Labrat wrote:...
Indeed, insurance isn't 'enough'
The first criticism has to be head office IMO, understaffed, laid off anyone with real technical or off road expertise, impossible to get an answer from, letters from major consultations unanswered (I know of two cases locally in recent months) waste of time, and reliant on volunteers to deliver anything, who they treat like <i>[inappropriate word removed]</i>.
I recently had the pleasure of dealing with the British association fof shooting and conservation, a revelation - insurance, dedicated legal team that you can phone up to get advice on Licencing, and will back you up by fighting your corner in court, 70k members paying £72 a year, 100 plus employees, specialist advisors up and down the country, local events and training sessions, truly effective lobbying at government level, effective press team. Etc etc.
People will happily pay if they think their money is making a real difference
I would agree. I would happily pay if I felt the organisation was effective, behaving in a responsible (and responsive) manner. Trouble is that it is not improving but moving in the wrong direction, deliberately making things worse and alienating the membership (thanks primarily to this new CEO). Hence my thoughts that BC is having to take over their corner of "the market". My money is going to go to either BC or Sustrans (still deciding).
Ian