The Register Needs YOU!

Yes you, not somebody else. Several members of the Register’s Management Team are retiring this year, and in order to keep the club running we need to fill these upcoming vacancies.As your editor mentioned in the December magazine, and as I mentioned in the “Ask the President” discussion following last year’s AGM, we need some new blood to help to manage the club going forward. I’m sad to say that we haven’t had any significant offers of help as a result of those appeals.The Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Advertising Editor will all be retiring at this year’s AGM. Also, as you will have seen elsewhere, the editor is laying down his pen at the end of the year. Many members of the existing Management Team have been helping to run the club for a good few years, and some of them surely deserve a rest after all their hard work.

So come on guys, there are more than 500 UK main members in the Register, and so surely there must be people out there with the motivation and skills required to help run our amazing club?The alternative doesn’t bear thinking about: if there aren’t enough people willing to run the club then it will cease to exist, which would be extremely sad for all of us. For example, I have been a member since 1982, President since 2003 and a member of the Management Team for the vast majority of that time. I have of course witnessed many changes over the years, but one thing has been consistent – the enthusiasm of those running the club and helping it to progress as the years go by. We’re a friendly bunch, and we try to remember that this is an enjoyable hobby, not a business.

We plan to reduce the number of company directors in order to make running the club easier. If you were dissuaded from offering your help because you didn’t fancy being a company director, then that’s good news – most members of the Management Team will no longer need to be on the Board.

If you’re interested in helping to run the club, please get in touch with me, the President, in the first instance. My contact details are inside the front cover of SIXappeal, or you can email me by following this link.

You won’t be dropped in at the deep end – we will ease you in gently! Some posts, such as Advertising Editor, would be suited to a new recruit. But the new Chairman is most likely to be elected from among those who have served the club for a number of years, as they will have the requisite knowledge and experience.

We have recently produced a new set of job descriptions, which summarise the responsibilities of each role in the Management Team and the skill set required in order to undertake it. I will gladly send a copy to anyone who is interested in joining us.

Andy Roberts
President
February 2026

Board Changes

At the AGM on 16th June, most of the Board Members were re-elected and retain their previous roles; there were, however, a few changes. Malcolm Stewart is relinquishing his responsibilities as Treasurer and as an interim arrangement, Maggie Roberts has volunteered to take over as Acting Treasurer until a permanent replacement can be found. Dave Harvey has resigned after 9 years service, but he has kindly agreed to continue as Technical Secretary. Amanda Radford has resigned after 15 years service and until a replacement can be found, Colin Radford, our Chairman, has volunteered to take on her previous role as Advertising Editor. A list of Board Members and other Register Members who contribute to the smooth running of the club can be found under “The Club/Who’s Who”.

Long Service Awards

We have just started to send out long service stickers (green for 30 years, red for 40 years) to those of you who have been members for a long time. It is very gratifying to know that we have so many long-standing members; if you are one of them (140 in total – wow) then thank you ever so much for your loyalty! Special thanks – or perhaps it should be commiserations – to the 18 members who have been with us for 40 years or more. If you qualify for a sticker, it will be sent out with your membership card when you renew (we don’t send them out separately in order to save on our ever increasing postage costs). You will get mentioned in the “Order of Service” list in the issue of SIXappeal immediately after your membership is renewed. This may mean that you don’t receive your sticker or see your name in print immediately – but please be patient, your turn will come!

Membership Subscription Changes

As you may have seen in SIXappeal, and as those who attended the AGM and heard the President talk about finances will know, the Register Board has had to make some very important and difficult decisions of late. Due to the ever increasing cost of materials, printing and in particular postage, the club was starting to run at a financial loss. That situation is obviously not sustainable, so changes were needed. After many hours of discussion the Board decided that membership subscriptions, the club’s main source of income, would have to be increased.

From 1st September 2023, annual membership subscription rates will be:
    • UK                                £35
    • Europe                       £40
    • Rest of the World  £50
Family membership (another member living at the same address) will still be £3 and the joining fee will remain at £6 (this will still be waived if joining or re-joining at one of the shows supported by the Register). There will also be a £4 discount available for taking out a two-year subscription.

For the very first time we will be offering Digital Membership, where you will receive your copy of SIXappeal electronically instead of getting a hard copy in the post. This will cost just £25, wherever in the world you live.

We still believe that membership of the Register is excellent value for money, with our award-winning magazine SIXappeal published six times a year, access to preferential insurance rates and benefits via our preferred broker Cherished Vehicle Insurance Services, discounts at spares suppliers and the National Week every year that is the envy of many other classic car clubs.

This wasn’t an easy decision for the Board to make, but subscription rates have remained the same for many years; the new subscription rates are one of the many ways in which we are trying to improve our financial footing.

Your New Board

New board positions were confirmed after today’s AGM. Sharon Furnell has retired, having served the club for many years – the last six as chairwoman. She will be missed!
Colin Radford is our new chairman, with Alan Chatterton as his deputy. Alan will continue to look after the club’s presence at shows. We welcome Mark and Jo Edgington to the board as our National Rally co-ordinators. Andrew and Christine Cheesman have agreed to look after the regalia and Amanda Radford will be the new advertising editor. Other positions are, for the moment, unchanged.

The Register Needs YOUR Help

Several of our key officers, who have generously given some of their time over the years to help run our club, are retiring this year. We are looking for volunteers to do the following jobs:

    • Treasurer
    • Company Secretary
    • Regalia Officer
    • Advertising Editor

Although we have asked many times for volunteers to fill these posts, we have unfortunately had little response. These jobs are important; in particular, the club cannot run without a Treasurer and a Company Secretary. The Register is a limited company, which by law must have a Treasurer and a Secretary; if we cannot fill those posts, then the board would have to consider winding the club up, and that’s something we would obviously rather not have to do. The jobs may sound grand, but in reality do not take up all that much time. So come on, chaps – we have over 500 main members in the UK; surely one of you can spare a little time to help run the club? We’re a friendly bunch of people and it’s a satisfying thing to do. If you think you could help with one of the jobs, then please email the Chairwoman (Sharon) or the President (Andy) to find out more.
 
PLEASE HELP!!

National Classic Car Show

The Register had a very successful stand last weekend at the National Classic Car Show at the NEC. It was lovely to see so many members and friends, and to welcome new members and those coming back to us.

This is what the stand looked like before the show started. It became a little less tidy as time went on!