Setting up a model engineering club

Hi

I will soon have a fully equipped workshop at home and I am considering starting a club where members can make scale models, or anything they like within reason. Are there any tips that can help me set it up, such as:

Maximum number of members at once

Can I charge per lesson

Registration etc etc..

Really only you can know the maximum number you can accommodate but for safety at least two should be present at all times, especially when using machinery. Working on your own in your own workshop is a different matter - most of us have to do that! (Just counted - yes, still have ten fingers.)

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No you should not charge but I think you'd be all right asking donations for the electricity. Otherwise you turn it into a business, risking assorted legal and insurance implications.

If you start a subscribed club it might have a formal means to pay the electricity bill; but its finances are the club's not yours; and if it folds any remaining funds would normally be given to a relevant body in its field. A club is not supposed to pay its members except to repay loans from them or re-imburse reasonable expenses such as for buying tools for club use.

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A properly-constituted club in any activity has a formal membership list, entry on which is usually by peer-approval and an annual subscription. A club using definite premises or holding events elsewhere needs a signing-in book. That is part of insurance cover; which will also require a defined contact person, usually the Secretary and/or Treasurer.

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If you are simply a bunch of mates whom you allow to borrow use of your facilities at their own, and your, risk, you might not need all the above; but whilst you might have a voluntary electricity-kitty you must not charge fees; nor are you likely to obtain insurance cover.

I am not a solicitor or insurance-agent though, and I have no idea what if any household insurance implications any of this might have, though.

Hell would freeze over before I would take money to let some random use my machines. When people pay for something they think that it gives them free license to do as they please.

Pete R has a good point plus people will expect you to make things available week in week out. Insurance problem, Even if it is just your mates when one of them loses a finger his wife will get a solicitor to claim half your house (only half as your wife's solicitor will argue half is hers during the divorce)

Think about setting up a Men's Shed, on other property, with insurance and a team of people to act as helpers.

What country is the OP Mr Webb located? legal situation will likely be very different depending on region.

Thank you all for your replies.

Although I know it will be a benefit to the local community, I don't need extra hassle with all the above. So I won't be starting any sort of club.

One possibility is that I make unique bespoke furniture so perhaps I could make 2 pieces with a friend and have one each.

Thanks again.

That sounds like a much better plan. And much more enjoyable.

Its a tragedy that we have had to come to this sort of situation. Its the do gooders that have forced nanny state restrictions onto all sorts of things. Its not just health and safety, we have to have child protection (not a bad thing), but it seems nobody can be trusted, registered accounts, etc - the list goes on and all Greg and possibly others wanted to do was to help the next generation.

We used to have French students come and live with us for a week or two and have what was called "Immersion in English". Fortunately the organisation that ran this did a personal check on families, including home visits to check out obvious risks if any. Then two statements of honour from prominent people. Your normal house insurance normally gave you "responsibility civil" - protecting the assured from 3rd party risks including accidents in the home / garden etc. The last part of the jigsaw was a report from the police stating that you were not a risk !

We were paid by the association which was non taxable (within limits) as it was a teaching function. We thoroughly enjoyed these weeks with young people. We made many projects in the workshop from Bird tables, book shelves, bird boxes and a wooden go-cart, chuck gliders, macrame items cross stitch knitting to name a few!

I would suggest that Greg and a friend could possibly attach themselves to an existing 'group' - possibly a church group that will already have many of these things in place.

Bob

I don't think it's state restrictions that are the real obstacles, but insurers and solicitors, of whom most would not know which end of a spanner to hold, but certainly scent the slightest whiff of cash!

Going with Speedy Builder's last paragraph, it may be that such a group will nucleate enough interest internally for a club of its own to be formed.

It is possible for a model-engineering society to function without its own premises. I am in one that hires appropriate venues for its social events; and another that has a railway and meeting-room but no full workshop.

However, these assume either all members already having their own workshops, or members who do being willing to help their fellows establish their own. That could work, but does depend heavily on the individuals involved.

Those beastly do-gooders again. How dare they try and improve my life!

Actually, very little is achieved by do-gooding, change usually follows some horrible scandal. Like finding building inspectors have done nothing to stop builders fitting inflammable panels to tower-blocks. And that tower-blocks aren't checked by fire brigades, whose plan for dealing with high rise fires was wrong. Oh, and the building regulations don't mandate sprinkler systems in domestic buildings because parliament was lobbied by developers: 'they're too expensive'.

I've come to take child protection much more seriously after a popular and much respected colleague whom I considered above suspicion was sent to jail for a large number of offences against boys. It had been going on for decades.

My view is the UK has no shortage of laws, rules and guidelines that cover most eventualities. The main problem is not enough people to enforce them. Cheaper to keep voters happy by making draconian but toothless laws than it is to recruit 10000 policemen.

Do gooders are mostly harmless, it's the do-badders who need to be watched. They're mostly unsupervised.

Dave

You could try joining the local U3A and setting up a Model Engineering Group

It may not succeed, Don't be disappointed if it does not get off the ground..

What people say that they want, does not mean that they will actually do it when the question is put.

Our local U3A publicised a proposal for a Model Making Group.

Because I showed a mild interest, suddenly I was posted as Group Leader., and spoke at a virtual Activities Day.

As a PSME member, it seemed a good idea to affilkiate the new Group, and become members, It seemed ideal, since a venue and a programme already existed. Everything seemed to be in place.

(It had worked very well with the Peterborough Engineering Society, which has now become a part of U3A )

Five attended for a few meetings, and then four "resigned", and the other never made any further contact.

As might be imagined, the Group no linger "exists".

Sad, but these things happen.

Howard