Live webchat with CTC this Thursday!

[Si]

http://beta.ctc.org.uk/webchat

This Thursday 21 June from 10am to noon you will have the chance to join CTC Chief Executive Gordon Seabright and other members of CTC staff from Campaigns, Cycling Development and Membership for a live web chat (http://beta.ctc.org.uk/webchat)!

Please email (askctc@ctc.org.uk) or Tweet - using #askCTC - your questions on any subject and the answers will be posted live on the live web chat on Thursday.

Now is your chance to get an answer to all those questions you’ve been wondering about – from CTC’s policy on helmets to what CTC is doing to support cycling in your local area. So get Tweeting and emailing (askctc@ctc.org.uk) your queries from now until Thursday.

Among those ready to answer your queries will be:

Gordon Seabright Chief Executive

Rob Fuller Director of Cycling Development

John Storms Membership Manager

Ian Richardson North West, Wales and NI Regional Cycling Development Manager

Tejesh Mistry London, East and Central Regional Cycling Development Manager

[Si]

So, did you get your question answered?

With reference to a popular thread on here....

Is the CTC vulnerable? If someone joins for the 3rd party insurance then it would be much cheaper for them to be part of BC. If someone joins for the MG rides then they could do free rides with SKY. Legal advice/representation is available directly from RJW. Discounts at bike shops - most shops don't ask to see a CTC card or make discounts available to other clubs too. Magazine - loved by some, immediately recycled by others. Campaigning seems very much to focus on high level issues and ignores the grass roots concerns that directly impinge on the average member's day to day life (of course we do have the RTRs for this but they do seem to feel like second class citizens in the CTC's campaigning strategy). So the questions are: what is the CTC going to do to offer better value for money and 'member' benefits, and to safeguard its own future? Why should I bother renewing next year when I can get everything (of value to me) that the CTC offers for less than half the price elsewhere?

I’ll answer on these three areas, Rides, Legal and Campaigning. For local rides, we have a well established network of simple groups and rides that are supported by CTC. In the case of other organizations we can already see there are major differences like online pre registration and salaried employees running rides. Our legal cover is best in class for cycling specific cases. CTC will take a case on a members’ behalf as well as 100% of the risk financially (solicitors fees, court costs for both parties) should you lose your case. If you did this yourself and lost, you would be out of pocket for all of everything. We are happy to say we have been campaigning for over 100 years, with many wins both locally and nationally. We have a dedicated team at National Office and local CTC members while the other organization only started campaigning this year. John Storms, Membership Manager

[JT]

Well that question certainly wasn't answered properly.

If all CTC has to offer is the best legal cover, and a 100 year history of campaigning (yeah right) then it is very vulnerable indeed.

[Si]

D'oh...quick edit as I replied to the wrong thread

[Si]

Well that question certainly wasn't answered properly.

Well, TBH, I wasn't expected an answer at all...so they surpassed my somewhat low expectations

Interesting to read that not having trained professional rides leaders is an advantage over those poor organisations who struggle along by having to put up with leaders that have been shown how to lead and incentivised to make sure they do the job properly

Anyway, in private communication I've been told by those at the top that they are looking at how to improve member benefits (and MG especially), so I'd hoped that the question might give them the opportunity to put some flesh onto the bones of these plans. Alas, it was not to be, and what John must admit was a fairly shallow answer was given. Simon Legg faired a little better when he asked a very similar question and was answered by Gordon - at least Gordon suggested that things were being looked at and that he was open to new ideas.

[thirdcrank]

... Our legal cover is best in class for cycling specific cases. CTC will take a case on a members’ behalf as well as 100% of the risk financially (solicitors fees, court costs for both parties) should you lose your case. If you did this yourself and lost, you would be out of pocket for all of everything. ...

While the bit I've highlighted is factually correct, instructing solicitors at your own risk is not the only alternative to the service offered by the CTC. I suspect that few people in the modern age, except perhaps the likes of professional footballers and Egyptian shopkeepers pay lawyers out of their own pockets. Most law firms undertaking personal injury cases offer the well-publicised "no win, no fee" method of financing. ie the client takes out a so-called after-the-event insurarance policy which, in the event of the case being lost pays out all the costs including the premium for the policy itself. The CTC's own solicitors RJW offer that route to clients who do not benefit from a collective agreement such as that offered by the CTC.

(Just in case anybody gets the wrong idea, I'm not criticising RJW. Far from it - they are a top rank firm. For many years they have provided the legal services for the Police Federation, whenever its members needed legal representation - not a rare occurrence.)
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PS

I forgot to include: IMO this is the type of thinking which can lead to situations like this:

viewtopic.php?f=45&t=62690&hilit=membership&start=30#p555209