Dear Wakefield MAG Member,
Welcome to the Wakefield MAG e-newsletter. If you can't attend our Tuesday meetings regularly, it's the next best thing to keep you up to date with what we are up to.
CONTENTS
1) Restarted Meetings
2) Bikes for Sale
3) Highway Code Consultation
4) Covid-19 Riding Guidelines
5) Yorkshire Pudding Rally
6) South Yorkshire Bike Night
7) Wakefield Hospice 10K Race
8) New MAG Website
9) Mega Raffle
10) Forthcoming Events (for August and beyond)
Tuesday 28th July saw the branch restart our meetings again, 20 weeks after the last one, at our new HQ, the Thatched House, 434 Aberford Road, Stanley, Wakefield, WF3 4AA.
We had a great turnout for our first 'return meeting', and it was great to see everyone again after all this time. Barring any localised lockdowns in Wakefield, we are now meeting every Tuesday at the Thatched House, at 20:30. Chas and Martin have even devised a new format Covid-19 socially distanced raffle, so we can start building the branch coffers again !!!
The majority of Yorkshire's MAG groups have either just restarted their meetings or are about to, although Huddersfield MAG have had to delay their planned relaunch due to the localised lockdown in Kirklees.
Hopefully, we can now start to plan a few events soon for later in the year too (Bingo, Quiz et al).
Hope to see you all at a Tuesday meeting (but no kissing, hugging or handshakes until further notice !!!)
Check out the Thatched House FaceBook Page: www.facebook.com/pub4grub/
The following bikes are part of the estate of a recently deceased biker in his late 70's and are being sold by his daughter:
Looking for the best offer so you may be able to pick up a bit of a bargain here. For more details, contact: larajw@btinternet.com
The Motorcycle Action Group has expressed outrage at the lack of consideration for motorcyclists in the latest review of the Highway Code announced on 28th July. The consultation - entitled 'Review of The Highway Code to improve road safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders' - makes no reference to the statistically most at-risk vulnerable road user group.
The consultation on proposed alterations to the Highway Code was published on the 28th July and is open for responses until 27th October 2020. The consultation website page states that the consultation is 'seeking views on proposed changes to The Highway Code to improve safety for vulnerable road users, particularly the groups of: cyclists, pedestrians, horse riders'
MAG's Director of Campaigns & Political Engagement, Colin Brown, said: "This is a shocking demonstration of the lack of care for the welfare of the most vulnerable road user group on the roads. As motorcyclists, we have to face the accusations and vilification of our legitimate choice of transport mode, whilst simultaneously suffering a near complete lack of interest in making the roads safer for us. We take no issue with moves to improve safety for other road users, but this systemic and sustained process of turning a blind eye to the needs of motorcyclists is unforgiveable.
It is little wonder that motorcyclists get angry about this kind of thing, and we fully share their outrage. We consistently campaign for improved motorcycle safety and bend over backwards to support the limited number of initiatives designed to reduce motorcycle casualties, but the mere title of this consultation reveals the depth of the problem we face. How can it be that the most vulnerable road user group is the one road user group that is ignored? We are calling on the department to immediately revise the wording of the announcement to include motorcyclists, and then to develop meaningful discourse on what amendments can be made to the Highway Code to help improve the safety of riders. We will be writing yet again to the Secretary of State for Transport and urging our members to write in the strongest terms to their MPs.
We are aware that our latest letter writing campaign calling on MPs to support our three reasonable demands for post-COVID transport restart upset the Department, but the Department should prepare for more upset in the coming weeks. We will not be silent until our rights for a safe road environment is recognised."
The Coalition of Motorcycling Organisations has issued a revised version of its COVID-19 Riding Guidelines. This third iteration of the guidance based on the latest changes to Government guidelines includes advice on group riding and first responder incident management. The coalition are delighted that the guidance has now received an official seal of approval from Nick Adderley, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) lead for motorcycling.
The coalition has worked hard to distil Government coronavirus guidelines into a single guide relevant to motorcyclists. The guidelines have been updated to encompass recent changes in the constantly evolving advice designed to keep individuals and the wider community safe in these challenging times.
The new guidelines remind riders to plan carefully and to check Government websites including for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and any local lockdowns. They remind everyone not to ride if they are suffering symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in contact in the last 14 days with someone who has had symptoms or tested positive. Other points of emphasis include: checking out COVID-19 security arrangements at indoor venues (but ideally not to meet indoors); keeping riding groups to no more than six; and observing distancing, hand hygiene and mask requirements at all times.
Commenting on the guidelines and the work of the Coalition members, Nick Adderley said: "I have been asked to review this guidance on behalf of the Coalition of Motorcycle Organisations in my capacity as NPCC lead for police motorcycling and motorcycle related crime. Policing the pandemic has been challenging and often confusing time for all including motorcyclists. We are keen to ensure the public can enjoy social activities and meet up within the parameters of the guidance set by Government. I am reassured by the work that has gone into the production of these motorcycle specific guidelines. I would particularly like to commend the lead authors, Roger Bibbings of the VMCC and Richard Gladman of IAM RoadSmart for their tireless work on this project. I would encourage all riders, whether they are riding alone or in groups, to consult the guidance and to follow the rules at rest stops and whilst visiting public places. Please act and ride responsibly."
The revised guidelines can be found online at https://bit.ly/COVIDRideV3. The member groups of the Coalition of Motorcycling Organisations encourage their members and all other riders to read the guidelines and apply the advice to their own efforts to fight the spread of the virus.
The Coalition of Motorcycling Organisations membership consists of representatives from the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), the Vintage Motorcycle Club (VMCC), the Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF), the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF), IAM RoadSmart, the Auto Cycle Union (ACU), the Triumph Owners' Motorcycle Club (TOMCC) and Biker Down UK.
The Yorkshire Pudding Rally (rescheduled for 28th - 30th August) IS ON !!!!
Selby Council have approved the new date (a minor licence variation application) and a meeting on the 6th August with various authorities where additional Covid-19 safety requirements for the rally were being discussed, approved the rally going ahead. There will be a few changes implemented to keep us in line with the new requirements obviously, but the rally is on (barring any local lockdown that may be imposed in the interim in the York/Selby area).
Marshals registration is currently open but registration closes on the 8th August, so get in there quick if you intend to marshal the event. We will need 'new' volunteers to build up and Marshal the rally, as some existing marshals, for their own health reasons, have opted to not marshal again until 2021.
Register as a marshal here: www.magmarshals.co.uk
All the new safety changes will be detailed on the MAP website, so be sure to check these out ahead of the event: www.mapevents.co.uk
The Wakefield Hospice 10K race, that Wakefield MAG help marshal, has been cancelled for 2020. The Hospice sought advice from Public Health England, UK Athletics and their own race referee, and it was deemed the course and facilities are not suitable for social distancing requirements to be met, therefore, they did not feel it was practical to stage the event in September. The new date for the Wakefield Hospice 10k & Mini Run is Sunday 21st March 2021.
Other Hospice fundraising events have been impacted hugely by Covid-19 which has forced them to cancel and postpone events. The 10k is their biggest fundraising event which usually raises over £70,000 for patient care at the Hospice
The MAG Central website has been comprehensively revamped. It's still a work in progress with new content being added. If you haven't visited it recently, be sure to check out the new and vastly improved MAG website: Motorcycle Action Group.
Our Mega Raffle to win a basic service for your motorcycle at Not Your Average Bikes in Ossett, will have the Winning ticket drawn at our meeting on Tuesday 1st September, where the lucky winner gets a voucher for a basic service (worth circa £100) at NYA Bikes (notyouraveragebikes.com).
Tickets are on sale at our Tuesday meetings and will also be sold at the YPR, providing we have not sold them all by then.
Good Luck in the draw !!! ... and a huge Thank You to our very good friends at NYA Bikes for donating such a fantastic prize !!!
10) Forthcoming Events (for August and beyond)
Apologies Folks, 2020 is not going to be a cracking biking year, although hopefully, we may still be able to get some events in.
Friday 28th - Sunday 30th August - Yorkshire Pudding Rally (YPR)
See Above. www.yorkshirepuddingrally.co.uk
Friday 25th - Sunday 27th September - Farmyard Party (FYP) Rally
See the events page for further details and more !!!
That's all for this month, hope to see you all soon.
Stay Safe
Steve Travis
Chairman
Wakefield MAG
0772 078 4734
Wakefield MAG meet at the Thatched House, Stanley, Wakefield at 8:30pm every Tuesday. New (and Old) faces are always welcome.