Tyne Valley MTB Cycling AGM 2019: 07-30pm
Café Enna: Tyne Green, Hexham
Agenda / programme
1. Welcome, chairman’s report and election of officers: Ted Liddle
- Ted welcomed 29 attendees comprising members and visitors and explained the Club’s AGM had evolved into a model which respects the Club’s constitution but adopts minimal ceremony and instead concentrates on providing information, review, vision and inspiration.
- Apologies only from Rob Aubrook and it was assumed from members living 25 miles +
- The previously distributed 2018 activities review constituted the chairman’s report
- The club committee was willing to stand again and was voted en bloc
Chairman / Secretary / Programme/ Advocacy: Ted Liddle
Treasurer: Graham Patton / Vice Treasurer: James Swabey
Membership secretary: Michael Smith / Scrutiny: Rob Aubrook
No new nominations were submitted. Graham B has kindly offered to keep the Club website updated.
2. Finances: Graham Patton
A copy of the clubs 3 accounts up to the end of January 2019:
- Treasurer’s account used for routine items e.g. website, auditing, adverts etc
- Trips & Tours account
- Projects account allocated to fund the support of cycle routes and new / improved access
A copy of these accounts was previously distributed with the invite to pose questions directly to the Treasurer. Graham said the Club diligently manages its funds and stressed that whilst the accounts are in good health, all monies therein are there for a purpose. Ted added 2 Alps tours produce a turnover in excess of £16,000 hence the need for accurate records and complete transparency.
3. Insurance cover: James Swabey
James outlined the annual insurance cover the Club takes out through British Cycling to provide indemnity cover with specified conditions and exclusions. A key component is that Club rides are risk assessed as far as that is possible in advance of the event.
4. Forestry England: Alex MacLennan
Alex provided a very interesting presentation which overviewed the use and impact of the North of England Forest Estate for recreation including cycling. Alex overviewed the Borderlands Growth Deal www.borderlandsgrowth.com into which he and Ted had had input – Alex for Forestry England initiatives and Ted to write a collective approach for recreational cycling in the English border counties. In 2018, Alex and Ted had met with Scottish colleagues and together, had come up with creating Borderlands: Region of Cycling Excellence which is understood to have been submitted to the Government within the Destination Borderlands element of the region’s funding bid to the treasury.
Addendum: On 14.03.19. The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Spring Statement that up to £260 m will be allocated over coming years to the Borderlands with an additional £85 m from the Scottish Executive for Scottish projects including a major development at Innerleithen. It will take a little time to find out how much, if any, will be allocated to recreational cycling in Northumberland and Cumbria.
See the following for more information: http://www.borderlandsgrowth.com/Portals/0/Documents/newletters/Borderlands%20Newsletter%20March%202019.pdf
5. 2018 Highlights / 2019 routes planned: Ted
Ted provided a Power Point presentation to cover this.
6. Route Development: Ted
Ted provided a Power Point presentation to cover two subjects:
- The club’s major contribution to re-launching the Reivers Cycle Route invented by Ted in 1998 which became increasingly dormant in the intervening years. It is proposed to regenerate and re-launch the Reivers Cycle Routes as two intertwining route options – one which is as much off-road as possible suitable for gravel and cross bikes, hybrids and mountain bikes and a version designed for capable road cyclists which is 100% on tarmac. Paid for by crowd-funding and contributions from local cycling clubs, a new stylised route map is being created in advance of the re-launch ride at the end of May which riders are welcome to join.
- The Length of Britain Trail is being coordinated by Cycling UK which Ted has been co-opted to help shape with particular reference to the section between Kirkby Stephen and Kielder. Utilising a series of exiting linear trails, a sustainable ‘cheap and cheerful’ route will be promoted be relying on GPS navigation. It will be as much off-road as possible and en route will visit iconic landmarks.
7. EPIC ride: David Brookes
David held everyone’s attention when he gave an excellent account of half of his epic cycle tour to many countries which he undertook with a pal a lot of years ago. We will have to wait a year to hear part 2.
8. Great Alpine Chain Route by MTB: Ted
Ted provided a Power Point presentation to summarise this epic adventure.
Every summer since 2005, a small group of friends and then from 2009 as Club members with more adding each year, have ridden a section of the GACR between Geneva and Salzburg then further east and between Innsbruck and Monte Grappa above the Venice plain. We have ridden the best MTB trails that can be found overnighting whenever possible in simple mountain accommodation but always beginning where finishing the previous year. 2018 and 2019 will see the unique completion of the GACR by MTB when Geneva to Nice will have been ridden. Three of us have ridden it all.
The meeting closed at 10:00pm. Thanks to Café Enna for allowing us to hire the room.
