The Chocolate Teapot, in the Sauna. Blog
BLOG; SBE March 2023
The BJA Council
"The BJA Council concept"
Much like the past’s Soviet Union and today’s North Korea regimes.
A “people’s paradises” [totalitarian regime] needs institutions within its governance to give the impression that the leadership [The BJA Ltd Directors & Management] serves the interests of the people [grassroots judo, clubs-coaches-members].
To maintain this illusion, it is important to have institutions in place for politicians to be members of and so politicians can quote how everything is managed in accordance with “the people’s wishes”.
The BJA Area Committee members, are supposedly part of BJA Council to represent grassroot judo, but from the meeting minutes they appear more like members of a regime’s “politburo”.
Reality Check!
Rowena Birch Named as British Judo President
See Rowena Birch’s presidential campaign promises, September 2021, in documentation.
Including Links to documentation & full meeting minutes.
Rowena Birch stated in her presidential election campaign, 23 September 2021:
BJA Council is responsible for overseeing the work of the Board of Directors on behalf of the member clubs.
It’s is also there to provide guidance and advice on the grass roots of our sport.
Rowena Birch went on to state:
It is therefore really important that the President has strong chairing and leadership skills.
As President, I will ensure that there is true opportunity for the clubs’ voices to be heard.
To reiterate the “importance” of the BJA Council, Rowena Birch stated in her presidential election campaign, 28 September 2021:
WHO HOLDS THE BJA BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO ACCOUNT ON BEHALF OF THE CLUBS?
I notice that this election notice on the BJA website fails to mention that one of the really important roles of the President is to chair the BJA Council meetings.
If you have never heard of the BJA Council, you are not alone! According to the Associations Memorandum and Articles it has a very important role. That is “Responsible for overseeing the work of the Board of Directors on behalf of the clubs”.
To do this effectively, we need a President with strong leadership and chairing skills, who is prepared to hold the board to account, and ensure the clubs voices are heard.
CLUBS – PLEASE USE YOUR VOTE NOW
ROWENA BIRCH STANDING FOR PRESIDENT OF BRITISH JUDO
Attached to Rowena’s election promises, 28 September 2021:
BLOG; SBE
Ever wondered why British judo is underperforming at every level, year after year after year?
Taking into account the last annual turnover of the BJA Ltd company was just under
£5 million pounds?!
Taking the last two BJA Council meeting minutes, August 2022 & November 2022, only published March 2023.
Using the qoutes from “The Rowena-Ronnie-Andrew Show”, it becomes obvious that the BJA Council is as useful and functional as a Chocolate Teapot in a Sauna!
The Chocolate Teapot, in the Sauna. Blog
The BJA Council
Meeting Content?
Keeping in mind the time range the two meetings cover; May to November 2022, and what the purpose of the BJA Council is. You might expect some of these issues to be discussed?
BJA Membership loss, England, 60% during Covid?
Drop of BJA affiliated clubs from 547 (2020) to approx. 460 (2022/23).
CWOs (Club Welfare Officer) and other safeguarding obligations being mandatory for ALL BJA clubs before renewing their affiliation contract with the BJA Ltd company. Deadline 31 March 2023, just over 3 weeks away.
The collapse of online grading that after 3 months required coaches to manually grade the backlog and pay in full before any grading would be valid and entered into DOJO-2?
The collapse of the BJA Club finder and once restored. It missing club websites and email addresses for most clubs?
The large sums paid as remuneration to BJA Ltd Directors and unknown “management persons”?
2020-2021 £455,370, figure altered to to £320,000 after having been being approved, in the following year’s financial statement.
2021-2022 £380,000 to Ronnie Saez (BJA Ltd Company Director) and an unknown BJA “Executive Team”?Falling attendance at events and competitions?
Event organisers; BJA Areas underperforming in even basic tasks such as publishing entry lists and producing typed results in less than 14 days?
BJA Area Committees that annually receive tens of thousands of pounds from the BJA head office as rebates.Possible conflict of interest in decision making? Appointing BJA clubs to receice DiSE government funded contracts, BJA staff being Ltd company director of an online registration service charges huge commision % compared to others, including the BJA’s own online registration.
Selection of BJA juniors and a senior to go on funded Cadet Camp?
- BJA AGM issues? Second BJA Council meeting, November 12, was held just a few hours before the 2022 BJA AGM.
Or anything else that a grassroots judo club/coach felt was important enough for their representatives to add.
Between May 2022 – November 2022?
You can read the complete BJA Council meeting minutes yourself, though they do take a long time being approved and published. See docomentation.
If you would like to discuss this and other important judo issues?
You can join the GB Judo Community FaceBook group.
Please note, those elected into the judo structures are obliged to respond in their elected capacity to relevant questions! 3 such elected BJA persons were recently removed when refusing to respond to a serious safeguarding concern, online sexual grooming of a child, within their elected remit. 3 tags within 4 weeks in the same discussion thread.
Governance of the group is transparent with members notified of actions taken and encouraged to comment!
JOIN the GBJC GROUP- click.
BJA Council meeting, August 2022
BJA Council meeting, 20 August 2022
President’s Remarks:
Rowena Birch; BJA President:
RBi [Rowena Birch] highlighted the success of the Commonwealth Games in terms of an event but also the success of the Home Countries.
She also highlighted the hard work of Loretta Cusack-Doyle*, Lisa Allan** and Susan Wright who made the organisation run as smoothly as possible.
SN [Sarah Newbury***, BJA Midlands Chair and representing all the area’s grassroot judo clubs] also complimented the British Judo activity zone which was very successful****.
At the end of the meeting:
RBi [Rowena Birch] closed the meeting and thanked everyone for their time and contribution.
Including Links to documentation & full meeting minutes.
*Loretta Cusack-Doyle; BJA Ltd company director. Amount paid as remuneration during her tenure as a BJA Director; unknown.
** Lisa Allan; daughter of the BJA Sports Director (Colin McIvor, see Ronnie Saez’s remark about hiring him after he retired), a member of the BJA’s “fully independent disciplinary panel” when ruling on an internal bullying complaint.
Also a very close personal friend of Loretta Cusack-Doyle, BJA Ltd company director, that was informed of the investgation before Lisa Allan was appointed to the “fully independent disciplinary panel”.
*** Sarah Newbury; BJA Midlands Chair, representing all the area’s grassroot judo clubs at the Council meeting.
Also a trustee of Samurai Judo Club (charity) and mother of Stefan Joseph Newbury; BJA staff member and Ltd Company Director of Judo Technologies Ltd that operates Online Entries.
Online entries that charges huge commission % rates for online judo registrations, including at events such as a national championship.
This was Sarah Newbury’s only input noted in the meeting minutes, representing all the area’s grassroot judo clubs & coaches at the Council meeting .
**** June-July-August-September 2022; during the Commonwealth Games Judo and the BJA’s “British Judo activity zone” initiatives, the BJA’s Club Finder App wasn’t operational and when it did become operational?
The two main links on the BJA website didn’t work.
Meaning a member of the public interested in judo during this period could not use the BJA club finder App to search for the nearest BJA judo clubs.
Since its partial restoration, essential information is still missing such as a club’s website, email contact addresses and in some cases there isn’t even a telephone number listed.
Check your club’s listing today.
In full:
Council Meeting Minutes – August 2022
BJA Council meeting, 20 August 2022
Chair’s Report:
Ronnie Saez, BJA Chair & Ltd Company Director;
Membership is growing in strength and we are now at 91% of pre-Covid levels* although this is a flattening which may reflect the cost of living position;
The new CRM system [aka DOJO-2] has been launched and will slowly grow to full functionality in the new year [2023]. This is not the preferred position but NEST** have worked hard to give British Judo a platform in a short period of time, especially as 4Global*** withdraw their support in July with minimum notice;
The new Strategy 2022 to 2025 has been launched and issued to clubs with one of the key focus points being moving to digital operations****;
RS noted the retirement of Colin McIver***** although we have engaged him in some temporary roles to help through the CRM implementation and grading work.
Including Links to documentation & full meeting minutes.
* BJA membership figures, 31 March 2022; according to the BJA Annual report 2022, BJA membershipwas only at 69% of pre-Covid, though the report itself, Ronnie Saez states that BJA membership is “….almost 100%……”, a couple of months later.
** NEST Management Ltd; knew all the contracutal & technical requirements from the BJA tender specifications before pitching and winning the contract. See the tender documents below.
***4Global; the company awarded the original “BJA DOJO” CRM contract by BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular, and approved by the BJA Board of Directors. 2016/17.
****The BJA Digital Strategy; funded by SportEngland with £255,000 for this sole purpose, 8 December 2021. See details below.
***** Colin McIvor; father of Lisa Allan; a member of the “fully independent disciplinary panel” that ruled upon the internal bullying complaint, well within his remit as BJA Sports Director at the time.
He was also one of the two BJA’s SLT members (Senior Leader ship Team) that all tender/contract pitches for the DOJO-2 was sent to for approval. The other person being the BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular.
Now re-employed by the BJA.
——————————–
Tender announcement, December 15, 202
Click to download:
Invitation to Tender – Full Details
Invitation to Tender – Request for Further Information FormAny queries regarding this Tender are to be referred to Colin McIver , Sport Director colin.mciver@britishjudo.org.uk
“Dojo-2”
Launch date: Monday 18 July 2022, completion; February 2023, BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular, BJA Annual report 2022.
Initial funding: £255,000+(click)
CHECK OUT if “DOJO-2” is working for you?
Supplier:
NEST Management – website, note they promote themselves as “PREFERRED & TRUSTED BY: British Judo”
NEST MANAGEMENT LIMITED
Company number 03928678 – click for UK.GOV company details
In full:
Council Meeting Minutes – August 2022
BJA Council meeting, 20 August 2022
Chief Executive Update:
Andrew Scoular, BJA CEO & Member of the BJA SLT + “The Executive Team”(Recipients of remuneration payments)
CRM [aka DOJO-2] update early following week, waiting on a Gant [Gantt] chart from NEST*
See all the BJA CEO’s updates in documentation.
Including Links to documentation & full meeting minutes.
*Gantt charts; are essentially task scheduling tools: project management timelines and tasks are converted into horizontal bars (also called Gantt bars) to form a bar chart.
Or in other words; a chart detailing when “DOJO-2” would achieve the obligations of the contract.
NEST Management having been awarded the contract upon the recommendations by the BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular, BJA Sport Director, Colin McIver and the BJA Finance and Operations Director, Sajid Hussain.
Approved the BJA Board Directors of the BJA Ltd Company Directors.
——————————–
Note;
NEST Management Ltd; knew all the contracutal & technical requirements from the BJA tender specifications before pitching and winning the contract.
The BJA Digital Strategy; funded by SportEngland with £255,000 for this sole purpose, 8 December 2021.
Tender announcement, December 15, 202
Click to download:
Invitation to Tender – Full Details
Invitation to Tender – Request for Further Information FormAny queries regarding this Tender are to be referred to Colin McIver , Sport Director colin.mciver@britishjudo.org.uk
“Dojo-2”
Launch date: Monday 18 July 2022, completion; February 2023, BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular, BJA Annual report 2022.
Initial funding: £255,000+(click)
CHECK OUT if “DOJO-2” is working for you?
Supplier:
NEST Management – website, note they promote themselves as “PREFERRED & TRUSTED BY: British Judo”
NEST MANAGEMENT LIMITED
Company number 03928678 – click for UK.GOV company details
For a closer look at BJA DOJO-1 & DOJO-2, including what DOJO-2 is supposed to be able to do:
BJA Dojo-2 – Online grading – Status & Updates
In full:
Council Meeting Minutes – August 2022
BJA Council meeting, November 2022
This meeting was held only hours before the BJA AGM 2022 and later that evening, the BJA Awards Dinner.
Many of the awards were nominated and voted upon by BJA Areas.
With the BJA AGM just hours away you might have thought the those representing all BJA grassroots judo and holding The BJA Board & Management accountable would want to at least discuss the AGM and the many issues surrounding it?
Failings with yet again getting the BJA AGM Documents to the voting entitled clubs?
The 20+ ammendments* proposed by the BJA Board that clubs would NOT be allowed to vote on individually but approve all or reject all?
From changing “Chairman” to “Chair” to extending the Chair’s tenure from max 8 years to 12 years?
(Without BJA clubs having any vote in re-elections.)Former Directors becoming BJA Chair with no say by BJA Clubs?
You could only aprrove all the ammendments or reject them all!Remuneration payment figure being altered in the accounts after approval?
Who the BJA Executive Team was that along with remuneration payments to the BJA Chair and BJA Ltd company Director, Ronnie Saez, amounted to over £380,000 pound?
Read on and find out what was important and actually discussed, just hours before the AGM.
————————
*Rowena’s reference to the 20+ changes to BJA Ltd Company’s Memorandum and Articles at the next AGM, 13 October 2022, Facebook:
Calling all Judo Clubs – The Board of Directors are proposing a few changes to our Memorandum and Articles at the next AGM,
Share with others…………
If you would like to discuss this and other important judo issues?
You can join the GB Judo Community FaceBook group.
Please note, those elected into the judo structures are obliged to respond in their elected capacity to relevant questions! 3 such elected BJA persons were recently removed when refusing to respond to a serious safeguarding concern, online sexual grooming of a child, within their elected remit. 3 tags within 4 weeks in the same discussion thread.
Governance of the group is transparent with members notified of actions taken and encouraged to comment!
JOIN the GBJC GROUP- click.
BJA Council meeting, 12 November 2022
BJA Council meeting, 12 November 2022
President’s Remarks:
Rowena Birch BJA President
RBi gave a short address highlighting an experience that she had with a 60 year old lady that had come along to her club and really enjoyed a judo session commenting that she had never felt so welcomed doing any other activity and that she really felt part of the judo community.
The lady had also commented that she felt we should tell more people about our values and that they are something we should be very proud of.
RBi continued that she felt this story really resonated
and should be perceived as a good opportunity to promote similar stories and experiences which really bring the values of judo to life.
Including Links to documentation & full meeting minutes.
BJA Council meeting, 12 November 2022
BJA Council meeting, 12 November 2022
Chair's Report:
Ronnie Saez, BJA Chair & Ltd Company Director;
RS provided a brief report on the membership and the impact of the cost of living crisis as well as the new CRM, both of which had contributed to the flattening of the membership numbers.
Although, this is something that we should be concerned about, we should also have the confidence that we believe that membership will pick up again in the near future.
RS then highlighted that we have worked through Covid* and clubs are now working hard to keep their members and recruit new ones which is going to be even more of a challenge with the country likely to be in recession through 2023.
BD [Brian Davies Vice President] commented that in the gym sector a lot of clubs only have between 60 and 80% of their membership back since the pandemic and they too will be struggling to survive a recession.
Including Links to documentation & full meeting minutes.
* BJA England lost 60% of its membership during Covid but during the same period, remuneration payments went up by 6% to BJA Directors and BJA Management.
To over £455,000. Figure mysteriously altered after approval to £320,000 in the BJA Annual report 2022.
Still not published by the BJA March 2023.
BJA Council meeting, 12 November 2022
BJA Council meeting, 12 November 2022
CEO Update:
Andrew Scoular, BJA CEO & Member of the BJA SLT + “The Executive Team”(Recipients of remuneration payments)
A discussion around the functionality of the new CRM followed including the
timescales required.
It was noted that some individuals do not have the correct email addresses and that there is some work to be carried out in contacting those individuals either by text or post to ensure they have the correct information to renew or join the Association.
AS highlighted that there would be a full instruction booklet with screenshots and FAQs to assist members with the renewing/joining process.
AS added that there was now a British Judo App available in both the
Apple and Android App stores.
AS concluded that there would be a review of the implementation
process of the new CRM to gather learnings that would assist with the
development for future activity.
Including Links to documentation & full meeting minutes.
See all documentation referring to the CRM (DOJO-2) previously.
Council Meeting Minutes – 13 November 2022
NEST Management having been awarded the contract upon the recommendations by the BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular, BJA Sport Director, Colin McIver and the BJA Finance and Operations Director, Sajid Hussain.
Approved the BJA Board Directors of the BJA Ltd Company Directors.
——————————–
Note;
NEST Management Ltd; knew all the contracutal & technical requirements from the BJA tender specifications before pitching and winning the contract.
The BJA Digital Strategy; funded by SportEngland with £255,000 for this sole purpose, 8 December 2021.
Tender announcement, December 15, 202
Click to download:
Invitation to Tender – Full Details
Invitation to Tender – Request for Further Information FormAny queries regarding this Tender are to be referred to Colin McIver , Sport Director colin.mciver@britishjudo.org.uk
“Dojo-2”
Launch date: Monday 18 July 2022, completion; February 2023, BJA CEO, Andrew Scoular, BJA Annual report 2022.
Initial funding: £255,000+(click)
CHECK OUT if “DOJO-2” is working for you?
Supplier:
NEST Management – website, note they promote themselves as “PREFERRED & TRUSTED BY: British Judo”
NEST MANAGEMENT LIMITED
Company number 03928678 – click for UK.GOV company details
For a closer look at BJA DOJO-1 & DOJO-2, including what DOJO-2 is supposed to be able to do:
BJA Dojo-2 – Online grading – Status & Updates
Share with others…………
If you would like to discuss this and other important judo issues?
You can join the GB Judo Community FaceBook group.
Please note, those elected into the judo structures are obliged to respond in their elected capacity to relevant questions! 3 such elected BJA persons were recently removed when refusing to respond to a serious safeguarding concern, online sexual grooming of a child, within their elected remit. 3 tags within 4 weeks in the same discussion thread.
Governance of the group is transparent with members notified of actions taken and encouraged to comment!
JOIN the GBJC GROUP- click.
Keeping in mind the time range the two meetings cover; May to November 2022, and what the purpose of the BJA Council is. Representation of grassroots judo and holding the BJA Ltd Company Directors & BJA Management to account.
You might have expected these two meetings to have been different?
Or……………
Maybe you agree with my perspective on “The BJA Council Concept”?
A “people’s paradises” [totalitarian regime] needs institutions within its governance to give the impression that the leadership [The BJA Ltd Directors & Management] serves the interests of the people [grassroots judo, clubs-coaches-members].
To maintain this illusion, it is important to have institutions in place for politicians to be members of and so politicians can quote how everything is managed in accordance with “the people’s wishes”.
The BJA Area Committee members, the grassroots judo’s “representatives”, NOVEMBER 2022:
Brian Davies – Vice President
Sarah Newbury – Midlands Area
Darren Dean – Welsh Judo Association
John Thacker – Navy Judo
David Rance – Northern Home Counties
Robin Newett – Northern Ireland Judo Federation
John Gibson – Northern Area
Garth Illingworth – Ex-Northern Area
Jim McKenzie – Army Judo
Rick Kenney – JudoScotland
Matthew Clempner – Police Sport UK & North West Area
Ben George – Yorkshire & Humberside Area
Helen Moody – Yorkshire & Humberside Area
Dr Colin Draycott – Senior Vice President
Tony Sweeney – Vice President
Mick Leigh – Vice President
Richard Barraclough – Vice President
Denise Oates – Eastern Area
Nadia Minardi – London Area
Dave Allen – Western Area
Stephen Watson – Armed Forces
Seth Birch – Yorkshire & Humberside Area
John Malkinson – Southern Area
If you would like to contact your grassroots judo representative? Check your Area website for details though it might not have been updated for months or even years?
Contacting the BJA.
For all BJA enqueries:
If you would like to discuss this and other important judo issues?
You can join the GB Judo Community FaceBook group.
Please note, those elected into the judo structures are obliged to respond in their elected capacity to relevant questions! 3 such elected BJA persons were recently removed when refusing to respond to a serious safeguarding concern, online sexual grooming of a child, within their elected remit. 3 tags within 4 weeks in the same discussion thread.
Governance of the group is transparent with members notified of actions taken and encouraged to comment!