News

The Inland Waterways Association has, with others, founded the "Fund Britain's Waterways Action Group". See more details on their website: - https://waterways.org.uk/civicrm?civiwp=CiviCRM&q=civicrm%2Fmailing%2Fview&reset=1&id=988

As you may have seen from the recent SBA Services Summer Newsletter, the web pages with all the information you need about SBA Services and the services it provides have been updated. You can find the pages here - https://www.steamboatassociation.co.uk/SBA-Services-Limited

Use this link for the newsletter - 

https://waterways.org.uk/civicrm?civiwp=CiviCRM&q=civicrm%2Fmailing%2Fview&reset=1&id=984

Your  (ill-informed) webmaster (hidden in darkest Cumbria) has just discovered a new set of islands in the South West Pacific Ocean - these are known as "New Zealand".

More importantly we have (at least) 13 SBA Members who are located there... so (somewhat belatedly) we have added "New Zealand" as an area you can select in your profile (Primary or Secondary Area of Interest).

So, we have also created an Area Page and Discussion Forum for our members there. We still need to find an Area Representative, so if you can help with this, follow the link on the New Zealand Area Page to make yourself known!

We received the following from  Delena Weldon in Australia, who asked if we could publicise the her note:

Queensland Australia re: steamboat set to be scrapped.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-13/brisbane-river-historic-tug-boat-forceful-to-be-scrapped/101946660

Hello, I'm writing from Queensland Australia, grasping at straws for help to save the Forceful tug boat, in Brisbane Queensland. The above link will explain what is to happen to her in a months' time.

I have included the Forceful's details, she was built in Glasgow, and maybe this will help with someone in the UK being interested.

Thank you for listening. My contact details are as follows.

Delena Weldon
19 Pine St
Miles Qld 4415
Ph: 0408989437
email: delenawelodn@gmail.com

Dear Members, thank you very much for your response to our membership survey.

We have compiled the (260) results received so far into a report, and this can be downloaded here: PDF Report

(For completeness you can also download the Full Results Spreadsheet , but it's not very easily understood).

Member's also provided a number of "general comments" these can be read here

This data will be used in shaping our thinking and planning.

Volunteers - your details needed! 

A number of questions asked if you would be willing to help in a variety of different ways, and a good number of people said "yes".

But, as the survey was anonymous we still need your name, so we can put you in touch with the right people. So, if you are prepared to help in any way, then please email the Secretary or Webmaster to let them know your name and what you would like to help with. This is not a formal commitment to do anything, just an expression of interest.

Just a note to say we have managed to appoint some new Area Reps - (Thank you for volunteering).

As part of this process we have fixed a number of errors in the list that assigns postcodes to areas. You can see these all here:

https://www.steamboatassociation.co.uk/page-1178292

This involved merging all the "London" Regions into one (London West) as we only had 5 members in London (North). So, some might appear odd!

You can see your assigned representatives in the Area Forums Pages, and use these forums to communicate with each other. See:

https://www.steamboatassociation.co.uk/page-1535029

Remember that you can always update your Prime SBA  Region, and Other SBA region of interest in your profile from the link you get when you click on the little blue man (top left of screen).

Setting these Regions will help your Area Rep let you know about events and news for your area. Also remember you do not have to join the region defined by your postcode, you choose an area (or areas) which make most sense to you.

I am delighted to report that Roger Mallinson, Chairman of The Shamrock Trust and Honorary Member of the SBA has been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours.

The citation is “Chair and Boat Manager, The Shamrock Trust. For services to Steam Boating Heritage and the community in Cumbria”.

Roger Calvert

Faye Beerling’s “Adventures of the Medway Queen” is a summary of the ship’s history in story form, aimed at primary school children. Faye specialises in children’s books with a historical theme written in association with museums and collections.

In our new book, Jasmine, with her friend Peter and Peter’s Mum, visit Medway Queen at Gillingham Pier and take the tour of the ship.

“Adventures of the Medway Queen” will be launched at Gillingham Pier on Saturday October 8th. It is planned that the author, Faye Beerling, will be on hand to sign books and chat to her readers and all are welcome.

www.medwayqueen.co.uk

(this is a copy of an email all members should have just received)

Overview - SBA IT System Update

During the course of the last year, we (the committee) have been discussing how we manage and maintain the IT systems that support the SBA and its members.

So this includes both the "visible systems" (i.e. SBA Web site, The Steamboat Register, Events, News, Forums, emails, Zoom, and social media), and the "hidden systems" (like email servers, hosting platforms, wild apricot etc. that make all this function).

The Next Steps Document

This has resulted in a document (and an accompanying slide presentation) describing our intentions in implementing some updates and changes to our IT systems that will help us all make the most of our memberships, and exploit the web and on-line systems that we already use to make it easier for members to participate in SBA events (both on-line and in the real world). I have included links to this "Next Steps" document, and the associated slides. PLEASE READ THEM NOW!

Read the SBA IT Next Steps Document

View the SBA IT Next Steps Slides  (click the slideshow link when the doc opens)

An SBA IT Team - are you ready to help?

The first step is to form a formal SBA IT Team of members who will take responsibility for managing and maintaining each of our systems. So, this message is a request for members who might be willing to join this IT team and take on the work involved in maintaining and managing one or more of these components.

Some notes before you say "yes":

• Read the Next Steps document and slides before you respond please.
• We need people with professional experience of managing and running IT systems, you will be surprised by the size and complexity of our systems.
• We are not intending to implement a "perfect" system, but a simple, reliable and manageable system, exploiting the functionality of our chosen platforms, that we can maintain without needing to spend members' subscription money on "experts" or "consultants".
• We are not undertaking a "rewrite" or "redesign" of our systems or web sites, we are just making sure we have the functionality the SBA needs, constructed in a reliable, maintainable form.
  
• You will need to be ready to spend some time (probably no more than an hour or so a week) on the task.
• You may be responsible for access to systems that contain personal data, so some appreciation of the requirements of practical on-line security are imperative.
  
• You will be a member of a team, and so will need to agree programs of work with other team members, and implement changes in concert with others.
• You are not required to be a committee member to join the IT Team.
• Your efforts will be much appreciated!

If all this sounds like your bag, then please drop me a line, telling me about your experience and interest and we will get back to you as we move forwards.

Click to email Malcolm, to register your interest

A thank you to Roger Heise

Roger Heise's has decided that this is the time to step away from the administration of the SBA IT systems after many years of dedicated effort. So, we all owe Roger a considerable "thank you".

Regards,

Malcolm Duckett