From 1 September 2019 we will be introducing rolling membership to all new members to the Association. This will also apply to all renewing members in 2020.
What is rolling membership?
The Association currently has a calendar-year membership term, meaning that a full term commences on 1 January and finishes on 31 December. If you joined part way through the year, e.g. June, you would pay a reduced rate for the year but your membership would still end and need to be renewed on 31 December.
Under a rolling membership process, if you joined in March your membership would end at the end of the following March and you would pay for and receive a full 12 months’ membership regardless of when you joined. This is similar to car insurance and many other subscription or membership services.
How will this work for current members?
Over the summer we will contact all of our current members to offer them the opportunity to choose a new future renewal date. This will allow you to pick an annual renewal date that suits you and your business’s requirements – we understand 1 January is not ideal for everyone for budgeting and accounting purposes!
2020 will see us transition our members into the new system. Your 2019 membership will still end on 31 December, but from then on things will change for you if you have selected a new renewal date.
If you want to change to a new renewal date in the first quarter of the year, you will pay for up to three additional months when you renew (up to a total of 15 months), which will move your 2021 renewal date to your chosen month.
If you choose to change to a date in the later three quarters of the year, in 2020 you will pay for the number of months up to that date, and then you will be asked to pay for a full 12-month period on that date, which will set your new renewal date.
Do I have to choose a new renewal date?
There is no obligation to change your renewal date. If you are happy renewing in January that is fine! It is worth noting that members paying by Monthly Direct Debit will see very little change in their experience, and the same is true for Quarterly Direct Debit payers.
We will share more information on the changes over the next couple of months and you can always give us a call, or send us an email, if you have any questions or worries about how this might affect you.
For more information on membership grades and benefits, go to www.trees.org.uk/Membership. Jess Palfreyman can be reached at jess@trees.org.uk.