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Nick Salmon on why classic owners need car clubs
I’m Chairman of the Letchworth Garden City Classic & Vintage Car Club, which was formed in the late Eighties by a small group of enthusiasts. In 2009, we held a classic car picnic in rural Hertfordshire that led to an upsurge in membership. The event has grown from strength to strength and shows what can be done thanks to a thriving and highly successful club behind it.
Naturally, this happens through committed individuals willing to give their time and expertise in managing the admin and organising the programme. There’s a bi-monthly printed newsletter which is later made available online so that members can send copies to friends, whilst email plays a huge role in getting news out to the membership and saves a fortune on postage. The website has plenty of information about the club, events, contacts, and news. One of the main keys to longterm success is in welcoming members on all levels and to avoid any snobbery. New members often comment about how they find the club friendly and at a ‘Noggin and Natter’ in the pub car park on a summer’s evening there is never any criticism of the cars attending. Plus all types of classic and vintage vehicles attend.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all recipe for making a success of a car club but the Letchworth story shows that with enthusiastic people at the heart, a welcoming atmosphere at meetings and a spread of types of activities to try and offer something to everyone, it is possible for a club to survive and thrive.
‘Welcoming members on all levels is just vital’
The Letchworth Garden City Classic & Vintage Car Club meets on the first Monday of the month at the Rising Sun, Halls Green, Weston, Herts SG4 7DW.