What do we want to TELL the BHS - in no uncertain terms!!

JanetGeorge

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Obviously not all members will be able to get to the BHS EGM on Saturday 5th January. Hopefully you have all put your proxies in good hands. But lets get clear on the messages the BHS needs to hear - and that will be repeated ad finitum until they take notice!!

Obviously, the FIRST priority is to defeat ALL the planned changes to the Constitution - they are all designed to make it easier to ignore the membership and allow the CE to continue spending money willy-nilly on what SHE wants to do/buy - and to exclude and bully into submission any staff/members who dare to disagree with her!

Obviously, if they win on the changes it will be more difficult - but let's assume (just for now) that the proposed changes won't be made. What else should we DEMAND?

My thoughts:

1. An END to the bullying of staff and volunteers.

2. Better communication with ordinary members - ask the members and listen to the replies on ALL subjects. But especially - what SHOULD be the priorities of the BHS.

3. An end to stupid extravagances - with members' money - at least without FAR more consultation (the horse box being the primary example.)

4. An end to silly changes - example: BHSI - now Stage 5, level 5 or whatever - like a parking lot!

5. Riding Schools - WHY is there no examination centre in Scotland????

6. BHS location. Already a LOT of money spent on office changes - WHY move again??? I couldn't possibly suggest that it is going to be a junket for 'favourites' going onto all the necessary committees with plenty of 'expenses'.

Let's have some more thoughts - and arm those members who can make it on the 5th with questions that need answers!
 
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Not a member and not aware of the issues, bu I can see from various threads there’s a lot of discontent!
The various threads have actually made me terribly glad I am NOT a member.
My mother is and I'm actually quite angry that her money, for many years, appears to be have been wasted on things besides the welfare of horses and their owners in the UK....I knew about the horsebox and as I recall my reaction was something along the lines of 'WTAF why?'.
 

MrsMozart

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I'm a member, but I'm completely behind the ball having been distracted by the rest of life.

I'd need to read all the threads and do some research, but if there's bullying going on then that needs to stop, and there must be accountability with regards to where funds are being directed.

I'll try and move some things to get to the AGM.
 

Equi

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The Ireland branch needs to be updated to Ireland and Northern Ireland decisions to cover more area. Bhs isn’t that big here and have very limited training days for road safety etc and They’re always very far away. They should have one in each county as far as I’m concerned.
 

Goldenstar

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I don’t require the BHS to slavishly follow the membership but I do require that they lead .
I think there’s precious little leadership by that I mean explaining the vision and where the society is going and selling the idea to the membership in a positive way .
It should be a two way street .
Lack of leadership and management also shows up in all these high profile sackings and what appears to general HR incompetence .
I was a county committee member for many years , a welfare officer and a county chairman .
I would no more volunteer for the BHS now than I would try to run a marathon until the BHS examines with an open mind why that has happened not just to me but to many others they will lurch alone wondering why it’s so hard to get people to be interested .
I worked with some exceptional people who volunteered in my time the BHS has in my view lost its way .
 

honetpot

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I think first of all it’s chatitable aims must be served , a lot of which in the past was done by members volunteers, these were for the most part very knowledgable.
It appears head office lacks management of people skills. They may be very adept at advertising some things but it appears the doer oppinions are not listened to, hence the turnover off staff.
This whole saga has highlighted head offices lack of communications with the members who provide the majority of the money. As a member you have a legal responsibility, your insured against it going bust. This part seems to have been forgotten,we all have a responsibility to on discide but how do you decide with out information. Perhaps it would be better if head office was made smaller just tried to do the paperwork if possible and left the regions to organise and spend their own portion of the money on eduction and welfare in their own area. So they are supporting members not telling members.
Other smaller charities run castration clinics at less cost how is that, probably because the volenteers organise it and costs are kept down.
Do we really want to be educating China when we have equine problems at home, literally on our road sides.
There is a lot on the website about the paid senior stafff, but the trustees must lead and there seems to be very little about what they are doing . It’s like their only role is to give out prizes. This is not want we want
 

KittenInTheTree

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I'd appreciate them not sending me Naked Wine Company vouchers along with the magazine. Actually, they could cut out all the extra bits of paper that are sent with it. The magazine itself takes up quite enough space in my recycling bin already.
 

teapot

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4. An end to silly changes - example: BHSI - now Stage 5, level 5 or whatever - like a parking lot!

5. Riding Schools - WHY is there no examination centre in Scotland????

Disagree with these two - the new exam system and pathway has been a welcome change within the industry.

There ARE exam centres in Scotland, depending on level of exam. They're decreasing in number across the country for a number of reasons. Centres get a pittance for holding an exam in exchange for potentially losing a day's business, impact on horses/staff etc, horse power at the higher levels, and demand. Those issues arn't solely the responsibility of the BHS to sort out.
 
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PeterNatt

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Please do not forget the work that the many hundreds of volunteers do on a daily basis to improve access (bridleways etc.), road safety, welfare, training and education etc. The BHS needs more members so that they can continue this good work which is benefited by horse riders at large. My main interests is access and road safety and I must say that am very impressed at the work that the volunteers and staff at BHS H.Q. achieve. So please support the work done by the BHS by joining as a Gold member. A Happy Christmas and New Year to you all.
 

JanetGeorge

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Please do not forget the work that the many hundreds of volunteers do on a daily basis to improve access (bridleways etc.), road safety, welfare, training and education etc. .

Absolutely, Peter - the BHS has been built on the strengths of its volunteers. Which is why it is SO crazy to see hard-working volunteers being abused and even 'sacked' by Head Office (Lady Anne Vestey being just one 'victim' - but there are quite a few others.)
 

Art Nouveau

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I feel like they should reintroduce AGMs and these should be advertised to the members, potentially even move around the country so that members in different locations can get to them easily.

Restrict themselves to activities within the UK/British Isles. I saw on the other thread they'd done something in China, what's that about? If I wanted to support a global horse welfare charity I'd support... World Horse Welfare. There's no need to waste money duplicating work like that.

Possibly a member's vote/consultation on large expenditure like the horsebox

A formula for calculating salaries for the top people

A vote of no confidence in the chair?
 

honetpot

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There were so many things covered in the meeting on the 5th, it hard to take it all in.

One of the points raised was the lack of ability for local reps to contact members, and that all communication had to go the Regional Office. The reasoning for this was compliance with GDPR, and lack of secure computers do hold email addresses at local level. Although on the face of it this sounds plausible, they spent £1.4m pounds on IT last year, and I was assured the computer system was now working well, it seems a strange reason.
Having spent that amount of money on IT I can not believe that they can not set up a system where you can opt in and out of various email alerts for various interests and groups, such as Google io https://groups.io/,

On this thought I was thinking of setting up a BHS members resource group, as at the moment our information is poorly disseminated, and BHS management for various reasons is unlikely for to want use to disseminate information with the membership list they have.
I do only have basic social media skills, so would anyone be interested in this project or have any other suggestions
Read more at https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/...ety-c-k-up.767675/page-18#biXc4orOugoJZmrM.99
 

Suechoccy

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My two requests, from the Transform without Vitriol thread, are:

1. BHS to fund the £60 increase in insurance cost from £40 to £100 per year for bridleway groups to affiliate to BHS. Bridleway groups are volunteers, whose work is meeting the charitable aims of the BHS. Bridleway groups fundraise to pay for gates, DMMOs and other bridleway-related work. Finding £40 per year for insurance was okay. The massive jump to £100 last year was a shock and because us volunteers are doing work which is a charitable aim of the BHS, it would be good if the BHS recognised that by way of the BHS covering the £60 increase per bridleway group each year, leaving each group just to find the £40.

2. BHS to launch a campaign (one of those petitions that govts have to consider if it gets enough signatures could be one step towards this) to remove the cutoff date of 2026 for adding rights of way via historical/user evidence. There is absolutely no reason at all why the govt needed to introduce a cutoff date. If a route is historical and has been incorrectly recorded, it should ALWAYS remain the case that if that can be proven, then that route can be added. Introducing a cutoff date benefits many landowners/developers/govt but does not benefit bridleways (a charitable aim of the BHS and its members) at all. Therefore BHS should be campaigning robustly, in cohesion with other rights of way user groups (walkers, cyclists, carriage drivers, and off-road motorbike and 4x4 groups), for the abolition of the cutoff date.
 

honetpot

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Hi, attached is some of the BHS strategic plan 2019- 2014, produced on Saturday, its just a summary so I am going to request the whole document. If you want all of the pdf I have done please pm me, but Head office should have a pdf.
Well bridleway groups and non riders are hardly mentioned at all, there is a great emphasis on vocational training and riding. It seems to forget that equine owners come in all ages and sizes and a lot just want a nice hack, drive or just spend time with them as companion animals.
Also BRC are included in the figures for BHS members?
Bob, who I think is a former trustee brought up the fact that there is no recognition of work done by bridleways representatives , who have great knowledge, and support the BHS in dealing with local authorities and government and they need to have an equivalent award and representation as FBHS
We hope the FB page will be up a running soon, to post documents and a source of information that the BHS seem not to wish to supply. There will be the 2017 accounts and hopefully some bullet points so you do not have to read all of them. This seems the only way at the moment to contact members and interested parties.
There will be more information about the EGM called.
One of the member took notes at the meeting which may be out before the BHS minutes.
So please look at the strategic plan and if you are member of any affiliated group tell them what you think. From a question I asked the Chief Operations Officer, you are included in the membership. I am sending and email today to clarify this.
 

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  • BHS strategic Plan 2019-2024 2.pdf
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  • BHS strategic Plan 2019-2024 8.pdf
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onemoretime

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Hi, attached is some of the BHS strategic plan 2019- 2014, produced on Saturday, its just a summary so I am going to request the whole document. If you want all of the pdf I have done please pm me, but Head office should have a pdf.
Well bridleway groups and non riders are hardly mentioned at all, there is a great emphasis on vocational training and riding. It seems to forget that equine owners come in all ages and sizes and a lot just want a nice hack, drive or just spend time with them as companion animals.
Also BRC are included in the figures for BHS members?
Bob, who I think is a former trustee brought up the fact that there is no recognition of work done by bridleways representatives , who have great knowledge, and support the BHS in dealing with local authorities and government and they need to have an equivalent award and representation as FBHS
We hope the FB page will be up a running soon, to post documents and a source of information that the BHS seem not to wish to supply. There will be the 2017 accounts and hopefully some bullet points so you do not have to read all of them. This seems the only way at the moment to contact members and interested parties.
There will be more information about the EGM called.
One of the member took notes at the meeting which may be out before the BHS minutes.
So please look at the strategic plan and if you are member of any affiliated group tell them what you think. From a question I asked the Chief Operations Officer, you are included in the membership. I am sending and email today to clarify this.

Very many thanks for producing these documents and for all your hard work and effort reporting back to those of us who were unable to get to the meeting. Onwards and upwards now!
 

honetpot

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Please join our facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/membersBHS/about/

Its not for slagging people off, or personal attacks, its for exchange of information, a central point for public documents that maybe you would like to see. So that you can form your own opinion.

We are also looking for insights in to why the focus appears to have changed. I am trying to obtain a full copy of the BHS Strategic Plan
The BHS Trust Board are not communicating with members, so we are trying to fill the gap.
It was apparent from the meeting that a lot of the members there, that they and the members they represented been unhappy for a while in how the BHS treats its membership.
You may have that piece of information that helps for the picture of how this happened. Even if you are non BHS member you may have insights in accounts, and previous work with charities, including sports and animal charities,could give ideas for best practice.
 
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