Sarah Mitchell appointed as Cycling UK’s new chief executive

[Philip Benstead]

https://www.cyclinguk.org/press-release/sarah-mitchell-appointed-cycling-uks-new-chief-executive

Sarah Mitchell appointed as Cycling UK’s new chief executive

[Cpt Sisko]

The original job advert - https://www.harrishill.co.uk/job/interim-chief-executive-officer/  Salary £85 to £90k

The going rate / value for money or over paid considering it's 'our' money. Thoughts?

[orienteer]

There's a row going on on the Cycling UK forum because CUK plan to remove the over-65 concessionary membership rate. This would result in a 47% increase. CUK say they want to offer the concession to poorer people instead and thus increase membership numbers, which have not risen in recent years.

All part of the regressive reduction in member benefits since the conversion to charity status, and a real slap in the face for the longest serving members.

[nobby]

CUK plan to remove the over-65 concessionary membership rate. This would result in a 47% increase. CUK say they want to offer the concession to poorer people instead and thus increase membership numbers, which have not risen in recent years.

Are they intending to means test pensioners to find which are among poorer people?

[mattc]

There's a row going on on the Cycling UK forum because CUK plan to remove the over-65 concessionary membership rate. This would result in a 47% increase. CUK say they want to offer the concession to poorer people instead and thus increase membership numbers, which have not risen in recent years.

All part of the regressive reduction in member benefits since the conversion to charity status, and a real slap in the face for the longest serving members.

what do you think CUk is for?
What do you think CUK thinks it is for?

If they are different things, then there's no point in complaining that they're not doing what YOU want.

[CommuteTooFar]

I meant to cancel my membership to the CTC. Perhaps I will get around to it in a few years time.

[perpetual dan]

£85-90k is about the going rate for a national charity of that kind of income and number of employees. Income which comes from a variety of sources, and spending the money on a range of different kind of project.

I haven’t looked at the demographics of the membership, but it’s entirely possible that the senior rate members are largely wealthy enough to afford the extra (there’s another rate for those on means tested benefits). I seem to remember that (nationally, on average) pensioners are now better off than recent graduates (and presumably 20 something non graduates), who get no rate reduction at the moment. In that context, oap discounts are generally harder to justify than they used to be. They could also have the senior rate track state pension age. Whether those members want what cuk wants to be is a whole other thing.

[Kim]

The idea of giving discounts to pensioners as an indirect means of tackling poverty is an anachronism.

But I'm sure CUK have no such goals and are simply looking at a balance sheet.

[yoav]

She is what I would call a career bureaucrat. She has no particular interest in cycling and has moved from one third sector organisation to another. It fits in with Cycling UK's ambition to be less of a club and more or a lobbying organisation.

[fd3]

CUK plan to remove the over-65 concessionary membership rate. This would result in a 47% increase. CUK say they want to offer the concession to poorer people instead and thus increase membership numbers, which have not risen in recent years.

Are they intending to means test pensioners to find which are among poorer people?

I think they've made a right pig's ear of selling this idea - which may not be as bad as it sounds.  Basically they are getting rid of an automatic low rate based on age and replacing it with an opt-in (honour based system) lower membership rate for people with less money.  So someone on the senior rate could move to the "lower income" rate with no quibble, but new members on low income could join.

The problem is that it's more of their perceived attack on CTC members and I'm not convinced that this will actually increase membership (none of their other initiatives have been successful).

I'm in an odd situation as I am a CTC life member and had CUK existed at the time I would have probably joined them as I was looking for a "cycling union" that would mostly promote cycling.  At the time I joined the CTC instead of BC because of the membership, who rode steel bikes with mudguards and wide tyres.  So I voted against charitable status and think that CUK should do more to maintain the history of the CTC - even though CUK are prioritising cycling promotion which is more in line with what I want than an organisation that supports my cycle touring (which I don't do).

[ian]

The original job advert - https://www.harrishill.co.uk/job/interim-chief-executive-officer/  Salary £85 to £90k

The going rate / value for money or over paid considering it's 'our' money. Thoughts?

£85-90k isn't high, that's basic middling senior management these days. For running a national organization, I'd suggest somewhat on the low side.

Cyclists need effective lobby. The worst advocates for cycling seem to be cyclists.

[Cudzoziemiec]

The concession rate was already honour based. And the proposal is to increase it as well, while leaving the standard rate unchanged (this year).