UPDATE – 25/19/2021
Rowena Birch Named as British Judo President
If the BJA website post doesn’t load promptly, please click here.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating!
So, while Paul Ajala has previously not shown much integrity, honesty or excellence online as an administrator of GB Judo Underground, aka “The JUG”.
His many campaign promises on social media about what he would do as a BJA director will be followed by many!
IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR VOTING ENTITLED JUDO CLUBS!
This email contains:
“One voting code has been issued to each Club, via email addresses supplied to UK Engage.
When accessing the voting site, using this unique code, you are then able to view the candidates information, statements and experience before casting your vote.”
If your club has NOT received the email from UK Engage by now, you will need to contact UK Engage to correct this!
bja@uk-engage.org
GBJC – OPEN INVITATION & proposal to the BJA and all the candidates in the two elections.
With these two important upcoming votes expected to reflect on the state of British Judo, the handling of the Covid-19 crisis and shaping the future of the BJA.
GBJC is suggesting that an open forum be organised by an independent organisation for coaches, clubs, members and parents to put questions directly to the candidates.
The candidates “manifestos” are available in the BJA announcement, September 25 2021.
The closing date for voting is October 22!
If you haven’t received any correspondence for voting from the organisation hosting the two votes or wish to receive further information, please contact:
bja@uk-engage.org
BJA Announcements:
July 1, 2021:
MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS YEAR AND STAND FOR ELECTION TO THE BJA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
August 26, 2021:
APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR PRESIDENTIAL ROLE
GBJC will be updating this post regularly with information and issues relating to the elections.
Particularly about BJA governance and the BJA’s stated organisational ethics.
Using the BJA ethics to evaluate candidates and some issues, some concerns spring to mind.
The British National Judo
Championships 2021!
The two weekends in December that have long existed in planning, finally got a location and were posted on the little used BJA event calendar, 28th September 2021.
GBJC found out early on the 29th and set about notifying as many as possible in the judo community so reservations could be made for travel and accommodation.
Booking early, with an option to cancel for free, is essential to keep costs down!
The BJA made an announcement on social media only, Friday 1st October @ 15:50.
Delaying such an announcement has already cost the judo community and extra estimated £12,000 in increased accommodation costs over the two weekends and this amount will continue to increase.
If you then look at the content of the BJA event calendar information sheets, you will quickly notice that these are not produced for the majority of players and parents but for grassroot coaches and volunteers to read thoroughly before distributing the information to their members and parents.
So, in effect.
Six paid BJA staff (events, communications & marketing) and two BJA directors only do the bare minimum of communicating with clubs, coaches and members and leave it with them to distribute the information further.
If you look at JudoScotland, they still haven’t announced it on the website or added it to their calendar, their latest post on their FaceBook page is promoting a Masters Training session with Colin McIvor, the BJA Sport Director, posted 2 October.
You should ask, if you get the opportunity, all the candidates why clubs, members, coaches and parents are treated in this way?
Do judo associations, that are largely funded by membership fees and grants based upon membership numbers, have a duty to communicate essential information that can save money for the community or not?
You decide!
Go to the GBJC post about the nationals and compare what you are paying for and what you get from your associations?
See what GBJC are doing for the judo community,
without it costing you a penny!
Candidates:
Paul Ajala:
Updated 3rd October:
Paul Ajala is no longer an administrator of the GB Judo Underground group, aka the JUG. No information as to why has been forthcoming.
With the JUG making a claim about it allowing “free speech” (more correctly defined as freedom of exression) you could ask him any question in the JUG?
What happened to the EJU schools project?
Whether he was the one that supplied the BJA CEO with a file about the group and member’s comments?
In his manifesto, Paul Ajala states:
“My integrity and sole allegiance are to the true spirit of judo.”
Whether Paul Ajala considers honesty to be part of the true spirit of judo seems doubtful.
He has not acknowledged his accusations being proven false, responded to it (in the JUG or elsewhere) nor apoligised despite the evidence published.
He does question the two female presidential candidate’s age and experience in the JUG while suggesting they should become CEO and Chair of the BJA.
Without wanting to offend Andrew Scoular and Ronnie Saez.
Both participants in the meeting a couple of days before the BJA CEO distributed a file received from the JUG to all the BJA board members, about the FaceBook group and its member’s comments.
29 September 2021:
Candidate for BJA director, has been using the GB Judo Underground FaceBook group as his main political platform.
He is an administrator of this and other FaceBook groups.
In the GB Judo Underground group he has secretly been removing members of the group without reason or notifying these members or the group in detail of these actions.
When GBJC revealed that one of the group’s administrators previously had supplied the BJA CEO with a file containing information about the group and its member’s comments, he didn’t address the issue but chose to make baseless accusation.
Each false accusation, including playing a “fake race card”, is detailed in the GBJC post.
Members of the GB Judo Underground FaceBook group may want to read this and take notice of who controls the group, their data and what could happen with their comments and participation?
GBJC Post – 19 August 2021:
GB Judo Underground group:
ADMINISTRATORS:
Chris Milward –
BJA NW Area Chair.
Simon Hayes –
UKBJJA Director & treasurer.
Nadia Minardi –
BJA London Area treasurer.
Neil Harrison –
BJC Vice-chair & treasurer.
Rob Connor –
BJJ Coach, states he is a “judo black belt”.
Moderators:
Glenn Spiers –
BJA London Committee.
Gary Howe –
Bricklayer.
Danny Williams –
GB elite judoka