NRA membership department

[dromia]

When you look at the NRA you really need to see it as two parts of the whole, Bisley which is a fantastic shooting resource to those that are able to use it and a national body that champions promotes and delivers full bore target shooting across the country. It is trying to sort the former at the expanse of the latter from what I can see.

My recommendation to people is if you can get to Bisley regularly to shoot then join, its worth the money to be able to book targets, if you don't then it isn't worth it as all it gives you is expensive insurance, it also gives FAC support but although the resource is very competent it is very limited to one person. It claims to be a national organisation but hardly has the resources to run Bisley let alone have a national presence.

No doubt there will be a contrary clamour but I speak as I find, I sincerely wish it was otherwise with the NRA and as a non Bisley shooter I really wish I had a lot more positive things to say about the organisation, especially as there are some very good people working there for whom I have nothing but respect but from what I see their endeavours are in spite of the organisation.

[John MH]

They are definitely getting better and have some good people working there; the whole ethos is changing to the benefit of the individual members under the direction of the new CEO with much more of a focus on providing a 'positive' customer experience at Bisley. Emails and calls on the whole are answered promptly, suggestions acknowledged and grey areas clarified. There are still some who do struggle to respond and once the opportunity is missed you end up in the very bottom of their inbox or get deleted.

The old arrogance and dismissive attitude of some of the permanent staff that used to be employed has gone, that’s not saying they were all like that as some good people have also moved on.

[Mike357]

I view the nra as a secretive organisation who deal with whatever does not suit them whenever it suits them, I wouldn't encourage anyone to join them, i actively discourage membership of the nra, ive seen nothing thats changed, theres certain people at bisley who need to go in order for a proper organisation to exist.and folk wonder why the nsra and cpsa did not want to join the nra......If a disgruntled ex employee or member wanted to they could have gathered irreversible damaging evidence against the nra, probably the only thing stopping the release of such information is not wanting to shaft fellow shooters...........With current attitudes at bisley I wouldn't want to test people's resolve as much as they are at present.......and everyone thought Andrew mercer was going to sort things.....tick tock tick tock tick tock. .....

Seems to be a very historic view you have there from everything I have read and seen! Not very constructive either.

I live hundreds of miles from Bisley and shoot there two or three times a year at the moment. The NRA helped me out of a huge problem I got into to that allowed me to compete in the GR National Championships when it looked like I'd have to pull out. The membership team, all of them that is, were excellent.

Andrew Mercer's statement at the AGM gives some hope of the path they wish to follow, i.e. move away from a TR focused organisation and embrace all forms of shooting. A prime example of this is the news yesterday that the NRA have applied for governing body status for IPSC competition so as to remove this from the UKPSA. Andrew also recognised the need to show that the NRA is more than just Bisley and needs to reach out to the regions.

We are seeing change already but they have to overturn years of inefficiency yet everybody expects this to be done overnight. Baby steps people. Membership is on the rise which has to be a good thing Get behind them, join and be part of the process rather than sitting back waiting for it to happen.

[Christel]

People are reeling from years of NRA incompetence.

That is something that will take time and energy to change.

[John MH]

A prime example of this is the news yesterday that the NRA have applied for governing body status for IPSC competition so as to remove this from the UKPSA. Andrew also recognised the need to show that the NRA is more than just Bisley and needs to reach out to the regions.

Not necessarily a move that I support and not officially announced via the NRA website as it should have been. This I believe is currently a pipe dream and in the very early stages of exchanges between the NRA and the IPSC. Before it ever happens I would like the NRA membership to be given the opportunity to vote on such a move, and by membership I mean the signed up paid up individual membership and not those that think they have a right to voice their opinion by being members of an affiliated club.

This move may be of benefit to a very small number of people who wish to shoot in IPSC matches abroad or run them for Practical Shot Gun shooters in the UK, I cannot see it doing anything else for the wider shooting community as we do not have access to other IPSC disciplines in the UK ie Pistol and Semi-Auto Rifle.

If people can convince me it can then it will get my support, I for one cannot see any full-bore or mini-rifle rifle matches being run to IPSC rules on any MoD Ranges and the nearest thing to Practical Rifle in the UK (which was never under the control of the UKPSA) is CSR, we done want any IPSC nonsense interfering with that.

[dromia]

People are reeling from years of NRA incompetence.

That is something that will take time and energy to change.

Absolutely and the key thing that the NRA needs to regain is the TRUST of many shooters. A key commodity for people to come behind an organisation. The problem is that many of us have seen this new broom new initiates new noises before, the organisation needs to give a vision and a plan and deliver on that and not just for physical improvements at Bisley.

[John MH]

Well, as it happens, I've just had a telephone conversation with the Membership Department about my son's Probationary membership and they were very helpful. Hopefully he'll be shooting at Bisley more often this year and taking advantage of the discounts they offer to young shooters on courses and match entry fees.

[Mike357]

I think it has been explained elsewhere why it didn't appear on the NRA web site first. The UKPSA chose to go public, not anybody else.

That aside, I agree with your comments re the impact this may have and I hope the likes of CSR and F4i are able to operate as they have done. Perhaps we should look at this the other way round? Maybe once a competent governing body is in place we may see the NRA move to help develop new disciplines using existing facilities. I'm sure they will have more gravitas with the MOD than UKPSA. Let's wait and see.

[Strangely Brown]

Meanwhile, I'm seeing some badly-needed ground works being done on the ranges, new firing points constructed, proper toilets laid on, regular cleaning of the existing toilets, new staff being hired in key areas, some proper financial discipline being brought in leading to immediate benefits to the NRA's finances...

A big plus one on that, I fully support the improvements and I think it's going in the right direction so they have got my renewal fees.

And mine!

[shugie]

Meanwhile, I'm seeing some badly-needed ground works being done on the ranges, new firing points constructed, proper toilets laid on, regular cleaning of the existing toilets, new staff being hired in key areas, some proper financial discipline being brought in leading to immediate benefits to the NRA's finances...

A big plus one on that, I fully support the improvements and I think it's going in the right direction so they have got my renewal fees.

And mine!

Mine too, but I was sorry Heather was made redundant, she'd been very helpful to both me and my club.