Look Back at June and July

As we have moved through the riding season proper things have remained very busy in every respect at ARNY.  The weather has been outstanding for riding and this, along with the ever-growing number of ARNY members, has resulted in some excellent training sessions on Saturday mornings and at other times. 

We had seven new members join up over the last two months and we welcome all the new members, too many to name here, and wish them all the best with their future training to reach whatever goals they have.  Training levels are at a record high and, as we approach the end of July we have already exceeded the number of training sessions we undertook in all of 2025, which was also a significant increase over the previous year.  With August and September still to come we will no doubt end the year with a very impressive, and unprecedented, number of training sessions completed.  At the time of writing the number of active Associates, that is those who are actively training, has reached a record number at 58 which is a 25% increase over number in 2025.

This high level of demand for training has resulted in the need for us to strengthen the Tutor team and, thankfully, three new Tutors have been signed off over the last two months.  Jez, Jezz and Denise all passed through the Tutor training programme and we welcome them to the Tutor team which currently stands at 22.  The ARNY Tutor training programme involves some classroom work, a theory exam, some practical shadowing and then numerous assessed training sessions to ensure all elements of the ARNY training process are understood, and correctly delivered, before the individual is signed off as a Group Tutor.  It is a significant undertaking, and we congratulate the three new members for reaching the required standard and they will all be a real asset to the Tutor team, and are already making a difference.

The timing of the new Tutors joining has been very beneficial in helping us to meet the needs of Associates and Post Test riders wanting a refresher alike.  As outlined in the last “Look Back” the introduction of Spond has been a real asset in the ongoing management of training on Saturday mornings.  The number of available training spaces on a Saturday morning is currently limited to 12 and there is a waiting list for those wishing to train but do not have an allocated space.  If people drop out of Saturday training those on the waiting list will be moved up so keep an eye out for any changes that may occur if you are on the waiting list.  Our start point on Saturdays is Strawberry Fields, the end of the sessions are changed each week during the warmer months. We try to switch it around to go to other bike friendly cafes at the end point, we've found some great places, well worth a visit.

In order to help with the training load there has also been a significant increase in the number of training sessions outside of Saturday mornings.  There have been approximately 20 training sessions organised outside of Saturday mornings over the last two months for those who are able to train at other times.  The Training WhatsApp community is the place to request training outside of Saturday mornings and if you post when you would like training, a Tutor will come back to you if they are available.  A zero response does not mean you are being ignored, it simply means that there are no Tutors available and, that being the case, please just post again as appropriate. 

The social calendar is up and running as usual and there was a Sunday Social and Wednesday Wobble in both June and July.  The details of these events are posted on Spond and all ARNY members should get an invite for the events.  They are open to all paid up ARNY members, and pillions, and judging by the comments of the WhatsApp community they have been thoroughly enjoyed, and much appreciated, by all who have been able to attend.  Phill Bates has just posted about the ARNY summer social event which is a Fish and Chip Cruise in York on Thurs August 13^th.  Details are available on the Social WhatsApp Community if you are interested in coming along for what will be a very enjoyable evening.

The end of riding season social weekend based in Dumfries from 25^th to 27^th September is now all planned.  The details and information as to what you need to do to come along are pinned to the top of the Social WhatsApp community.  The weekend is open to all paid up ARNY members and pillions and there are already 30 attendees who have signed up for what will no doubt be another great weekend.

There was an ARNY Committee meeting in the middle of June where, as usual, any issues were discussed and addressed as needed.  In the middle of the riding season the focus is mainly on the day to day running of the Club.  At the meeting in June it was confirmed that Paul Crane would be stepping up as Chairman until the start of 2027, as a replacement for Steve Potts.  We thank Paul for stepping up to fill the role in the short term.  Long term post test rider and Social Ride Leader, Chris Chittock also put his name forward and has joined the Committee.  It is always good to get new faces and ideas into the Committee and if you are interested in understanding more about the Committee positions, please contact Dave Reeve at secretary@arny.org.uk for more information.

As is always the case at this time of year, there have been numerous Associates going for test as well as those being re-tested as part of the tri-annual requirement.  Details of the achievements are generally posted on Facebook or WhatsApp, in line with the wishes of the candidate, and we congratulate all of those for their significant achievements over the last period.  Whilst a good test result is particularly rewarding, no matter what the result, there is no doubt that we are all better, and safer, riders because of the training, and advice, ARNY offers so we thank all those who play a role in making ARNY work. 

It is not obvious why we are seeing such an increase in interest, and new members, in ARNY but it is nonetheless welcome and we are all enjoying the challenge of meeting the demand.  Jezz Booker organised for us to get some new ARNY flags to promote the club at events.  These are now available for promotional events and training days - great to put the message out as to who we are.

Until next time….