UKRA Membership

Does anyone know how many active members there are in UKRA? Just wondering because there seems to be so few of us.
I am member 1749 btw.

I'm 1896. I think it started at 1000...


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1869 here!

Apart from insurance, are there any other real benefits to joining UKRA?

SO.

You get a pretty cool looking membership card with your picture and certification level.

You also get to do your certification, which means you are insured for HPR. You could do this as a registered member which is free, but it costs £5.00 more to take the test, and you don't get the shiny plastic card.
The UKRA membership is actually only £10 per year, the rest is the BMFA insurance which the UKRA will arrange for you and most launch sites require if you'll be launching HPR.
So if you do your Level 1 next year, full membership will only cost £5.00 more than being a registered member with your own BMFA insurance. If you want the membership card as well, it's an extra £2.50 for a registered member, but free for a full member.
On balance, I'd say the full membership is the best option.
Link to the UKRA membership page below:

https://www.ukra.org.uk/membership/options

I also found the numbers of active UKRA members in the UKRA Annual Council meeting minutes for February of this year.

Here they are, pretty glum reading really, only 45 full members and 184 in total It's no wonder there are so few rocketry suppliers in the UK.

Honorary 3 (excl. 1 Pending)
Full 45 (excl. 2 Pending) (incl. 10 NEW for 2014)
Full Upgrade 1
Associate 6
Registered 126
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TOTAL 181 (184)

I am surprised at these numbers.

I have previously been quite vocal in complaining about UKRA and clubs in general. Their web sites being out of date, difficulty in navigating around the sites, and delay in replies. Given the small numbers (I guess this applies to clubs as well), also that the the number of people administering the site must be a small fraction of the total, I'm staggered that UKRA exists at all.
I take back all I may have said in the past. I have to admire the administrators of the site for maintaining them as they do. All being well there will be two new members for 2015. Me and my Grandson.

I have one question. Given 12 new full members in 2014, is that encouraging? Roughly a 6% increase in full membership in one year. If that were to continue, in 5 years there would be over 60 new full members. Could it be that UK interest in rocketry is growing?
I wonder how national club membership numbers are moving?

SO.

I joined UKRA as an Associate Member. I paid for the card as it's something to show and when displayed via a lanyard at some shows my clubs does looks cool. Along with my safety key.

I also played them at their own game and e-mailed them my membership than post. Snail mail is rather out of date.

My rocketry club benefits from having the BMFA done through them. I also fly RC planes and helis. So that's why I am an Associate Member of UKRA to help my club.

I'm member #1911. I've done my L1 3 times as some issue within UKRA. Have had it confirmed I've done it but still awaiting the new card with my L1 on there.

I think the hobby is growing but slow. It's let down by lack of shop and support

Did you pay for the new card? If not its probably best to wait until next year to get it, so you'll have the benefit of a full years membership on the card. Being such a niche hobby most people at the local club know who is qualified to which level anyway.

https://modelrockets.co.uk/shop/ have an up to date website, but limited for HPR.

https://www.rocketsandthings.com/ is never up to date, but Malcolm has a good supply of HPR items. I would suggest phoning him to put an order in. He'll tell you what he's got in stock and what's coming in. He is also at a lot of club meetings, so you can buy from him on site.