BCA Membership & Subscriptions

This web site contains information about Membership of the British Caving Association and the British Cave Research Association.

These pages also describe BCA's public liability insurance scheme, which is offered as a benefit to members, and how to Subscribe to BCRA periodicals and purchase BCRA publications.

Please follow the links at the top of the page, or scroll down to read a summary of each of the listed topics.

Some topics are not covered on these pages. Please follow these links, away from this site, for information on...

• Local Cave & Mine Leader Assessment (LCMLA) scheme
• Cave Instructor Certificate (CIC) scheme
• Travel Insurance for cavers
• BCA's Equity Questionnaire MS Word version | PDF version

Join BCA and, optionally, BCRA
Follow the links below to join the British Caving Association or to renew your membership. You can pay an optional supplement to join the British Cave Research Association. You can pay online via PayPal or you can register your application online and then send us a cheque. If you need to know more about the different classes of membership, scroll down to Membership Fees and Benefits. If you live outside the UK you may find it more suitable to subscribe to publications (form M4) than to become a member of BCA or BCRA. (May 2008. See Special Offer to ex-members of BCRA.

You can subscribe to the BCRA periodicals Speleology (ISSN 1478-999X) and Cave & Karst Science (ISSN 1356-191X) without becoming a member of BCA. This may be the cheaper option if you live overseas or do not need other benefits of membership. To order a subscription please use form M4. You can use this online or download a PDF using the links to the right. The subscription fees are also shown in Document D1 (Membership Fees and Benefits). (May 2008. See Special Offer to ex-members of BCRA.

Online payment

Download form

BCA Membership Fees and a list of the benefits of BCA membership are given in Document D1, which you may read online, or download as a PDF using the links to the right.

Read online

Download doc.

Central to BCA's membership structure is the concept that all individual members pay a contribution to the cost of providing a third-party public liability insurance scheme, since this policy provides a 'community' benefit to caving in the UK. The BCA policy has been negotiated by cavers for cavers, it explicitly covers some very unusual risks, including the use of explosives and complex mechanical equipment such as winches, and it covers other caving activities such as workshops, conferences and training events. BCA 'weights' the contribution its members make by charging cavers more than non-cavers. (But, although the policy cover is the same for all members there is the clear expectation that, if you pay a non-caver membership fee, you will not be participating in anything other than surface activities). The policy is explained in Document D2, which you may read online, or download as a PDF using the links to the right.

Read online

Download doc.

• You may pay online using facilities provided by PayPal. How?
• You can register your cheque payment online, to reduce paperwork. How?
• If you prefer, you can download a form, complete it on paper and post us a cheque
• See Further Details for latest updates on Pro-forma Invoices, Postal payments by Credit Card, BACS / International Bank Transfers and Bank Standing Orders

Further details

Download doc.

BCRA has in stock most back-issues of Speleology (ISSN 1478-999X) and Cave & Karst Science (ISSN 1356-191X) as well as a range of other publications including the Cave Studies Series. Further details are given in Document P1, which you may read online, or download as a PDF using the links to the right.

Further details

Download form

Over the years of BCRA's existence we have assembled a large collection of books, journals and scientific publications. This collection now comprises a part of the National Caving Library, which is managed by BCRA on behalf of the British Caving Association. BCRA is keen to maintain its collection of journals and caving club publications from the UK and around the world. We encourage clubs to deposit their publications in the National Caving Library in addition to the standard Legal Deposit requirements.

We operate a 'journal exchange programme' with overseas caving clubs and national bodies where, in exchange for receiving donations to our library, we supply copies of BCRA periodicals free of charge. Further details are given in Document D3, which you may read online, or download as a PDF using the links to the right.

Read online

Download doc.

During the recent period when BCRA and the newly-formed BCA 'consolidated' their membership services, there was a certain amount of chaos and a number of people accidentally let their BCRA membership or their subscription to Cave & Karst Science lapse. In addition, BCRA's membership records suffered some disruption. In recognition of this, and of the fact that the membership renewal process may not have been made clear, BCRA is now making the following 'special offer'.

If you re-join BCRA after a period of non-membership, or you re-subscribe to publications after a lapse we will offer to supply your missing copies of Cave & Karst Science (and Speleology where applicable). Postage will be charged but there will be no cost for the periodicals themselves. (This offer is for a limited time, and we cannot guarantee to be able to supply all back-issues). Further details are given in Document P2, which you may read online, or download as a PDF using the links to the right.

Further details

Download doc.

Membership, Subscriptions and General Enquiries
Use this address for all enquiries about membership, subscriptions, BCA's public liability insurance scheme and other general enquiries. BCA Membership Administrator, c/o the Old Methodist Chapel, Great Hucklow, BUXTON, SK17 8RG. | 01298 873810 | Fax 01298 873801 | membership[at]british-caving...etc.

Periodical Sales & other BCRA Publications
Use this address for all enquiries about back-issues of BCRA periodicals (i.e. Speleology and Cave & Karst Science) and for other BCRA publications. BCRA Publications Sales, Village Farm, Great Thirkleby, THIRSK, YO7 2AT. | 01845 501424 | publications-sales[at]bcra...etc.

BCA Publications
Use this address for all enquiries about BCA's publications. BCA Publications Sales, 3 Greenway, Hulland Ward, ASHBOURNE, DE6 3FE. | 01335 370629 | publication.sales[at]british-caving...etc.

Other BCRA and BCA Contacts
For all other enquiries please see the lists of contacts on the BCA and BCRA web sites. | BCA contacts | BCRA contacts

BCA contacts

BCRA contacts