Great Western Coffee Shop

Yesterday I attended the AGM of RailFuture in Cardiff, and during the afternoon saw two presentations on Transport for Wales' plans and the metrics of travel in South Wales looking ahead, and the requirement for travel - and Climate Friendly travel - in Wales.  Concentration in both cases on The Valleys, with an admission that little extra ca be provided in West Wales due to infrastructure limitations.

Confirming news already posted in "Frequent Posters" - but posting here too as a public statement ... I have been elected to the board of RailFuture for a one year term. RailFuture has a board of nine directors, with three being elected each year, and additional candidates filling any shorter term vacancies in the order of the number of votes they have achieved. Of six candidates in the election, the top three on votes were (re)elected directors who had just completed three years, and the next two were myself and a gentleman who I believe has previously been a director and is coming back. I am the only "virgin director" and came a significant distance ahead of the sixth candidate. Thank you to members and other readers of this thread who proposed and seconded me, and who voted for me.  It's greatly appreciated.

There are few (RailFuture is unique?) rail campaigning organisations across the UK looking medium and long term ahead, taking a view much wider than a single line, and welcoming individual members, putting forward and supporting strategies and campaigns that are feasible.  And as the organisation that fills such a position, RailFuture has some 2,000 paid up members which is no bad achievement.

There are challenges. The membership numbers are flat-lining and the membership is distinctly old - I feel young in the room at 64.  And it's hardly gender or ethnic background representative either - there were 4 or 5 ladies at the AGM and between 50 and 60 gentlemen, from appearances everyone having ancestors who originated from within Great Britain even before it was Great or Britain.  The old membership "needs" refreshing with younger blood that won't be dying away over the next decade, and to do so needs to provide a real benefit / encouragement to those who - for example - are already very much aware of climate change and even bunk off school to attend rallies and make their point.

Which brings me on to suggest that another issue (which was expressed to me by another RailFuture member) might be the reluctance of the organisation to take a sharper edge to its campaigning - "does not want to ruffle feathers".  There's a lot of good to be said for working with people – that (in my view) should be the de-factor norm, but there's also a need to be the candid / critical friend, and perhaps that element has been lacking in RailFuture.  I don't know - I'm initially learning and would expect to be quite quiet as I learn.  An intent, anyway - though I did stick my oar in at one point during the meeting yesterday, and it will be interesting to see how well I control myself.

I do find myself asking "is a year enough to make any impression".  An odd and impractically short term to be elected for by an organisation that prides itself in taking a long term view.  In the early autumn, I'll already be considering "do I stand again for the board" ... and the chance of any steerage / influences having had any effect may be close to zero, with any "pain to make for gain" stuff I support being only at the pain stage when it comes to the next election.  Ah well - I went into this one with the view "let the membership decide" and - with 277 votes, first in the poll with 324 and the sixth candidate with just 139, I think I have something of a mandate all be it not the three years I would have preferred.

Something else that cropped up yesterday - across the full meeting - was a request from the chair (and retiring board?) to speak consistently to the press about RailFuture objectives and what they support. By all means encouraged to flag up railfuture membership, by all means now (in my case) to let people know I'm on the board, but not to claim to be representing the organisation as a whole.  Keep 'on message', keep consistent.  Enthusiasm for the cause is wonderful, but where something is said / done in an organisation's name it really needs to be with the permission / approval of the organisation. This was a little thing at the meeting, but it struck home with me last night when I found a message concerning someone claiming to "represent the forum" awaiting me, and indeed I have seen the same thing on Facebook this morning.  We had a number of members around last night's final London HST runs, but none of them was there as a representative of the Coffee Shop which is what I see described and published.  "Even I" do not claim to represent the Coffee Shop without checking with the moderator team, especially not to look to get favours from doing so, so this concern for the moment is purely a personal one and I am asking the rest of the moderator team if they share that concern.

One final RailFuture comment / Thank You.  To our own ChrisB who acted in a voluntary capacity (RailFuture has no paid staff) as returning officer for the election.  It's traditional to thank the returning officer, but I want this to be more than just a traditional "Thank you".  There's a lot of work behind the scenes, and Chris has done it totally be the book, totally effectively, and totally politely.  Which I think are the three key elements in running an election.  Thank You, Chris.

In order to ensure a fair election of board members, RailFuture has a purdah period leading up to those elections which forbids canvassing / limits publicity by individual standing to their published answers to questions and election addresses.  Now that the elections have taken place, I'm going to share my answers and election address with members here; the election address includes a manifesto 'element' and whilst the cynical amongst you may feel that manifestos are written to secure election rather than to be followed, it's not a view I share.  Having said which, I am now learning a very great deal more about the organisation than was possible/practical prior to the election, and what I learn must flavour my way on the board.


Those questions:
1) Length of membership the Railfuture Ltd
2) Current and previous Railfuture Ltd branch membership and committee Service
3) Current and Previous Railfuture Ltd national group service
4) Relevant qualifications and work experience
5) Current and previous membership of other relevant organisations with details of positions held
6) Participation in other organisations as Railfuture Ltd representative
7) Nature and Duration of any association with a rail user group (whether or not affiliated to Railfuture Ltd
Note - answers correct at the time I answered them (in February).  I am no longer on the branch committee (question 2) as of the branch AGM in April, though I would have liked the opportunity to stand.

Nearly a year on ... and my term is already nearly up.   Whilst I have a massive (and strengthened) admiration for many of the National Board members, and I very much support the objectives of a bigger and better railway, I feel that a further period on the board is not for me.    I can be more usefully involved working with TravelWatch SouthWest, the Melksham Rail User Group, and (of course  ;D ) the Coffee Shop.

Arriving with me in the post yesterday - an invitation to the AGM on 27th June.   It notes that there is no election this year, as there were exactly three nominations - all existing directors - for three places.  So with the 2020/21 board already in place, and with the AGM being likely postponed (even though papers were sent out), I have written to the chair and company secretary asking them to formally end my term as a RailFuture director with immediate effect. That way, they can go ahead and plan their future unencumbered with my expiring voice, and I can look forward unencumbered by their rules of cabinet responsibility, though respecting confidences.