Regional Development Officers are an ART initiative new to 2018. The RDOs are tasked with promoting and developing ART and ringing within their regions. They will be looking at how ART can better support its members at a local level, help prospective members through to accreditation, promote group teaching initiatives and the Learning the Ropes scheme. Activities will range from recruiting new ringers, improving retention to ringing development via workshops.

Four Development Officers have been appointed to work at a local level on a trial basis. The aim of the pilot is to see what works, and what does not. In addition to supporting those who have attended our teaching training modules, the development team will build relationships with local Guild, Association, District and Branch officers. They will be flexible, encouraging people to work together, and won't confine themselves to strict geographical boundaries.

Funding is limited to an expenses only basis, although there is a small budget to provide seed-corn funding to support appropriate recruitment and training initiatives in the pilot areas. The pilot was launched at the ART Conference in March 2018 and lasts two years.

The ART Management Committee will be monitoring how each pilot progresses and there will be a review at the end of each year. If successful, and subject to further funding, ART will look to roll out the appointment of Development Officers in more regions.