Your Ideas, Our Actions

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 14:25:41 GMT

October 2026

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all keeping well. I wanted to share an update following some really helpful feedback gathered recently. It’s important to us as a committee that we listen, learn, and keep improving and your honesty genuinely helps us do that.

What we’re hearing from Rally Officers and Ralliers

So, to kick things off… the first bit of feedback was about communication. A few of you said you’d like to hear more about what’s going on, what we’re working on, and what changes might be coming if any. Hopefully this hits the mark, although I know some people might have already stopped reading by this point ��.

I’m committing to giving regular updates on the feedback we receive, the changes we’re looking at, and most importantly why we make any changes. So here’s what we’ve been hearing, and what your committee is doing.

The good news is that the rally process itself continues to work well, and that’s down to the hard work of our Rally Officers and the support of our members. Thank you. It’s always encouraging to hear that the core of what we do is running smoothly.

There were, however, a few areas where we can tighten things up, particularly around communication from the Treasurer’s side. A few ROs mentioned they’d appreciate clearer confirmation when cheques arrive, more regular updates on online payments, and quicker responses to emails. That’s completely understandable, and we’re grateful it was raised.

Our Treasurer has already committed to improving this, keeping ROs fully updated on online payments, confirming receipt of accounts and cheques promptly, and responding to queries more swiftly. It’s great to see this being taken on board so positively.

Booking forms, paper vs online

Another point raised was the difference between the paper booking form and the online booking form. At the moment, the paper version includes more detail, which means ROs often have to chase ralliers for extra information when bookings come in online, especially for Club sites.

We’ve now spoken to our webmaster, and both forms will be aligned so ROs get the same information regardless of how members choose to book. A small change, but one that will make life easier for everyone we hope.

Rally Calendar Placeholders

We also had some great feedback about adding rally placeholders to the calendar for those who like to plan ahead electronically. So, we’ve done it! You can now add rally placeholders straight from our rally page into your own calendar. There is also instruction for most platforms and devices.

Just a quick word of caution (and this is the important bit): Adding a placeholder to your calendar does not mean you’ve booked or paid. It’s simply there to help you plan your time and keep track of what’s coming up. Think of it as a friendly nudge rather than a confirmed booking.

Rally Accounts, Let’s Make Them Less Scary!

Now, here’s a bit of feedback from our Treasurer that made us smile, mostly because it’s so relatable. When rally accounts come in, some of the common errors she sees are things like totals not quite adding up, VAT miscalculations, or spreadsheets doing that thing where they seem to have a mind of their own.

We get it. Spreadsheets and accounts aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. For some people they’re as intimidating as a blank cheque… for others they’re just something they’d rather avoid altogether. But they are important, not just for the Treasurer, but for our finance processes and audit requirements.

So what are we going to do about it?

We’re planning to run a friendly online seminar to walk through the rally accounts step-by-step. Nothing formal, nothing scary, just a relaxed session explaining:

what the Treasurer needs
why the accounts matter
how to avoid the common mistakes
and a few tips to make the whole thing much easier.

And here’s the best bit: it’s open to everyone , not just current Rally Officers.

So if you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to run a rally… but those accounts terrify me,” this is your chance to come along, have a brew, and realise it’s actually much simpler than it looks. You might even surprise yourself!

We’ll share dates and details soon, and we promise, no calculators required.

AGM finance report

There was also a suggestion to make the AGM finance report more relevant and engaging for the audience. That’s really useful feedback, and our Treasurer has already started thinking about how to reshape it for next year so it speaks more directly to what members want to hear.

Cheques, are they still welcome?

A topic that came up quite strongly was payments. Many ROs said they’d like us to continue accepting cheques, and the committee agrees, we have no desire or intention to stop cheques as a payment method. In fact, from our Treasurer’s experience so far, cheques are often simpler and quicker to process.

Cheques allow ROs to:

Know immediately who has paid
Avoid chasing online payments
Easily destroy or return cheques if someone cancels
Send cheques in only when they’re ready to be banked

From the Treasurer’s side currently, processing a batch of cheques is far quicker than entering dozens of individual online payments.

Online Payments, Let’s Work Together

While online payments are convenient for many members, they do come with a few challenges. ROs often find themselves having to chase members who haven’t paid, and we’re seeing payments landing in the Centre account with the wrong amounts, missing rally references, or sometimes no reference at all.

So, while we work on finding a better payment system (and we are actively looking at this), can we ask a small favour in the meantime?

If you pay online, please double‑check:

you’ve paid the correct amount.
you’ve included the correct rally reference.
you’ve filled in all the details properly.

It really helps your Rally Officer, and it avoids unnecessary chasing, which isn’t fair on them. We’re hoping a new system will remove all these headaches, but until then, let’s work together to make things smoother for everyone.

Rally Officers, Please Send Cheques Before the Event

One important reminder for our Rally Officers: please send your cheques in before the rally whenever possible.

In the past, we’ve had issues with cheques arriving late, getting lost in the post, or turning up with problems that are much harder to resolve after the rally has finished. If cheques are posted and cashed before the event, then even if something goes wrong, a lost cheque, a damaged cheque, or a payment error, the rallier is already on your rally. You can explain what’s happened, get a replacement cheque, and sort it out quickly and easily.

Chasing people after the event is far more difficult, and it puts unnecessary pressure on both the RO and the Treasurer. So sending cheques in early really does help keep things running smoothly.

A final word

You might have an idea or a suggestion and think, “I don’t want to mither the committee.” But honestly, please do get in touch! If you’ve thought of something, chances are someone else has too. We will never turn away feedback, and we genuinely appreciate hearing from you. Our email addresses are on the website, and you’re always welcome to reach out to me directly.

And just a little reminder: while we’re working hard to make improvements, please remember we’re all volunteers, and would you believe it, we actually do this for fun ��. If an email gets missed or someone doesn’t get back to you straight away, please don’t hesitate to nudge us again. It might take a bit of time now and then, but we will get back to you.

Oh, and before I forget, someone asked if I’d consider doing a vlog. Now, I do know what a vlog is (and I promise I didn’t Google it)… but I’m not quite ready for that yet. Maybe one day, when I’ve perfected my camera‑ready smile!

And finally, if you’ve made it all the way to the bottom of this update: thank you! There’s no prize for doing so… but if you think this update was good, bad, or somewhere in between, let me know.

Take care, and I look forward to seeing you at the next rally.

Warm regards,

Martyn

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Your Ideas, Our Actions

October 2026