Where's the evidence?

[PH]

We seem to be being asked to change the terms for one group of members in the hope that it encourages others.
I'm sceptical that there's anyone who hasn't joined because it's £4 a month who will do so for £2.54, is there any evidence for this? What are they going to spend the saved £1.46 on! If someone can't afford to join it should be free. But mostly what I don't understand is why removing the age concession would be necessary to fund concessions to others. If it had the desired effect, wouldn't the new members be self funding? What's the cost of a member to Cycling UK?
I just feel this is nothing like bold enough to have any significant effect on membership numbers. I'd give all new members a free six months, without obligation, if they can't be persuaded in that time it's worth continuing for the few quid a month, then that's Cycling UK's failure. If that needed funding, then reducing or removing the biggest concession of all, that of affiliated membership, would be the first place I'd look. I was at an event (AGM?) where Paul Tuohy said he'd consider it a failure if anyone was joining just for the insurance - Well it's hard to see what else these members are joining for. Is Cycling UK happy to be seen just as an insurance provider?

[Cyril Haearn]

Looks a bit like telephone or energy prices, too complicated

[mjr]

Pricing to "a month" when you're then encouraged to pay a year in a lump just makes them look dishonest - yes, like a bad phone package, as Cyril puts it.

I agree the evidence seems to be missing.

[Georgina Cox]

We seem to be being asked to change the terms for one group of members in the hope that it encourages others.
I'm sceptical that there's anyone who hasn't joined because it's £4 a month who will do so for £2.54, is there any evidence for this? What are they going to spend the saved £1.46 on! If someone can't afford to join it should be free. But mostly what I don't understand is why removing the age concession would be necessary to fund concessions to others. If it had the desired effect, wouldn't the new members be self funding? What's the cost of a member to Cycling UK?
I just feel this is nothing like bold enough to have any significant effect on membership numbers. I'd give all new members a free six months, without obligation, if they can't be persuaded in that time it's worth continuing for the few quid a month, then that's Cycling UK's failure. If that needed funding, then reducing or removing the biggest concession of all, that of affiliated membership, would be the first place I'd look. I was at an event (AGM?) where Paul Tuohy said he'd consider it a failure if anyone was joining just for the insurance - Well it's hard to see what else these members are joining for. Is Cycling UK happy to be seen just as an insurance provider?

Hi PH - We will definitely be looking at the affiliated rate as part of a wider groups review later in the year. The number of affiliates is currently a very small proportion of the total membership.

Although we recognise that insurance will always be one of the main reasons to join – in our 2019 survey around 86% of the 4,000 respondents said that campaigning for safer roads and 75% said that lobbying government for more funding for cycling, were key reasons to support us. We are so much more than just an insurance provider, as evidenced by the government’s announcements this week (plans we’ve been strongly campaigning on for some time) and the generosity shown by our members and supporters during our recent fundraising appeal to support keyworkers to cycle.

Georgina Cox, head of membership, Cycling UK

[groberts]

Shame on Cycling UK for treating its older members in this way.

[cooper_coleraine]

Frankly i have for a number of years been a member for the third party insurance. many years ago the magazine ceased to be a cycle touring magazine and became a thinly disguised trade journal. I shall consider taking out commercially provided third party insurance. My cycles are already covered by my home insurance policy.I am 82 and resent being singled out for this subscription rise.

[RayP]

Excellent comment. I agree both with the sentiment and the detailed observations. This move seems to me the action of a management team which is not able to manage the CUK for membership growth and have opted instead for the easy out of growing revenue by putting up prices for existing members.

[seumasl]

PH, in that case he failed, the insurance is about the only thing I need, I used to feel a touch of pride when I said "The CTC" but even that has gone, discounts ? I google shop and can often buy cheaper than any CUK discount, the magazine is a waste of time and I wouldn't keep up with a club run, when (as I believe it will be passed) the age reduced price is removed I shall consider myself barred from the "club"
Added Thursday 6th August 2020, after reading an article about Roy Hacket (a campaigner in the 1960's in Bristol for racial equality) I have decided that even if the proposed increase is NOT passed I do not want to be a part of this organisation, that the people who run it can even think of abolishing an age related discount whilst leaving students and young people WITH a discount is discrimination pure and simple and a slap in the face for all the older members who have stayed loyal to the Club (now a charity) .

[nicola.marshall]

Hello

I'm Nicola Marshall, the director responsible for membership at Cycling UK.

Thanks for all the feedback on the proposals in this thread. There are a number of different threads so I've posted one (very long) reply here viewtopic.php?f=56&t=140092 in case that is helpful. I'm guessing you've already seen the information on our website re the proposals: https://www.cyclinguk.org/membershipchanges. We will be updating the FAQs tomorrow with more information on the survey and member data which you might find helpful.

Please do feel free to get in touch with me directly if you would like to discuss the proposals, we really welcome feedback. Just email membership@cyclinguk.org and ask for it to be forwarded to me.

Best wishes
Nicola

[mjr]

Thanks for all the feedback on the proposals in this thread. There are a number of different threads so I've posted one (very long) reply here viewtopic.php?f=56&t=140092 in case that is helpful.

Why is viewtopic.php?f=56&t=140092 locked (so no replies are allowed)?

[nicola.marshall]

That reply is already posted on the main thread 'membership rates' which has the most comments so were hoping people would reply on there as makes it easier for us to review.

[mjr]

That reply is already posted on the main thread 'membership rates' which has the most comments so were hoping people would reply on there as makes it easier for us to review.

Sorry but I'm not sure confusing forum users will make things easier for HQ staff and that reply doesn't seem to cover the questions raised by PH at the start of this thread:
· Is there any evidence that there's anyone who hasn't joined because it's £4 a month who will do so for £2.54?
· Wouldn't the new members be self funding?
· What's the cost of a member to Cycling UK?
· Is Cycling UK happy to be seen just as an insurance provider?

Georgina Cox replied but didn't seem to address any of those questions directly. Your reply in the other thread mentions costs but seems to tiptoe around it.

[moultoneer]

Your link to the reply isn't complete. Making things so difficult for members is just another ploy to fudge the basic issue: CTC served members, CUK not only uses members, but is bent on exploiting them for all they are worth, simply to further staff careers in the charity sector.

You should all be totally ashamed of yourselves, your behaviour is utterly despicable.