IAM Lincolnshire Christmas Catch Up

Despite another challenging year for everyone, it has been another successful year for IAM Lincolnshire. 

 

We have recruited 55 new associates and currently have 44 associates in training, which will give us a great start for 2024. Test passes were below our target at 30 - this is mainly a timing issue, and next year we plan to be back on target with 50 passes.

 

Our successful PCC Young Driver scheme is progressing very well. This is due, in no small way, to our excellent working relationship with Marc Jones, the PCC, and his Safer Together Team, led by Lee-Ann Flewers-Andrews.

 

As a result of our successful partnership with the PCC, Lincolnshire Police, Lincs Road Safety Partnership and U3A groups, we were delighted to win the IAM's Award for Best Group Partnerships. This recognises our success in establishing mutually beneficial working relationships with external organisations. "Good partnerships divide the effort and multiply the results".

 

Our AGM in October was combined with our 50^th Anniversary celebrations and was well supported by IAM personnel, with Stuart Donald (Chairman), Tony Kildare-(CEO) and Steve Ellis (Area Service Delivery Manager) attending. Our thanks go to Glenys Allerton and Jenny Currie for putting together a great display of photos, newspaper cuttings and memorabilia, which created a lot of interest and was great to see. We were also delighted to be joined by our special guest, Ida Pankhurst, wife of the original founder of the group, Ken Pankhurst. Ida was accompanied by her daughter and son and was so impressed with the event and the fact that the group was still running successfully after 50 years, that she has offered to sponsor a trophy in Ken's memory. More details of this will be announced in 2024.

 

The success of our group and the subsequent recognition would never have been possible without the support of our committee and the hard work of our observer team, so a big thank you to all who have contributed to our excellent performance. Thanks also to our examiners for conducting our tests in a timely and constructive way, we really value your support.

 

Finally, a special thank you to you, our members, for your continuing support. Without you we wouldn't be able to achieve our charitable aims of making better drivers and reducing the number of killed or seriously injured on our roads. You are also our best ambassadors, so please take every opportunity to promote the good work that the group does with our Advanced Driving Courses.

 

As we look to 2024, we appreciate that there is still a great deal of uncertainty in the world and continuing pressure on people's budgets. However, as volunteers we believe the courses and presentations, we deliver are good value and really do make a difference - that's why we do what we do!

 

We'll soon be announcing our events programme for 2024, so keep an eye out for the details coming in January. Following your feedback about our venue, we'll be continuing to hold our events at the Bentley Hotel throughout next year. 

 

Our very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to all our members, observers, examiners and committee.

 

Roger and Ashley 

Chair and Vice Chair

IAM RoadSmart Lincolnshire