Hi all as part of BCA New vision  working group we are currently information gathering as part of opening up idea to know what British cavers have to say.... bellow are the questions as part of stage 1 if you like to fill then out i would ask you email them to me - little_caver@hotmail.com as it  easyier to keep track.

Cheers

Hellie


We thank you for taking time to help the BCA with your insight towards a new vision. This is about us opening up ideas. All ideas are welcome no idea is stupid because inspiration can be found from the most unusual places!

1 are you a BCA member?
Yes      No    Unsure

2. How long have you been caving?
<1 year    1-3 years    3-5 years    5-10 years    10-20 years  20+ years

3. Gender
M  F  Rather not say

4. Age
Under 18    18-25  25-30    31-50  41-50  51-60  61 or over

5. How do you find out about caving (do now or would prefer in the future as well)
Circle all that apply:
? Descent
? ukcaving 
? darkness below
? BCA newsletter
? club newsletter
? Facebook
? BCA website
? twitter
? Instagram
? Other (please specify) ...........................
6. Would do you think BCA could be doing to help cavers?

7.What do you see BCA?s role as?

8.  One thing you think that would make BCA more relevant to you?

9. Do you feel BCA currently meets you needs?
Yes  No    Unsure

10. Anything else you think should be included in BCA?s new vision?

evenin' Hellie, your poster at hidden earth got some interest

1 are you a BCA member?
Yes

2. How long have you been caving? (10years exactly!) Yoof will say 10-20years but I don't know, still feel on the cusp of 5-10years!
  5-10 years    10-20 years

3. Gender
M

4. Age
25-30

5. How do you find out about caving (do now or would prefer in the future as well)
Circle all that apply:
?  Descent
?  ukcaving 
?
?  BCA newsletter
?  club
?  Facebook
? 
? 
? 
? 
6. Would do you think BCA could be doing to help cavers?
Interest comes from a group of interconnected friends, I've seen many groups of interconnected friends come and go from the caving environment. Shark Caving Club, are one particular group of London Based ExYorkies, they aim to go caving once a year and I would still call them cavers (they do more caving in every region than I do; which isn't hard).
Cultivating groups of people is the difficult part, they need to be "glued" when they are of similar ability, I've had discussions with a member of the TSG about Climbing minority groups. I tried to argue that it's less about being hounded by men, though I've seen this too, and more that if you find the right mix of people and get the group dynamics right then you'll get people to glue.

I look back at the SUSS group who were up on the Mountain in Spain this summer, people step up to the plate when there's no other choice. The crop of 2017-2018 "freshers" had only praise from the "older" members I spoke to. They Loved it, but had been prepared well.

I would say that there is a lot of "glue" there, and with a good summer trip this year and thoughts of a successful 2020 expedition to Spain on the cards they will do quite well.

How do you transfer this to "adult" clubs, the Bradford and the Craven do quite well because of their "glue" from the Winch meet. South Wales on the doorstep of OFD, a heartland for all south wales members with Dan-yr-Ogof only a stone throw away and some Leading UK cave-photographers to boot!
Mendip, The only way to categorise it. IS Digging! and the Centre of the Universe (The Hunters!).

I'm sure we can compete, in other regions. but the glue is different, and I'm not quite sure it's sticking.

7.What do you see BCA?s role as?
Facilitating "the Glue", to get more non cavers to stick to caving.

8.  One thing you think that would make BCA more relevant to you?
don't know

9. Do you feel BCA currently meets you needs?
Yes

10. Anything else you think should be included in BCA?s new vision?

Alistair send them to the email!

Ah you've better eyes than me, up at 6ish for the new job! Pleased to have a job! But last minute decision to stick to accounts. Though I had offers from other industries, thanks Arco and DWF law.

And sorry SUSs still in Cheshire area.

I'm sure hellie will cope. she did only say she'd "prefer", not exactly a strong recommendation.

Wouldn't a Google form or similar help with automating the datacapture?

email sent

Hi Hellie it would be good if your survey acknowledged that the BCA doesn?t just represent cavers, but mine explorers too. There are many Mine explorers that don?t go caving, and cavers that don?t go mine exploring. There are also many that do both!

A vision for BCA must fully represent the whole world of underground exploration.

I've put Hellie's questionnaire as a Google form to help automate it and make it a little more straightforward to fill in.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVtB6Ge6_lIhiPOwwk6ELbVaQmaNBGZF4INjpxC5S8FD73Lw/viewform?usp=sf_link

The originl formulation of this questionaire ('paper') to email copies shows how adrift bca is with its IT.

Really good that an electronic form has been created.

It might be interesting to compare the answers (and response raates) from the emailed copies with the electronic forms,

Hammy said:

Hi Hellie it would be good if your survey acknowledged that the BCA doesn?t just represent cavers, but mine explorers too. There are many Mine explorers that don?t go caving, and cavers that don?t go mine exploring. There are also many that do both!

A vision for BCA must fully represent the whole world of underground exploration.

Click to expand...

Hi hammy

Yep i am sorry but it good to bring it up, i guess we should have just said underground to cover all bases

Saddly editing the online veirsion is proving hard. So hopfully we cam be forgiven. And i am sorry but know that it is somthing that we will think of Namho is somthing that i have learnt lots about thanks to steve.

Regards

Hellie