The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Discussion of the re-branding of CTC as Cycling UK.
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al_yrpal
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by al_yrpal »

The first time I was a member of tbe CTC I was 14 years old. At 16 I did my 100 in 8. After that I gave up serious cycling but was pleased to rejoin in 2006 at 64 when I started touring again. For several years I cycled with our local DA on day rides and started to do some serious touring. This forum has been very useful to me in all sorts of ways and I have been pleased to participate in helping others through it. But now I am full of sadness that the CTC has been taken over and its historic identity dropped.
I note the OPs request to put a positive spin on things here. That is typical of the new committee that has taken over. "Do what we say, we dont want your input, what you think isnt important."
We get a missive from the Chief Executive and there is no means of replying or putting your point of view. I am quite sure that you think we are dinosaurs to be ignored. Well, one thing about this forum is that it has never stifled free speech.
If you dont like this point of view I am sure you can get the moderators to delete it. After all CTC members are not to be consulted, they are to be ignored.

Al
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RRSODL
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by RRSODL »

BrianFox wrote:A thread specifically for what you think is good about the rebrand.

[b]Positive comments only here please.[/b]



If that was the case I think it would be a very short thread :lol:
seph
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by seph »

Well... BC membership costs about the same for insurance / legal cover. And it seems to be full of club cyclists like me! (although a bit more sporty maybe). Oh, and I'll get 10% off at chain reaction.

That's about as positive as I can get.

Good luck with it.
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robgul
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by robgul »

BrianFox wrote:A thread specifically for what you think is good about the rebrand.

Positive comments only here please. There are plenty of other threads for complaints!

Here’s one to get started:

The current title of the club promotes one aspect of what it does over everything else and is entirely anonymous those outside the club. The rebrand brings a great opportunity for cyclists to enhance our voice in an environment which often feels hostile to us.


I read the OP again .... the word "club" is used twice in the first sentence of the last paragraph .... is the expectation for the rebrand to still be a "club" with "members" that "belong" ?

Rob
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roubaixtuesday
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by roubaixtuesday »

Mick, et al,

I asked you, very politely, to reserve negative comments for elsewhere. Otherwise you're effectively filibustering people who want to have a positive conversation.

I've no objection at all to your complaints, in fact i think they are very valuable, but would also like freedom to continue a conversation without them.
Psamathe
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by Psamathe »

mjr wrote:The rebrand finally makes it clear that CTC hasn't been merely forgetting to credit partner organisations during campaign work and events due to cock-ups and it really is a conspiracy to attempt a landgrab of all cycling....

(Although I'm not a great fan of the way the campaign has developed), it struck me that the Space for Cycling campaign seems to have been taken over by the CTC without much recognition for those groups who started it (thought-up and thought-through the idea) and the groups who also participate in the campaign.

Ian
Karen Sutton
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by Karen Sutton »

Paulatic wrote:
BrianFox wrote:C'mon people, as per my original post, there are *loads* of other threads to moan on.

If you really can't find anything good to say, it might be worth asking yourself if you are being just a teensy bit close minded?

Also whether you're being a bit rude, having been asked very politely to be positive here!

thank you.

It's unusual for me but for once I'm stuck for words.
Sorry

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mjr
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by mjr »

Psamathe wrote:(Although I'm not a great fan of the way the campaign has developed), it struck me that the Space for Cycling campaign seems to have been taken over by the CTC without much recognition for those groups who started it (thought-up and thought-through the idea) and the groups who also participate in the campaign.

Only if you only read CTC's output! The national one was still-born (it was updated once and our local group got one incomplete data dump from it at the third time of asking) and now seems to be stuck in 2015, but the local versions are very much alive and well at addresses like http://www.spaceforcyclingsheffield.co.uk/ http://glasgow.space4cycling.scot/ and so on, or as sections on local groups' own websites.

That isn't entirely unreasonable - while space4cycling is a big thing to local groups, it's not a major concern for CTC because its funding was only enough to pay for a few hours of CTC worker time and some resources. Nevertheless, I feel rather cross that CTC seemed to ignore our comments and pushed ahead with its expensive software and processes, resulting in that limited funding delivering no benefit to most local campaigns - and as you note, there's little recognition for the groups on the ground actually physically lobbying councillors, so I don't think we'll work with CTC for this year's police commissioner or next year's county elections. Cambridge Cycling Campaign have offered to share their software and we've more experience of working with them.
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Giles Pargiter
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by Giles Pargiter »

The positive thing about this rebrand is that we can now definitely see that it is more or less univesally disliked and our great leaders have hijcked the club.
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RickH
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by RickH »

Giles Pargiter wrote:The positive thing about this rebrand is that we can now definitely see that it is more or less univesally disliked and our great leaders have hijcked the club.

I don't know that is the case. Sticking my head above the parapet I think it is, on the whole, a positive thing. But I have been tempted at times to just mark these sections of the forum as "read" without looking at them.

But then you'll probably think me a young upstart who's only just joined up as I'm only 57 & only joined in 1992! :wink:

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ukdodger
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by ukdodger »

BrianFox wrote:A thread specifically for what you think is good about the rebrand.

Positive comments only here please. There are plenty of other threads for complaints!

Here’s one to get started:

The current title of the club promotes one aspect of what it does over everything else and is entirely anonymous those outside the club. The rebrand brings a great opportunity for cyclists to enhance our voice in an environment which often feels hostile to us.


Management speak. Our voice is loud and clear enough already. Personally I hope the rebrand goes the same way as 'Consignia' did for the Royal Mail. It's a xenophobic title for a marketing organisation not a name for a cycling club which is what we joined.
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gaz
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by gaz »

Great name, great brand, bright future :D .

I'll be renewing my membership at the end of the month.
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Philip Benstead
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by Philip Benstead »

gaz wrote:Great name, great brand, bright future :D .

I'll be renewing my membership at the end of the month.


Let have a bet.

I bet you that the membership will go up slightly say to 68,000 then fall to say around 62,000 by 31/09/2018
Philip Benstead | Life Member Former CTC Councillor/Trustee
Organizing events and representing cyclists' in southeast since 1988
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al_yrpal
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by al_yrpal »

BrianFox wrote:Mick, et al,

I asked you, very politely, to reserve negative comments for elsewhere. Otherwise you're effectively filibustering people who want to have a positive conversation.

I've no objection at all to your complaints, in fact i think they are very valuable, but would also like freedom to continue a conversation without them.


Our comments are not negative. They are about democracy and proper consultation. Its quite clear you want to avoid these things. If you want a love in here you are not going to get it.

My suggestion is that as this new organisation is not focussed on touring that it gives up the CTC name and insignia to a new organisation that is. You are not using it so why not? You can then get on with grabbing grants and campaigning for cycling in general unencumbered by dinosaurs like me.

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
roubaixtuesday
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Re: The Rebrand is Essential to our Future

Post by roubaixtuesday »

Our comments are not negative. They are about democracy and proper consultation. Its quite clear you want to avoid these things.


You could try reading what I wrote. I agree entirely that the comments are appropriate, and democratic. They're just so all pervasive they down out other voices. As such, it would be nice to have a thread to explore the good things about the changes.

Anyway, here's another positive.

The CTC, like it or not, has an image of consisting of curmudgeonly bearded men in sandals (readers of this thread might find that stereotype reinforced...)

The new brand might help reach a wider and younger demographic, reinvigorating the organisation for a new generation.
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