The Network for Ringing Training (NRT) was launched at the 2001 Ringing Roadshow, with the aim of providing a contact network for anyone involved in training bell ringers. It held two conferences, in November 2002 and May 2004 respectively but its main activity was intended to be a discussion group. Conducted by email, this aspect of NRT still survives as the sole vestige of what was once an active forum. Members without reliable email access could receive a monthly summary, either by post or occasional email as appropriate.
The last recorded postings on the NRT mailing group were in 2007 and there was little traffic after this date. This doesn’t mean that the original aim of the Network has been fulfilled. On the contrary, the need for communication among ringing teachers and training agencies has never been greater but there are now many more online resources than there were twelve years ago, some spawned from NRT, and there is a wider choice of channels through which we can contact each other.
The Education Committee recognised at its meeting in July 2013 that, with steadily diminishing use over the past four or five years, the NRT had served its purpose and a decision was made to close it by the end of 2013. The Committee hopes for more discussion of training matters on the “change-ringers” list, the oldest and arguably the most popular list for strictly ringing matters, and encourages NRT members to subscribe to this list at www.bellringers.org/mailman/listinfo/change-ringers_bellringers.org.
