GREENWICH CYCLISTS
Note of monthly meeting held at Greenwich Forum at 7.30 on Wednesday 2 January 2002
Present: Barry Mason, Liz Delap, David Senior, Doug Bollen, Andy Braben, Barbara Henley, Roger Seward, Nick Williams, Edward Wardill, Kate Horne, Linda Pearce, Andy Cawdell (LCC).
Discussed:
1. BM opened the meeting and all introduced themselves.
2. Christmas Party: all agreed it had been a success, we made a slight surplus. The cost may have been prohibitive for some, suggestion that next year we find a venue where everyone could bring a dish, this would cut down on expense.
3. Rides and events: new rides list is on the website. Barry requested suggestions for rides and events. Need to start planning National Bike Week. Caroline Field, Community Worker Moat Housing, to be reminded about ideas for utilising the paths around the Greenwich Millennium Village and the wider area for cycling events.
4. London Cycling Campaign 5 year strategy - Andy Cawdell, LCC Management Committee: Andy explained that feedback on ideas from individual LCC groups is required by end of January. We have agreed a slight extension until after our next monthly meeting on 6 February. The strategy will then be sent to funders, politicians and other groups to get their views. It is hoped that annual reviews of the strategy will include Borough groups.
The current LCC has strengths and weaknesses; weaknesses include lack of diversity (eg ethnicity, age, gender), low recognition, lack of presence in cycling shops. Andy suggested that cycling generally has a poor image (some of the GCs present refuted this suggestion).
Key strengths included its regional aspect, large numbers of volunteers and activists. 8,000 members makes it the largest urban cycling organisation in the world.
Opportunities for the future included health promotion, social inclusion, community involvement, growing recognition of the value of cycling. To this end LCC are publishing free route maps to be widely distributed (Map Project).
A key threat was LCC being seen by funders and politicians as standing for things other than cycling. There have been examples of a public backlash against cyclists.
Trends: Ethnically diverse and accountable
Sustainability
Reliance on voluntary service
High levels of customer care
Regional bodies
The vision for the LCC is to be the agent that makes London a world class cycling city.
Andy presented a ‘strategy tree’ to be completed by Greenwich Cyclists. This is to be sent out to the egroup (with guidelines) in mid January for comment. Andy to collate responses and bring to the meeting on 6 February.
The meeting then debated various aspects of Andy’s presentation. Nick pointed out that there was more to cycling than commuting (this is evident by the success of GCs weekly rides). Concern expressed by some members about the risk of being too politically correct and focusing on ethnicity issues to the exclusion of other important groups eg children (which would include a range of ethnicity), prospective older cyclists and women. Barry felt very strongly that it was part of Greenwich Cyclists mission to get more people on bikes, for whatever reason, and that outreach to non-cycling groups of all sorts was not "fashionable", as was said at the meeting, but essential if we are ever to spread the appeal.
It was agreed to debate the issues over the e-list, Andy Braben would collate responses in time for the 6 February meeting.
5. Greenwich Cycling Strategy: Questionnaires to be analyzed shortly.
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6. Planning: Barry has written to the prospective new tenants of the Dome, no response as yet.
Fairview Development at Deptford: small area of fencing will soon be coming down improving linking of the Thames Path.
Sustrans have advised Barry they are concerned about some delays on parts of the Thames Path.
North Greenwich Tramlink: Concern expressed of risk to cyclists if cycle path is shared with tramlines. Nick to make contact with the Croydon Group to check what problems encountered with their tram system.
Barry then thanked Andy Cawdell for the useful discussion.
The meeting ended at 9pm.
Next meeting: 7.30, 6 February 2002 at Greenwich Forum.
LP
6 January 2001
GCMins 2 Jan