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This year there are four vacancies on the Board: three Directors are retiring by rotation (David Barry, Robin Field, and Roger Wakeling) and their positions are each for three years tenure; the fourth vacancy is to fill the two-year remainder of Becky Warnes’ tenure as she resigned during her first year.
A ballot will take place whereby the top three candidates will each be appointed with a three-year tenure while the fourth-placed candidate will be appointed with the two-year tenure. The delegates will have ballot papers on which they should name up to four candidates. Note that this not in order of preference – it’s a simple count of votes accrued.
There are listed below in alphabetical order six candidates whose CV/resumés are appended.
Introduction to Martin Balk, nominee for election to the board of directors.
I am a lifelong cyclist with a passion all aspects of the sport, but especially time trialling. Having competed in my first time trial nearly 50 years ago and still regularly competing today.
From age 18 I have served on the committee of most clubs that I have belonged to, including New Forest CC, RAF CA, Cardiff Ajax, 3C Cycle club. I organised many club and open events, including classic series events.
I have served on the committee of South DC for 10 years, the last 4 years as chairman, also currently holding the position of assistant secretary club events and courses. Since taking on the role of courses secretary, I have modernised the system for collating and management of risk assessment within the district. Ensuring that they are updated in a timely manner and are available to all parties that may needs sight of them.
In the world of work, I have gained experience and range of skills, having worked in retail management of a major supermarket, served for 12 years in Royal Air Force in engineering, the last 20 years I have held various management roles in further education, both in the private and public sector. Gaining lots of experience in people management, financial systems and implementing system changes.
The CTT and sport in general face many challenges both financial and within society, I feel that my experience, enthusiasm, and willingness to take on new challenges with a can-do attitude, would enhance the current board and offering skills in IT, modern communication channels technology and change management.
I am seeking re-election as a Board Director of Cycling Time Trials (CTT) at the forthcoming CTT National Council and Annual General Meeting to be held 04 December 2022.
My significant cycling-related administrative roles are as follows:
I retired early this year as a Health and Safety Adviser (over 30 years’ experience), principally in the motor manufacturing sector carrying out risk assessments and audits, among other elements of the role.
Since I became a Board Director, I act as National Safeguarding Officer, (being the author of CTT’s Safeguarding policy), and co-author of many current CTT Guidance Notes, particularly GN 22 Formal Risk Assessment.
The Board of Directors have held many forums over the years, nationally and at DC level, and I have delivered many presentations on topics such as safe course design and risk assessments, course measuring, and safeguarding issues.
Representing the CTT at National Championships as a Board Director, I have formed positive associations with many competitors, (and in several cases with their parents or guardians), and organisers. My experience of the CTT Articles, Rules, and Regulations, has enabled me to ‘nip concerns in the bud,’ others I took their issues to Board level for further discussion. There will be new Board Directors being appointed at the 2022 NC AGM, and should I be re-elected, to give them guidance in the intricacies and of the history of CTT.
I am seeking election as a Board Director of CTT.
I have a cycling family background given to me by my mum and dad, carried by me with respect for what is the diverse cycling family we all belong to.
I am a member of the Vive le Velo cycling team, VTTA Yorkshire ,TLI and British Cycling.
I began competing in time trials in the mid 70’s and have never stopped. Since then road racing, cyclo-cross and grass track got in way; with cycle tours, solo and tandem never getting in the way of anything.
I began my working life as a coal mining apprentice and ended it as a secondary school head teacher.
From the coal face to the chalk face and the interactive whiteboard face. A journey of change and difficulty.
During change management; involving school closures, new builds and the development of the Academy program I have worked with a range of people ,from Ministers to families in difficulty.
Crisis leadership and management, governance and strategic development planning have been at the centre of my life for many years.
I have the honour of being Yorkshire District Secretary and until recently Open events Secretary.
Every year I compete around the country, in different districts, and have made friends, networked ideas, shared experiences and embraced change in our sport.
If elected I will endeavour to combine my professional skills with my joy of cycling, working with and listening to everyone, to continue to carry our branch of cycle sport forward with the tailwind it deserves.
CTT is in a financial crisis, mostly due to a steady decline in rides for the last 20 years but also because of a large reduction in rides post COVID lockdown.
Had not due diligence been made by the Board in recent years, the reserves would have been getting perilously low.
I was elected to the Board of CTT not long after the last serious event hit us - Foot and Mouth in 2001. -South Wales District especially was hit hard and lost nearly all its events that year: the local ‘hotspot’ was within 2 miles of the main TT area in the east of our District. We lost all courses from 10 miles up to and including 12 Hours that year.
At that time all board members were still re-elected annually at the National AGM; names were taken from the floor; some of these may have had business skills; others not. Often it was a case of who, rather that what you know which got you elected. This approach to running a company explains why amateurs, however well-meaning, were elected. That’s how I got in.
You also had to be prepared to give up about 8 weekends a year to attend the ‘National Committee’.
People are now needed with more defined skills: skills such as Marketing, IT, Legal, Finance and so on.
I do not profess to have any of these.
What I do have though is a desire to envelop change: to move things forward. When I’m asked the question ‘Why should you do a,b,c? I answer ‘in order to achieve x,y,z’: NOT ‘because we’ve always done it that way.’
We must plan and manage change: for change is essential for the survival of CTT: to survive for the next 10 years at least. We must appeal to more bike riders.
I like to think of myself as a person thoroughly versed in the history of CTT. Yes I can remember ‘the good old days’ I hear it said at lots of Open Events I attend; I am keen to get things changed; to get the company on a firm financial footing. Not in a rowdy way but in a thoughtful, quiet and carefully considered one. The Board are all volunteers: perhaps it’s time to recruit the extra skills we need not as Board Members but as Advisors.
For the record I am South Wales DC Secretary and have been for 22 years. I’ve been a member of the Board for about 20 years; have promoted nine RTTC Championships under my name (the most recent was this year’s 12 Hour). I’ve helped in many others. I am a Full Timekeeper and time about 20 Open events a year with my wife Fran. I am proud to have earned the RTTC Gold Badge.
Due to ill health during 2021 I was advised to retire as Chair of CTT, a role I had been extremely proud to hold since 2008, being the first woman elected to the post. (I never missed a Board meeting in that time). Now fully recovered, I am keen to re-connect with the Board as a Director and hope that you will consider my nomination in that capacity, using the opportunity that is available every year for any district committee member to step forward and take.
I would bring a wealth of experience to the post. Always actively and fully involved in the work CTT do and the need to remember that it is the riders we are working for, through the clubs and districts. By virtue of their locations, each of the 21 CTT Districts are unique with their own problems, some of which they share with others, some they don’t, something that cannot be ignored. I have spent many hours at championships and open events in every district, talking to riders, organisers etc., those for whom the Board work. Listening to the issues they face is vitally important. There is no ‘blanket solution’ that will cover all and any changes need careful consideration and discussion, not knee-jerk reactions. Those on the ‘coal face’ are who we are here for and represent. We are a small national governing body, a company limited by guarantee something which protects all of us. Meeting face to face with those we work for is really important if we are to gain and keep respect.
My professional qualifications include a Diploma in Business Management from the Institute of Management; Certificate from Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH); I am a Fellow of the Association of Road Risk Managers (FARRM); I am also a qualified proof-reader.
Until retirement from my professional role, I worked for a national charity, part of the role was as Health & Safety Officer. I was working completely with, and for, volunteers, training 400+ road safety trainers and examiners nationwide, securing accreditation from the Qualifications & Curriculum Authority for that exam. I am fully aware how people should be treated. Heading up the department, forming business plans, working to corporate plans, setting and keeping to strict budgets, setting staff objectives, appraising performance etc. was an important aspect of the role. Securing sponsorship for department publications and 23 trail guidebooks, working entirely with volunteers, both here and in France, partnership with external organisations was vital to succeed. Due to the nature of the work which was largely road safety based, I worked closely with Highways Agency producing interactive material for equestrians and those who tow trailers, this included the Highway Code and Road Signs manual; representation on organisations like BSI; Road Safe, Road Users Alliance, PACTS; DfT; DVLA; County Surveyors Society; MOD; ROSPA; Police and British Cycling, all to aid good relationships and, at no cost to CTT, this has often assisted them to gain better outcomes from what might have been tricky situations. Networking is very important and I still maintain links with many of those I worked with.
A member of Midland District since 1992, I have been Open Events Secretary since 1997 and brought the system along from paper to computer, websites and internet entry, much of this as Chairman. The change in the Handbook which is still very much a working tool for riders. Closed circuits have been a real bonus with the likes of Blenheim, Mallory Park and Brands Hatch previously welcoming us but they have now changed direction, pricing us out. HS2 has impacted several districts taking our best courses and is still causing huge problems. Right now we are suffering from falling rider numbers at events – we are not unique; it is happening in many sports. I don’t have the answers and cannot find anyone who does, but we must not give up. We are the sport that all the top riders cut their teeth on.
To finish, I should add that I am a member of the FT Bidlake Trust and a founder member of the Warwickshire Police Safety Advisory Group whose formation came about due to a fatality but has led to hugely improved relationships with ALL those who use our roads. I hope I can bring my experiences back to the Board as a Director and help those younger members develop and learn from what has gone before, history should be what we learn from.
I first knew about timetrialling in the 1960s when a boy in my school, Johnny Morris, rode them and he went on to represent our country in road racing as a junior. However, it was the early 1980s before Bob West, a very good trike rider from VC Venta, Winchester, persuaded me to have a go at timetrialling and, as they say, the rest is history!
Along with timetrialling I have run six London Marathons, one Frankfurt and also the New York Marathon in 1981 plus I represented Great Britain in the Duathlon at the World Championships in 2008 in Italy.
I have served on the South District Committee since 1994 and attended every National Council since 1996, except one, to the present day.
I have been a time trial organiser since the mid-1990s for Antelope RT and set up the National Closed Circuit Time Trial Championships which I have run for the last nine years with great support from Sheila Hardy, David Barry, Sue Bowler and Glenn Longland and a dedicated team of volunteers on the superb Thruxton Motor Racing Circuit in Hampshire, introducing electronic chip timing to great effect with almost instant results now being relayed to the riders on their phones!
My professional life in the 40 years has involved me organising a mixture of over 600 triathlons, duathlons, mountain bike and road running events all over the south and south-west of England and I am still a technical official at large triathlons.
In recent years as a serving Director of Cycling Time Trials I have concentrated my efforts on finance, marketing, volunteers and improving communications with our riders. I believe I can still contribute to the continued success and future of the sport.