Tag: slipstream

Hi everyone

Andy Wedge and I represented TVAM in the IAM Region 2 meeting last month. There was an in-depth presentation of 92 slides, which will be in our documents folder on the TVAM website for those of you who would like full details.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Sales of Skills for Life in our region are up by 6% year on year. The IAM have set a target to increase to 8%. Seems like a big ask, but the general public, bikers and TVAM will all benefit if we too can support this.
• Our region takes 175 days to get associates who have been through enrolment to test, and 250 days including enrolment through to registering test completion (all car and bike). This is longer than all other regions. The quickest region does this in 150 days.
• Information like this will be put on the IAM website to allow people to choose the group that meets their needs.
• They are ramping up their effort to say thank you to members, including adding details onto your IAM membership card such as a F1RST pass.
• There is a concerted effort to understand reasons for not renewing IAM membership. The slides give you more information, including reasons such as personal income versus perceived benefits (as you will know, we also have a project within TVAM on a similar vein to review and consider every benefit and cost to all types of our own club members).
• Progressing with the new modules; members will be able to buy; New quiz/assessment module, Urban riding. I understand existing full members will be allowed to check it out later for free.
• They are actively progressing merging of groups – this will not apply to TVAM as we already have our regional sub-teams.
• There is a plan to change IAM communication, under the banner ‘group engagement’; which actually means increasing numbers of emails to committee members. Yay!
• Our regional manager, Mark Trimmer, has categorised groups in his region as Red (i.e. poor sales of Skills for Life, and low test passes), Amber, and Green (doing well and above average). He has focussed his activity in Red and Green groups, and helping merge groups.
• There was further talk about the database (DTE) that the IAM like groups to use. This is very helpful for other groups that don’t have their own, as TVAM do.

Please do carry on enjoying the club and making the effort by joining in on the courses, enjoying banter and riding.

Shiny side up

Charon Willis
Chair

 

Welcome to March!

Hopefully we’ve finished with the flooding, and you and yours haven’t suffered too much. Now we can get on with a fun-packed year of events from Slipstream, and your local group’s activities.

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) campaigns to protect and promote motorcycling and the interests and rights of all riders, illustrated last year by helping to stop the introduction of the ‘Super MOT’. However, like many organisations, MAG needs income, and to increase public awareness. One easy and quick way to help is to support one of their latest promotional initiatives.

In April, a song by Nikki Murray – who refers to it as ‘An anthem for MAG’ – should be released, and MAG gets half the proceeds. So log on to www.stranger-music.com, and for the princely sum of 79p you will be able to download it. They are suggesting you also get 3 friends to do this, in the same week, in an attempt to get a chart hit and therefore huge publicity. Admittedly not as exciting as riding your bikes, but potentially supports our freedom to ride.

Andy Wedge has kindly collated the feedback received on the IAM presentation to Observers regarding the local and national Observers qualification, and sent it on to Jon Taylor (Staff Examiner) and Amanda Smith (IAM Quality Control Manager).

The AGM is today (Sunday 16th March). Are you here? Then join us to hear the plans and questions that our club members have put forward.

Keep your eyes open for latest amusing surveys from the IAM in your email/forum box. I like the one that 26% of drivers were distracted by back seat drivers – it was a missed opportunity for the IAM to promote motorcycling and Skills for Life, and start a ‘Get a motorcycle’ campaign – and the one that 4 out of 10 drivers are not concentrating. You know what I’m going to say, ‘Get a motorcycle’, then try not concentrating. Ho hum – preaching to the converted, I know.

Have fun

Charon

Happy New Year to all our club members.

The majority of club members join TVAM with the aim of learning new skills, gaining confidence and finding some like-minded people to go riding with. Having attained their initial goal, many have stayed on to help others and to join in the fun.
I recently went around the club and asked a variety of people what they liked most about the club. The overwhelming response was that it was the camaraderie, banter and sharing time with their friends. One, in particular, gave special mention to Ken Jeddere-Fisher (who kindly organises runs and trips for all club members) for having brought him and his, now, wife together. Thanks Ken.

Have you made any plans for 2014?

You can rely on TVAM members to provide a few interesting activities and a couple of those ‘I really should do’ courses.
Last year I managed four trips to Wales, one to Spain, helped a few people through riding, coaching and cross-checking and attended a few meetings.

Already I have been blessed that one of my friends has rallied some people with similar riding styles together for a long weekend riding. Yay!

Currently I’m busy route planning my next social ride for the club. The hardest bit is to plot petrol stations and indoor eateries that are appropriate (fast, cheapish, provide tasty food with places to put jackets and helmets) and close-ish to some interesting roads that I have found. The result gives me huge satisfaction when others tell me how much they enjoyed their day out.

How about you? Have you offered to plan a ride or organise a trip yet? Perhaps others are waiting for you….

Perhaps you have got a new gadget to try. Please share your experience on the web forum and in Slipstream.

Some people plan a long way ahead. I know one member enjoyed the Toy Run so much, she has bought her outfit for the next Christmas Toy Run (I am not naming names) – Wow, how fantastic is that?
Paperwork: The annual accounts not only provide the factual report of our club’s state of affairs, we make it much more interesting. So it includes all the leaders’ fun pieces to let you know about some of the key events. By the time you get to read this, the annual report will hopefully be in the library, on the website for all signed up members to download.

Take care, have fun, and start doing those household chores now in order to earn Brownie points for use in nicer weather.

Safe riding

Charon