Folks,
Just to add to my previous comments:
In the US, EAA membership is entirely voluntary for amateur builders (and many more) and yet a very large proportion of amateur builders are VOLUNTARY members, with access to a wide range of advice and assistance.
Is there a message hidden there, somewhere??
A bit like AOPA USA, where around 60-70% of ALL FAA licensed pilots are members of AOPA.
Tootle