Renew membership or update your details

Existing members can use the on-line form or contact the administrative office directly to renew their membership or change address, email, title, etc.

New membership

Download the membership-form or use our on-line registration and payment facility.

The BCA is a UK registered charity founded in 1982 to advance the education of the public in the science of crystallography, particularly within the British Isles. We invite you to join our 1000+ membership. Some Benefits of Individual Membership are:

  • The BCA is the professional organisation for crystallographers in the UK.
  • Comprehensive schedule of UK meetings, including the Annual BCA Meeting each Spring, plus one-day meetings and workshops organised by the various subject groups.
  • Avoid non-member supplements for meetings organised under BCA auspices.
  • After 6 months of membership, students and postdocs can apply for an Arnold Beevers Bursary award for attendance at any relevant scientific meeting.
  • A copy of Crystallography News every quarter: full of crystallographic news and information, product information, meeting reports, job listings, etc.
  • A discounted society rate (for 2013: US$45/£25/€36) for all 4 issues of Crystallography Reviews is available for BCA Members. Details are on the Taylor and Francis subscription page.
  • Receive optional and occasional E-mail notifications of news items and meeting information.
  • Have your say in the development of crystallography, and nominate and vote for BCA Officers, Council Members and subject-group Committee Members, or even stand for office yourself!

Simply download and print out and complete a copy of the membership-form, and return by post to the BCA Administrative Office with your payment. If you would like to pay by direct debit, please use the direct debit form. If you are paying by credit card you can also submit your application by Fax.

Please consider adding a donation which goes directly to “good works” and helps keep membership fees low which is of particular benefit to our younger members. Please take a moment to look at gift aid: you may be able to make the fee worth even more!

If you require any assistance, then please contact the BCA Administrative Office.

Individual Membership Subscription Rates

Membership runs from 1st January to 31st December each year. If you join between 30th September and 31st December you will be enrolled for the following year. Applications processed before the December edition of Crystallography News is posted out will, subject to availability, receive a complimentary copy of the newsletter! If you join between 1st January and 30th September you will be enrolled for the remainder of that year.

(A) Standard Membership Subscription Rates

Note that concessions are available to students, the unemployed, and our retired members only. Membership Grade Fee (by Cheque/CC/Direct Debit) See the application form for up-to-date membership packages.

(B) Only for Student Members – Four Year Term payment

Postgraduate students are strongly encouraged to join for the whole period of their PhD training and this option is designed to make this easier.

(C) Only for Overseas Members – Five Year Term payment (in GBP)

This recognises the difficulty and cost associated with our valued overseas members making payment in pounds sterling. Note that payment by credit card is the best option for overseas members. Details on Corporate Membership are given elsewhere.

Payment

Payment must be in Pounds Sterling (GBP) and cheques must be drawn on a UK bank. Payment by Credit Card (CC) is the best option for our overseas members.

Administration

Members names, addresses, and details of their choice of BCA Groups and date of payment of subscriptions are held in a computer database, to simplify our membership records and for the mailing of Crystallography News.

Members can check details of their entry in the BCA database at any time by contacting the BCA Administrative Office, or interactively at the Annual Spring Meeting.

Members may update their details either on-line or by contacting the BCA Administrative Office directly.

Gift aid

image-right Gift Aid doesn’t cost you anything, it’s simple to do, and, most importantly, the benefits go straight into BCA bursaries.

When you join the BCA you have an opportunity to fill out a Gift Aid Declaration which allows the BCA to claim 28p for HMRC for every £1 of any donations that you make.

Many members joined the BCA as students and were not eligible to Gift Aid their donations at the time, or they joined the BCA before the Gift Aid scheme began. Currently only 20% of our membership have completed Gift Aid Declarations.

If you think this applies to you please download and return a Gift Aid Declaration as soon as possible. HMRC allows us to claim Gift Aid on any donations that you have made to the BCA in the past 6 years.

Have I already signed up?

You can check if you are signed up already by contacting the BCA Administrative Office. You can also contact them if you change your home address, or wish to revoke your Gift Aid Declaration at any time.

What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid is a UK HMRC scheme enabling charities to reclaim tax on monies received from individuals.

If you make donations personally (i.e. not by university or company cheque) then the BCA can reclaim from the Inland Revenue 25p for every £1 paid in the past 6 years.

The only restriction is that you pay at least the amount claimed in UK Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax.

Why should I sign up?

The BCA reclaimed £668 in 2001 and £708 in 2002, so please sign up now.

Many of our members are still not on our Gift Aid register.

If you pay higher rate tax, you can claim back from HMRC the difference between the higher rate of tax (40 per cent) and the basic rate of tax (20 per cent) on the total (gross) value of your donation to the BCA.

How do I sign up?

To register for the BCA Gift Aid scheme all you need to do is to fill out the application form (see “Signing Up” above) and post it to the BCA Administrative Office.

Once you have returned the BCA Gift Aid Declaration the BCA will reclaim tax each year until you revoke your declaration.

You must notify the BCA if your home address changes, or if any year you do not pay UK Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax equal to or greater than the amount that you will be claimed back on all your Gift Aid donations. You can revoke your gift aid declaration at any time by informing the BCA Administrative Office.

Pay higher rate tax?

For higher rate tax payers, both the BCA and the individual benefit (by making a claim on your self-assessment tax return).

If you have any queries or uncertainties about the Gift Aid scheme, please don’t hesitate to contact the BCA Administrative Office or the BCA Treasurer directly.

Self-Assessment Tax Return Donations

Members can opt to donate all or part of any tax return to the BCA through our unique code for the self-assessment tax return scheme: QAJ89BG. Any proceeds will be added to the Arnold Beevers Bursary Fund. Please contact the BCA Treasurer for more information.

Corporate Members

See the corporate membership page.

Honorary Members

See the honorary membership page.