Apologies for any delay. Please note my letter and the CTC Chair comments and my reply.
CTC Members
CTC Local Group Secretary
CTC Affiliate Groups
Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC)
Philip Benstead
CTC Brand Petition,
19 Greencoat Mansions,
Greencoat Row,
Westminster,
London, SW1P 1PG
philipbenstead1@gmail.com0794-980-1698
23 February 2016
Dear Secretary/Member
Apologies if I have sent to you in error, please forward to the correct person and any CTC Members.
CHANGE OF THE BRANDING NAME OF THE “CTC” to “CYCLING UK”
DEMAND FOR A POLL OF THE WHOLE CLUB
You and your CTC members may have become aware that at the Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC) Council meeting on 23rd January 2016 agreed on a vote of 10 to 5 to replace the existing “Cyclists` Touring Club or CTC” and associated logo(s) and heritage marks with “CYCLING UK” or another branding name and logo(s).
https://www.ipo.gov.uk/tmcase/Results/1/UK00003150027We are petitioning the CTC to demand a poll of the whole club so CTC members will have the opportunity to endorse or overturn the motion.
It is our opinion the entire decision-making process was flawed and any dissent was either ignored or shouted down. A similar technique was used regarding the governance issue, but more of that a little in the future. We need 200 valued CTC members signing, but I want many more to avoid any being discounted and to show the strength of feeling.
It has been drawn to our attention that there are already similarly named cycling-related internet sites
https://www.facebook.com/ucyclingk/?fref=tshttps://twitter.com/CyclingUKNewshttp://cycleuk.bike/Please could you circulate this petition to any fully paid up CTC members.
Please ensure that their name/number is legible and that they must also sign it in black or blue ink/biro.
Please note that we have the support of some councillors.
We are seeking the poll details to be in the April/May edition of “Cycle”; so time is short.
Please return the completed sheets in an A4 size envelope to me ASAP at
Philip Benstead CTC Brand Petition,
19 Greencoat Mansions, Greencoat Row, Westminster, London, SW1P 1PG.
Please ensure the correct first class postage is used, you need to use the Large Letter rate of 100g = 95p, 250g = £1.26, 500g = £1.68, 750g = £2.42.
The CTC Articles of Association prevent me from using an on line petition.
Many thanks for your help,
Philip Benstead
BRAND PETITION COORDINATOR AND POST-BOX
CTC Rebranding Chair Statement - Philip Benstead Reply
DC = David Cox
PB = Philip Benstead
This entire process reflects very badly on the CTC it has been push though, it is part of a trend which will result in power being taken away from Councillors elected the members.
Message from the Chair: Rebranding Update
DC It has been brought to my attention that CTC member and former Councillor Philip Benstead has approached local group Secretaries and other members asking for support for a poll of the whole membership about the decision to rebrand. It is up to members whether they wish to seek a poll – the charity’s articles of association provide for a poll where 200 members wish to challenge a resolution of Council.
PB Yes that is correct
DC However, the last time we conducted a poll of the whole club, the cost of the process was approximately £14,000. In terms of what this means to our charity, that is enough to employ a staff member for over 5 months to offer full time support to Member Groups.
PB That works out has £33,000 over one year with additional add on costs comes to £66,000 per year. Is that a cast iron comments? I think not
DC Before you commit the charity to that expense, I would like to ensure you have a bit more background information.
PB How much did four lots of consultants cost when you combined the rebranding with the governance process.
What is proposed?
CTC Council at least have no background information only executive committee has any information even though the Executive committee is not a policy making body, it is exceeding it authority
DC The document I have seen refers to the proposed re-branding in rather confused terms. As set out in our earlier statement here, from our Chief Executive, Paul Tuohy, “Our charity will still legally be registered as the Cyclists’ Touring Club with its charity and company registrations unchanged. The Cyclists’ Touring Club is not being disbanded. In fact, part of the need for this change is because we hope the new brand will enhance our touring offering.
PB What evidence has been supplied to back up this statement?
DC The new name (as I’m sure many of you will now have seen) is ‘Cycling UK’ and the brand ‘we are Cycling UK’ will be adopted as a ‘trading name’ of the charity.
PB There a number of cycling related organisations that have very similar names this will cause confusion
DC We are very proud of our heritage and history, and we know that a new name and brand will really help to make our charity even more attractive to many more people.”
PB Why get rid of a name that is know all over the world, it not what you call yourself but what you do and how you market yourself.
DC By the nature of this information being leaked, our full rebranding has not yet been presented (only the new name and a new logo).
Yes, but nor have the Councillors seen the full information. This show how the council is being kept in the dark even though they are legally responsible.
DC While these both form an integral part of our new brand, they will both be used in conjunction with images and editorial in a way that conveys much more than any logo might in isolation.
PB Why can’t you use this with the existing name? In fact, CTC publicity is lackluster, we appear not to be able to publish our own rides and events in efficient manner.
DC In fact the success of any brand is about how an organisations ‘lives and breathes’ its values through the work that it does.
PB It not about imagers what counts is what we do, we do not publish our self enough, there has been no suggestion of setting up special groups similar to how the ramblers improve intake of memebers
What does this mean for Member Groups?
DC CTC Member Groups will not need to change their names, their jerseys or other aspects of their branding unless they want to. Most Member Groups have a clear identity and touring orientation that is well recognised by local club cyclists and they will be free to maintain that identity. It will continue to be possible to obtain classic kit and winged wheel badges – and we plan to develop further items drawing on the charity’s rich heritage.
PB That was not reported at the January 2016 council meeting, are the powers that be are frighten?
Was the decision endorsed by Council?
DC Yes. The Council meeting on 23 January resolved to accept the new name and design proposed by the professional team working to reflect the ‘brand essence’ approved by Council at an earlier meeting.
PB Yes but what the consultants told use was self-evidence but upon closer reading the numbers in some cases do not add up.
DC The decision came at the end of an impressively thorough process. While some Council members were initially cautious of the jargon that can surround exercises like this, there was a near-unanimous acknowledgement that the team working with us understood CTC with all its complex heritage and exciting future – and had captured our collective desire to share the joy of cycling.
PB The decision was made after I left the council
DC Only One Council member voted against the proposed rebrand, with 15 voting in favour.
PB It shows how the council has been ground into submission, I know I have the support of five serving CTC Councillors and some ex councils including an ex chair of council. They are disgusted how this process has been carried out.
Have steps been taken to protect the new brand?
DC Yes. We have conducted a robust risk-assessment, protected the new logo as a registered trade mark and taken other steps on the advice of our legal and other advisers.
PB What about the similar named cycling organisations, that will cause confusion
What does this mean for the winged wheel?
There will be many charities who will be jealous of our rich history and such iconic assets like our winged wheel, and rightly so. We will continue to promote our heritage as a very important part of our wider brand, which will include continuing to use the winged wheel.
Who is Philip Benstead?
Philip Benstead is a long-standing CTC member, volunteer and former Council member. He left Council with effect from 1 January this year, after a contested election in the South East region.
DC We are particularly disappointed that Philip has chosen to take this action because:
PB I have the support of many current Councillors
DC (I) At the CTC Council meeting in January 2014 Philip seconded the motion to go ahead with the work on the rebranding, specifically to: ‘Agree in principle to a trading name change … ‘;
PB Yes in principal but the case has not been made I want something like “CTC …………..”
DC (ii) As a former member of CTC Council Philip should understand that members of Council are obliged to accept collective responsibility, and that responsibility continues to apply in relation to decisions made while he was a trustee;
PB The decision was made after I left the council
DC (iii) Despite the fact that he was until the end of last year a Council member, Philip chose not to raise his concerns about the decision with Council or with the National Office team.
PB I express my view on this and other matters concerning governance. I was either ignored ridiculed by the chair or not recorded in the minutes even when pointed out to correct the minutes these were reject even when submitted by other Councillors.
What next?
We will be officially launching our new name and brand in April, through Cycle magazine, our online communications channels and via the media. We will also be back in touch with you before then to provide you with new resources and guidance so that you can maximise this opportunity to raise the profile of [the charity and] your group locally, to help to attract new members and to gain local media interest.
If you have any questions, please contact the communications team on 01483 238 315.
David Cox
Chair, CTC Council