you, also state the reason(s)?
Why would anyone expect to feel individually valued when they’re part of a large membership organisation? Why would anyone feel that they have a one to one relationship with CUK or that they should have? Each ordinary member is - as is common throughout most of life - pretty much a faceless number and (realistically) can’t expect to be much more than that. Membership gets the member voting rights and some services both of which the member can choose to use or to ignore.

Do I lament the loss of the CTC? Yes, I do. Am I happy with CUK? No, not particularly, but it’s a membership organisation and like any other membership organisation I’m but one insignificant person who can choose to either make the best of what it offers or leave - seems like there are plenty of others joining CUK. Perhaps if more people in the past had valued the CTC and taken a more active role in its management then it wouldn’t have changed into CUK. I’m as guilty as others in that respect, but life is busy and you do what you can.
I'd like to echo most of your post.

I think perhaps one way to feel a little more 'valued' is to take part in your local section's rides and activities. I haven't ridden with the local club for many years now, and I feel more detached than I used to.
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Mick F
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Re: Do you feel valued

Post by Mick F »

I didn't feel valued, so I didn't renew my membership.

I was a happy member of CTC, but since the advent of CUK, I became sort of disillusioned, so left.
Even the magazine became banal IMHO, so well before my membership expired, I stopped the mag arriving.
Mick F. Cornwall
Paul Fenton
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Re: Do you feel valued

Post by Paul Fenton »

Like several others posting here I also have become disillusioned with CUK as being a 'club' for cycling tourists, ; i.e the cycle touring roots of CTC has become usurped by the populist trend towards political influencing. Whilst this was always part of the work of the CTC National office, it has become the main USP.. I have been a member for many years ,activ with my local group, former president of Suffolk CTC, organising local lead for the Birthday Rides 2011, and regular club ride leader. I also ride with other local clubs in my area and as such rather than leave the organisation and my local friends, I have amended my membership to 'Affiliated'. Sadly,because of CUK reules relating to Affiliaited Membership I am no longer able to offer my experience and services to the local Member Group as a volunteer or ride leader, when there is a local need for this. CUK's response to my raising this and my suggestions on how the Concessionary Membership rate might better acknowledge contributors like myself, has been to say the least disappointing - just pointing me to the new added discounts offered to full CUK members. A typical 'Ivory Tower' solution. With the demise of CTC Holidays & Tours it seems that CUK has no real interest in mainataining service to cycle tourists. So do i feel valued NO! .
sharpedge
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Joined: 2 Jun 2018, 9:29pm

Re: Do you feel valued

Post by sharpedge »

I joined the CTC in my younger days when I did a lot of cycle touring. Things changed and while I still had the bike I was not doing the touring and dropped the membership. When I moved onto the recumbent trike, i decided to rejoin only to find CTC was now CyclingUK. OK, I thought, I will give it a go. Four years on and I am not paying for membership any longer - if they had kept the pensioners rates, I probably would but they dont want pensioners. Big mistake - the older generation have always helped youngsters get into cycling so why not CyclingUK? Also the magazine seems to concentrate on children and female aspects of cyling more than touring. So do I feel valued - what do you think!
Nearholmer
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Re: Do you feel valued

Post by Nearholmer »

This question has caused me to discover that I'm a fraud!

I was certain that I was a CUK member by second remove, in that the group I belong to is CUK affiliated .......... except that on checking, I find we are British Cycling affiliated, not CUK affiliated.

Do I have to leave quietly by the back door?

Pity if so, because there is a lot of wisdom here, as well as, well, you know.
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Cugel
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Re: Do you feel valued

Post by Cugel »

I'm a member only for the insurance and for the potential legal help if it became necessary. If it ever does, that's when I'll find out if I'm "valued" by CUK.

What does it mean, to be "valued" by such an organisation one is a member of, other than they make best efforts to provide the services advertised and paid for? Do some want to be "loved" by the various officers of the organisation in some fashion? Perhaps they want some special notice of their opinions and thoughts? :-)

Cugel
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Chris Jeggo
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Re: Do you feel valued

Post by Chris Jeggo »

Nearholmer wrote: 27 Jul 2022, 9:27pm This question has caused me to discover that I'm a fraud!

I was certain that I was a CUK member by second remove, in that the group I belong to is CUK affiliated .......... except that on checking, I find we are British Cycling affiliated, not CUK affiliated.

Do I have to leave quietly by the back door?

Pity if so, because there is a lot of wisdom here, as well as, well, you know.
The Cycling UK message boards are intended to provide an online meeting place for the cycling community - open to members and non-members alike.
Nearholmer
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Re: Do you feel valued

Post by Nearholmer »

Phew!
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