SUFFOLK CENTRE HANDBOOK 2021 www.suffolkcentre.org.uk Welcome to the Suffolk Centre Rally Handbook for 2021. With the Covid-19 virus pandemic causing so many problems during 2020, we have all lost out on our valued leisure activity, the lockdown in March which went on for months with rallies cancelled due to government restrictions, Governance at HQ CAMC, and an overall responsibility to keep us all safe, all had catastrophic effects on our rally programme. Although the committee and myself were very busy in the background handling the new rules and restrictions and addressing the inevitable fallout of cancelled rallies etc, I was unable to fulfil my role as your Chairman on the rally field during last year as I would have wished. I therefore decided that I would like to continue for another year to enable Connie & myself to enjoy the company of members and Covid permitting to meet as many new and existing members and friends during 2021. I was very pleased to be re-elected as your Chairman for 2021, and was grateful that we were able to keep most of our committee team together and welcome our new Treasurer Paul Wade who joins our team, and I would like to thank them all for the time and effort, along with support from their families to keep the centre running. Attempting to get rallies organised has proved difficult as site owners appear to have been holding out to the last minute to see if it will be viable, which has caused a few headaches and delays for our Rally Secretary getting this rally programme together. My sincere thanks go to the rally marshals for sticking with us during a disappointing year, the landowners, and the advertisers for making it sustainable to keep a rally book for this year, please support them and mention where you see the advertisement. I will be holding my Chairman’s rally at Newmarket and hope as many of you as possible will be able to join us. I intend to continue with the East Anglian Air Ambulance as my charity and really hope that we can make up for the shortfall in donations during 2020, please consider ways of supporting them. Connie and myself sincerely hope you will have an enjoyable year and look forward to meeting the many new members on the rally field, consider that centre rally members are friends you have not met as yet, along with all our established friends. Above all Please Stay Safe and Well, and Best Wishes. Garry Suffolk Centre Chairman ******************** PLEASE USE YOUR EIGHT DIGIT CARAVAN CLUB MEMBERSHIP NUMBER ON RALLY SLIPS AND HAVE YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD, YOU MAY BE ASKED FOR IT. YOU CAN MAKE A NOTE OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBER BELOW. ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ 1 THANKS FOR CHOOSING SUFFOLK CENTRE Everyone knows what happens on a rally or do they? If you have not rallied before here is some information for a great weekend or holiday. A rally is a get together of Caravan and Motorhome Club members who meet over a weekend or holiday to promote friendship and pursue many pleasures, pastimes and sports in a light-hearted manner with plenty of fun along the way. You should never feel obliged to join in anything which does not interest you – just relax and do as you please. The Rally Marshals are members like yourself, who have volunteered to organise and run the rally. This usually includes arranging the rally, signing the approach to the rally field and sometimes organising competitions and entertainment for all ages. Water supply and facilities for the disposal of waste water and toilet emptying will always be provided. Where a rally has EHU this will be clearly stated, it isn’t available on all rallies. With the pandemic of 2020 several things have changed in rallying – going forward we have to produce more paperwork to the Club than before so things are a bit more formalised. Our programme may have to be changed along the way – but if you are booked on the Rally Marshal will let you know – plus our website will be the “main point” for updated information, alongside our Facebook Group. No-one knows what the future holds – we can only carry on in the hope our hobby continues. The starting times of rallies are listed in the handbook rally details. The time stated allows the Marshals sufficient time to prepare, so please do not arrive before this time. On arrival, follow the signs to the marshals’ van, where you will get all the information you need. With the pandemic we may have had to change how rallies are paid for and how we can get information to you. The Rally Marshals will show you to your pitch on the rally field, ensuring adequate spacing between units. We usually have a Flagpole get together to thank marshals, give out updates and celebrate any special events – this may not be possible in 2021. All you need in addition to items you would normally take to a commercial site is your own toilet and containers for fresh and waste water. Why not give it a try? We have some great locations in out of the way places in parts of the Suffolk countryside. We sometimes venture further afield in the UK and abroad! If you would like to come along to a rally, call any of the Committee or marshals in the book. We all enjoy rallying and the pleasure it gives us and would like to share our pastime with you. The Committee ******************** Rally members having visitors has been a normal part of rallying but we are unable to say, at the time of printing, if visitors to rallies will be allowed. We will try to keep everyone updated as best we can. Certainly, if we are allowed social gatherings indoors once again, there may be a limit on hall numbers so please ask the marshal if there is space for your visitor to join in. You may be asked to contribute for your visitor towards any booked entertainment or food provided – again if the rules allow. 2 SUFFOLK CENTRE OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE 2021 YOUR CHAIRMAN: Garry Pyett. Email: [email protected] VICEY -CHAIRMAN/WEBMASTER: Julian Fincham-Jacques. Email:[email protected] or [email protected]. Y OUR SECRETARY: Janet Dobson. Email: [email protected] 3 SUFFOLK CENTRE OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE 2021 YOUR TREASURER: Paul Wade. Email: [email protected]. YOUR RALLY SECRETARY: Alan Dobson. Email: [email protected]. YOUR CENTRE EQUIPMENT OFFICER: Ron King. Email:[email protected]. 4 SUFFOLK CENTRE OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE 2021 Y OUR COMPETITIONS AND JUNIOR LIAISON OFFICER: Chris Stammers. Email: [email protected] or [email protected] YOUR PUBLICITY OFFICER: Melody Gosling. Email:[email protected] YOUR NEWSLETTER CO-ORDINATOR: Peter Wilson. Email: [email protected] Mark Terry will be remaining as a Committee member until end of the financial year to complete the annual Centre accounts and his hard work over the previous few years as our Treasurer is very much appreciated. NOMINATED REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES ARE: Garry Pyett and Peter Wilson 5 SO, WHAT’S NEW FOR 2021? NEW LOCATION APP: www.what3words.com This was in our 2020 programme and returns for 2021. This is a free mobile app or it can be accessed online. By details or postcode, you can go into maps and get a precise entry for the access to a site. Where possible sites have been given their precise 3-word address so you can look up a site before going. PAYMENTS AGAINST RALLIES Following advice from Club offices we wish to make it clear on refunds when a rally asks for deposits/full payments. 1. Rallies run abroad will have their own set of instructions and terms and conditions. 2. Rallies run alongside another organisation that you are booking with. It should be that that organisation will have their own Terms and Conditions which should be given on booking and will apply to any refunds. Application should be made to them, not via Suffolk marshals or committee. 3. For a Centre rally you should be advised by marshals: a. If rally deposits are refundable or non-refundable at the time of booking. b. If deposits are refundable it should state under what circumstances/timescale. c. If deposits are non-refundable members can always apply to Committee, via the Centre Secretary, if they feel their personal circumstances warrant this to be set aside and a refund made. If the Centre has to cancel a rally then all deposits are refundable. The above also covers where full payment is being asked for, or has been made. One issue that has arisen since the pandemic is payment for weekend rallies. This has been done by cash but the Centre now needs to look at other ways, a subject still under discussion at the time of printing. We will be working with marshals, banking and site owners in the best way forward for each location and members will be advised via their rally marshal, the Centre website/newsletter/Facebook groups. ADMINISTRATION FEE For 2021 this will remain at £2 per unit per rally. ************ OTHER CENTRES IN SUFFOLK IN 2021 DATE VENUE CENTRE 12 – 14 March Tattingstone (White Horse P.H.) South Essex 1 – 5 April Little Lodge Farm, Santon Downham (Easter) North Essex 1 – 6 April Hallowtree Scout Camp, Ipswich (Easter) East Kent 30 April – 9 May Alton Water, Tattingstone North Essex 1 – 9 May Dans Meadow, Ipswich South Essex 4 – 6 June Clare Priory South Essex 17 – 20 June Green Farm, Acton, Sudbury South Essex 18 – 20 June Hintlesham Fisheries, Ipswich North Essex 2 – 7 September Jeagor Farm Fishing Lake, Bury St Edmunds Mid-Anglia 3 – 5 September Clare Priory South Essex 26 Sept – 3 October Beach View, Sizewell North Essex 19 – 21 November Hallowtree Scout Camp, Ipswich North Essex 6 THE CARAVAN AND MOTORHOME CLUB SUFFOLK CENTRE 54th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Suffolk Centre, will be held at Trinity Park, Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, IP3 8UH at 11 a.m.