Dear Group Chairs and Members
This week is
Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June) which is an ideal opportunity for me to express my appreciation and admiration for all you do through your work in local communities across the country. Your efforts make a significant contribution towards IAM RoadSmart’s charitable mission to reduce the number of people killed and injured on roads in the UK.
On behalf of everyone at IAM RoadSmart, I thank you for the many voluntary hours, the passion and expertise you provide to help others make improvements to their driving and riding. You really are the lifeblood of our organisation.
Although the Coronavirus pandemic has put our on-road coaching activity on hold, many of you have been proactive in making your skills and time available to those in the community who have the greatest need.
You are central to our work to improve driver and rider skills and I have been inspired by the reports in recent months of members who have turned their hands – and their driving and riding expertise – to activities including local bloodrunner services, pharmacy deliveries to people shielding at home and joining the NHS Volunteer Responders.
As the first signs of greater freedom for us all start to appear, I also want to thank you all for continuing to keep your groups vibrant by hosting online committee meetings, AGMs, social events and webinars for members, associates and Observers. The enthusiasm with which you have all adapted to the extraordinary circumstances in which we all find ourselves has been motivating.
It was a positive step forward to announce last week the re-starting of on-road motorcycle coaching in England from Monday 15 June and now that social gathering rules have eased across the UK, I am sure many of you will enjoy IAM RoadSmart group rides again, meeting outdoors and still observing social distancing rules.
Although for the time being it’s not possible to re-start observed drives and maintain compliance with the government’s social distancing rules, be assured we’re keeping that under review and as soon as we can, we will re-start this activity too.
Clearly there’s still some way to go but for now, I thank you all for your continued commitment and contribution to our work to make UK roads safer for all.
You are welcome to share this letter as widely as possible with members by reproducing it in your newsletters, publishing it on your website and mentioning it on social media. We have a blog from
Derek Baker of Kidderminster Advanced Bikers published on our website already and a
press release has been issued. We will be posting on social media during the week too.
Kind regards
A Greenidge
Tony Greenidge
Chief Executive Officer (Interim)