B.M.F AGM 2012 Report
The 2012 Annual General Meeting of the BMF was held on Saturday 13th October at the headquarters of the Unwanted Motorcycle Club in Burton upon Trent. TOMCC had elected 5 delegates but in the event Sarge had to send his apologies and it was just Ian Ellis and myself that made the meeting. Members and delegates from all corners of the UK were welcomed to the meeting by the Chairman Roger Ellis.
In the Chairman’s report Roger said that it had been a challenging year, with severe pressures on people's finances. The BMF, like all organisations, has been hit by the recession, but the Management Team took steps to try and limit the impact on the BMF and its members.
Following on from his opening report Roger welcomed Martin Chick to present his report on the shows.
Martin, Mulberry Group MD said that while overall it had been an awful year weatherwise for many outdoor events, all three BMF Shows had gone ahead. Both the BMF Show in May and the Tailend Show in September were well supported. The Kelso Show in July had really suffered from the awful weather, at times some areas were totally underwater, but true 'Bulldog Spirit' had shone through and those attending enjoyed themselves. He was happy with the way the shows had gone, with good feedback from attendees and traders alike.
Dates for 1013 shows were announced as follows:
BMF Show, Peterborough, 18-19 May
BMF Bikefest Kelso, 6-7 July
BMF Tailend, Peterborough, 14-15 September
There are plans afoot to improve the shows, new for 2013 will be an "Adventure / Overland" area in the cattle sheds with relevant exhibitors grouped together and a presentations area for speakers etc. The stunt competition at tail end in 2012 was well received and will be repeated. Mulberry hope to have an "e-ticketing" process in place for next year which should cut the cost of advanced ticket sales.
The BMF's Government Relations Executive, Chris Hodder, then spoke about lobbying and government relations over the past year. He said that the BMF was still at the forefront of lobbying, both in Europe and the UK, and outlined some of the key issues that he had been involved with.
Speaking on BMF finances, Finance Director Howard Anderson said that while overheads had been considerably reduced during the year and income had remained constant from membership, sponsorship and donations, the constant watch on costs and expenditure must continue. He went on to report that currently the financial position was looking much more secure, the first time in a number of years that he could say that. The BMF needs to keep increasing its membership, individual, club and corporate. He offered a challenge to the members from every region to continue recruiting with the aim of making the running of the organisation totally self-sufficient on membership subscriptions.
Tom Duncan, Administration Director and Peter Laidlaw, Director of Member Services, both gave very positive reports on their individual portfolios, again delivering a positive message from the last year but stressing that the BMF must build on that success for the future.
When it came to BMF elections, the whole of the Management Team were re-elected and the meeting offered a vote of thanks to them all.
Jeff Stone, the long serving BMF PR Executive was thanked for his many years of service to the organisation, The meeting voted that Jeff should be made an 'Honorary BMF Member' and wished him well for his retirement.
Next year the AGM will be on October 12th in Region 7 the South West. That could be anywhere from Wiltshire to Lands End so if you fancy a day out down that way helping TOMCC and the BMF be ready to volunteer at the club’s next AGM.
In closing Roger thanked all of the delegates for attending, the Unwanted Club for their hospitality and reminded all that, although the previous year had been good for the BMF, the work has to continue for the foreseeable future to make sure that the BMF stays as the leading riders' rights organisation in the UK.