HantsAstro Update - 05 February 2010
HantsAstro Re-structures its Future.
Since its launch nearly two years ago, HantsAstro has become one of the most prominent astronomical groups in Southern England. The reasons for its success are many fold. We were the first astronomical group to offer free membership and a free magazine. We were the first group to introduce Telescope Amnesties in the South and have attended numerous events in this time. With this, our membership has also grown and while we appear to be a 'virtual' group we do have real members, with real observing sites, real telescopes and therefore real costs
The success of Look Up! E-zine in 2009 threatened to overshadow the success of the group, which is why today we are announcing some fundamental changes to the way we operate and how the group is structured. After much discussion over the past months the ethos of the group remains unchanged. We are still free to join and still offer free observing sessions at INTECH Science Centre and Planetarium.
As from the 1st September 2010 the existing observing site pass structure will be phased out and replaced with a flat rate £15 per annum observing subscription fee. This fee will offer a member access to one or more existing paid-for observing sites. All of our sites are secure and fully insured. This means you can still join our group for free and also observe for free at INTECH. Should you wish to progress your hobby you can do so by utilising the other sites at a new lower cost. Compared to our existing pricing structure this is a reduction of £10 per year. In addition to an annual observing site pass you will also receive an exclusive monthly 8-page OBSERVE! Newsletter.
Why are we doing this? Simply, it offers better value. We are no longer charging for individual sessions as we wish to encourage more people to get out and observe in a safe and secure location.
HantsAstro members with existing paid-for Site Passes (paid for at the old rate) will have their Passes extended for an extra 12 months and we will be contacting these pass members individually regarding this.
CoreTeam: If you decide that you wish to invest more time assisting with the running of events and observing sessions, then there are benefits to becoming a CoreTeam Member. Without the help of the existing team we would not have been able to provide events such as MoonFest. Unfortunately, this team is now too small for the current size of our group. Their input is solely to do with the running of HantsAstro regarding its observing sessions and events. HantsAstro will provide free entry and accommodation for away missions where HantsAstro is either exhibiting or providing an event.
Look Up! Magazine became the runaway success of 2009, quite literally. We have spent the past several months quietly re-organising the structure of the Ezine and planning its future. As from the 1st of March 2010 Look Up! will be published by 1540-Media, a subsidiary of I.O Design Limited. With over four and a half thousand downloads a month, the production of such a publication can only be sustained as a commercial enterprise. Issues of Look Up! for the past several months had not been forthcoming because they were produced on a purely voluntary basis and were not sustainable long term due to a number of factors, mainly time and cost related.
The AstroSouth Directory started out as part of an outreach programme for HantsAstro. It, too, has enjoyed similar success with over eighteen thousand downloads in its first year alone. It has grown in complexity requiring a lot of time to produce, so as from 1st August 2010 this will also be transferred to 1540-Media.
HantsAstro is partly supported by advertising revenue from these publications and for the foreseeable future that commitment to the group will not change. Commercialisation of both publications will ensure their continued viability for future issues, and will make it an even more attractive proposition to existing and future advertising partners.
These actions will help the group become more sustainable and provide longevity for the investment of time and effort from its contributors. HantsAstro has demonstrated an alternative way of running and funding an astronomy group, it has also demonstrated that astronomy groups can have commercial relationships. It has been great to see a number of astronomy groups nurture business sponsorship in a number of different ways.
Over the past two years the innovation that HantsAstro has created has changed the perception of astronomy for many people. We wish to continue this and benefit new astronomers, existing enthusiasts and the amateur astronomical society community in general.
Happy observing.
David Woods and Graham Green
membership@hantsastro.org
