It’s with a sad note that I write this email.
After nearly nine years of running CART I have decided to step down as the groups Leader in the New Year. I will take a back seat and with an occasional video production role moving forward.
This decision has been reached for a few reasons for which I will explain below. The first thing I want to say is CART is not stopping and will continue under a new leadership team. Nina Hannaford has been appointed by the team as the new Chair and her email address is hq@coleshillhouse.com. Please address any general or specific aux emails to her from now on. The CART team is very strong and has attended more events this year than any other. The incredibly dedicated team have had to adjust to my news and have adapted accordingly to incorporate all the admin work for which I thank them for.
The main goal for them is to address the issue with our new website and plan for the future how they will handle this. I am sure the new administration will keep you informed of this over the next few months.
As you may know I set up a simple website in June 2009 to track what I was learning about this little known band of men and women. Little did I know then that years later the Auxiliary Units would be much better known across the UK and marching down Whitehall. My interest in Aux Units were born out of a fascination of World War Two and my love of all things clandestine. Two things I am still very much interested in. When CART was set up my work situation was very different meaning I had a vast amount of spare time and as a creative person I was very unsatisfied. CART gave me a platform to delve into this creativity through web design, video production and event organisation. I also had the time to conduct my own Aux research, mainly at GHQ Coleshill.
In the last 4 years, and as CART grew, the demands on my time as the sole administrator became greater and greater. All my “CART time” was being devoted to website updates, running the shop, membership etc etc and I didn’t have the time to research anymore. As the years passed I felt more and more isolated from the main researching team because of this. This was not their fault it was just the way things were. I had created this large organisation so I felt it was my responsibility to keep it going. I had a few times invited members of our researching team to help take on some of my admin roles like membership secretary etc allowing me to have a more fulfilling time with CART but they decided they would rather stay focused on research which I respect. It was also decided by the team that a committee and charitable status was not the way forward for us at that time. I think this may now change.
In 2016 I become self employed running a video production company (www.solo16.co.uk) and this seems to drain all my spare time, as any sole trader will know. Around this time Nina very kindly took on the bulk of the general email enquiries and this has helped, but I still don’t have the time to give to CART sadly.
My priority was to ensure that CART has firm foundations moving forward and the team, under Will Ward’s guidance, have recently sent me a document that outlines their intention for CART’s future which I am very pleased with. I am sure they will make this public in due course. The transition is going to take approx 3 months to implement so please be patient.
I have had an amazing time meeting you all and helping you discover more about your families Aux involvement and I want to thank you for your support of our research over the years and also the people that do the real work, our researching team, if it wasn’t for them there would be no website…
I also want to mention two men who were very dear to me and always immensely helpful & kind. They fired up my imagination, drove me forward, and made this history real for me. National Trust Head Warden Keith Blaxhall and Auxilier Bob Millard. Sadly both men are no longer with us but it’s fair to say if it wasn’t for them my little website would have never flourished.
If you wish to make a note of my new email for the future it’s cartfounder@gmail.com
Thanks again and please continue to support CART’s amazing and tireless work.