Monday Musings- BPA Communities time to get involved

I spent some time over the last week looking over our Communities platform.  For all of you who may be unaware, the Communities platform is an online forum that enables BPA members to communicate with each other, to ask and answer questions, share ideas and experience, or just to have an informal discussion.  Think of it as a parking specific Reddit board without people spreading conspiracy theories… well hopefully.  

The platform is open to everyone that is employed by a BPA Corporate Member and is divided into several sector-specific interest groups that allow members to get together virtually and share best practice.  Groups represented include Local Authorities, Higher Education, the Devolved Nations and Approved Operators, and each of these groups is restricted to members within that subsector.  To access one of these groups you will need to login to the BPA website and click on the Communities button in the top right of your page.  Once accessed, just find the group you want and submit a ‘request to join’ and following relevant checks by the BPA Team to ensure you are eligible to join, you will receive a confirmation email with some instructions to follow.

Now with the intro out of the way, what has piqued my interest?

Well, I have been catching up on discussions exploring the options for charging motorists to use EV charging points in LA car parks, proper processes for dealing with motorists who refuse to show their Blue Badge, as well as advice on the immobilisation and removal of persistent evaders and nuisance vehicles.

These are some pretty heavy talking points, and all generated by members of our BPA Community, asking questions, and having other members provide some of the answers.  Many go further, offering up detailed advice and taking the conversation offline to explore further.  It is such a wonderful example of the spirit and togetherness of the BPA community and demonstrates the true value of being a member of a thriving membership association.

But that’s not all: there are polls and surveys conducted, invitations to events circulated, and feedback from members provided to help us improve the range of membership support services, events we run, topics we cover, and the content we produce.

Looking ahead, we have plans to activate further communities that represent other sectors but everyone has the opportunity to join the BPA Corporate Members community and I very much encourage you to sign up and start a conversation.  There is an old saying that you only get out what you put in and I want to encourage all members to follow this link and sign up to their group and reach out to other members… who knows what problem you can solve if you ask one of your fellow members for advice.