Category: Organisations

1. Haynes International Motor Museum Appoints New Chief Executive Officer

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 24th Jan 2016

   Haynes International Motor Museum is delighted to announce the appointment of Christopher Haynes as CEO. Following a recruitment process and subsequent approval by the Independent Trustees of the Charitable Trust, Christopher assumed responsibility at the end of 2015. He succeeds Marc Haynes who has stepped down to concentrate on his private motorsport business.

   Trustee Neville Sanders commented “It is marvellous that the museum has been able to recruit Christopher to the role of CEO; it provides continuity and strong leadership at this important time. His experience, dedication and proven track record speak for themselves.”

   Christopher Haynes commented; “I am obviously delighted to be appointed CEO of the Haynes International Motor Museum. We are experiencing an exciting period of sustained growth for the museum, the like of which has never been seen before and reflects the huge contribution and legacy that Marc Haynes created. We have several projects for the short and medium term that, together with a focus on our core charitable objectives, will help cement our reputation as a leading global motor museum. I would like to thank the Trustees for their vote of confidence in my abilities and I look forward to working with them, the senior management, staff and volunteers.”

   Christopher has an unparalleled understanding of the museum; having worked in every department and at all levels of seniority from Apprentice to Director. In 2008 he became a Trustee on the Charitable Trust that runs the museum. It was in this position that Christopher played a significant role as part of the project management team that completed the extensive £6m development of the museum, which opened in 2014.

   Mike Penn, Founding Curator and Trustee, commented; “Chris’s heart is intrinsically linked to the museum and the skills and leadership that he demonstrated during the development proved that he is the ideal person to lead the museum”.

2. MAG Scotland Hustings - Answering riders questions‏

   Posted on 9:35am Sunday 5th Apr 2015

   MAG is inviting all motorcyclists and Scooter riders to come along and quiz representatives of Political parties on their party’s policies on motorcycling issues.  This is your chance to ensure politicians are aware of your views and concerns on motorcycling issues.

   Issues such as secure bike parking, bikes in bus-lanes, ITS and the erosion of rider control through state use of telemetric data and automatic speed restrictions, VED, the rider testing regime, parity with other vulnerable road users on sentencing and justice and locally the proposed ban on learners on the existing Forth Road Bridge when the new Forth Crossing opens.

   Where and when 7th April 7pm to 9pm at Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre 25 Palmerston  Place, Edinburgh EH12 5AP

   We currently have representatives from the Green Party, Scottish Conservatives, SNP, UKIP, Scottish Labour and are expecting the Lib Dems to confirm a representative on Monday.  What we need now is riders to show we care passionately  about our bikes and scooters and being able to ride them.

   MAG's Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns Lembit Opik will be chairing the meeting, but in keeping with MAG's policy will take an apolitical stance and will ensure we get to hear all views without favour or bias.

   If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch via e-mail or on 07833264878 and please feel free to pass this message on to other riders you know or share my facebook post on the hustings.

   Steve Wykes

   Regional Representative

   Motorcyle Action Group (Scotland)

3. Ross Noble and Riders for Health launch nationwide ride-out

   Posted on 1:08pm Monday 12th May 2014

   Comedian Ross Noble is launching a nationwide motorcycle ride-out with a difference in support of international charity, Riders for Health.

   The Last Mile Ride, which takes place on Saturday 21st June, is a ride-out with a destination, but no beginning. You decide where to start, and how to get to the finish. Motorcyclists from across the country will be completing quirky challenges, set by Ross Noble, as they make their way to the offices of MCN in Peterborough.

   Participants will plan their own route to Peterborough – the only condition is that they arrive at the MCN office at 3pm and complete as many challenges as possible!

   As riders head to the final destination, Ross Noble will be using Twitter to send a series of challenges for them to complete using the hashtag #lastmileride. As they complete their challenges and share their snaps on Twitter, Ross will be keeping an eye out for his favourite and awarding prizes for the very best.

   For more information and to register yourself or a group of riders for the Last Mile Ride visit www.riders.org/lastmileride

   When participants reach the offices of MCN, Ross will be there to greet them with some well-earned food and the chance to share their stories from the ride. He will also be awarding prizes for the most entertaining tweets and auctioning unique motorcycle memorabilia and experiences.

   Ross Noble said, "I’m really excited to be launching an event that brings the whole motorcycling community together to do something they love whilst helping Riders for Health. I’ve supported Riders for a number of years and the thing we all like about their work is that it is a simple, straightforward solution that is having a visible impact in Africa. I want to get hundreds of bikers involved from across the whole country. It would be amazing for groups of riders to meet up as they get closer to Peterborough."

   Registration for the Last Mile Ride costs £30 for a rider and £15 for a pillion and includes entry to all events at the final destination as well as food and a Last Mile Ride visibility vest. Riders can sign up to the ride individually, or can gather some friends for a group ride-out. Participants can also fundraise for the ride, with fantastic prizes available for the groups and individuals who raise the most money.

   All of the money raised from the event will help Riders for Health ensure health workers in Africa have access to reliable, well maintained motorcycles and ambulances so that they can continue to deliver life-saving health care to 14 million people.

   For more information and to register yourself or a group of riders for the Last Mile Ride visit www.riders.org/lastmileride
   
   
   

4. Mid Lincs MAG Bellybuster Brunch Run

   Posted on 10:27am Thursday 27th Mar 2014

   ... on 30th March. It leaves Black Swan Horncastle at 10.30am and gathers up more paricipants at Holdingham roundabout Sleaford at 11.15am. Destination fry-up! Somewhere in the Bourne (ish) direction.

   Politically Lembit and Leon have done very well getting the Bedford roundabout project postponed - this was going to be a roundabout with raised ridges seperating lane of traffic... imagine that in the dark and wet whilst cranked over.

   Things that you don't see are MAG getting it's voice heard in the right places - we have had 3 mentions in "LTT", a publication that Leon Mannings describes as "very anoraky but read by key influencers in UK Transport Policy".

   MAG had a stand at the Manchester Bike show where Lembit went down a storm and a lot of interest shown. There's yet another new branch this time in the New Forest.

   This is what Lembit had to say in a recent email:

   "Although it probably sounds a bit soft to say it, it's an honour to be part of an organisation which unpretentiously moves mountains when it thinks and acts in unison. While there may be a lot of frustrations - the largest one being a lack of time to do everything - I do feel extremely fortunate to be working with Doc Mannings, and for yourselves. It's alright for us to be proud of MAG - and I certainly am". 

5. Helmet laws: not a question of safety, but a question of liberty

   Posted on 10:03am Sunday 2nd Feb 2014

   Lembit Öpik, the Motorcycle Action Group’s (MAG) Director of Communications & Public Affairs, has spoken out against the implied imposition of a mandatory helmet law for cyclists.

   The threat has arisen as a result of the Advertising Standards Agency’s (ASA) directive to Cycling Scotland, requiring them to feature cyclists wearing helmets, and refusing to authorise a television advertisement which showed a
   rider without a helmet – claiming that to do so would be ‘socially irresponsible.’

   Lembit says ‘in 1973, British motorcyclists suffered a hammer blow to their liberty with the introduction of a mandatory helmet law. Over the last four decades we have never wavered from our principled position of opposing this authoritarian regulation. It’s not because we’re against safety; rather it’s because we’re pro-choice. At the heart of any truly free society, citizens have the right to make personal decisions about their welfare and the level of risk they’re willing to entertain. No government has the moral authority to forcibly impose its opinion about what’s best for citizens, because such a move is counter to the very freedoms which democracy exists to uphold. As such, we offer our full support to Britain’s cyclists in opposing the mandatory wearing of helmets. This is a symbolic test of the liberty. A defeat on this would be a catastrophic failure of politicians to respect the personal liberty of the people.’

   MAG Chairman John Mitchell adds ‘I have instructed MAG’s Reps to provide whatever support is necessary to assist the British cycling community to successfully resist this ominous legislative menace. The ASA has effectively used its position to censor Cycling Scotland’s right to illustrate cyclists’ liberty to ride without a helmet. They have evidently not got the right to veto the portrayal of a legal activity, but the precedent is extremely dangerous. Their action has reignited an issue which has been quietly smouldering for some time as far as motorcyclists are concerned. Make no mistake, we’re ready, willing and able to take this issue to the politicians, and I have no doubt that
   this debate will now extend to bikers as well as cyclists. The Cycle Touring Club, which represents cyclists is firmly against compulsory helmet use, as it feels that mandatory helmet use will reduce the numbers of those people who take up cycling. What unites us all is our belief in personal choice. The very last thing elected politicians who ignore this can expect is an easy ride.’

   
   www.mag-uk.org