Cycle campaigning

All members of London Cycling Campaign can now vote for members of the Board of Trustees
http://lcc.org.uk/pages/2012-candidates

You can vote for up to 5 candidates or you can vote for just your favourite one, but don't try to vote twice for the same person. See the candidates' questions and answers page.
http://lcc.org.uk/pages/trustee-election-q-a

If you are a member of LCC and haven't had an email with a voting link then contact the membership team as soon as you can membership@lcc.org.uk 020 7234 9310

If you are not yet a member of LCC then join now.
http://lcc.org.uk/pages/joining-options

Indeed brilliant stuff missmouse and great quote fro cllr hargrove

Only as long as it is enforced of course...

Here's my annual report, if anyone is interested in reading about Southwark Cyclists' (extremely busy) past year: https://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/sc-annual-report-2012

All members of London Cycling Campaign can now vote for members of the Board of Trustees
http://lcc.org.uk/pages/2012-candidates

You can vote for up to 5 candidates or you can vote for just your favourite one, but don't try to vote twice for the same person. See the candidates' questions and answers page.
http://lcc.org.uk/pages/trustee-election-q-a

If you are a member of LCC and haven't had an email with a voting link then contact the membership team as soon as you can membership@lcc.org.uk 020 7249 7026

If you are not yet a member of LCC then join now.
http://lcc.org.uk/pages/joining-options

Charlie (or Oliver or anyone else in the know): what percentage of your staff or trustees are non-white? And/or female?

All members of London Cycling Campaign can now vote for members of the Board of Trustees
http://lcc.org.uk/pages/2012-candidates

You can vote for up to 5 candidates or you can vote for just your favourite one, but don't try to vote twice for the same person. See the candidates' questions and answers page.
http://lcc.org.uk/pages/trustee-election-q-a

If you are a member of LCC and haven't had an email with a voting link then contact the membership team as soon as you can membership@lcc.org.uk 020 7249 7026

If you are not yet a member of LCC then join now.
http://lcc.org.uk/pages/joining-options

Does anyone on here know if any of the candidates are up for pushing the introduction of laws similar to those in the Netherlands and Belgium that place a presumption of liability on motorists involved in a road traffic incident in which a cyclist is killed or injured?

I'd expect that all of the candidates would be in favour of that. All cycling and walking organisations, plus a fair few more, agree that this would be a good thing.

Not wishing to be the bearer of bad news, there is currently virtually no chance of getting it, however. We'll keep pushing, but the aftereffects of the press disinformation campaign ('motorists are always guilty', blah, blah) around the issue a few years ago mean that a good opportunity is needed for the issue to be revived.

Charlie (or Oliver or anyone else in the know): what percentage of your staff or trustees are non-white? And/or female?
It is difficult to be precise but about 12% are non white and about 30% female. We are 100% Londoners although many of us are not British and even more have at least one non British parent. I think all the non-white people are British.
For most of its history LCC has had more female than male employees.

Before you ask, we are all wealth creators. By riding bikes and promoting cycling we reduce costs to the economy, to the environment and to the health services. That makes everyone better off.

I'm currently (for my sins) the chair of Wandsworths Councils Staff Bike User Group.

Don't get excited, we have no power, and very little say, but sometimes we get a chance to put things to Members, and I'd like to try and be a little more proactive about that. I'm currently arranging our next meeting, and was wondering if there are any Wandsworth specific cycling issues that people here are aware of that should be brought up. PM me with them if there are. I can't promise anything, but if we consider that a position should be taken and comunicated, we can do that.

I've got a few bits of information that I'm going to be digging for soon, so may ask on here for help with that.

Thanks in advance
MrDrem

I'd expect that all of the candidates would be in favour of that. All cycling and walking organisations, plus a fair few more, agree that this would be a good thing.

Not wishing to be the bearer of bad news, there is currently virtually no chance of getting it, however. We'll keep pushing, but the aftereffects of the press disinformation campaign ('motorists are always guilty', blah, blah) around the issue a few years ago mean that a good opportunity is needed for the issue to be revived.

How many DEAD CYCLISTS were there in London in the last year?

I think there may be a good "opportunity" for the issue to be revived?

Charlie (or Oliver or anyone else in the know): what percentage of your staff or trustees are non-white? And/or female?

Oh What the fuck is this all about???

I don't care if they're a Mr. Blobby lookalike, smoke dope and listen to Max Bygraves records. As long as they stop people getting knocked off their bike then they get my vote.

Fuck me, let's not play the race card. We're all on two wheels and that's what matters.

Good work!

You've got in touch with Wandsworth Cyclists I presume?

We recently developed a Employers' Cycling Guide with Southwark Council. May be of interest.

MM

I'm currently (for my sins) the chair of Wandsworths Councils Staff Bike User Group.

Don't get excited, we have no power, and very little say, but sometimes we get a chance to put things to Members, and I'd like to try and be a little more proactive about that. I'm currently arranging our next meeting, and was wondering if there are any Wandsworth specific cycling issues that people here are aware of that should be brought up. PM me with them if there are. I can't promise anything, but if we consider that a position should be taken and comunicated, we can do that.

I've got a few bits of information that I'm going to be digging for soon, so may ask on here for help with that.

Thanks in advance
MrDrem

Well, thanks for that contribution Scottmac.

Does no one think this is important, or even worth discussing? Really? I ask because I don't know the answer; I know from my own experience that as a body Cycle Trainers in London are not very ethnically diverse and I wonder why. I wonder why all the nominees in that link Charlie posted are white. I am not reflecting upon their ability to do their jobs or the campaigns they run. Is this true of all cycling campaign groups? Is there a dearth of non-white people getting involved? Does this reflect who cycles in London? Why would any group not ask themselves these questions? If they do, what have they concluded? If no one can ask without a fatuous phrase like 'playing the race card' being used then why are people so defensive?
Charlie, I have no ides why you would think I would ask about a bogus concept like being a 'wealth creator' or why it is relevant.

Well, thanks for that contribution Scottmac.

Does no one think this is important, or even worth discussing? Really? I ask because I don't know the answer; I know from my own experience that as a body Cycle Trainers in London are not very ethnically diverse and I wonder why. I wonder why all the nominees in that link Charlie posted are white. I am not reflecting upon their ability to do their jobs or the campaigns they run. Is this true of all cycling campaign groups? Is there a dearth of non-white people getting involved? Does this reflect who cycles in London? Why would any group not ask themselves these questions? If they do, what have they concluded? If no one can ask without a fatuous phrase like 'playing the race card' being used then why are people so defensive?
Charlie, I have no ides why you would think I would ask about a bogus concept like being a 'wealth creator' or why it is relevant.

Didn't you post something about it in another thread? Or a very similar username...

It's in this thread! Post #571!

Oh, I'd forgotten about that.

Yeh, big fan of Mrs T. Always have been.

Well, thanks for that contribution Scottmac.

Does no one think this is important, or even worth discussing? Really? I ask because I don't know the answer; I know from my own experience that as a body Cycle Trainers in London are not very ethnically diverse and I wonder why. I wonder why all the nominees in that link Charlie posted are white. I am not reflecting upon their ability to do their jobs or the campaigns they run. Is this true of all cycling campaign groups? Is there a dearth of non-white people getting involved? Does this reflect who cycles in London? Why would any group not ask themselves these questions? If they do, what have they concluded? If no one can ask without a fatuous phrase like 'playing the race card' being used then why are people so defensive?
Charlie, I have no ides why you would think I would ask about a bogus concept like being a 'wealth creator' or why it is relevant.

It seems to me that it is you whom has the problem by looking at the colour of a person's skin first and then looking at the bike.

Re. My "fatuous" answer. When I am riding a bike and see another cyclist in trouble or in need of help, my brain doesn't compute, "Oh, you are of a Chinese/Caribbean gene pool, therefore I will/will not help you." or, "My Gawd, a black dude/gal riding a bike!"

It doesn't matter who or what you are or what culture/tribe you belong to.
What matters is that You are on two wheels and remain safe on the roads, whether you're a fixed, tester, touring, sportive, MTB, shopper etc. rider.

Right, I'm off to watch Rastamouse to maintain my spiritual connection with Jah, if that's ethically hip with you?

FFS.

Yeh, I was talking about organisations and who chooses to join them, which was pretty obvious, not the absurd picture you have painted of some bizarre racial prejudice about who to help.
Any organisation should be aware of whether or not its staff accurately reflect, and are drawn from, the communities it serves and if it doesn't why that is, what effect that has and what, if anything, can be done about it.
If you have a bunch of head shots (no bikes) of people standing for election to an organisation in London, a forward looking, open, organisation, not the local Masonic lodge or UKIP, and all of those faces are white then I think that is notable. I am not saying anyone is racist but since I work in this field then I am interested to know why it is.

I would add to this discussion if I felt I had much to contribute but for now

Does no one think this is important, or even worth discussing?

Yes.
as in, "yes, I do", not "yes, no-one does".

It is definitely worth discussing and I see where you are coming from Will. I looked at the list of candidates and thought 'very white, very middle class, many from the same areas, (Hackney, Islington, Southwark) wonder why that is?' These people all put themselves forward so is there a barrier to people from different backgrounds putting themselves forward (I don't think so) or is this a reflection of the membership makeup overall? If the latter, why does that not reflect the cycling community accurately?

Shall we ask how many Jewish people are candidates and are there more Catholics riding bikes than Muslims?

Tell you what. The next time someone is lying under the wheels of a HGV I am sure they will be bothered of what ethnic background the candidate was who was fighting their corner.

Charlie, I have no ides why you would think I would ask about a bogus concept like being a 'wealth creator' or why it is relevant.

Errrr...

Are you a wealth creator? I thought not. So why do you wish to impede those who are?

It is definitely worth discussing and I see where you are coming from Will. I looked at the list of candidates and thought 'very white, very middle class, many from the same areas, (Hackney, Islington, Southwark) wonder why that is?' These people all put themselves forward so is there a barrier to people from different backgrounds putting themselves forward (I don't think so) or is this a reflection of the membership makeup overall? If the latter, why does that not reflect the cycling community accurately?
We are not shy about discussing gender and ethnicity issues, some of the people who fund us ask the same questions. Because we are a small organisations the percentages change up and down every year. Because we are Londoners it is sometimes difficult to define ethnicity, most of us have a very mixed genealogy.
We are, however, aware that cycling in London is not equally represented among different ethnicities. Cyclists tend to be more white and middle class than the population. Changing that has been one of the aims of the programmes we have managed through the Community Cycling Fund.
Having a higher proportion of women and BME cyclists than in the past is one of the measures of success in the move towards a 'Cycle-ised' City. This is beginning to happen in the inner London boroughs where cycling is becoming normalised.

It is definitely worth discussing and I see where you are coming from Will. I looked at the list of candidates and thought 'very white, very middle class, many from the same areas, (Hackney, Islington, Southwark) wonder why that is?' These people all put themselves forward so is there a barrier to people from different backgrounds putting themselves forward (I don't think so) or is this a reflection of the membership makeup overall? If the latter, why does that not reflect the cycling community accurately?
I don't think there is a barrier, certainly not intentionally.

Unfortunately I think it probably does represent fairly well the mixture of those who cycle. I think we need to be asking ourselves, schools, TfL, our local councils, why we don't see as many women, non-white, older or young people on bikes, rather than having a pop at LCC about their members.

Just for the record, Hackney and Southwark have some of the most racially and economically mixed populations in London so not clear what your point is? Perhaps that the trustee candidates don't represent that mix?

I'm not having a pop at anybody, just asking valid questions about cycling and it's representation overall...something that the cycling world should constantly be doing. I work for the LCC often and know the good they do. I also teach cycle training in Hackney and play bike polo in Southwark so I'm pretty aware of the diverse population of both. I was simply wondering why the spread of candidates is mainly between those few boroughs? Whether cycling is a more common mode of transport (as in Hackney) or the LCC branch is more active there or whatever other reason...

Certainly, the only reason I ask these questions is because I want to better understand how and why different demographics relate to cycling in general and how they can be encouraged. At the minute, all the one to ones I teach are women and the majority of players that I train in my NE beginners polo sessions are international. I always want to make sure that we are reaching out to everybody.