Members’ News: Summer 2001

Members’ News

Corporate Membership
A substantive move forward for the Countryside Management Association.

The Countryside Management Association is pleased to announce the introduction of a Corporate Membership package, a new category of membership for the Association. Precise details are listed inside this edition of Members’ News and everyone, has the opportunity to participate, benefit and get involved. Briefly, any organisation from the public, private, voluntary, charitable or the educational sectors can join the CMA as a Corporate Member, with the bonus that their employees, their students or their volunteers can join at a reduced rate and gain all the benefits that individual members enjoy. Plus, the organisation holding the Corporate Membership, gains additional benefits as part of the arrangement.

The CMA National Council, Executive and the working groups have spent a considerable amount of time developing the category. The CMA Chairman, Dave Perkins, would like to thank all those involved and in particular those employers, individuals and organisations across the country who have given their time, experience and knowledge to reach this point. He stated "it is through the growing involvement of countryside and urban greenspace professionals like yourselves, that the CMA can work to continue to improve the nationwide network of contacts and the breadth and depth of services offered. The real strength of the CMA lies within its membership. With the added commitment and involvement of potential Corporate Members such as your own organisation, that the future work and role of the CMA, in promoting and encouraging sustainable countryside and urban greenspace management, will be significantly enhanced".

These guidelines are designed to help find and sign up Corporate Members and should include all the information that you need. Please let us know if you think there is anything missing. Selling things is something we are all familiar with, albeit that we are usually on the receiving end. Remember, all the things that annoy you about those people who phone up and try to sell you double glazing – well make sure you don’t do any of them and you’ll be off to a flying start.

How to get contacts
Make sure you don’t contact someone who has already been contacted or in some cases, an organisation that has been contacted at a different level (e.g. National Trust at regional and national level). Linda Nunn, Kevin Cloud or Lois Crisp have a list of all those organisations that have already been approached. CMA will be developing a database of all potential Corporate Members – please ask Lois Crisp at Writtle College for details. Start by listing all the countryside management related organisations in your area/county. It may be useful to do it by category.

1. Parish Councils.
2. District Councils - countryside projects, ranger services.
3. County Councils.
4. National Parks, AONBs, NNRs, Conservancy Boards.
5. Voluntary sector - Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, National Trust, BTCV, Groundwork, Charitable Trusts.
6. Private companies, landowners e.g. water utilities, estate managers.
7. Statutory organisations – DEFRA, Countryside Agency, English Nature, Environment Agency.
8. Contractors.
9. Suppliers of equipment, tools, vehicles, raw materials.

Identify your closest contacts that you have a working relationship with already. Make it personal.

If at all possible try to get a personal contact using the existing network of CMA members within your region. If you can get some background on how a service, company or site is set up before calling this will help to you tailor your approach ! Even better if you can arrange to go and have a chat to someone in the first instance – this means you also get a site visit into the bargain!

Send information
If your first contact is by phone, follow up promptly by asking Linda, Kevin or Lois to send an information pack – it is important that they see you as credible - you are and you represent the CMA. An information pack will contain:

- An introductory letter;
- A sample copy of Ranger magazine;
- A sample copy of the Members’ Handbook;
- Application form;
- Pen/car sticker.

All of the above can also be obtained from Writtle College. Regions will be sent a ‘starter pack’ of ten sets to start with.

Follow it up
Once they have the information, it’s important to try and ‘close’ the deal. After they have had time to read it contact them again to talk it through. Arrange a meeting or presentation, or invite them to a training day or regional meeting?

What happens next
Linda, Kevin or Lois are the first points of contact to start with, if you need help. Once Lois has the application form returned to her, she will respond with a follow up ‘Welcome to CMA’ letter and sufficient copies of the Application Form for employees to hopefully join at the reduced rate fairly quickly - this is a way of keeping the ‘pressure’ on, rather than waiting for employees to remember to phone for a form individually. She will give the corporate member a special membership number and begin sending out appropriate numbers of Ranger, etc and a slightly altered Welcome Pack to suit.

Closing the sale - again!
It’s always worth a follow up call after a few weeks, to see if your potential corporate member has actually signed up. In the likely event that they have not had the time, it will act as a timely reminder, if they have remaining queries but have not had the time to talk to anyone it’s the ideal opportunity to deal with them.

For enquiries contact either:

Linda Nunn Tel. 01305 225037 (w) 01202 814205 (h)

Kevin Cloud Tel. 02392 594963

Lois Crisp Tel. 01245 424263

The Sales Pitch
Why should they join CMA?

Explain the background to CMA
Formed in 1966 the CMA has grown into the leading membership organisation for individuals involved in the sustainable management of countryside and urban greenspace in England & Wales. The CMA works regionally, nationally and internationally to:

1. To be an effective and professional membership organisation offering structured professional accreditation and continuing professional development.
2. To promote professional and sustainable management of the countryside and urban greenspace.
3. To inform the decision making process of organisations involved in the management of countryside and urban greenspace.
4. To provide information, training and authoritative comment on countryside and urban greenspace issues.

What’s good about CMA?

1. CMA is the largest organisation representing countryside and urban greenspace managers in England & Wales.
2. It is the only organisation that provides a system of professional accreditation and development.
3. CMA is the only organisation in England & Wales affiliated to the International Ranger Federation – a global network of countryside managers and rangers from over 40 countries.
4. CMA provides a regional network of contacts for countryside management professionals for the exchange of information and best practice.
5. Tell them who else has joined (you can get an update from Linda , Kevin or Lois).

Tell them what benefits you, personally, have had from being a member, e.g:

1. attended a CMA training event;
2. adopted the professional membership system; or
3. if you have used the email network to get information on:

- a replacement vehicle;
- foot and mouth;
- or how to set up a ‘friends of’ group;
- the IRF Congress in South Africa;
- used Ranger magazine to get an update/summary of the new rural/urban white paper.

T ell them to check out the website for more information.

What are the main benefits of Corporate Membership?
Employees or students can join as members of the CMA in their own right, as Affiliates, Associates or Members, taking advantage of the corporate discount of 20% off normal subscription rates. They will receive the whole range of benefits and services afforded to individual members:

1. Professional accreditation.
2. Professional development.
3. Training and study days.
4. Ranger magazine, Members News and Regional Newsletters.
5. Annual Conference.
6. Contact with other members through regional, national and international networks.

For employing organisations the system of professional accreditation and development provides a benchmark against which the employer can demonstrate the level of competence of individual staff. It also provides a structure for their future training and development e.g. if the employer is signed up to Investors in People.

For training providers, corporate membership enables students to gain a direct insight into the industry through contact with practicing countryside management professionals. This can also help to build links between trainers and employers.

For private companies, corporate membership is a way of keeping them up to date with and directly supporting the industry.

In addition to the benefits for employees and students, the corporate member organisation may also take advantage of:

1. Places on training and study days at preferential rates.
2. Places at the CMA Annual Conference at preferential rates.
3. 10% discount on adverts and inserts in Ranger and Members’ News.
4. Copies of Ranger Magazine, Members News and Regional Newsletters.
5. An Annual Corporate Members Forum.
6. Acknowledgement in CMA Annual Report.
7. 10% discount on CMA publications.

Corporate Members
a summary sheet

1. Open to those organisations that either employ or train countryside management staff.
2. A variable annual fee will be charged dependent on the number of potential members (Affiliates, Associates or Members).
3. Each individual member who joins receives a 20% discount as Affiliate, Associate or Member and receives the full range of CMA membership services as a member in their own right.
4. Any Associate member then wishing to apply for Member status would then pay an additional fee of £20 (ie there is no discount on full membership after joining as an Associate).

Corporate membership package includes:

1. Membership certificate.
2. Ranger Magazine and Membership News (4 issues per annum).
3. A set number of places at member rates for the CMA National Conference.
4. A set number of places at member rates on CMA national and regional training courses.
5. Acknowledgment in Ranger and the Annual Report.
6. 10% discount for inserts in Ranger magazine (job adverts, course details etc.) subject to editorial control.
7. 10% discount on CMA merchandising and publications (e.g. Law of the Countryside).
8. Welcome Pack.
9. Invitation to take part in an annual Corporate Members Forum one day conference.
10. Corporate Member contacts circulated annually and publicised on the CMA website

Other points to note
Individual members joining through a corporate member effectively become members in their own right.
Imposing an upper limit on the size of the individual corporate member is not seen as necessary.
After an organisation has joined in whichever of the three categories above, individuals can join at these preferential rates:
Member employed by Corporate Member - £40.00 (usually £45.00)
Affiliate unwaged & ‘employed’ by Corporate Member e.g. Volunteer £12.00 (usually £15.00)
Affiliate waged & employed by Corporate Member - £20.00(usually £25.00)
Associate employed by Corporate Member - £20.00 (usually £25.00)

The CMA continues to be represented on this strategic national working group along with organisations such as the Forestry Commission, National Trust, English Heritage, British Waterways, RSPB, English Nature and the Environment Agency. The group aims to develop and disseminate best practice in managing visitor safety in the countryside and urban greenspace. It is hoped that the standards promoted by the group will be recognised by HSE, the Countryside Agency and, in due course, by the legal profession. A set of Guiding Principles developed by the group will form the basis of a conference in York in December which will coincide with their publication and wider promotion. CMA is represented on the group by Andy Maginnis who is Worcestershire County Council’s Countryside Sites Manager.

CMA recognises the impact that Best Value is already having and will continue to have on local authority services. One of the major challenges facing the industry is the lack of sensible, nationally applicable performance indicators and service standards. Rather than be yet another player promoting its own preferred indicators and standards, CMA is focusing its efforts into bringing together the major players such as the Best Value Inspectorate, CIPFA, English Heritage, the Countryside Agency, ILAM, LGA, the Core Cities Group and a number of regional benchmarking groups. This should lead to the adoption of nationally recognised standards which are of use to the industry and yet satisfy the criteria of monitoring bodies. CMA is represented on a number of Best Value Groups by Ian Bamforth who is Worcestershire County Council’s Countryside Manager.

CMA has maintained a dialogue with the Countryside Agency, LGA and DETR throughout the crisis. Most recently CMA has contributed to the revised MAFF guidelines which have simplified the re-opening process for all affected public rights of way. Contact Andy Maginnis.

David Miller: Ranger; Lea Valley Regional Park Authority
Mark Wallington: County Manager BTCV
Kath Slinn: Senior Ranger London Borough of Southwark
Philip Bolton: Project Supervisor/Trainer/Assessor BTCV
Simon Rogers: Head Ranger Blaenau Gwent CBC
Amanda Barton: The National Trust
Alastair Chapman: Country Park Ranger Ipswich BC
Colin Hart: Area Countryside Officer Broads Authority
Charles Morgan: Conservation Officer Kemerton Conservation Trust
Bob Campbell: Countryside Warden Stockton BC
Steve Barnes: Countryside Officer Cannock Chase Council

9th August 2001and 8th November 2001
To all Member Applicants: Please send your completed applications to: 21 Ridgefields, Biddulph Moor, Staffordshire Moorlands. ST8 7JG.

TOPAS is ‘Training of Protected Area Staff’, a European partnership which has successfully developed a bid for funding under the Leonardo II programme. The accepted programme of training development and testing covers three years, with an immediate start.

The partners come from Italy, Iceland, Germany, Czech Republic, Portugal, Slovenia, England and Austria, and are mostly from training centres and universities, although ranger representation both in the partnership and the Technical Board is significant.

Up to nine training modules will be developed to include all protected area staff, not just rangers, although the ranger training course developed through the European Ranger Project will be a keystone to all training.

The funding is 75% from the Leonardo II programme and 25% by the partners, with a total [100%] budget of E730,000 [about £480,000 or US $710,000]. The IRF element is to design and produce the first information leaflet and to use our contacts and databases to distribute it throughout Europe with the assistance of member associations. Additionally we are responsible for the organisation of a suitable event to secure a wider knowledge of TOPAS for the general public and for European institutions. The leaflet is being designed for us by Gunter Mitlacher of the German Rangers Association and the event is being prepared by IRF Consultancy.

A website is being developed in the Czech Republic and will be freely available to everyone to obtain information about the programme and its results. A condition of grant is that any work resulting from the programme should be freely and easily available to all.

IRF thanks go to Heike Flemming of German Rangers Association who has represented IRF for the past two years in the development of this project and to the team at the Internationaler Arbeitskreis Sonnenberg who have provided the secretariat and most of the hard work in ensuring that the project came to fruition.

IRF will benefit through the widening of our network in Europe, through enhanced partnerships assisting in the raising of professional standards and through the development of ideas which may be adapted elsewhere in the world. TOPAS also paves the way for the continuation of the Youth/Ranger mentoring scheme that was tested as part of the European Ranger Project [the full report is now available from Mike Marshall on email]. Further information about TOPAS is available from Mike Marshall. Tel. 01328 878951.