GREENWICH CYCLISTS
Note of AGM and monthly meeting held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 6 June 2001 at Greenwich Forum
Present:
Ruston Aust, Eeva Berglund, Man Birdi, Doug Bollen, Liz Delap, Ayako Dobson, Julian Dobson, Greg Englefield, Barbara Henley, Brian Hobbs, Kate Horne, Richard Marston, Barry Mason, Paul McQuillen, Adrian Monk, Linda Pearce, Claudine Rice, Simon Ridell, Simon Ritchell, Roger Seward, David Thompson, Jim Watkins, Nick Williams, Irene Windsor (24)
Discussed:
1. BM opened the meeting and all introduced themselves. Good to have the Lovell Hall for this big meeting. It was our first AGM and there were necessary formalities to get done properly. BM asked that al ensure they sign the attendance list and that newcomers put their contact details down. We are improving communications internally and ensuring, for example, we hard-copy those without e-mail. 3 of the 23 present have no such e-access.
2. AGM: BM opened the AGM. GE then spoke to our first Annual Report that he had written. It covers April 2000 – June 2001 and details the surprisingly large amount of work the group has done including over 50 rides, a newsletter every month, a website, training for 70 local people, a big local network that includes several hundred local cyclists, appointment as Sustrans Ranger for Cutty Sark to Deptford, and lots of work with the Council on planning etc issues. The back of the report listed the 55 rides and events over the period. The draft annual report was tabled, and was already on the website. BM asked the meeting if the AR could be accepted as an accurate version of the year and so formally adopted. It was so agreed unanimously.
3. Accounts: BM then spoke to his Accounts paper dated 3 June 2001. It was also on the website. After a busy year we’d spent £1079.34 and earned £1012. £67.34 overspent. Since the Accounts had been prepared we’d received the 50p a member plus £50 annual payment from the London Cycling Campaign. £110.60 for the 101 paid up members. So we end up in surplus and done a great deal with very little money. The Women’s Festival events, for example, cost £1.51 per customer contact hour. BH confirmed that the Accounts were an accurate statement of receipts and payments and that the current bank balance of £110.26 agreed the Accounts. She also confirmed that no more bank charges were being paid in accordance with our quasi-charitable status. RS offered to work with DB to get free web-hosting. BM asked if the Accounts could be accepted. They were unanimously.
3. 2001/2 Elections: BM then moved onto the election of the 2001/2 Management Committee. All formal positions expired at the start of the AGM so we now have no one.
4. BM offered to vacate the Chair for the election process, but no one thought that necessary.
5. The Co-ordinator was needed to keep an overview of what the group was up to, to act on its wishes, to innovate and guide it forward, to chair the Management Committee, to manage external relations and do whatever else is needed. Barry Mason was willing to do another year. LP nominated, LD seconded. The meeting agreed unanimously.
6. Meetings: someone to prepare and circulate the Agenda for the monthly meetings about 10 days beforehand, and to send out the notes of the meeting within a week of it. Linda Pearce offered to take on that role, subject to missing the odd meeting. No one else came forward. GE nominated Linda, NW seconded her. The meeting agreed unanimously.
7. Treasurer: to hold the cheque book, pay bills properly, get cheques signed by authorised signers, keep the books and ensure financial rectitude. Barbara Henley was the only volunteer. EB nominated Barbara, RA seconded. The meeting agreed unanimously.
8. Press: In discussion NW said that being both Pedal Power newsletter producer and Press Officer was rather a burden. The latter entailed compiling and maintaining a list of press contacts and for issuing press releases as necessary. Julian Dobson volunteered for the role, no one else did. NW nominated Julian, Greg seconded. The meeting agreed unanimously.
9. Newsletters: responsible for publishing our monthly Pedal Power newsletter. Nick Williams was the only volunteer. NB nominated. EB seconded. The meeting agreed unanimously.
10. Planning: leads on all planning matters and such liaison with Greenwich Council, the Greater London Authority, Transport for London, other local authorities. Greg Englefield was willing to stand provided he got help. It was agreed that he set up a Planning Sub-committee to both share the work and keep detailed planning matters from over-loading the main monthly meetings. He was nominated by EB and seconded by JD. The meeting agreed unanimously.
11. Membership: maintains the membership list and is responsible for contact with those without email and the internet. The Group felt it important to ensure that those who needed hard copies of newsletters sent to them by letter-post were catered for. This has not possible to achieve so far….it is possible to stay in easy touch with 80 people on the e-list (and now many more with the website). Much more difficult to envelope, buy stamps for and post 80 letters. Liz Delap was willing to do this with Linda Pearce’s help. GE nominated, JW seconded.
12. Rides: were discussed at length. A number of us were now creating and leading an innovative set of rides that were well received and a core function. It was obvious though that members without families did not particularly want to organise shorter family rides. BM was very happy to look after the adults rides but, as RS argued, we needed a Family Rides person to develop those. Claudine Rice was very interested but felt inhibited by lack of email etc access. The meeting agreed that was a minor issue that could be got round. RS nominated. AD seconded. The meeting agreed unanimously.
13. So, the 2001/2 Management Group for Greenwich Cyclists was agreed to be:
Co-ordinator Barry Mason
Meetings Linda Pearce
Treasurer Barbara Henley
Press Julian Dobson
Newsletter Nick Williams
Planning Greg Englefield
Membership Liz Delap
Family Rides Claudine Rice
14. BM, wiping away a tear, was very grateful to all concerned. We’ve now a really solid base to move forward from. He closed the AGM at 8pm. PMcQ thanked all, he was delighted at the progress made in one year.
15. BM then asked how the group wanted to be represented at the Plumstead Common Anti-Racist Fair on Saturday 30 June from 10-6. We have a £500 grant from the Trust For London towards our expenses at this event. RA, RS, LP, J&AD, BM, JW, CR BH, GE and SR agreed to help. GE would pick up JW’s market stall. BM would contact all later. (post-meeting note: JW has donated his covered metal market stall kit to the group. BM has asked for free storage at the Forum).
16. The meeting then moved on to item 6 of the agenda: the open discussion on our future. After much discussion, the consensus was that the group had got the rides/planning/campaigning balance about right. BH felt that we should do more to encourage the train companies to improve bike carriage and parking. BM asked her to think about what we needed to do. MB felt we should do off-road rides. The meeting agreed to discuss those at the July meeting. EB said that a high-street type Dr Bike stand was a very visible encourager. JD offered to work with EB to set some sessions up. LD pointed out the demand for maintenance classes. BM would set some up for September and the evening class season. In discussion, the new website was praised, all thanked DB for his work on this. The site was attractive, simple to use and now filling with good content.
17. Some news items:
* BM was next week going to evening meeting about the West Greenwich SRB6 area and health promotion, as well as accepting an invitation to a GLA HQ Green Party Reception to celebrate London cycling
* Mayor’s Ride sponsorship money was still trickling into that office. £5,300 to date. The 2002 ride now on.
* jeff.horsman@greenwich.gov.uk of Greenwich Council Street Repairs has said that yet more temporary repairs to the surface of Deptford Creek bridge start around 16 June. Permanent repairs are being designed by consultant and are 6 months away. He has had at least 6 emails from BM stating how dangerous it is.
* NW will have Pedal Power 11 ready by Monday 11 June. A number of us agreed to meet at the CSG foot tunnel entrance at 7am on Tuesday 12 June to leaflet the rush-hour until 9am.
18. NW then introduced Greenwich Cyclist’s first ever sprocket awards. Nominations for Greenwich’s best/worst cycling facility had been received and put on the website.
Worst:
Woolwich Arsenal: riverside cyclepath unnecessarily mothballed for 3 years.
Creek Road Bridge: commuter’s nightmare. Bad surface, frenzied motor-traffic.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital: hidden bike sheds.
Greenwich town centre one-way system: a chaotic system turned into a 3 lane motorway thanks to the Council’s major investment and blinkered thinking.
Woolwich Road cycle lanes: the new scheme is hopelessly disjointed and fragmented.
Mottingham Lane traffic lumps: make this part of the London Cycling Network hell to navigate.
Greenwich covered market: verbal abuse from seemingly bike hating manager.
In tense and hushed anticipation, the meeting (one person one vote) then voted to award The Busted Sprocket. Mottingham and Market got one vote each. Woolwich Road was hated most by three voters. Four voted for the long closed Arsenal bike path. Seven for the Greenwich town centre oneway system.
But the winner by a big margin, and they really should know better, was the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital high up on Woolwich Common for it’s dreadful bike parking.
NW is now arranging press and award of trophy.
Best
Sainsbury’s superstore covered bike park: convenient and covered, a treat and a model.
Greenwich Park: new east/west bike path
Mast Pond Wharf riverside path: west of Woolwich Ferry. Long awaited link finished fast for the Mayor’s Ride by Greenwich Council.
Shooters Hill bike crossing: these park exit to Blackheath lights stop the other traffic at once.
The Thames Path: still not finished but emerging as a great asset for bikes and walkers.
Pilot pub bike racks: well spaced, right by the window and under cctv.
Perry Cycles, Woolwich: very good with bikes and he takes blind people out on tandem rides.
This was a tough one. Equal forth came the Park and the Pilot with 2 votes each. Second came the Shooters Hill crossing with 5 votes. But the Thames Path topped the list with a massive 14 votes.
NW now dealing as above.
19. At high speed NW then tabled the first draft of the Greenwich Cycling Strategy. Comments needed please. A copy is going on the website.
20. BM thanked all for an excellent and productive meeting. We went to the pub at 9.03pm, a drop later than scheduled.
21. Next meeting: Wednesday 4 July.
The Forum@Greenwich.
Barry Mason
10 June 2001
Gcmins6June