Back in December 2022 the members present at the EGM voted for an investigation into the actions
of the committee. The new committee formed immediately following that EGM set wheels in motion
and two IO’s were appointed. Unfortunately, one of the IO’s felt unable to continue and stepped
down. The remaining IO started their investigation however this was subsequently halted based on
information received.
Since the EGM there have been several iterations of the committee, this constant turnover has
meant delays in many areas. We would like to apologise to the membership for this and are sure,
given the circumstances you will understand the effect and pressures involved in being on the
committee can cause.
We held Zoom meetings with members of the original committee at the EGM and those who called
for the EGM, something that was not done previously. These calls have brought some clarity for this
committee and many things have been aired and discussed. It is important to highlight that both
sides have been very open and honest with us, with some things very hard to hear.
It is fair to say that over the last 8 months everyone has suffered with their mental health and the
very sad discovery, from both sides, of bullying from the wider community towards those involved,
both at competitions and over social media, has certainly made matters worse for them and done
little to heal the Association. As your current committee we would like to sincerely apologise for this
behaviour, this is not what we expect from the membership.
With immediate effect we would ask that this behaviour stop. It achieves nothing except to cause
pain and hurt, which is completely unacceptable. No matter what you think, where you stand on
this matter, it is wrong to bully another person. This is our hobby, something we do for fun, our
escape from jobs and life at home. As your committee we are committed to getting this Association
back to being the happy place it once was. There will be zero tolerance of bullying, name calling or
any disrespect in any guise.
The review of emails, discussions, along with other information made available to us, clearly
indicates there were mistakes on all sides, ultimately the original committee was not functioning,
they were unable to agree on many things and represent this Association as they were expected to
do. What we are certain of, based on the vote on the day, those present felt individuals who called
for the EGM were right to do so; this took a great deal of courage to bring this matter to the
attention of the Association despite the personal cost to their health and wellbeing. It should also
be noted that those on the committee who tried to keep the Association going despite the now
apparent disfunction, did so with the very best intentions.
This committee cannot change what has happened, we can only do our utmost to never allow this to
happen again, there are no right or wrong sides, everyone did what they thought was for the best at
the time. The one thing everyone agreed on, is they just want this to end, get back to the lanes, get
back to racing and ultimately back to the environment of family and friendship this sport has always
been known for. The matter is done, there will be no sanctions placed on anyone, our rules preclude
banning members unless for legal reasons.
As your caretaking committee we are working well as a team and want you to know, we are all
committed to serving this Association until the next AGM and beyond. Our time so far has
highlighted that our rules are simply not fit for purpose and something radical must happen. It is
our intention to invest in establishing a clearer set of rules and an updated constitution. The rules
and constitution left the committee and the membership in a vulnerable situation. As a membership
we have all been victim to some less than clear rules which have relied on opinion, and, as we know,
opinions differ. The rules need more clarity where we can be left in no doubt what course of action
should be taken and followed either in racing, points, height and how the committee and
membership behave. We already have in place a working party who are taking an in-depth look of
what is currently in place, and it is our intention to involve a solicitor to help get the very best set of
rules in place, rules that are coherent and clear. At this time, we are unable to give a timeline on
this, once we have more information we will of course let you know.
We would like to promise you complete transparency, however the reality is that this is an
impossible task when considering some of the confidential matters brought to us. We hope that by
issuing this statement it will be clear to you, this committee has and is facing everything head on.
We know there is distrust and lack of confidence in the committee, hardly surprising when there has
been such a high turnover of members in the last 6 or 7 months. Those who have stood on the
committee understand the pressures associated with the role and like everyone, we are all doing the
best we can with the tools and information around us.
We would ask that you support us as we move forward over the coming months as we head
towards the next AGM, here you will have the opportunity to vote for members of your committee.
In the meantime, enjoy racing and remember, kindness costs nothing.
BFA Committee