iMember according to Bridget Jones*

"So I'm back. Yes, I know it's been a while and a-LOT has happened. The world has changed; Mark Darcy has gone - (no, really gone, as in not ever ever coming back); I've got two beautiful children; I don't have an answer phone any more; I don't write a diary - I blog. A few things are still the same - Daniel F***wit Cleaver is still in my life (thank goodness actually); AND my friends who I love with all my might, are still around. I am "workless" and endeavouring to face life with a big smile on my face. Am rather terrified of this technical world we live in but embracing it and it's advantages all the same. 

I was introduced to iMember by Tom (hurrah, still a singleton!) - he knows all about the latest internet stuff - at first I thought it was a dating agency - NO THANK YOU!! - but actually it turns out it's a real gem! You go to their website iMember.co.uk and list all the organisations you are a member of and then the website tells you all the membership benefits you are entitled to. You wouldn't believe the stuff I've been missing out on:- wine discounts from Laithwates via Barclays; 2 for 1 deals in restaurants and great days out with my babies from the AA; a pile of discounts from Mumsnet; and my poor rotting gym membership at David Lloyd no longer rots (no, I don't use the gym...) as I use the fabulous benefits that membership brings me. I may even renew my membership with the British Guild of Travel Writers so I can enjoy their benefits - I really was a good travel writer back in the old days!

Anyway - must dash to get the children from school; we're going to devour a huge box of cupcakes from rachael's kitchen. I got 15% off the price simply because we have private health cover with AXA PPP. iMember - what would I do without you?"

(*written by Alexandra Brown)

Is summer over? No need to be glum......

Could this be our last weekend of summer sunshine? 

Those crisp mornings and subtle leaf colour changes really makes it feel and look like autumn and winter are heading straight for us. But - always look on the bright side of life, thoughts can turn to your well earned ski break. 

Amongst the thousands of organisations listed on the iMember website is the Ski Club of Great Britain. For an annual membership from as little as £23 - your membership of the Ski Club offers you fabulous discounts on holidays, equipment, clothing plus a whole host of in-resort offers such as ski-guiding and plenty of off piste action! 

So why is iMember plugging the Ski Club of Great Britain? Well once you have joined them - pay a visit to the iMember website - join us (for FREE!) and then take a look at the hundreds of benefits you are entitled to as a member of the Ski Club. Far too many benefits for you to be able to remember and here's the brilliance of it - YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMEMBER! Once you are signed up to iMember and you have down-loaded the mobile app (for FREE), you will be reminded whenever you are shopping in one of your benefit shops that you are a Member and then you can claim the myriad of discounts you are entitled to. 

Quite honestly - the Ski Club is worth joining even if you don't ski! The benefits that membership attracts are incredible. And this is just one of a mountain of membership benefits you can get through organisations that you possibly already belong to. Don't delay - get signed up to iMember now! www.iMember.co.uk 

Why do only a third of HR managers belong to their professional body?

Economist John Philpott has done some interesting research into what is happening in the HR market. It is worth a read and can be found here. In summary, he has found that people employed as human resources managers or directors in the UK account for more than 400,000 people in the workforce, and is growing. But what caught our eye, was his observation that "at most only 1 in 3 people working in HRD in the UK is a CIPD member".

CIPD is the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and is the world's largest Chartered HR and development professional body, with over 135,000 members. . Philpott's analysis has prompted an interesting debate highlighted by XpertHR on their blog around whether this says more about HR professionals lack of interest in personal development than it does about the CIPD.  Of course, no-one will miss the irony of HR professionals fearing growth and change. Tempting as it is to debate the complacency of a profession that used to be the all-seeing hub of an organisation (now replaced by the Corporate Comms function), it is the role of the CIPD that interests us.


Anne Tynan makes a point we have been reiterating for some time: "If a professional body has no regulatory functions, members of that profession will exercise the same type of consumer choice as they do for other areas of their life: they will purchase services strictly according to their perception of their own needs"

Incidentally CIPD offers a great range of fringe benefits to its members, including discounts on shirts, flowers, gyms, golf and breakdown cover (see more here), but membership requires more than this.  Having a regulatory function is merely code for having to belong to an organisation, and that clearly gives the same advantages to a professional body that a closed shop does to a trade union. The challenge then is for professional membership organisations to demonstrate their relevance and the benefits of membership.

Getting your gym membership fee back

Gyms make their money off people who sign up with enthusiasm in January, keep going through February and then slack off.  By now, most of us are probably regretting joining up, feeling a little bit embarrassed to admit being stuck in a 12 month contract, and generally hacked off with the waste of money.  

The obvious answer is "Go to the gym!", but if you can't do that then the best way to make the most of a bad situation is to recover some of your costs.

Gyms are great at offering additional membership benefits. To entice us to sign up, there is often a whole panoply of goodies on offer.  Forget the free sweat towel, and look at the discounts. You never need go to the gym again to make that membership pay for itself.

Of course, it all depends on what package you have signed up to. A David Lloyd family bundle costs £293.85 a month, and you would have to be going some to recoup that, but a typical off-peak monthly gym membership comes in at around £70-£80. So, how do we get that back if we aren't going to the gym, and they won't let us break our contract?  Live it up a little at their expense.

With David Lloyd membership, just as one example, you can get your money back fairly quickly with some of these benefits:

• cheap breakdown cover, saving you up to 45% on The AA;
• 25% of your bill at Gourmet Society restaurants; (always struck me as a bit of an odd offer for a gym to make, but there you go);
• half price MOT from Halfords;
• 10% of shirts and blouses for T M Lewin;
• Discounts at UK attractions & theme parks, like Alton Towers, or Chessington;
• Great rates on foreign currency exchange

This is all stuff you're buying anyway, so you can quickly recover some of your membership fee. 

 

If you really want it all back, then move on to some of the more luxury things. Discounted theatre breaks, Tuscan villa holidays, special offers on family portraits and even exclusive rates on hiring a Ferrari can all be yours to justify that membership to the gym you never go to.

Of course, if you are still going to the gym (well done!) then make the most of the fringe benefits, and you can get your membership almost for free.

For a complete list go to http://imember.co.uk/organisation/1016

One of Britain's best kept membership secrets

The Country Gentlemen’s Association has to be one of Britain’s best kept membership secrets.  We are always on the look out for memberships that justify themselves on the basis of the benefits alone.  The range of membership benefits the CGA offers is impressive, and with membership costs of just £54 a year, if you use any of  the benefits then you will recoup the fee pretty quickly.   

Benefits range from  preferential foreign exchange rates, discounts on signets & ciphers, clothing (even Pyjamas!), and jewellery. Members can also get reduced cost  pet and home-sitting, and auctions charges at Bonhams.  For the full list see http://imember.co.uk/organisation/2635.

What we do like is where reciprocal membership gives you a better deal.  For example, the cost of belonging to the Royal Scots Club ranges from £100 to £225 a year, but if you are a member of The Country Gentlemen’s Association you can enjoy the facility to book accommodation and use of the bar and dining room at the Royal Scots for just £54 a year.

Oh, and by the way, CGA membership is not just for men. The CGA welcomes men and women of all ages.

An unexpected cultural reward. Museums and Wine.

Know anyone that likes museums and wine? Share this with them.

Post by IMember.

Link

Before you switch banks, check the benefits they offer

It's just become easier to switch your current account. Did you know that on average we do it every 26 years?!  There are lots of things to consider when choosing a bank - branch locations, customer service, the products offered and so on.  However, if you're thinking of switching, then don't forget that many current accounts offer all kinds of fringe benefits that are worth thinking about. 

Bank benefits range from free breakdown cover, through to discounted golf days.  In many cases the benefit will outweigh the bank charges you may be paying.

Here are some quick links to check out the most popular banks on iMember. 

	Barclays Premier
	Lloyds TSB Gold
	Lloyds TSB Platinum
	Lloyds TSB Silver
	Lloyds TSB Premier
	Natwest Bank Select Silver
	Natwest Advantage Gold
	Natwest Select Platinum Account
	Bank of Scotland Gold
	Bank of Scotland Platinum
	Bank of Scotland Premier
	Bank of Scotland Silver
	Co-operative Bank Privilege
	Co-operative Bank Privilege Premier
	Yorkshire Bank Signature
	Royal Bank of Scotland Select Platinum
	Royal Bank of Scotland Select Silver
	HSBC Advance
	HSBC Premier
	Nationwide FlexAccount
	Santander Reward
	Halifax