Present: Doug Little, Gill Barnes, Nathan Marsh, Gregor Muir, Dave Parfit, Jacqui Parfit, Norman Clark, Mark Clark, Lorraine Wheelan, Marian Austin, Steve Bradley
 
Apologies: N/A
 
Approval of Agenda and Minutes: all agreed
 
Doug welcomed everyone to the meeting and welcomed new members Lorraine Wheelan and Nathan Marsh.
         

1. Trail Maintenance Day: Saturday 10^th December 10am to 2pm at Nevis Range. DL asked if there was anything needing to be done; MC stated that everything is in place now. A reminder to be sent to Kids Club DL will email Claire Abernethy. The café may be closed, toilets open, DL will take the coffee/tea etc. out from the club shed, DL suggested people take flasks of hot water and food and MC to take cake.

2. Christmas Handicap: Andy Rodgers is running this on Sunday 18^th December in Glen Nevis, sign on is at 1030, £6 for the lucky dip gift.

3. Winter League Discussion: Big thanks to Leon Sims and Lance Marshall for the huge amount of work they put in for the route on 4^th December, even bridge building, it was also great having toilets for the course!

27.  
28. Glenloy (Upper) – MC organising this.
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30.  
31.  

April – Enduro at Nevis Range, no confirmed date yet, DL suggested dates of 9^th April (Easter Sunday) or 2^nd April – Waiting for confirmation from NR that the race can be held there. All discussed alternative venue if NR falls through.
 

4. Clarify Committee Positions: DL stated that NM is down as General Committee or “Road Rep”.

Claire Abernethy has started collating information and will be doing the CWPS (Child & Welfare Protection in Sports) which everyone needs to do. Claire will also need to do special Child Protection office training.
GM will send training links to all leaders for Child Protection Training.
DL discussed who will take on specific rolls and responsibilities for social media, the website, newsletter, race results from previous years and keeping the Blog updated. DL to have a meeting with Vince Mackintosh, Jacqui Parfit and Evelyn MacLennan to discuss.
 

5. Junior Representatives: Aiden and Ava have offered to be Junior Reps; NM will be a liaison between the Junior Reps and the Committee, so the Junior Reps do not need to attend Committee Meetings. NM will work with them on a list of things they would like to see happen at Kids Club and feed back to the Committee.
6. Time Trials: DL will email Emma, NM and Vince Mackintosh in the new year re the schedule.

7. Wednesday Nights: lights will be needed for the night rides; DP will go to the bike shops to purchase some new lights for the club; 2 sets from each shop. DL will check prices.

GM asked if Strone has reopened to which MC stated there has been to updates yet.
GM and MA discussed the 14^th and 21^st  December night rides; the 14^th was going to be up Glen Nevis with the adults going to the pub and Kids Club to McDonalds however due to Richard Kidds funeral being on the 14^th it was discussed and agreed by all that this be changed. The 14^th will now be at Nevis Range and the 21st will be at Glen Nevis then pub/McDonalds. NM will run the Kids Club night ride.
 

8. Kids Club: The last one of 2022 was on Saturday December 3^rd. Well done to Joseph and Daniel for passing their British Cycling Fundamentals of Mountain Bike Leadership course. Thanks to MC and Mike Pescod from Abacus Mountaineering for the training.

DL advised that there is now funding for Level 1 training in April 2023.
MC stated he wants to do the Level 2 training but needs more people to sign up for the course for MC to be approved. Level 2 is an 18+ professional qualification that cab used at club level.

21.  

April Fundamentals Level 1 – up to 6 people
DL stated that there is 5 or 6 kids and several adults up for doing the course; a mix of kids and adults would be good.
 

9. Event Scotland/WHW/Fort William Foxes Festival: Planning for the festival is progressing well. Elise from the Foxes is very organized and is doing a great job putting it all together. The main part of the festival is going to be held at Caol Community Centre on Sat the 25^th of March. More details to follow soon.

DL needs to arrange event insurance, and asked is anyone knows how to arrange this? MA advised we might get the insurance under existing events insurance. DL asked MA to check if WHW can get cover for a day event. MA stated that risk assessments would need to be carried out – DL and MA to discuss this further.
MA suggested it would be useful if Elise could email her a five sentence summary of the event.
 

10. Pump Track: GM stated that the Pump Track is getting a free container from the Rock up Ride Program. They are awaiting permission to store this at the pump track, need confirmation of where the container will be situated and length of time it can stay there.

11. Any other Business: GM stated that a venue is required for the 1^st Aid course being run by Simon Wells on 21^st and 22^nd of January. MA will ask the Yacht Club.

GM stated that an evening for a Junior Leaders meeting, needs to be face-to-face and not online. Provisional date of 20^th December, if this doesn’t suit then move to 10^th January.
MA advised that there will be a new person running the bile kitchen from January; the bile kitchen could help with basic bile maintenance course; GM suggested this be revisited in January.
JP advised the club has been working with SAMH and Scottish Cycling to train mental health champions and have been encouraged to sign up to a mental health charter and include this on our website – all agreed and JP to take this forward.
LW asked if it mixed Bike and Blether rides could be arranged to encourage men to join the rides, all agreed – NC has volunteered to develop this.
MA advised that Affiliation for the club has now gone to British Cycling, DL thanked everyone involved with this and especially MA. 
 

12. Bank Account: GB advised that the account currently has £12500 and that £2500 has specifically been marked for training Mountain Bike Leaders. GB advised that Scottish Cycling gave the club funding for this.

13. Next meeting: this is scheduled for 7.30pm on Tuesday 7^th February at NC’s house.

 
ACTIONS:
 

• DL to email Claire Abernethy a reminder for Trail Maintenance Day
• GM and DL to ask Lance, Leon and Stewart if they’d like to arrange Laggan on 26^th Feb
• GM to send CP training links to all leaders
• JP and EM to discuss social media/blog/race results rolls and responsibilities
• NM to create list with Junior Reps and feedback to Committee
• DL to email Emma, NM and Vince re time Trials
• DP to get lights for night rides
• JP to speak to Elise re getting the SAMH/Scottish Cycling video played at festival
• MA to check event insurance for festival
• MA and DL to discuss risk assessments for festival
• MA – to ask Yacht Club if the 1^st Aid course could be held there
• JP – to take forward adding Mental Health Champion info to website/Facebook
• LW to make a Bike and Blether Facebook page up asap
• NC – to develop the mixed Bike and Blether social rides
• ALL – revisit the Bike Kitchen assisting with basic bike maintenance

Happy Riding