| Type | Company limited by guarantee |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive services |
| Founded | United Kingdom (1923) |
| Founder(s) | Frank Vernon Edwards |
| Headquarters | U.K. |
| Services | Motoring and leisure products, breakdown assistance (through partners) |
| Website | csmaclub.co.uk |
The Civil Service Motoring Association (often referred to as CSMA, but recently rebranded as CSMA Club) is a private home, motoring and leisure organisation in the UK. The club offers discounts and offers on insurance, travel, leisure activities, holidays, etc, to its members.[1]
CSMA was established in 1923. Its membership of around half a million is restricted to past and present members of the UK Civil Service and organisations that were formerly part of the British Civil Service, for instance Royal Mail and BT. Relatives of existing members may also join.
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CSMA Club is a non-profit making organisation. It was founded in 1923 by Frank Vernon Edwards, an executive officer in the Ministry of Labour who had an interest in motorcycle trials. Edwards died in 1924.
CSMA Club was designed to be a small motorsport organisation of around 300 members, but by 1930 the membership was over 5,000.
Originally concentrating on the sporting and leisure activities associated with motoring, CSMA has developed into primarily a provider of membership benefits in motoring and leisure areas. Today its member services include insurance, banking, travel , leisure and roadside rescue, providing these through relationships with Approved Partners, notably Frizzell Insurance, with which it has worked since 1923.
CSMA Club formerly owned and operated a vehicle breakdown rescue service for members and the general public, branded Britannia Rescue. In 2007, CSMA sold Britannia Rescue to Liverpool Victoria, the owner of the Frizzell Insurance brand (now known as LV=). There was considerable anger at the AGM which authorised this disposal, since it became clear that members using a postal vote had not been permitted to vote against the proposal but were obliged to delegate their vote unconditionally to the chairman; with the aid of these thousands of votes, however, the proposal was approved.
CSMA owns and operates a number of Leisure Retreats. These currently include
- Ghyll Manor Hotel & Restaurant [2], a Country House Hotel in West Sussex
- Wheel Farm Cottages [3], self catering holiday cottages in Devon
- Cotswold Cottages [4], self catering cottages in Gloucestershire
- Whitemead Forest Park [5], a leisure park in Parkend, Forest of Dean.
Although the general public can use these facilities, members and their families and guests receive a considerable discount on tariffs.
For a considerable period the CSMA also had a country house in the Trough of Bowland in Lancashire, called Eaves Hall. By 2006 this was no longer part of the Club's estate, and although discounts were offered to CSMA members by the new owners, they were insubstantial.
CSMA Club is owner of the Cotswold Motoring Museum in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire.
CSMA's magazine, called CSMA Club magazine, was formerly known as Motoring & Leisure, and is the largest circulated motoring magazine in the UK. The magazine used to be distributed to members who paid a subscription. From 2009 the magazine is included in the yearly membership fee and distributed to all members.