Introduction		Organisation		Operations		Membership		Questions

RAYNET - Membership

The organisation needs new members. Younger ones who can provide the life blood of RAYNET in the future. Older ones for general experience and availability of time.

Like any organisation, we require a wide variety of skills; technical, operational, managerial and administrative. Quite apart from operating a radio on the day, there is group equipment to maintain, fixed installations in the User Services offices which needs maintaining and numerous administrative tasks within the group.

The important point is that we need people who are prepared to participate in both emergency operations and User Service events. By their very nature emergencies cannot be organised, but you will usually know well in advance when your group is to participate in an event or exercise. As we have seen, RAYNET's role can be crucial to saving life and limb - but it can also be mundane. You may find yourself basking in sunshine, but you may also find yourself in pouring rain or even snow. In other words, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

Training is a very important part of the organisations preparations and you would be expected to maintain a healthy attendance at the groups training sessions, which are ongoing throughout the year. These will include both evening / weekend sessions and outdoor exercises.

RAYNET is involved in many types of operation. Whilst we need active, reliable members, you are free to choose whether or not to take part in any operation. In particular, you would be under no pressure to participate in anything which might be contrary to your personal beliefs.

Membership of RAYNET is open to anyone over the age of 14 with an interest in the aims of the organisation. It does not matter if you hold an Amateur Radio licence or not as there are many disciplines involved in RAYNET work. All classes of Amateur licence are welcome and a foundation licence (M3 callsign) is not a bar to operating in a RAYNET environment.

There are many areas in which we can utilise non-licensed members, both in control and out in the field, so do not let the fact that you may not have an Amateur Radio licence prevent you from joining.

The organisation provides automatic third party liability and personal accident insurance whilst engaged on RAYNET business.

All members are supplied with an encapsulated photo ID card that identifies them to the user services and have access to over 30 Membership services, designed to support RAYNET-UK at all levels.