Hello Folks
The intention of posting the minutes was to make things transparent for RCC members.
The minutes above have thrown up a few questions and a bit of controversy too judging by the emails/feedback I've been receiving. So in the same spirit, I'd like to give a bit of background on one of the items in my report.
This regards the Nutfield to Brighton ride on the day of the BHF London-to-Brighton ride.
The minutes say:
"In view of the fact that the London to Brighton ride is on the 20th June the club will offer a ride away from that route, Adrian feels that although it is tempting to lay on an early morning sprint to Brighton for club members from Nutfield this is likely to breach the London to Brighton strict police rules on numbers taking part which limits the ride to 27,000 and can cause it to be stopped if the police believe this amount is being exceeded."
This deserves a bit of background and a clarification.
My view is that if people wish to gather and ride this route on the day, there is nothing to stop them... just as there is nothing to stop a driver driving the route. However, I don't think it should be a club 'event' that RCC publicises and promotes.
My reasons:
1) The ride has a strict number limit. It is the biggest cycle ride in the country and one of the biggest fundraising events of the whole year for any charity. BUT, the police agree to it taking place so long as numbers don't exceed 27,000. Entry to the event is via the BHF and they close entries at that number and then run a waiting list. The Stewards are provided by an external company alongside police presence that is funded by the British Heart Foundation. Again, the agreement is about the money paid for that policing and stewardship... the police provide so many officers, the BHF provide so many stewards but only enough to cover the official turnout.
2) I have run a website dedicated to the London to Brighton route for several years. It is the third most visited site about the ride apart from the BHF's own site. If you google 'cycling London to Brighton', it is the third one down. ([url]http://sites.google.com/site/cyclingroutes/[/url]) It details the route and provides tips for novice cyclists (I also use it to promote the club).
Last year I wrote to the BHF saying that the site was receiving over 1,500 visitors per month because people who wanted to train could not find a good route description. I asked them if they would consider linking to it, given the obvious demand. This was their reply:
from Shoshana Goodman <goodmans@bhf.org.uk>
to "adewebb@gmail.com" <adewebb@gmail.com>
date 7 May 2009 10:10
subject BHF London to Brighton bike ride
____________________________
Hi Adrian,
Thank you for your email regarding the London to Brighton Bike Ride and the link to your site. We don't advertise the route before the rideto minimise the number of unregistered riders on the day as the police take a head count and we are limited for health and safety reasons to 27,000 riders and if we had too many they would simply stop the event. We also want to minimise the disruption to residents along the route and therefore also like to keep the number of spectators down, because of this the BHF will not be able to link to your website.
Regards
Shoshana
Shoshana Goodman | BHF Project Manager | British Heart Foundation | Greater London House, 180 Hampstead Road, London NW1 7AW | Internal Ext: 1328 | DDL: 020 7554 0328 |Email: goodmans@bhf.org.uk
______________________________________________
Now, I don't think they actually DO a headcount and don't know how they would... but if the police were aware for sure that numbers were being exceeded, they could in theory stop the event. A very remote danger but one that I would worry about RCC being linked to if it did happen. The police can and do stop bike rides. Note that last year's first race in the Premier racing calendar was stopped by police mid-ride because of safety worries:
[url]http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/322634/police-stop-bikeline-…]
Consequently, as our website is public, our calendar is public and the promoted rides are public, to have the event there as a club ride in contravention of the police's demands on the British Heart Foundation is something I would worry about.
3) I don't think we'd do this at a Sportive or Race/TT event. Sportives and Races have the same strict number limits but I can't ever see us saying "well, they say it's full but they are public roads, so let's go to the route on the same day and ride it without entering..."
If we wouldn't to a Sportive it doesn't seem to me that we should as a club to a charity ride.
I know that last year we sent a donation cheque to the BHF and they banked it. The ride produces donations from over 20,000 entrants via cheques, cash, just-giving sites etc etc. Consequently, I don't think that the handful of administrators for a Charity not replying can be seen as implicit consent. I may be wrong but I think the 'rules' are those on their website and in the email above.
So.... in conclusion, I'm not trying to be a killjoy and I'm not saying 'don't do it'... I'm saying that if it were an 'official' Redhill event and we ended up being the source of a problem or pulled up by the police or a charity as posing a threat to the event, it wouldn't be good.
Next year, I suggest we get in on the day entries open on the BHF site, do it officially for say 50 riders and try to get into the 'elite' group who set off in London before everyone else... or register but start early from Nutfield. Then we'd be official and could cross the actual finish line...
But in the meantime, what consenting adults do in private is very much up to them and as Chairman, I don't intend every dictating to grown-ups. Sorry if it sounded that way. Not my intention....
Sorry also that this is so long but thanks for reading.
Adrian