New BCA CRoW Officer wanted?

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
New BCA CRoW Officer wanted?

After three years ?in the job? I have decided not to stand for a fourth year in this very important BCA role.  Therefore after the June AGM, BCA will be looking for a new CRoW Liaison Officer to help fulfil the wishes of the membership in this respect.

At the last BCA meeting council supported my proposal to establish a ?campaign group? and this has yet to be set up.  The new officer will have the freedom to build up this working group and I will be available to offer advice, particularly on the work I have already done, if that is needed.

To many people I have become closely associated with the CRoW campaign to the point that some elements insist on referring to it as ?my campaign?.  I?d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that it is a BCA campaign, run on behalf of BCA members and the wider caving communities.  I was not even a BCA member when our National Body ran a poll on whether to commence a campaign to ensure caving was recognised as a permitted activity under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act.  The poll resulted in a strong mandate for CRoW.  Later when it transpired that the BCA Access Officer was unable to pursue a campaign due to a conflict of interest with his employers a new BCA role was created and I volunteered for it.

I committed a lot of time to the campaign particularly in gathering support from other organisations and individuals, researching details of the Act, promoting an awareness of the campaign through media as well as working on the conservation and landowner issues that run parallel.  Most of my efforts have been recorded in my reports to council for all to see.  Many cavers have offered kind words of support and that has been most welcome.  Practical campaign help has been quite limited but I would like to single out Bob Mehew, to whom I am very grateful for the huge amount of research he has conducted behind the scene.

Unfortunately it has been the internal battles of the campaign within BCA that has been most challenging.  Not just against the minority yet influential, anti-crow lobby, but also against an executive which for much of the time appeared to hold a two thirds anti campaign bias.  This battle has been bloody at times and not for the feint hearted but I feel it is coming to an end.  The internal barriers of the constitution which were put forward as an impediment to the campaign for a long time were emphatically voted out by formal ballot at the end of last year.  Even the most fervent of the anti-crow lobby must surely accept the clear wishes of the membership.  We?re leaving the EU on a 51.9% vote.  The CRoW campaign received a 62% majority for the poll and an 85% & 88% (club/individual) majority to remove the impediment.  With changes at the top imminent the new BCA exec would do well to keep this in mind.

Now would be a very good time for someone untainted by the battles of the past to forge ahead with this clear mandate.  Whoever you are, I wish you the very best of luck.

Tim Allen
 

nearlywhite

Active member
Thank you for all the work you've put in over the years Tim, have to say I'm sad to hear you're stepping down but you've done your time, so to speak. I hope a new person can be found for the role and unsurprisingly I think working groups are the way forward  ;)

PS I'm definitely not volunteering
 

aricooperdavis

Moderator
Thank you for all that you've done to support the CRoW campaign, Tim, and the amazing work that you've done to support caving in general! You've definitely set us in the right direction, despite a lot of toxicity, which you've handled admirably. It was an education to be present at the recent CSCC meeting, and I hope that with time both sides of the debate might feel more able to work together to make progress.
 

Goydenman

Well-known member
THANKS Tim.....for all your work and ensuring the members desires re: CROW were taken in the right direction. Thanks also for the ways you've presented caving to non-cavers in a an exciting positive light
 

Stu

Active member
Another desire to express thanks for everything you've done for the campaign.

(y)
 

Ian Adams

Active member
Thank you Tim ....

There is only one "you" and I am sorry your efforts have been tempered by well placed people who see fit to exercise their own views ahead of the wishes of the BCA members.

A very sad day for democracy and a very sad day for the BCA (even if 2/3rds of the exec don't know it)

Ian
 
Adding my voice to the echo chamber: Thanks Tim for your hard work, in both fighting the fighting the CRoW fight, and furthering the cause of caving with the wider public. It was a pleasure to see you talk at the Kendal Mountain Festival. I hope you enjoy a well deserved rest from the constant mithering. We'll have to buy you a cake as thanks (don't worry, I'll eat the first slice ;) )
 

TheBitterEnd

Well-known member
Big thanks from me too for sticking at this thankless task for as long as you did and for getting some real progress.
 

DickW

Member
Thank you Tim. You?ve worked bloody hard on this despite the efforts of a small and vocal minority.
 

Badlad

Administrator
Staff member
Hi again all

Many thanks for your kind words. I have been contacted by a caver who is prepared to take on the role.  He will be excellent for the job and has my full support.  A further announcement will be made soon, probably after the BCA meeting on 14th April.

As mentioned above my proposal to establish a campaign group was accepted by BCA council.  I now intend to make preparations to set up this group ready for June when I stand down.  Although I will no longer be the officer/convener I will sit on the group to advise on work already done and possibly to represent the northern caving area.

Anyone who supports the campaign and has some time available to help the group is invited to put their name forward now.  It may be that you could take on a specific task or do some lobbying locally or through your own contacts.  PM me on ukcaving or contact by my BCA address - crow at british-caving.org.uk
 
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