British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) formerly the English Regional Transport Association (ERTA) ~ we are in transition on-goingly.
We are voluntary and welcome members and non members to volunteer for whatever reason/s and get involved with us simply to help us do more and better.
I have been appointed as our external liaison officer to link and arc with voluntary recruitment opportunities.
We are small relatively, with about 52 members nationwide. We aspire to do and better, but have menial resources - human and financial. Therefore, whilst we have a constitution and public liability insurance, we aim to keep expenditure down and bureaucracy to minimum levels where possible.
On Volunteering, we have the following:
1. Committee/Forum work - meeting, engaging and contributing where can-do or where need-must.
2. Leafleting, on-going subject to funds. Can do out of area, is bonus. Reasonable public transport petrol costs can be considered.
3. Helping niche filling: remote host/desktop-based or out and about, growing/recruting, marketing and peopling BRTA with more members, helpers and enabling more, better and expansion is welcome.
4. People do not have to be local to me, but if any can team up and help me in Bedford and surrounds, that is welcome, like doing more indoor sales stalls / seeking opportunities and logistics, that is welcome.
5. Our main projects are:
a. updating our reopenings pamphlet - researching and making cases for short listings and then producing reports on pros, problems and way forwards (finding positive means-ways for more local rail solutions/reopenings/rebuilds/
b. helping with campaigns (resource procurement, management, planning and hands-on team working/team building) includes Northampton-Market Harborough, Bedford-Northampton, Guildford-Horsham-Shoreham and others, elsewhere. Not exhaustive, but these are our main focuses subject to growing income, people, reliability and enablement.
c. we have a Westminster Team, which can seek to meet and lobby key MP's, Lords, Department for Transport, Treasury and others including quangos set up by the government. Team working, reliability and ability to make a case, think on the go and roll-forward to find means and ways to court support. Someone wanted to do a cheese and wine meeting, for example inviting key people and a speaker. Again, yes in principle, but needs resourcing and people to set up, host and pack up safely and reliably.
This list is not exhaustive, but gives a flavour of the sorts of things we offer. People can get involved in all and every aspect, but obviously membership (we have concessionary rates) gives voting rights, non member volunteers do not have that, but loads of scope to negotiate, explore and gain experience in. We welcome all ages, as long as they are reliable, clean and decent. We wish to aim to recruit and attract 18+ people, to lower the age profile of the association (aging society/analogue v digital balances) and get the skills we need v experience of what works can also be telling too. Plenty of networking, plenty of CV filling, and the causes and aspirations benefit us as well. Flexibility and creativity are also, along with reliability - even to fail-safe, are key qualities we need.
If anyone wishes to explore further, my contact is in the footer and via email richard.erta@gmail.com We do not have formal offices (cost) but people can come to one or any of our published meetings see: https://ertarail.co.uk/
I attach a newsletter, which again, gives a flavour of what we seek and are about.
I welcome to hear from you further and any other recommended outlets/people/places to try is welcome to entertain/please feel free to forward as well. Our Area Rep scheme, enables people too far from our current patch to promote our brand and recruit new people, build a team, host a forum and our officers will endeavour to attend and work with it.
We welcome this report by academics, but surely Northampton should be included by virtue of a Leicester-Northampton, Milton Keynes and Oxford via east-west rail and rebuilding of the already studied, Northampton-Market Harborough rail link?
Likewise, Corby/Peterborough-Nottingham direct via Oakham, Melton Mowbray, Old Dalby and a new link to physically connect with Nottingham, a major transport East Midlands Hub, makes a lot of sense and would release capacity into and through Leicester.
If you know of any reliable person, willing to act as a BRTA Assistant Volunteer to pioneer getting this missing gap on the radar of organisations and outlets including Midlands Connect, we welcome to hear from them/forward them to us here at BRTA please.
Please help encourage people to attend our Market Harborough Public Meeting this Saturday: BRTA Market Harborough Public Meeting – Saturday 16 March – 12pm food and 2-4pm business
Lunch Venue: The Sugar Loaf, 18 High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 7NJ
Agenda: 1pm set-up, 2-4pm business and vacate by 5pm
Meeting Venue: Market Harborough Methodist Church/Hall, Northampton Road, Market Harborough, LE16 9HE
BRTA Main Contact: Richard Pill, BRTA CEO, 01234 330090/07752096392
For others and our members:
New people needed are:
1. Reliable Leafleters - area specific or general all rounders.
2. Members to come on the serve on the EC without portfolio
3. Fundraisers and membership recruitment
4. Area Reps where we do not have cover like West Midlands, South West and North West and East Anglia for example.
5. Niche fillers like IT Troubleshooting, Making tea/coffee and a biscuit at all public events
6. Specific campaign researchers, case makers and helping with Westminster and other Teams to progress towards reopening and all it may entail.
7. Someone local to me to double up with seeking and negotiating low-cost sales stalls like Model Rail Exhibitions, doubling up with me, offering reliable transport to/from and growing our sales stock, branded stock and other on-line and other sales to generate presence, income and recruitment.
I welcome everyone to help with this.
I have a particular set of circumstances and disabilities which restrict what I can DIY do.
It must be a collective team effort to service a growing association in reach, range and dynamic growth effect.
I do believe we can snowball positively.
If interested, please let me know.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Pill
BRTA CEO
