August club news 

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A word from our Vice Presidents (VP)

It seems we are going through some changing times; we are looking for a new National Chair, we have three Regional Chairs standing down in December and we have two new Regional Chairs early in their roles.  It is at times like this that the club’s two Vice Presidents can bring help and support to all those involved in the running of the club. Whilst the President’s role is that of a figurehead, the VP’s are rather different.  They are similar to “non-executives” who are there to give the club’s Board and Regional Committees help, advice and guidance from a more independent and ‘stand back’ perspective.Mike Newton is a highly experienced racing driver who started in motor racing as an ex-marshal and BMMC member in the late 70’s who runs a very successful business empire.  Mike is seeking to build upon the Club Ambassadors scheme to strengthen the relationship between drivers and the marshalling community at both local as well as international level.Chris Hobson is a MSUK Steward, long standing (58 years) member of the BMMC and past National Chairman (12 years) and was the first marshal to be appointed to Motor Sports Council. Although not members of Council, the VPs often sit in on the meetings where they can join the debates but are not eligible to vote on any resolutions.  They are also available to all Council and committee members whenever required.With many contacts in the motorsport world and a wealth of experience working with the organising clubs and the governing body our VPs assist those running the club on a daily basis to steer us through to a successful 2025 and beyond. The VPs are also there for any member to contact with questions, comments, concerns or requests for help on any marshalling matter so please feel free to contact them. 

Around the regions.

SE region in conjunction with 750mc, is hosting the Girls on track (GoT) initiative with around 8 girls attending supported by their mentors. They will attend on 24th August and get the full taster day experience, tour and lap around the circuit. Host for the day will be Mark Manley SE recruitment and SE Chair Andy Bumstead. 

A person sitting at a desk in a tent

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The Northwest continues to grow membership currently standing at 693 at the end of July. Thanks go to Duncan Fitzgibbons and the recruitment team for the excellent work they do, especially with our brand-new shiny recruitment tent which looks superb. We are also recruiting more cadets so that they can enjoy the experience of an event in a safe and protected environment. The HSCC Gold Cup at the end of July 2024 certainly put a smile on our faces as Oulton Park hosted a plethora of F5000 cars which were fast and noisy. At the other end of the spectrum the F500 cars put on a great show with close racing. It was one of those events which helped keep the passion alive for motorsport.Tracmon Anglesey hosted the 24hr KA race which was an eventful meeting, and our thanks go to the marshals, circuit staff and the club for looking after us. 

The North East regions welcomes Gerogieleigh Ward as the new social media coordinator. Our regional committees  took a break in August but remain focused on issues raised by our members and will be “back to business” these in September   

Financial and Insurance

Income. We received £1,090 in membership subscriptions from circa 50 new members and a very generous donation from Four Paw Racing. We raised invoices on our overall sponsors, of which all but one have been paid. We are chasing the outstanding one! 

Expenditure. Expenditure was higher than usual as we processed invoices for the SE Region’s Taster Day Video – which has been very well received by the Directors and will be available for wider use in September. Also in July, we received a large number of overall subsidies which were paid out and will be reclaimed, in part, from our sponsors in December. Other expenses were very much in line with budget. 

Summary. The overall position for July was a loss of £1,717, although year to date we have a surplus of £3,636.At the moment there is no reason why our position should deteriorate.

Recruitment  

SE taster days continue to be booked to the end of the year with around 10 per day attending. So far the success of SE recruitment has seen a retention of at least 73% with WhatsApp groups set up prior to attending to ask those stupid questions about the day.  Oulton Park has held a number of taster days, including specific days to encourage cadets plus recruitment tents events, with 69 new marshals joining this year. Social media seems to be a key attraction, as well as the recruitment teams at events around the country.  

Membership and Grading 

The membership recruitment teams continue to attract new members, with our  figures showing an interest from adults to students and cadets. Huge thanks to Mike Mulder for his hard work 

MonthAdultsStudentsCadets
January4051
February4862
March34113
Aprill4342
May4331
June43123
July4522

In addition congratulations to the latest members that have upgraded and have been confirmed by Motorsport UK

EM9138                        Phil Broom                                 Race Grade 1

SE9307                         Oscar Lock                                 Race Grade 1

SE9556                         Andrew Banthorp                                   Race Grade 1

NW9237                        Ian Samuel                                 Race Grade 1

NE7565                         Darren Hindle                             Race Grade 2 (Flag)

NE4081                         Andrew Palmer                          Race Grade 3

SM9092                         Catherine Smart                         Off Track Grade 1

SM9014                         Stephanie Alexander                 Off Track Grade 1

NE7871                         Catriona McCann                       Off Track Assessor

Regalia

Over the past few weeks, it’s been advisable to “KEEP YOUR HAT ON.” If your trusty old hat is showing signs of wear, why not explore the club’s merchandise eShop? Discover a diverse collection of headwear, from stylish baseball caps and bucket hats to cosy beanies and even the trendy BMMC Urban Army Cap. Enjoy a 10% summer discount by using the code BMMCSUMMER-10 at the checkout before the end of August https://shops.fabryx.co.uk/collections/british-motorsports-marshals-club. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with your Regional Regalia Coordinators, who an array of regalia items. Alternatively, simply email the National Regalia Coordinator with your requirements and have the complete range of club badges and stickers conveniently delivered to your door. 

Training 

Our National Training Coordinator Al Page has encouraged all the Regional Training Coordinators to consult with you, our members, to identify your training needs to help ensure the grant money very generously provided by the British Motorsport Trust (BMT) is best spent.  Therefore, please let your local Regional Training Coordinators know what you need to progress through the grading scheme or even just be refreshed upon. The BMT have already advised that Motorsport UK will be identifying their training priorities which will influence the training funding available, so let’s ensure we have a watertight case for our training bid submissions.We also intend to make the regional training events more accessible to our membership by publishing what modules are being delivered regionally and on what dates.  This should help with cross-region training availability for those who are willing to travel to satisfy their training needs, especially if their home region is not offering their required modules.Finally, some of you are already aware that we have stopped the use of non-environmentally friendly foam extinguishers being used for training.  This is because of concerns raised by the Environment Agency regarding the long-term effects of their use on the environment.  To make it clear, we may continue to use non-environmentally friendly foam extinguishers when dealing with incidents.  Motorsport UK are aware of this decision and are working to fine tune their guidance to trainers.If you have any questions or training concerns please contact your Regional Training Coordinators in the first instance.

Other news 

Thank you to everyone who  completed the British GP feedback survey,  the results have been shared with Motorsport UK and we await their feedback. 

There is a Krazy Races event to be held in Lincoln on 15th September https://www.krazyraces.co.uk/lincoln-krazy-races/.  If you fancy doing something different and are available to help out, please contact nadinelewis5@yahoo.co.uk 

And finally, our Annual General Meeting will be held on 1st December at Motorsport UK Bicester.The meeting will be hybrid format, however if you are available, please come along in person and share your views on the future of the club. Please provide any feedback on the BMMC monthly blog to nat.secretary@marshals.co.uk

John Edwards National Secretary 07800 587391