How much does it cost?
All Red Rope charges are scaled according to your income. So it is very cheap for the low paid or unwaged while a bit more (but still great value) for the more wealthy.
All members pay an annual subscription, which runs until end of December. Any Member joining or renewing from November 2025 on, will get a full year’s membership until end of December 2026. New members joining online after July 1st get a reduction.
Your ‘Annual Sub’ or subscription charge is based on your ‘relevant income’ – see below for details as to how to work this out.
(Please note – if you’re a NEW joiner joining after July 1st, you can reduce your annual fee by 50%, to take you to the end of the year)
NOTE: These rates are applicable for 2026 membership
| Relevant income | Band 1 | Band 2 | Band 3 | Band 4 | Band 5 |
| Weekly | up to £180 | up to £275 | up to £400 | up to £615 | £616 and above |
| Monthly | up to £780 | up to £1192 | up to £1733 | up to £2665 | £2666 and above |
| Annual Sub | £15.00 | £23 | £34 | £48 | £60 |
What’s my ‘Relevant Income’?
To calculate your subscription, work out your monthly (or weekly) ‘relevant income’, and then look up your band in the table above. This tells you how much to pay and what ‘band’ to put on the Membership Form.
How to work out your ‘Relevant income’
- Work out your total income from all sources, including interest on savings, all benefits including child benefit and tax credit, and rent from lodgers or sub-tenants
- Include housing benefit (if you have it) up to £75 per week (£325 a month).
- Deduct tax and National Insurance contributions only (not occupational pension contributions, SAYE, mortgage repayments etc.)
- If you have dependents, e.g. children, one parent/carer per family may deduct a further £20 per week (£87 per month) from their income.
- If your income varies from month to month, total the relevant income for the past three months and divide by thirteen (for weekly figure) or three (for monthly income)
- Then find your band and your charge for a years’ membership
Red Rope is founded on socialist principles and a concept of sharing. The bands are a guide to a minimum subscription. We would like to remind people that Band 3 is our ‘break-even’ band, and that membership and trips at this rate still represent very good value. If people feel they are in a comfortable situation, then Band 3 or above helps the club subsidise those with fewer resources, and we encourage people to consider this, when assessing their band. You may adopt a higher band if you feel that is where you should be.
To Join Online
Go to our Join page – where you can click to our payment system WebCollect, to pay online and also find how to join ‘old-school’ with a paper form.
Renewing your Membership
The club’s membership year runs from January to December. When it is time to renew you’ll get a confirmation reminder by email, telling you how to renew your membership.
If you were a member of Red Rope in the current year, you will receive a confirmation reminder in late December.
Any Member renewing from December onward, will get a full year’s membership until end of December the following year.