TLDR: We started a club in October 2022 and completed tasks like creating a calendar of events, designing a logo, and making t-shirts. Now we want to grow the club. We’ve published our constitution on Spond and invited all members to a virtual AGM at 7pm on Monday 4 December 2023 . If you’re interested in joining the committee, please nominate yourself or second someone by Sunday 3 December 2023. Only those present at the AGM can vote.
What came first the chicken or the egg? its an age old question and one that probably wont be answered, certainly not by me. but what is the connection to the Rainbow Riders? Constitutions, Committees and AGMs thats what.
In May 2023, we invited all existing members to a club set up meeting and figure out where we wanted to go in our first year. Out of the 30 riders in the group at the time, 10 of us took part in the online meeting. from this we formed a steering group (not quite on a committee level) with a game plan in mind. Here’s what we set out to achieve:
- Create a calendar of events (rides, socials and third party events like Tour De Manc)
- Update the website
- Increase our social media presence
- Create a fully designed logo and a club t-shirt for socials and events
- Open a bank account (to apply for funding, and pay for things like logo/t-shirt designs etc).
- Write a constitution and ride leader policies.
Like Jay from The Inbetweeners, we’ve “completed it mate” and now it’s time for the Rainbow Riders to move on to the next stage of growth. The constitution, which has been approved by the steering group, includes several committee roles:
- Chairperson: Provides advice and guidance to the committee, acts as a sounding board for ideas, and has the deciding vote in case of a tie.
- Secretary: Oversees the running of the club, handles paperwork, organizes meetings, deals with membership inquiries, and manages administrative tasks.
- Treasurer: Manages the accounts and ensures responsible spending to avoid financial difficulties. Works with the Secretary on collecting membership fees.
- Inclusivity and Safeguarding Officer: Ensures the club remains inclusive and provides support for members’ well-being and safeguarding. Can be held by multiple committee or club members after completing a safeguarding course.
- Ride and Events Coordinator: Organizes rides, including special events like Pride, and coordinates with Ride Leaders.
These roles are essential for the smooth functioning and growth of the Rainbow Riders.
We are inviting all members to join our first official AGM. We are looking for interested individuals to nominate themselves for a role on the committee. Once the committee is formed, the wider steering group will be dissolved. We will provide regular updates on plans and finances to ensure transparency in our club.
The date for our first AGM has been set for Monday 4 December 2023. If you wish to nominate yourself or second a member for a role, please submit your nomination by Sunday 3 December. Remember, only those present at the AGM can vote.
NB. one thing you will notice in the constitution, the mention of an annual membership fee. so far those who joined the steering group donated some funds to cover things like insurance etc.
We don’t plan on introducing membership fee any time soon, as we hope to apply for some grant funding from the hundreds of places out there supporting green transport, sport and exercise as well as those supporting the LGBTQ community, but we are conscious that there is a small amount of money required to run things in the background for websites, domain names and public liability insurance.
Rainbow Riders 