Curvy Riders is run by a dedicated group of volunteers who give their time for free (mad women that they are!). From answering emails and posting on social media to dealing with the memberships & finances and organising annual trips it can be a full time job at times. So who are the current committee? Read on to find out and to learn more about them ………………………………….
Q: Can you briefly explain your committee role?
A: As Chairwoman I make sure the committee work together as a team to get the work done so that the club runs smoothly for all of its members.
I also have a focus on social media, pestering everyone for consent to use images publicly so we can provide daily updates of what we’re up to on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Q: What do you enjoy about being a committee member?
A. Working closely with the rest of the committee to ensure the club reflects the needs of the members. We don’t always agree but that helps drive healthy debate to reach the best conclusions for all.
Q: Which bit are you good at?
A: Being approachable and building up good relationships with members of various regions, some of whom I’ve never met in person but feel like friends already.
Q: Which bit are you rubbish at?
A: Switching off … I don’t like to ignore messages or risk missing a post but then again I have insomnia so it gives me something to do at night.
Q: What do the Curvies mean to you?
A: Fun, friendship and laughter. I always look forward to curvy meet ups. Plus it involves bikes (obvs) which I find fabulous for healthy head space.
Q: Can you tell us something about yourself that might surprise the members?
A: I have a secret love of bingo, which resulted in me spending a week on the road filming adverts for Tombola with steam trains, rowing boats, dancing etc. My son loved seeing me on TV.
email : chairwoman@curvymail.co.uk
Q: Can you briefly explain your current committee role?
A: The treasurer role can be seen as boring, but we have lots of software to help us out nowadays, it’s no longer an onerous task with an abacus and some chalk. We use Xero software, linked to two main bank accounts in addition to Paypal and Stripe.
Day to day it’s doing the bookkeping for the club, making bank payments where necessary, and reconciling the various bank accounts and income sources.
More involved work includes the trip bookings and payments (made 100 times simpler due to the new booking software), and for that you’ll need to be a software geek and be pretty handy with a spreadsheet for that good old due diligence and double checking.
The annual accounts are also part of the treasurer role.
Q: What do you enjoy about being a committee member?
A: I’ve been a club member since 2007, and I really enjoy the chance to improve things for members and make a difference.
I see members as being at the heart of everything we do, so it’s great to implement items such as the booking or membership software to make their life a touch easier. That aside, the camaraderie of like minded people together with some innovative ideas to move the club forward, inch by inch. We don’t always agree, and I’ve definitely disagreed with some issues we’ve had to deal with, but different points of view make for a strong and diverse committee team.
Q: Which bits are you good at?
A: Detail. And just getting stuff done. Make a decision and act on it. And software. At the risk of sounding slightly grown up, I love looking at the latest software and implementing new, more efficient ways of doing things.
Q: Which bit are you rubbish at?
A: I have no imagination for social media, that isn’t my bag at all. I take my hat off to our fabulous team who keep us on the ‘socials’ straight and narrow.
Q: What do the Curvies mean to you?
A: Friendship and support. We all need support at times, and I’ve had that in spades from every corner of this glorious country, and given it too. Laughter to the point of crying, and great big hugs.
Q: Can you tell us something about yourself that might surprise the members?
A: Not many secrets with me, most members know that I love steam engines. Really properly love those fire breathing monsters, and have been know to squeak when in the vicinity.
What else can I tell you? I cycle, I train with ex army guys, I knit (badly, hey, it was lockdown!), and I once saw Debbie Boardman moonlight as a horse whisperer!
email : treasurer@curvymail.co.uk
Q: Can you briefly explain your committee role?
A: Membership Secretary. I have to organise the printing of the membership bits and pieces that go inside the envelopes. Liaise with Mandy to organise collection/delivery of the membership gifts and then make up the packs ready for posting out to all our lovely members. Check in-coming membership payments and process to send out a pack to each member. Keep records up to date with changes of address. Answer Rep queries to check new members. Chase expired members to find out whether they want to remain with us, which they sometimes do. Add new members onto the Members’ only FB page, which can sometimes be a task, especially when a FB persona is totally different from an actual persona. I have to don my Inspector Clouseau hat to do investigations!
Q: What do you enjoy about being a committee member?
A: It’s about being part of a team and something unique and Curvies are a very unique club. We make big decisions that affect the club, we have to discuss everything because we don’t always agree with each other, but we discuss it and come to a satisfactory conclusion. We support each other in all things, not just club matters, personal matters too. We know we can rely on each other for support.
Q: Which bit are you good at?
A: Admin, I’m good at doing all the admin stuff that’s required in my role. Good at talking to people and helping them when they have problems making their payment. I solve their problems to make it easier for the members to update card details when they re-join. Keeping people regularly updated with the membership packs being sent out.
Q: Which bit are you rubbish at?
A: I’m rubbish at technology. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a complete technophobe! I can do some easy techy stuff. I let those with the technology know-how get on with it and I generally stay out of it. If I need something techy sorted with our membership software, I ask the lovely Linda to sort it out for me and then explain what I need to do!
Q: What do the Curvies mean to you?
A: Cameraderie, support, fun and friendship. Once you join Curvies, you make friends for life, even if you leave the club for whatever reason. We are a supportive bunch who look out for each other and help new riders with advice on everything and anything bike related.
Q: Can you tell us something about yourself that might surprise the members?
A: Ahhh now you’re asking. I don’t have anything exciting like Mandy and Debbie to tell you. I like to do my bit for charity and around 14 years ago, I took part in an event for our local Women’s Aid charity. I did an abseil down one of our local lighthouses about 75 miles away from where I live. I did not have a car at the time and only had my bike for transport. I had to climb all the stairs inside the lighthouse, then do the abseil in my bike gear! I raised over £300 and had so much fun!
email : memberships@curvymail.co.uk
Q: Can you briefly explain your committee role?A: Writing a lot. Policies, procedures, taking minutes. Issuing notices, and of course mucking in with the annual trip planning. I’m the BMF insurance liaison, making sure we pay the premium and complying with requirementsQ: What do you enjoy about being a committee member?A: The camaraderie and support. Everything is up for discussion. We don’t always agree and quite often need to vote. All our decisions are made for the benefit of the club and the enjoyment and harmony of our members. We often make difficult and unpopular decisions!Q: Which bit are you good at?A: GDPR. We are aware that a lot of our members have sensitive jobs or domestic issues which result in them not using Social media or using aliases, (interesting at trip time when we’re trying to contact someone) but we understand and respect their decisions and it’s important to guard their privacy.Q: Which bit are you rubbish at?A: IT. I’m definitely in the pre-historic age. I can’t tune my telly and have to ask my 7 year old grandson to sort my phone. I’m subject to a few Zoom training sessions from the ladies to get me up to speed. In fact, I needed training to use Zoom.Q: What do the Curvies mean to you?A: Life-changing, or life-saving? I came to motor-cycling when I really needed a distraction in my life. Although my partner is a motorcyclist, there’s nothing like a Curvy ride out to lift the spirits.Q: Can you tell us something about yourself that might surprise the members?A: Mmmm, I’m an open book and the Lancs/Cheshire ladies probably feel they know more about me than is strictly necessaryOh, here we go. Finding out, in later life that my dad was a serial bigamist and I have an awful lot of half-sisters scattered throughout the UK (no brothers, interestingly). I’m pretty sure if all the members did a DNA test, they’d be more than just a ‘Curvy’ Sista.
email : secretary@curvymail.co.uk
Q: Can you briefly explain your committee role?
A: I have just joined the committee so am getting my head round what they do and how I can contribute. Badging myself as an associate committee member without portfolio to make myself sound useful?
Q: What do you enjoy about being a committee member?
A: Been really good to start getting to know the other committee members and am starting to realise what a lot of work goes into making the club run so smoothly.
Q: Which bit are you good at?
A: My super power is organising stuff, not the most interesting of super powers but definitely useful. That should help when I start doing stuff to support the club.
Q: Which bit are you rubbish at?
A: Currently most of it, one of the committee members will flag up something that needs to be sorted and I think “Oh yes”, will take me a while to go from Curvy member to actually thinking that needs sorting.
Q: What do the Curvies mean to you?
A: Curvies mean fun, friendship, freedom and cake, lots and lots of cake.
Q: Can you tell us something about yourself that might surprise the members?
A: Wow, this one is tricky, I am pretty much an open book. I love Orlando for Disney & Universal. Took the kids way, way back in 2003 for a “once in a lifetime holiday” and have been back numerous times since. The last time was 2019 when we introduced my daughter’s fiancé to all things Orlando. He’s now hooked and they are going back this October. If I get a sniff of someone planning their first WDW holiday, I am straight there with hints and tips so they have the best time. But I don’t do inverting roller coasters, too much of a wuss ?
email : regions@curvymail.co.uk
