Region III President Tim Shearman believes a new regional development fund to be made available by the FIA will boost club growth in the area.

 

Shearman, President of the Canadian Automobile Club, told in the meeting of the region’s representatives that the FIA is to set aside 1m euros to boost club development, with some 200,000 euros going to Region III.

“This new funding is very welcome,” he said. “This will allow us look at how we can increase capacity in the region, helping some of the lesser developed clubs to become more integrated with the more developed clubs, in line with the goals of improving road safety, increasing membership in the region and developing new services.”

He said that the chief benefits of the funding would be felt in an improved ability to meet, share ideas and map out the advancement of clubs’ businesses.

“The funding will help to bring us together a couple of times a year, so that we can become a more cohesive unit,” he said. “It’s hard for clubs to learn from some of the more developed clubs when they are using their own resources to travel. 

 

Shearman added that by increasing communication between clubs, projects that otherwise might be beyond a club’s reach could be started.

“Some of the capacity shortfall within clubs is in simply getting programmes started. It’s really about getting boots on the ground,” he said.

“Many clubs have started as sporting clubs, but it’s not as easy to transition to becoming a mobility club. To start with, you have to pick a core service you want to focus on – be it roadside assistance, insurance, travel service or rewards programmes.

“By working together we can help clubs identify what those core services are going to be and then help them formulate a plan by which they can get that off the ground. By creating a three-to five-year plan highlighting the goals we want to achieve, we’ll be able to start on that thanks to this funding.”