John Catt wrote:Their "Whole Sport Plan 2009-13" also makes interesting reading - http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/zuvvi/media/bc_files/vacancies/Whole_Sport_Plan_2009-13.pdf
From the Plan:
The priority for British Cycling is to grow participation in the sport of cycling* and increase our
International successes. The diversification to encompass cycling as active recreation and active living
through working with other Government departments and agencies has been led by our desire to
create new pathways into cycle sport for participants.
* Cycle Sport has been defined by DCMS / Sport England as people cycling for at least one session per week at moderate
intensity excluding utility cycling sessions
That's fair enough viewed from their perspective: their objective is cycling-for-leisure and they have no interest in cycling-for-functional-transport. They are moving into organising "club rides" because they see increasing participation in cycling at that level as leading to improved sporting success - widening the base of the pyramid.
But this does mean that when they have driven CTC out of existence by the combination of (a) better, better supported, and better advertised rides for people who want to ride in a group and (b) cheaper individual membership for people who just want the insurance, there will be no-one left advocating cycling-for-functional-transport.