Although the Covid situation is not over with infection rates very high there are signs that we are over the worst. As a Group we have continued to function, albeit at a low level, over much of the last two years. Observers are now returning to the Group and we have been dealing with several Associates in recent months. A big thank you from me to all those who have been supporting the Group. Whatever members do for the Group is much appreciated.

As you may know IAM RoadSmart has increased the cost of the Advanced Driver Course from £149 to £175. It is quite an increase but to be fair it has been at £149 for quite a few years and all companies are having to deal with higher working costs in these challenging times.

I’m pleased to inform you that the committee has decided to not only keep our Young Driver and 60+ cashbacks but to increase the Young Driver cashback from £89 to £100. The 60+ cashback remains at £50. Please let your family members and friends know of these cashbacks. Our plan is to ramp up our recruitment activities, gently at first.

Another piece of news is that the Ibis Hotel, Haydock has told us that due to a new contract its meeting rooms are not available to public groups and we can’t use the Ibis as a meeting place on Sunday mornings. Thus, our AGM which will be on Thursday 9th June will be at the Town Hall and we plan to run our Sunday meetings from the Ravenhead Retail Park to make use of the facilities there. 

I’d like to congratulate Phil Sharples, Chris Bradley and Andrew Appleton for passing the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) National Observer Test. This test is very challenging and it’s a testimony to both their dedication to observing and preparation for the  test.

Mark Farnworth
Vice-Chairman and Chief Observer