AWGB

[Blister]

Hi

Does anyone on here belong to the AWGB ?

I have been a member since 2006

Renewal has just come in again at £20

All I get is 3 skinny mags per year and insurance

Not sure if I will renew as I cant see the value in it

Please persuade me otherwise if I am missing something :?

 

[Mark Hancock]

I've just renewed for £16. Can't see a £20 rate on the form?

 

[petercharlesfagg]

I have been a member since 1996 and I have always felt that it was well worth the membership fee.

The AWGB helped me set up "Wight Woodturners", allowed me to attend a free day course with Dave Regester, is offering many the possibility of attending the annual seminar for free.

I support it in any way I can to further interest with young people to try it and see.

It is like all the other things, what you get out of it depends on what you are willing to put into it!

Personally I feel that the AWGB is a very worthy organisation and that we should all be grateful for the support they give to all woodturners in the UK!

Steps down from soapbox.

Regards Peter.

 

[henton49er]

Blister,

I've only been woodturning for about 18 months, but joined AWGB through my local woodturning club which is affiliated to AWGB. I have had a day's training on bowl turning from Les Thorne paid for by AWGB, which I reckon taught me more than all my other turning sessions put together (with no disrespect to local turners who have helped me tremendously).

I therefore think that the £16 of my subs to the local woodturning club that goes to AWGB is well worthwhile.

Mike

 

[skeetoids]

I have been a 'member' (using the term loosely) for less than a year and I will not be renewing.

As far as I am able to work out there is nothing that the AWGB does that I can't do myself.

Further research seems to indicate to me that all they are is Another Woodturning Group for the Boys!

Spend your £20 on something worthwhile, maybe you could give it to a web designer to help improve there website!

 

[maltrout512]

Is the price not worth the insurance on it's own. I am not a member but will look into it, as insurance that I pay costs £75.00 per year.

 

[Blister]

Is the price not worth the insurance on it's own

Maybe it is ? , but what am I insured for :?:

 

[Philip Streeting]

I might be wrong but I can't see any information in the membership details that mentions individual insurance outside of a club/branch activity or meeting. If you look at the lower half of the relevant page on the site you will see that for individual insurance cover you are directed to the broker.

It would be wise to check with the AWGB for confirmation.

Phil

 

[Blister]

I might be wrong but I can't see any information in the membership details that mentions individual insurance outside of a club/branch activity or meeting. If you look at the lower half of the relevant page on the site you will see that for individual insurance cover you are directed to the broker.

It would be wise to check with the AWGB for confirmation.

Phil

OK thanks

 

[Blister]

Humm

The following cover is provided free of charge to all Affiliated Branches of the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain.

so its the branch that has cover not the individual :?

 

[cambournepete]

I'm a member through Cambridge Woodturners.
For £16 a year I'm happy to promote woodturning and it's development in this country.

 

[henton49er]

I think that Cambournepete makes a very valid observation on the development and promotion of woodturning in GB. This goes well beyond my self-centred reasons in my earlier post and is one I fully endorse.

Mike

 

[woodturnerEric]

Blister,I`ve been a member on and off for 8yrs,it lapsed when I moved home,couldn`t find the paperwork,but in my opinion they do alot of good work ,in development and courses and such,as well as the insurance (which covers you at all AWGB meetings and events),did you do your membership through a club or on your own,as clubs get a discount for members,not alot,but it all helps,and where else can you get a yearly subscription for that price.Oh and there should be 4 mags a year unless they`ve changed things recently,regards,

Eric.

 

[Blister]

Blister,I`ve been a member on and off for 8yrs,it lapsed when I moved home,couldn`t find the paperwork,but in my opinion they do alot of good work ,in development and courses and such,as well as the insurance (which covers you at all AWGB meetings and events),did you do your membership through a club or on your own,as clubs get a discount for members,not alot,but it all helps,and where else can you get a yearly subscription for that price.Oh and there should be 4 mags a year unless they`ve changed things recently,regards,

Eric.

Hi Eric

Yes I was a member through a club , but due to 2 things I no longer attend ,

1 is my work rota , the other is I am now the black sheep as I made comments about a Pro woodturner that were not liked by the club :?

It may be 4 mags a year

 

[skeetoids]

Hi Blister,

In my short experience I don't consider the work of the AWGB all that important to the world of woodturning. As I previously stated there is nothing that the AWGB can offer you that you can't achieve on your own. That means on your own terms, at your own expense and in your own time. Why be associated with the AWGB if, as you say, you feel they do nothing or very little directly for you?

If you can stand the terrible design, navigation and colour scheme of the AWGB site then you will eventually find that underneath all of the explanations and apparent evidence there is very little that they do, certainly for the individual.

Anyway, they seem to have more than enough supporters for their cause - whatever that actually is - so I would recommend spending your £20 on some Woddturning digital downloads!

Cheers,

Lee.

 

[Paul Hannaby]

I have been a member of the AWGB for a number of years and personally I think the current rate of £16 per year for adults is very good value for money if you take into account some of the things that includes, such as

Various free training programmes
The quarterly newsletter
Free membership for junior members
3 day seminar every other year with first class presenters from around the world
Assistance programmes for people with limited resources for seminar attendance or membership fees
Affiliated clubs get free insurance covering club events and they can apply for a grant towards demonstrator costs
Discounts from many suppliers for members
For those that want it there is a free members services listing on the website

If all that wasn't enough, the AWGB also promote woodturning to the public at various events throughout the year, they are the closest thing we have to a representative body with organisations such as the Craft council, HSE etc.

Notice I didn't mention the website, they also have one of those too at http://www.woodturners.co.uk and I think the navigation is very simple. Their forum is also simple to use. All the people behind the AWGB organisation are volunteers, they don't get paid for their time.

I agree that if I wanted to take the selfish approach, I could possibly do some of the above as an individual but a) it would cost more; b) I would not be as effective in furthering the craft and c) I would not meet anywhere near as many other woodturners I can talk to for advice and support when needed.

 

[SVB]

Ditto Paul's comments.

We all moan about the poor coverage of practical skills in school, non-availability of economic tuition for the young etc etc. Here is an orgainsation that is taking steps to fill some of those gaps as well as providing some A1 professional training to anyone all for less than a third of a tank of fuel for a whole year!

Yes, some will get more out than others - personally I am happy to pay my subs provided it meets the represnetation and youth training aims it sets out to do.

my 2p worth anyway.

Simon

 

[skeetoids]

Hi Blister,

For £20 you could start your own association, make up your own rules, decide who you want to include, claim whatever you want and still have change for a Les Thorne DVD!

Cheers,

Lee.

 

[Bill Mooney]

Hi Blister,
I'm a member of the AWGB & due to very severe sight loss I have had retraining in tool techniques but still have some issues to sort out. One phone call to AWGB secured me a 1 day's training with Andrew Hall funded by the AWGB.
it is nice to think that facilities like these are available to members through the organisation. I had absolutely no hassle getting this arranged so from my point of view, well worth the annual fee.
Regards
Bill

 

[Andy Coates]

One of your users brought this thread to my attention and suggested I might be able to supply some answers, so here I am!

In general terms the Association (AWGB) provides a base point for woodturning in the UK. We have about 3,000 members, some individual and the majority through either Associated or Affiliated clubs. This gives the Association a “voice” with various bodies and interest groups. Each member contributes to that through their membership.

Having so many members means we are able to use the subscriptions to benefit both individual and club members through a range of free courses and facilities. Currently members can apply for courses in Demonstrator Training, for who aspire to be demonstrators, custom training in a range of woodturning practice, for those wishing to extend their repertoire of techniques, a soon to be launched Tutor Training course to ensure tutors are following correct protocols, and also currently undergoing trials at Axminster Skill centre a certificated course which will lead to an acknowledged qualification. This is being further developed with the C&G institute. And that's just a few options.
Members can also apply for support for seminar bursaries and a number of other bursary-type awards.

The seminar, which is self funding and not reliant of member subscriptions brings international Woodturners to the UK who would otherwise never been seen here. Any member can attend and any member can apply for a supported ticket. The seminar also raises money for the Youth Development Program through the auctions run over the weekend. The 2011 auction raised nearly £10,000 for YTD. A large number of young turners will benefit from this through 2012-13.

The membership subscription is far lower than for many other interest groups, and we have consciously kept it low over recent years when many are raising subscriptions. As well as keeping the subscription low, we have at the same time increased the Demonstration grant available to clubs. This represents a significant % of any club's annual demonstrator grant and can make a huge difference to club who are bringing in demonstrators from a considerable distance.

There are also many advancements in the planning stages, all of which are aimed at supporting, developing, and furthering woodturning as a craft in the UK. All of this is only possible through the support and subscription of members, and is carried out, as already stated, by unpaid volunteers.

As to specific insurance queries, if you contact Dave Atkinson through the AWGB website he will be only too happy to answer specific queries.

As for the AWGB being “ Another woodturning group for the boys”...where did you do your research? The Association is an Association of Members, which means that the members ARE the association, so if you mean 3,000 “boys” (assuming you include the female membership) you're spot on...it is for the members. What it is not is an exclusive club. Which I think is precisely what you suggested you could do with your £20. Good luck with that.

So at first glance it may not seem to offer much on a personal/individual level, but can actually offer an awful lot to those so minded to write a letter of fill out an application. In the broader sense the Association provides an interest body able to consult with other bodies on behalf of the UK turners. An example of this was the government's Craft Blueprint with which I was personally involved. The Blueprint is now being used to ascertain how government can support the many craft workers – turners included – who make a living from craft, and in doing so contribute to HMRC, retail sales, exports, and employment in the UK. Initiatives have already been rolled out as a result of this consultation process, and due to the input from the AWGB Woodturners are amongst those who will benefit. Is that a bad thing?

There will always be detractors, and there will always be those who don't join groups, and that's fine.

But on a very personal note:

as somebody who has freely given hundreds of hours of his time to the furtherance of the craft through association work I resent the implication that what I (and the EC) do is worthless and only for a chosen few. I work seven days a week at the lathe, and in the current climate it could do with being eight days, but due to my name being linked with the Association I have an average of five or six turners a week call into the workshop for advice (or even a chat), and I have always given my time freely despite having a living to earn. But then that's part of being a committee member and trying to further the craft.

Andy Coates RPT
AWGB PRO