Milsurp After Hours

http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/conten ... NRA&id=322

I happened to be at Bisley today to collect a 1955 Bisley Bible for some research work (it's a sad life!) and I have to report that the back stops are in an appalling condition.

God knows how much this will put back a cash strapped NRA.

Don't they have any insurance to cover this kind of damage?

I thought that the ranges were technically now owned by MoD, in which case, as Landlord or whatever, surely the MoD should fix them. Nice job for the boys at CVHQ(RE) and the others at Gib Barracks?!

I would imagine that the MOD have leased "the use" of Bisley under a full repairing contract, sadly no flies on those bar stewards in Whitehall.

Are there any troops left in the country?

Id be surprised if they didnt have some sort of insurance.

Not very clever if they havent.

When they can declare it a public danger they will also make the locals think than some dole will be lost if they repair that range for the nutters.

That is the way my range is going. Hard by one of the most famouse race tracks (auto and motor bikes) and surrounded by new $2,900,000 homes I'm counting the days.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/ ... 9cd9a1.jpg[/pic]

MJ

I have done a "cut & paste" from the NRA website with the below item.

Bisley Butts Damage - Frequently Asked Questions

How much rain fell?

It appears that on the day of the storm which caused hundreds of tons of sand to be washed from the butts between 4 to 6 inches of rain fell over Bisley in a 4 hour period. This was an extraordinary event which is estimated only to happen once every 50 to 100 years.

Was there insurance cover?

The NRA has not had insurance cover for at least 20 years, if ever, against storm and flood damage to the stop butts or the mantlets. The risk of serious damage was deemed too remote when compared with the cost of such insurance. By their very nature stop butts are always subject to heavy rain and need annual maintenance to meet the required safety standards. The base, which is made of local clay, was laid over 100 years ago and was not significantly damaged by the storm. It was the overlying covering of sand which became unstable and was washed down. It would be necessary to put a value on the whole structure of the butts when only the layer of sand covering the butts is effectively at risk of damage.

How can I help?

A large number of people have offered to help move material by hand to reinstate the butts. The Association is grateful for all offers. The National Shooting Centre are orchestrating efforts, letting all interested parties know when they need help, via the NSC website. The nature of the problems have meant that NSC have had to carry out a Health and Safety assessment to ensure we are only asking those volunteering to carry out appropriate tasks, safely.

How can we stop it happening again?

The Association is aware of its obligations to shooters both in the short and long-term. Despite feeling under pressure to open ranges as quickly as possible the NRA is also obliged to ensure it does so in the most cost effective way. To this end, in quick time, the Association insisted that before any work was carried out it was professionally assessed to ensure the integrity of the butts and to try to prevent recurrence. By using a highly skilled contractor working with professionally qualified engineers and soil specialists we have been able to get the work done quickly to specification at a very competitive cost.

The National Rifle Association is currently looking at additional civil engineering solutions for the future to reduce the potential effects of a similar event occurring in the future.

Why do we need an appeal?

As most fullbore shooters are aware the current Council inherited in excess of £2,000,000 of debt. Over the last five years by prudent management the Association has managed to reduce its exposure to £600,000. It is because of this background that the Association decided to launch an Appeal for donations to help with the repair of the butts. The level of the Appeal was set at £150,000 on the basis of advice following discussions with consultants and contractors on the estimate for repairs and associated costs.

What will happen to any excess money from the appeal?

It is a Charity Commission requirement that when a charitable organisation launches an appeal the grounds for the appeal must be specified, along with how any potential excess funds might be handled. The NRA wanted to be open on this subject and not hide its intentions in the small print.

Posted by Glynn Alger, Secretary General/KR

Updated: 31-Aug-06 (Original posting: 31-Aug-06)