The Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust, is very pleased to announce that our first ever “Central Bedfordshire Canine Sports Games” sponsored by Cobby Dog will take place on Sunday 9th September 2012 at Nash Farm, Kensworth.
The new annual event really does have something for everyone, and promises to be a great day out for your dog, you and the whole family!
Complete beginners can attend the 11am “Have A Go Agility & Flyball” session where our experienced instructors will introduce you and your dogs to the exciting world of dog Agility and Flyball.
From 12.00 noon the fun really starts, as everyone from beginners to experienced competitors have the chance to take part in a class for their level. Including Flyball time trial, fastest tunnel, agility pairs relay and Agility classes for all levels.
This fantastic day showcases the great fun to be had for you and your dog! The whole family are invited, refreshments will be available but you are welcome to bring your own chairs, picnic and spend a great day taking part and watching the action packed and fun competitions.
This informal day has all the hallmarks of a great day out, and certainly is not to be missed! At just £5 per dog for the whole days activities (enter as many classes and “Have A Go” Sessions as you like, all for just £5 per dog). Free admission and parking for spectators, friends and family!
So whether you are a complete beginner wanting to try Agility and Flyball or a seasoned competitor, aiming for the podium and medals, this event is not to be missed!
Dog Registration for this event closes on Thursday 6th September 2012, for more information or to register online, click here!
We look forward to seeing you at the Central Bedfordshire Canine Sports Games 2012!
Kennel Club Accredited Instructor Scheme Mentor Withdraws Support For Bedfordshire Members!
The Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust was extremely disappointed today; to have it confirmed that the Kennel Club Regional Mentor for the East Of England, Sheena Stebbing was withdrawing her support to Kennel Club Accredited Instructor Scheme members in Bedfordshire as the sessions did “not justify a 5 hour journey so we will no longer be attending your sessions”
The trust however remains committed to finding an alternative solution, and to continuing to provide the sessions under the new group name of the “Central Bedfordshire Instructors Club”
The Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust has been hosting the monthly sessions in Dunstable, Bedfordshire on behalf of the regional mentor to enable local KCAI members the opportunity to attend a session in their local area and work towards the KCAI Scheme and City & Guilds Qualification, as many of the other sessions are a long drive away and there is no other provision in Bedfordshire.
The trust provided the venue at no charge to The Kennel Club or the regional mentor, but charged a token £2 per person fee for refreshments. As the activities of the sessions grew, the trust found itself subsidising the sessions even further by arranging speakers, certificates and administration to the group, it was recently announced the trust would change the pricing to an annual membership of the group of £10.60 per year and just £4 per session attended to cover venue, speaker and insurance costs.
KC Regional Mentor, Sheena Stebbing said in an email to the Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust, Chief Executive, Gary Gregory when the price changes were announced: “leave me no choice but to cancel all meetings at Dunstable in the future”
In a response the trusts Chief Executive said “The Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust offered the KCAI Mentor the use of the venue and has fully supported the KCAI scheme. However when it was first agreed it was not envisaged that the support would extend to sending out certificates, arranging speakers, printing of paperwork or administration. Whilst we willingly have done so to support the scheme and would continue to do, it is crucial that all these costs to the trust are covered. The Trust and myself have to date, been unwavering in our support for the KCAI scheme and the sessions, but the simple fact is that in these economic times, the trust as a charity cannot continue to subsidise the financial loss of these sessions.”
With immediate effect the Kennel Club Regional Mentor, Sheena Stebbing will not be attending the sessions, but the trust is committed to providing support to KCAI members in Bedfordshire as we fear the loss of a support network will undo the progress made so far, in encouraging dog training instructors to sign up to the scheme and gain a qualification the public can have confidence in.
Gary Gregory added: “We do not think it acceptable that KCAI scheme members should have to travel so far for a mentoring session, when they pay The Kennel Club an annual fee for the support and mentoring of a Regional Mentor. We are very disappointed with the decision and would urge the mentor and The Kennel Club to reconsider, the offer of our support and venue is always open, but the sessions must cover the trusts costs. If the distance is too far for the mentor to drive, we would urge the Kennel Club to appoint a more local mentor to better serve its Bedfordshire members.”
The trust is currently working on alternative arrangements for the sessions, and these may include study groups for members to support each other and the continuation of the monthly talks and networking opportunities.
The trust will call an emergency meeting of its management committee on Tuesday 8th May 2012 to decide what alternatives may be found, and will then issue a further release and information.
As many people will know, The Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust has always led the pack, for the love of dogs!
We have for nearly a year been proud to host the for the Bedfordshire region the mentoring sessions for the City & Guilds recognised Kennel Club Accredited Instructors Scheme (KCAI) at the trusts own expense. These have helped anyone wanting to become an accredited dog training in Ring Craft, Obedience, Agility, Flyball, Gundog or another discipline.
As an educational charity we have always valued and promoted the importance of training, not only dogs; but also judges, handlers, breeders, the public and dog training instructors to ensure the absolute best for man’s best friend.
As some of you may know we recently done a feedback exercise with those people that attend the KCAI mentoring hosted by the trust, to ensure that it stayed on track and continued to provide what was needed to help participants be guided through the scheme. We also had to look at a new cost and pricing model for the sessions as the Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust along with all charities; faces difficult decisions in the current economic climate and there has been a withdrawal of some local authority funding.
As a result of this feedback and subsequent approval by the trusts Board of Trustees we are pleased to announce our new “Instructors Club”.
The new Instructors Club will continue to provide the monthly sessions for those building their portfolio for the KCAI scheme, it will continue to help and support new people looking to start a career in dog training with placements and training but it will also offer a platform for dog training instructors to network, attend the new KCAI Focus Group sessions, monthly guest speakers and a range of other events throughout the year aimed at the education and continued development of dog training instructors.
The new group will be membership based, with members joining online via our secure online services portal where they will also be able to access learning resources, events information, instructor’s club news and their online learning portfolio.
Membership will be set as per ordinary membership of the trust at £10.60 per year, and then £4 each monthly session the member attends. Alternatively members may pay a yearly £30 membership which covers membership and all eight monthly sessions during the year (a £12.60 saving).
For more information on the Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust Instructors Club click here
To join the Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust Instructors Club click here
Competition League – Now Online!
The Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust is pleased to announce that it’s very popular Competition League for members and their dogs who regularly compete at Kennel Club Licensed Shows is now online!
Thanks to today’s launch of the phase two of the trusts new online administration “Portal” at www.cbctportal.org, members can now register dogs for the league and submit show points and results online, quickly and securely.
For those members that are currently using the paper point’s forms or using the downloadable Microsoft Word Points Forms, you can simply and easily use the new “Results Upload” feature to upload your points file and send it to us automatically.
Trust Chief Executive, Gary Gregory said “We are very pleased that phase two of the online portal is now tested and live. Members will now quickly and easily be able to send in their dogs points and register for the competition league”
As an added bonus for online users, members who submit their results online can now have their points worked out for them, will receive an email league table four times a year and will no longer have to send in a claim form when their dogs reach the required number of points as the system will automatically generate their certificates and issue them.
To find out more about the Competition League in general click here.
To visit and register for the new online results system, click here.
Due to the continued and rapid growth of our core training and course activities, we are looking for a new volunteer position of Awards Administrator to join our friendly team, based from the volunteers home for approximately 1-2 hours per week.
Reporting to the Chief Executive, the Awards Administrator is responsible for:
- Issuing assessment materials to instructors at the start of every course, using predefined templates.
- Collecting course results sheets from class instructors on week 6 of each course.
- Updating our central Portal system with the course results and recording the results on the member’s record.
- Completing results sheets for the relevant external award bodies, such as The Kennel Club.
- Printing award certificates.
- Ordering award rosettes, certificates & materials
The Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust is a progressive and dynamic charity and volunteers are its heart beat. We treasure all volunteers and ensure that they are welcomed and looked after. Volunteers receive:
- Out Of Pocket Expenses
- Discounted Dog Training Classes
- Refreshments Whilst Volunteering
- Ongoing Support And Training.
For further information please read the role description below in PDF format. Applications welcomed from all sectors of the community.
 | Awards Administrator Role Description | | File Size: | 340 kb | | File Type: | pdf |
Download File
New Portal Launched! Hundreds Of Administrative Tasks Cut! Thousands Of Pounds Saved!
Yesterday certainly was “Good Friday” for the Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust, as it saw the launch of the trusts long awaited “Online Services Portal” at www.cbctportal.org giving members greater access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to manage, update, subscribe and enrol onto Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust Services.
The launch of the new portal sees a major milestone in the trusts “Do It Online!” programme first started in 2010. Gary Gregory, Chief Executive of the trust said “Since the commencement of the “Do It Online” programme in 2010 we launched the new website which gave members the facility to enrol and pay for training courses and events online. We have seen a massive uptake in the number of online enrolments for training course, with currently 97% of members accessing trust services and registrations online”
The new portal takes the initial stage of the programme a step further. Previously although enrolments, memberships and registrations were taken online, they were still processed manually at the trusts Head Office and all confirmations were still sent by post.
Gary added: “The new portal is simply joined up thinking, improves our workflow and turnover. We handle thousands of the event, course, dog registration and membership forms each year. Members now enter their details and register online, the portal automatically sends out confirmation emails, and maintains all the records. It then also automatically sends out reminders, renewals and newsletters, all without the intervention of administration staff and volunteers”
The new portal and the policy of the switch over was first approved at the trusts 2011 Annual General Meeting and the portal has been rigorously tested for ease of use, reliability and security. The process of switching on the new portal for all members is being done over the next week, and members will receive an email when their access is ready to be used.
Members will be able to access the portal, to update their details and their dog’s details, and when the time comes for renewals they will be able to "Do It Online!".
As from the 10th April 2012 all paper/posted enrolment, membership and renewals will be withdrawn. Instead members will have to carry out these tasks online although they will NOT HAVE TO PAY ONLINE, as online payment will be optional and the option of cash or cheque payment available. Help in using the portal will be available and for those members who do not have internet access or an email address there will be a special telephone booking service for a short switch over period.
The switch on of the portal will cut the trusts Head Office administrative workload by thousands of tasks each year. There will be not cuts to staff/volunteers, but instead they will be able to concentrate on frontline and core charity activities.
The switch on of the portal is expected to save thousands of pounds on the trusts annual administration budget over the next ten years, when costs such as paper, printing, time, envelopes and of course rising postal charges are all factored in.
Gary concluded: “We will ensure that the transition is effortless, that members get the help they need, and that nobody is disadvantaged or prohibited from accessing our services due to the new portal, this is a positive step in the right direction to ensure the trust is using its resources wisely and remains competitive in the 21st century!"
The Board Of Trustees of the Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust have over the last week been in talks with the Hall Management Committee. It has become apparent that planned work to replace sections on the internal ceiling of the hall has had to be brought forward to ensure it continues to be safe. The work on the ceiling needs to be carried out as a matter of urgency due to the recent bad weather, and thus contractors are planned to commence work straight away over the Christmas/New Year period. In order to cause as little disruption as possible to the trusts Obedience and Ring Craft Classes which were due to start back on Wednesday 4th January 2012, it has been decided that the work should be completed in full before training classes restart. Thus Ring Craft Classes and Obedience Courses will now start on Wednesday 11th January 2012, one week later than originally advertised and planned. They will still be 8 weeks in duration and will be extended by an additional week to compensate. We do hope that everyone will understand the need to change the start date and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. If you have any further questions or comments please contact us on info@centralbedfordshirecaninetrust.com If you have booked a place on an Obedience Course which will commence in January, the booking confirmations were delayed being sent out until a decision had been made regarding the ceiling repairs. However all booking confirmations will be despatched by the last post on Wednesday 21st December 2012. The Deadline for Booking Obedience Courses starting in January is Thursday 5th January 2012. You can find out more information on the Ring Craft and Obedience Courses, and enrol online by visiting our main website www.centralbedfordshirecaninetrust.com This change of date DOES NOT AFFECT AGILITY OR FLYBALL CLASSES. We look forward to welcoming you and your dogs back in 2012! Kind Regards Board Of Trustees, Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust
Purple Poppy Appeal!!!
Once again the Central Bedfordshire Canine Trust is supporting Animal Aids Purple Poppy Appeal buy selling Purple Poppies which can be worn alongside the traditional red one, as a reminder that both humans and animals have been – and continue to be – victims of war. they are on sale at all our events and direct by contacting the trust office.
During human conflicts, animals have been used as messengers, for detection, scouting and rescue, as beasts if burden and on the frontline. They have been used for companionship in the trenches and continue to be subjected to horrific warfare experiments in laboratories.
Please wear a purple poppy and help us to raise awareness of these forgotten victims.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO EXHIBITORS!!
Due to the exceptionally high entry, exhibitors at tomorrow nights Central Bedfordshire Evening Dog Show organised by the trust are asked to note the following:
1) The show venue will now open half an hour earlier at 5pm to allow easy movement.
2) Congestion and delays may be possible on the approach due to Overflow Parking, please leave plenty of time and follow the directions of the Car Park Marshall's.
3) Caging and Grooming Space will be at a premium, please use it wisely and considerately.
We Wish Everyone An Enjoyable Show!!
We are pleased to now welcome entries for our Evening Dog Show on Wednesday 12th October 2011 at Kensworth Village Hall. Show opens at 5.30pm. Judging by Mr. T. Lainchbury (Ashlain) will commence at 6.30pm. Schedule and entry form now online! more info....
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