Club Rugby

BUSINESS SPECIAL

AT THE HEART OF THE RUGBY COMMUNITY

COVID-19 – advice, support and staying safe Guide to finding funding HQ Building the Business – re-opening the clubhouse

Contents GOVERNMENT SUPPORT DURING COVID-19

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10 Chancellor extends furlough scheme until October 11 Claiming for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme 12 Ins and outs of furloughing 12 Bounce Back Loans 13 Coronavirus Business Loan Scheme Who can apply and how to do it.

FUNDING FOR RUGBY CLUBS & SPORTS CLUBS* 14 Community Emergency Fund from Sport England 15 Scottish clubs encouraged to apply for Business Support Scheme

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AWARDS – CALL FOR ENTRIES

16 Sport Wales – sports funds 27 Club Awards 16 England & Wales Cricket Board – Emergency Loan Scheme

At the heart of the community. Clubs shine through.

30 Winning ways 17 Clubs to share in The R&A funding package 18 Pitch Preparation Fund for football clubs in England 19 RFU Response Loans 20 Scottish Rugby in action 20 LTA announces support package

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – COVID-19 21 The NHS guide to hand washing How to do it and why everyone should.

22 Advice on opening safely Supplier products to help clubs re-open in the best possible, safest shape.

52 It’s Classified Showcasing suppliers and services.

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A tour with Marston’s of some outstanding clubs.

34 Hospitality Social Media Awards Calling all tweeters and Facebook fanastics – this one’s for you.

44 Club Act of the Year Time to sing their praises – let’s get this party started!

46 Supplier of the Year Awards Who’s really a club supporting supplier? Time to nominate!

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*Funds applicable for rugby clubs are highlighted in red.

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WELCOME

Welcome

Contributors

Mike Braidwood

Chris Colverd

Sean Ferris

Karen Foreman

Larry Hardcastle

Jonathan Hardy

Justin O’Regan

Victoria Romero-Trigo

Jill Slingsby

Welcome to this Club Rugby special issue, brought to you against the very positive news that thousands of clubs are now open for business. Golf clubs were the first to get a green light on opening alongside tennis, with bowls and sailing clubs swift to follow.

Way ahead of the high street on-trade, these clubs are able to welcome members back to their outdoors sporting spaces, with, of course, specific measures put in place to keep members and staff safe. The position for multi-sport clubs is also very positive, as it is for those social clubs with sporting arms, bowling greens being a particularly prevalent example.

The position on re-opening the bars and restaurants for all clubs and the on-trade in general will be determined sooner rather than later it seems, and many of the clubs we’re in touch with have been using this down-time to up the ante on spring cleans, refurbishments, grounds maintenance and maintenance in general.

The concept of clubs with large grounds being able to easily create social distancing is something of a hot topic which our new legal partners TLT are examining, and preparation will be key (as reported on www.clubmirror.com). Could you licence the car park, for example? What about creating a larger external bar area with hatches/windows opening out for external service? Think how creative we all became in this respect when the smoking ban kicked in.

Further good news comes for those clubs who submitted a valid claim to HMRC during The Linneweber Case. This has at long last been concluded and these clubs will be due a refund. Advice from our good friends at Dransfields is be sure to act, as the onus will be on clubs to claim, rather than receiving an automatic refund from HMRC. (Read all about it and find out how to claim at this link.)

Also in this Business Special issue, you’ll find latest support available from the government during COVID-19, as well as funding available from various bodies plus coronavirus-specific products to help clubs continue to open safely.

And finally, we’ll be recognising clubland’s epic efforts in a number of Awards, where celebrations will be the order of the day. (See pages 27 onwards.)

So it just remains to say, stay safe and stay inspired!

JUSTIN O’REGAN

Editor Justin O’Regan Design David Foster Editorial Chris Colverd, Caroline Scoular Events Karen Foreman, Jill Slingsby Display Advertising Margaret Doherty Sales & Marketing Leigh-Ann Ogilvie Circulation Jon Hardy Accounts Andrew Soles Publishing Director Sean Ferris Images courtesy of BT Sport

Club Rugby is published by Alchemy Contract Publishing (ACP) Ltd. Club Rugby is a sister title to ACP’s Club Mirror and Clubhouse Europe.

ACP Gainsborough House 59/60 Thames Street Windsor Berkshire SL4 1TX UK t. +44 (0)1753 272022 f. +44 (0)1753 272021 e.info@clubrugby.org.uk www.alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers. Club Rugby does not verify the claims made by advertisers regarding their products.

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LATEST LAUNCHES

Club Bulletins – twice weekly news service We’ve been ultra busy during this period, ensuring that we help to update clubs with latest news which will affect club business, from deliveries and take-aways during lockdown to changes in FCA rule book regulations, insurance issues and the intricacies of furloughing and business loans.

Haven’t seen the yet? Then we hope you enjoy these pages!

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LATEST LAUNCHES

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BUSINESS SPECIAL – GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Chancellor extends furlough scheme until October Chancellor Rishi Sunak has stated that the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will remain open until the end of October. The government issued the following announcement.

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he Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will continue in its current form until the end of July and the changes to allow more flexibility will come in from the start of August. (More specific details and information around its implementation available by the end of May.) In a boost to millions of jobs and businesses, Rishi Sunak said the furlough scheme would be extended by a further four months with workers continuing to receive 80% of their current salary.

From the start of August, furloughed workers will be able to return to work part-time with employers being asked to pay a percentage towards the salaries of their furloughed staff.

The employer payments will substitute the contribution the government is currently making, ensuring that staff continue to receive 80% of their salary, up to £2,500 a month.

The scheme will continue in its current form until the end of July and the changes to allow more flexibility will come in from the start of August. (More specific details and information around its implementation available by the end of May.) The government will explore ways through which furloughed workers who wish to do additional training or learn new skills are supported during this period. It will also continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations to ensure the scheme supports people across the Union.

The Chancellor’s decision to extend the scheme, which will continue to apply across all regions and sectors in the UK economy, comes after the government outlined its plan for the next phase of its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Our Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has protected millions of jobs and businesses across the UK during the outbreak – and I’ve been clear that I want to avoid a cliff edge and get people back to work in a measured way.

“This extension and the changes we are making to the scheme will give flexibility to businesses while protecting the livelihoods of the British people and our future economic prospects.”

Mike Cherry, National Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: The Job Retention Scheme is a lifeline which has been hugely beneficial in helping small employers keep their staff in work, and it’s extension is welcome. Small

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Chancellor Rishi Sunak

• Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will continue until end of October.

• Furloughed workers across UK will continue to receive 80% of their current salary, up to £2,500.

• New flexibility will be introduced from August to get employees back to work and boost economy.

employers have told us that part-time furloughing will help them recover from this crisis and it is welcome that new flexibility is announced today.

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI Director-General, said: The Chancellor is confronting a challenging balancing act deftly. As economic activity slowly speeds up, it’s essential that support schemes adapt in parallel.

Extending the furlough to avoid a June cliff-edge continues the significant efforts made already and will protect millions of jobs.

Introducing much needed flexibility is extremely welcome. It will prepare the ground for firms that are reawakening, while helping those who remain in hibernation. That’s essential as the UK economy revives step-by-step, while supporting livelihoods.

Firms will, of course, want more detail on how they will contribute to the scheme in the future and will work with government to get this right.

Above all, the path of the virus is unpredictable, and much change still lies ahead. The government must continue to keep a watchful eye on those industries and employees that remain at risk. All schemes will need to be kept under review to help minimise impacts on people’s livelihoods and keep businesses thriving.

The greater the number of good businesses saved now, the easier it will be for the economy to recover.

BUSINESS SPECIAL – GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Claiming for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Furloughing has now been extended to October. Clubs can claim for 80% of employee’s wages plus any employer National Insurance and pension contributions for staff furloughed becasue of COVID-19.

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lubs can claim for employees on any type of employment contract, including full-time, part-time, agency, flexible or zero-hour contracts. Foreign nationals are eligible to be furloughed.

Grants under the scheme are not counted as ‘access to public funds’, and you can furlough employees on all categories of visa.

To be eligible for the grant, when on furlough, an employee cannot undertake work for, or on behalf, of the organisation or any linked or associated organisation. This includes providing services or generating revenue. Employers are free to consider allocating any critical business tasks to staff that are not furloughed.

You can only claim for furloughed employees that were employed on 19 March 2020 and who were on your PAYE payroll on or before 19 March 2020. This means an RTI submission notifying payment in respect of that employee to HMRC must have been made on or before 19 March 2020. If you had employees that were employed on 28 February 2020 but not on 19 March 2020, please see the section below on employees who were made redundant or stopped working for you after 28 February 2020.

What you’ll need To make a claim, you will need: • To be registered for PAYE online • Your UK bank account number and sort code (only provide bank account details where a BACS payment can be accepted) • The billing address on your bank account (this is the address on your bank statements) • Your employer PAYE scheme reference number • The number of employees being furloughed • Each employee’s National Insurance number (if you have one or more without a National Insurance number please contact HMRC) • Each employee’s payroll or employee number (optional)

HOW TO CLAIM Clubs can submit their claim online. It is advisable to read all of the accompanying notes at the links below to make the actual applyication as easy as possible.

1. Check if you can claim.

2. Calculate 80% of your employees’ wages.

3. Claim for your employees’ wages.

4. Report a payment in PAYE Real Time Information.

The application form is available at this link: www.access.service.gov.uk/login/signin/creds • The start date and end date of the claim • The full amount you’re claiming for including employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum pension contributions • Your phone number • Contact name You also need to provide either: • Your name (or the employer’s name if you’re an agent) • Your Corporation Tax unique taxpayer reference • Your Self Assessment unique taxpayer reference • Your company registration number Using an agent to do PAYE online If you use an agent who is authorised to do PAYE online for you, they will be able to claim on your behalf.

If you would like to use an agent, but do not have one authorised to do PAYE online for you, you can do that by accessing your HMRC online services and selecting ‘Manage Account’.

You must be enrolled in PAYE online for employers to do this and will need to ask your agent for their

agent ID. Your agent can get this from their HMRC online service for agents by selecting ‘authorise client.’

You can also use this service to remove authorisation from your agent if you do not want it to continue after they have submitted your claim(s).

If an agent makes a claim on your behalf you will need to tell them which bank account you would like the grant to be paid into. You must only provide bank details where a BACS payment can be accepted.

If you’re putting 100 or more employees on furlough If you’re claiming for 100 or more furloughed employees, you’ll need to upload a file containing the following for each employee: • Full name • National Insurance number • Payroll number (optional) • Furlough start date • Furlough end date (if known) • Full amount claimed You’ll need ensure that you: • Provide only the employee information requested here - if you provide more or less information than required, you may risk delaying your payment and/or be asked to provide the information again • Submit one line per employee for the whole period • Do not break up the calculation into multiple periods within the claim • Do not split data by contract type • Upload your file as an .xls, .xlsx, .csv or .ods How to claim You’ll need the Government Gateway user ID and password you got when you registered for PAYE online.

If you do not finish your claim in one session, you can save a draft. You must complete your claim within seven days of starting it.

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BUSINESS SPECIAL – GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

The ins and outs of furloughing staff Clubs and businesses have many questions about furloughing. Here are a few of the most pertinent points.

If your employees are working reduced hours If an employee is working, but on reduced hours, or for reduced pay, they will not be eligible for this scheme.

If your employee is on unpaid leave If an employee started unpaid leave after 28 February 2020, you can put them on furlough instead. If you put them on furlough then you should pay them at least 80% of their regular wages, up to the monthly cap of £2500.

If an employee went on unpaid leave on or before 28 February, you cannot furlough them until the date on which it was agreed they would return from unpaid leave.

If your employee is self-isolating or on sick leave If your employee is on sick leave or self-isolating as a result of Coronavirus, they’ll be able to get Statutory Sick Pay, subject to other eligibility conditions applying. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is not intended for short-term absences from work due to sickness, and there is a 3 week minimum furlough period.

Short term illness/ self-isolation should not be a consideration in deciding whether to furlough an employee. If, however, employers want to furlough employees for business reasons and they are currently off sick, they are eligible to do so, as with other employees. In these cases, the employee should no longer receive sick pay and would be classified as a furloughed employee.

Employers are also entitled to furlough employees who are being shielded or off on long-term sick leave. It is up to employers to decide whether to furlough these employees. You can claim back from both the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the SSP rebate scheme for the same employee but not for the same period of time. When an employee is on furlough, you can only reclaim expenditure through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and not the SSP rebate scheme. If a nonfurloughed employee becomes ill, needs to self-isolate or be shielded, then you

might qualify for the SSP rebate scheme, enabling you to claim up to two weeks of SSP per employee.

If your employee becomes sick while furloughed Furloughed employee retain their statutory rights, including their right to Statutory Sick Pay. This means that furloughed employees who become ill must be paid at least Statutory Sick Pay. It is up to employers to decide whether to move these employees onto Statutory Sick Pay or to keep them on furlough, at their furloughed rate.

If a furloughed employee who becomes sick is moved onto SSP, employers can no longer claim for the furloughed salary. Employers are required to pay SSP themselves, although may qualify for a rebate for up to 2 weeks of SSP. If employers keep the sick furloughed employee on the furloughed rate, they remain eligible to claim for these costs through the furloughed scheme.

Shielding Employees Employees who are unable to work because they are shielding in line with public health guidance (or need to stay home with someone who is shielding) can be furloughed.

Employees with caring responsibilities Employees who are unable to work because they have caring responsibilities resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19) can be furloughed. For example, employees that need to look after children can be furloughed.

If your employee has more than one job If your employee has more than one employer they can be furloughed for each job.

Each job is separate, and the cap applies to each employer individually.

Employees can be furloughed in one job and receive a furloughed payment but continue working for another employer and receive their normal wages.

Bounce Back Loan – who can apply?

The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) aims to help small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and up to 25% of their turnover. The maximum loan available is £50,000 UK-based clubs can apply for a Bounce Back Loan if the club: • Was established before 1 March, 2020.

• Has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus If your business was classed as a business in difficulty on 31 December, 2019 you’ll need to confirm that you’re complying with additional state aid restrictions.

The Government is guaranteeing 100% of Bounce Back Loans (BBLs) and there won’t be any fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months. After 12 months the interest rate will be 2.5% a year.

Who cannot apply?

You cannot apply if you’re already claiming under: • Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) • Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) • COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility If you’ve already received a loan of up to £50,000 under one of these schemes you can transfer it into the

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Bounce Back Loan scheme. You have until 4 November, 2020 to arrange this with your lender.

How long the loan is for The length of the loan is six years, but you can repay early without paying a fee. No repayments will be due during the first 12 months.

How to apply There are 11 lenders participating in the scheme including many of the main retail banks. You should approach a suitable lender yourself via the lender’s website. You can have a look at the lenders at this link.

The lender will ask you to fill in a short online application form and self-declare that you are eligible.

The lender will decide whether to offer you a loan or another type of finance and you’ll be responsible for repaying 100% of the amount borrowed.

If the lender turns you down If one lender turns you down, you can apply to other

lenders in the scheme. You may want to consider using a broker to find the right type of finance for your needs, or do your own research using the British Business Bank’s finance guide.

HOW TO APPLY The Bounce Back Loan is intended for smaller clubs and businesses requiring smaller loans as follows: • Loans of between £2,000 and £50,000 • Term loan repaid over six years • No set-up fees and first 12 months of interest payments covered by government • No repayments during the first 12 months The online application form can be found at the following link: www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-forthe-coronavirus-business-interruption-loanscheme#how-to-apply

BUSINESS SPECIAL – GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Coronavirus Business Loan Scheme – who can apply and how to do it After reviewing requirements for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme applications (applicants had to be a ‘standard commercial facility’) the Government has opened up the scheme to smaller clubs and businesses facing cashflow difficulties.

HOW TO APPLY

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K-based clubs with an annual turnover of less than £45m may be eligible to apply for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

You will need to show that your club: • Would be viable were it not for the pandemic.

• Has been adversely impacted by the coronavirus.

• If you want to borrow £30,000 or more, you also need to confirm that your business wasn’t classed as a business in difficulty on 31 December, 2019.

How long is the loan is for?

The maximum length of the facility depends on the type of finance you apply for and will be: • Up to three years for overdrafts and invoice finance facilities • Up to six years, for loans and asset finance facilities How to apply There are over 40 lenders participating in the scheme.

You are advised that you should approach a ‘suitable lender’ yourself via the lender’s website.

You’ll need to tell the lender: • The amount you’d like to borrow.

• What the money is for.

• How long you’d like to pay it back.

Supporting documents You’ll need to provide documents that show you can afford to repay the loan. These may include: • Management accounts.

• Cash flow forecast.

• Business plan.

• Historic accounts.

• Details of assets.

The documents required will vary from lender to lender and depend on how much you’re asking for. If you’re asking your existing lender for a small loan, the process may be automated and not require all of the documents.

The lender will check that the loan is: • For a suitable business purpose.

• Affordable for you.

• The right type of finance for your needs.

The lender will decide whether to offer you a loan or another type of finance and you’ll be responsible for repaying 100% of the amount borrowed.

If one lender turns you down, you can still approach other lenders within the scheme.

If you applied previously for CBILS under its original form and were not then eligible, you may wish to consider re-contacting that lender if you have previously been unsuccessful in securing funding.

The process is as follows: 1. Find a lender - View and select a CBILS accredited lender here: www.britishbusinessbank.co.uk/ourpartners/coronavirusbusiness-interruption-loan-scheme-cbils2/current-accredited-lenders-and-partners/ 2. Approach a lender - The lender has the authority to decide whether to offer you finance.

Under the scheme, lenders will not take personal guarantees of any form for facilities below £250,000. For facilities above £250,000, personal guarantees may still be required, at a lender’s discretion, but they exclude the Principal Private Residence (PPR), and recoveries under these are capped at a maximum of 20% of the outstanding balance of the CBILS facility after the proceeds of business assets have been applied 3. The lender makes a decision - If one lender turns you down, you can still approach other lenders within the scheme.

The online application form can be found at the following link: www.british-businessbank.co.uk/ ourpartners/coronavirus-businessinterruption-loan-scheme-cbils-2/forbusinesses-and-advisors/

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BUSINESS SPECIAL – FUNDING FOR SPORTS CLUBS

Community Emergency Fund from Sport England Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund provides awards from £300 - £10,000 to clubs and community organisations to help with immediate financial distress. (At time of writing, Sport England had ‘paused’ for the first tranche of applications; keep in touch at the Sport England website for updates.)

A CASE IN POINT – THE EMERALD CENTRE, LEICESTER The Emerald Centre in Leicester is one example of where Sport England has stepped in, awarding a grant of £10,000.

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port England’s Community Emergency Fund was launched in March. The initial £20m fund, supported by The National Lottery, was set up as a rapid response to the coronavirus (Covid19) pandemic and its impact on sport and exercise.

The fund has now seen the addition of an extra £15m to cope with demand, all part of a £210m package of support for the sport and physical activity sector.

Chief executive Tim Hollingsworth said he hoped the package would help the sector get through these ‘extremely challenging times’.

“As the body responsible for the growth of sport and physical activity at a grassroots level, we have an important role to play both in ensuring that we support those with short term cashflow concerns and immediate loss of income, as well as those facing medium and long term survival challenges and financial difficulties,” said Tim. “We want the sector not just to come through this crisis but to be in a position to thrive again in the future and this package will ease the pressure on a huge number of the organisations who are central to that.”

ABOUT THE FUND Aims The fund aims to deliver immediate funding to those most in need and builds on the success of similar previous funds such as Sport England’s Flood Relief Fund.

It’s specifically targeted at organisations who have a role in supporting the nation to be active but who are experiencing short-term financial hardship or the ceasing of operations due to the impact of coronavirus.

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Tony Cusack, Manager for the Emerald Centre, said: “The funding from Sport England has been a great and wonderful help. It will help us to get through this difficult time and be in the best possible position to return to normal and continue to work when this is over.

“Without this funding it would have been very difficult to continue to do what we do once this is over.

Our reserves are diminishing without our regular income and this grant has been crucial for us as we try and recoup some of the funding we’ve missed out on while being closed.”

The centre is open seven days a week and helps more than 10,000 people take part in sport and physical activity every year, with the centre used seven days a week. With eight sports teams based out of the centre, including football and Gaelic football sides, many people rely on the site to get active.

Last year users ranged from small babies to people in their 90s, while the centre also provides sessions for people with severe physical and mental disabilities – including advanced dementia.

Without funding, and other business grants, the centre would have had to cut staff or sell assets to cover costs (in excess of £7k per month). Now, the centre is able to remain a beacon of hope for the local community. Older members have received weekly phone calls from volunteers while hot meals have also been provided via a delivery service. They have also been offered ‘armchair aerobic’ sessions over Facebook.

The Gaelic football teams have also been providing home and garden-based challenges for members to take part in.

This £20 million fund of National Lottery money is designed to complement other sources of funding from the government, such as funds targeted at small businesses.

Grants sizes Organisations can apply for grants between £300 and £10,000.

Who’s eligible? The types of organisations eligible include local sports clubs forced to close at short notice but who are facing ongoing costs around maintenance and utility bills, and voluntary and community sector organisations who deliver or enable sport and physical activity.

A specific example might be a grant to support a local boxing club pay costs for their facility when no activity is taking place, or a grant to support a league who have paid for equipment to run a competition which has now been cancelled.

CONTACT DETAILS Sport and Recreation Alliance Burwood House, 14 Caxton Street, London SW1H 0QT t. 020 7976 3900 e. info@sportandrecreation.org.uk www.sportandrecreation.org.uk

BUSINESS SPECIAL – FUNDING FOR SPORTS CLUBS

Scottish clubs encouraged to apply for Business Support Scheme The national agency for sport in Scotland, sportscotland, offers the following resources to help clubs looking for practical advice and financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scottish Government Grants Scheme One-off grants are available to clubs through the Business Support Fund which offers two types of grant: • Retail, Hospitality, Leisure Support Grant: £25,000 • Small Business Grant: £10,000 Clubs throughout Scotland have already benefitted from these grants via application to their local council. Further information is below. www.mygov.scot/non-domestic-rates-coronavirus/ grants-to-help-businesses-during-coronavirus/ Third Sector Resilience Fund and Wellbeing Fund The SCVO Resilience Hub it is the best place for clubs to get information on the Resilience Fund and the Wellbeing Fund, it also holds information on other sources of funding and Government schemes and is constantly being reviewed and updated.

The Third Sector Resilience Fund (TSRF) is a £20m emergency fund for charities, community groups, social enterprises and voluntary organisations working in Scotland. The fund supports organ-

isations that already deliver services and products but find themselves in financial difficulties directly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. https://scvo.org/support/coronavirus/ www.cricketscotland.com/wp-content/uploads/ 2020/04/Coronavirus-Third-Sector-ResilienceFund-Grants-to-sport-up-to-24.04.20-002.pdf Self Employed Coaches or Club Employed Staff Any club employed staff struggling to meet their employer’s PAYE or NIC commitment should contact the HMRC. This can be done via the HMRC Covid-19 helpline on 0800 0159 559. Evidence of financial hardship will be needed.

The Self Employment Income Support Scheme has been set-up by the UK Government to support self-employed people who have been adversely affected by COVID-19.

This information may be useful to coaches that have been engaged by clubs on a self-employed basis.

Full details of the scheme can be found below. www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-thecoronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-incomesupport-scheme

Clubs and Regional Associations with SCIO status For clubs and regional associations with Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) status, the charity regulator OSCR has published web guidance for charities that clubs and regional associations should review. www.oscr.org.uk/guidance-and-forms/covid-19-guidance-for-charities/

CONTACT DETAILS Sport Scotland Doges, Templeton on the Green 62 Templeton Street, Glasgow G40 1DA. e.www.sportscotland.org.uk t.0141 534 6500

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BUSINESS SPECIAL – FUNDING FOR SPORTS CLUBS

Sport Wales – sports funds In response to the COVID-19 outbreak the Sport Wales and the Welsh Government have announced up to £8.1million of support for businesses in Wales, including clubs.

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port Wales and the Welsh Government have worked together to identify an initial fund of up to £8.1million in addition to the Emergency Relief Fund. This will be used to support sports clubs partner networks vital in ensuring the nation is able to remain active and enjoy all the health and wellbeing benefits that sport brings.

Sport Emergency Relief Fund: To support the smallest and most vulnerable sports organisations with cash flow and other critical issues.

Sport Resilience Fund: This will be used to support sports clubs and partner networks who are so vital in ensuring the nation is able to remain active and enjoy all the health and wellbeing benefits that sport brings.

CONTACT DETAILS emergencyrelief@sport.wales https://www.sport.wales

England & Wales Cricket Board – Emergency Loan Scheme Cricket clubs and leagues are now able to apply to the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for three new funding schemes specifically designed to help see them through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The ECB Emergency Loan Scheme This aims to help affiliated cricket clubs by providing funding to cover any shortfall in essential day-to-day running and maintenance costs until normal recreational cricket activity can be resumed.

Who can apply?

Clubs affiliated to their County Cricket Board in 2019 or 2020.

What will the scheme fund?

ECB will consider applications for costs for a period of up to 12 months. Clubs should calculate estimated shortfall in the following expenditure areas: • Utility or service Costs • Rental charges • Staff costs (employees – not coaches or players) • Cleaning or maintenance commitments • IT licences • Security

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BUSINESS SPECIAL – FUNDING FOR SPORTS CLUBS • Insurance • Equipment orders that can’t be deferred/recovered • TV / Broadband subscriptions (where it is not suspended) • Affiliations • Any other reasonable fixed and / or contracted costs How much loan can I apply for?

Club with a junior section (including All Stars Cricket/Dynamos Cricket) between £1,000 and £5,000. Club with an adult section only between £1,000 and £3,000.

How do I apply?

Clubs apply by clicking here: https://ims.ecb.co.uk Return to Cricket Grant Scheme The Return to Cricket Grant Scheme aims to provide cricket clubs and leagues with assistance in exceptional circumstances, where other potential sources of financial support are not available, e.g. constitutionally a loan is not an option or there is a high risk of default in paying back a loan.

Who can apply?

• Clubs trevented from taking out an Emergency Loan by their own constitution or articles • Cricket leagues (open-age or junior) • Clubs with an annual turnover up to £15,000 What will the scheme fund?

Clubs and leagues can apply for: • Utility or service costs • Rental charges

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Staff costs (employees – not coaches or players) Cleaning or maintenance commitments IT licences Security Insurance Equipment orders that can’t be deferred or recovered • TV / Broadband subscriptions (where it is not suspended) • Affiliations • Any other reasonable fixed and / or contracted costs How much grant can I apply for?

• Clubs with an adult Section only up to £1,000.

• Leagues (open-age or junior) up to £2,000.

• Clubs with a junior section (including All Stars Cricket / Dynamos Cricket) up to £3,000.

How do I apply?

Clubs and Leagues need to contact their County Cricket Board to discuss their situation and potential eligibility.

League Emergency Loan Scheme The ECB League Emergency Loan Scheme aims to support affiliated cricket leagues (open-age and junior leagues) during the COVID-19 crisis through the provision of interest-free loans.

Afro-Caribbean Cricket Association (ACCA) in 2019 or 2020.

What will the scheme fund?

The cost of cricket balls, plus, unrecoverable costs above £2,000 in the 2020 season which may include: • The cost of block booking/hire of grounds?

• The cost associated with the production of league handbooks?

• The cost of purchase of kit and/or equipment ?

• The cost of staging events How much loan can a league apply for?

• Up to £50,000 If a league requires a loan exceeding this limit, please contact the ECB facilities help desk by emailing loans@ecb.co.uk.

How do I apply?

Click here - https://ims.ecb.co.uk

CONTACT DETAILS The England and Wales Cricket Board, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London, NW8 8QZ t +44 (0)20 7432 1200

Who can apply?

Open-age and junior leagues affiliated direct to ECB, or a partnership agreement via their County Cricket Board (CCB) or the National Asian Cricket Council (NACC), National Cricket Conference (NCC) or

Clubs to share in The R&A funding package The R&A launched a £7 million funding package, The R&A Covid-19 Support Fund, to help golf deal with the impact of the pandemic.

The R&A fund will be largely aimed at national associations and other affiliated bodies in Great Britain and Ireland.

Assistance for clubs and facilities With the global pandemic leading to widespread temporary course closures and drastic reductions in domestic and international travel, many golf clubs and facilities are facing serious financial difficulties.

The fund is being provided to help The R&A’s affiliated national associations to support those clubs and facilities, although some of the money may be used for other activities key to the future health of the sport.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “The pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on golf and many clubs are facing dire financial situations through no fault of their own.

“Golf is in our DNA and we want to see the sport continue to thrive from grassroots right through to

How to access The R&A Covid-19 Fund The R&A is working with England Golf on communications, with England Golf responsible for controlling and allocating its share.

Visit https://www.randa.org for country-specific details.

the top level on the professional tours. We have a responsibility to do what we can to help in such a crisis.

“The R&A Covid-19 Support Fund will enable national associations and other key bodies to provide support to some of their members. We know that many challenges lie ahead but club golf is the bedrock of our sport and hopefully this fund will help to begin the process of recovery.”

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BUSINESS SPECIAL – FUNDING FOR SPORTS CLUBS

Pitch Preparation Fund for football clubs in England The Premier League, The FA, the Government and Sport England have come together through their Football Foundation to launch the new ‘Pitch Preparation Fund’ for clubs.

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he Pitch Preparation Fund aims to support as many clubs and organisations as possible to be ready for when football returns.

Every applicant must be a club or organisation with a minimum of 12 months’ security of tenure over the pitches they wish to improve by freehold, leasehold or licence, and have the legal responsibility for maintaining them.

Who is eligible?

• Grassroots football clubs (including Step 7) • FA National League System clubs (from Steps 1 to 6) • FA Women’s Pyramid clubs (Tier 1-5)

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• County FAs • Professional Club Community Trusts • Leisure Trusts (with an annual turnover of less than 500k) • Welsh Premier League clubs Who is not eligible?

• Clubs and Organisations without a suitable security of tenure • Clubs and Organisations that do not maintain their own pitches • Education establishments • Local Authorities • Town and Parish Councils

• Leisure Trusts with an annual turnover of more than £500k • Clubs and Organisations that had already received a grant via the Sport England Community Emergency Fund towards pitch maintenance works • Clubs and Organisations that have recently received an ‘Enhanced Grass Pitch Maintenance’ grant from the Football Foundation (unless the First Team pitch had been excluded from the application) CONTACT DETAILS More can be found by clicking here: https://footballfoundation.org.uk/grant

BUSINESS SPECIAL – FUNDING FOR SPORTS CLUBS

RFU Response Loans Applications for the first round of the RFU Covid 19 response loans has closed and the RFU advises clubs to keep checking their webpage or the RFU Community Game Update for information and announcements about future loan application windows.

T

he RFU recently announced a £7m relief package for community clubs. The package includes monies ring fenced and diverted for the community game, as well as additional funding.

The package includes: • An early release of £800,000 cash due to clubs through the ticketing fund.

• Early release of final funding payments (£600,000) to Constituent Bodies and suspension of the activity plans against which this was allocated, enabling them to utilise this to provide “immediate support grants” to clubs most in need. In addition, £400,000 will be made available to Constituent Bodies who elect to match funds from their own reserves.

• A suspension of the Quarterly loan repayments for clubs with outstanding loans due in April (£335,000).

• The creation of a £5m support loans programme, offering loans of between circa £2,000 and circa £10,000 to clubs, with deferred payments for six months and repayable over three years.

RFU Chief Executive Bill Sweeney issued the following statement: We will be issuing regular club recovery updates with practical advice on how government grants can be accessed, as well as other business management advice.

We welcome government interventions which

will provide business rate holidays and grants for clubs.

The RFU will continue to provide a free helpline to assist clubs with legal and tax related matters, which you can access here.

No one can predict every possible outcome of the COVID-19 outbreak particularly with regard to the duration of this crisis and we are managing in the unknown. We have modelled three potential scenarios and are working on an assumption based on a medium term impact with a view to a return to rugby in the autumn. We will continue to monitor against this assumption and review and revise planning where necessary.

The RFU had budgeted for a loss making year within a four year cycle due to the costs of the 2019 RWC campaign and hosting only two home Six Nations games. The loss will now be considerably more as we face challenges similar to businesses across the country.

The RFU’s biggest asset is also a major cost and the closure of Twickenham Stadium has a significant impact on the revenues we can generate to re-invest back into the game. In that sense we are like every other club in the Union, when we do not stage matches and events we do not generate revenue.

Based on our planning assumption we estimate RFU revenue losses over the next 18 months to be approximately £45-£50 million and have a firm plan in place to mitigate this. The RFU Executive Team will be taking a cut in remuneration in excess of 25%.

In addition, combined Board fees will be reduced by 75%.

We are continuing our support to ensure colleagues and communities are given help to follow government advice and are providing recommendations on how to stay fit and healthy and a range of new content will be made available to players and fans across our social media channels.

We are discussing with government and the NHS the role the RFU and Twickenham Stadium can play in providing volunteers as well as support for the NHS including accommodation, parking, and meal provisioning.

I am confident that rugby will play a big role in energising communities across England after this difficult period. In the meantime, we’re working hard with the wider rugby community to take the necessary measures to safeguard a financially resilient Union so that we can prioritise support available to ensure survival in the best interests of the game.

CONTACT DETAILS Rugby Football Union, Rugby House, Twickenham Stadium, 200 Whitton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 7BA t. 0871 222 2120. e. enquiries@therfu.com www.englandrugby.com

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BUSINESS SPECIAL - FUNDING FOR SPORTS CLUBS

Scottish Rugby in action In May, Scotland’s Minister for Sport Joe FitzPatrick invited Scottish Rugby to discuss how its Threat Management Group is tackling the current COVID-19 challenges.

A

t a meeting with the Scottish Government on May 5, Scottish Rugby outlined the detailed work being carried out by its Threat Management Group in response to the implications of the COVID-19 crisis and the work currently underway to support its community clubs across the country.

The meeting was welcomed as a start of a dialogue between rugby, fellow SGBs and the Scottish Government in a bid to work together to support existing public health initiatives and explore credible ways to restart activities, once safe to do so.

Scottish Rugby’s Chief Operating Officer, Dominic McKay said: “Scottish Rugby is very grateful to the Minister for initiating today’s discussions.

This is an encouraging first meeting which generated constructive dialogue and a timely chance to collaborate with other sports.

“We would welcome the opportunity to meet again and agreed to share any relevant information and learnings we have with both Scottish Government and other sports to aid progress at this time.

“Scottish Rugby remains committed to supporting the Scottish Government in any practical way through the COVID-19 crisis and looks forward to continuing this important dialogue in the coming weeks and months.”

CONTACT DETAILS Scottish Rugby is contactable by email and Live Chat at this link: https://ask.scottishrugby.org/hc/ en-gb/articles/360009485759Contact-Us

LTA announces support package The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has announced a multi-million support package to support clubs and those involved in British tennis. Scott Lloyd, LTA Chief Executive explains.

T

he health and wellbeing of the nation is of utmost importance at the moment, and our thoughts are with anyone who has been affected by the coronavirus.

We know that many involved in tennis in Britain are concerned about their futures and are facing significant challenges. As such, earlier this month we announced our multi-million pound support package, designed to ensure clubs and venues remain viable and players, coaches and officials are not lost to our sport.

Below is an overview of all our packages of additional funding and measures to support those involved in tennis in Britain who have been severely impacted by the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

These measures have been developed by the LTA, in consultation with Tennis Scotland and Tennis Wales, and will make additional support available to tennis venues, coaches, officials and players in recognition of the vital contribution these groups all make to tennis. Our goal in providing them is to help tennis in Britain emerge from this period in as strong and healthy a position as possible, and that our sport is able to resume its unique

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Details for some other packages are being finalised and will be added as soon as they are available.

You can read our announcement of these support measures here. For further information in relation to the coronavirus and tennis in Britain please refer to our dedicated page at lta.org.uk/coronavirus.

We hope that the combination of this new package and the continuation of our existing support will help ensure our whole tennis family is able to operate post COVID-19 and we can all continue to deliver our collective vision of opening up tennis to many more people.

Take care and stay safe.

role in keeping the nation active as soon as conditions allow.

We have prioritised making packages live that relate to the payment of grants, so that those eligible can receive this money as soon as possible.

CONTACT DETAILS LTA, National Tennis Centre, 100 Priory Lane, Roehampton, London SW15 5JQ t. 0208 4877000 E.info@LTA.org.uk www.lta.org.uk

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HQ - COVID-19 BULLETIN

The NHS guide to hand washing – how to do it and why everyone should At the risk of hammering home the obvious but critical message that handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and those around you getting sick, we’re joining the NHS in offering this practical reminder.

Y

ou can help yourself and everyone else stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs.

• Before, during, and after preparing food • Before eating food • Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea • Before and after treating a cut or wound • After using the toilet • After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing • After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste • After handling pet food or pet treats • After touching garbage

5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Why? Read the science behind the recommendations.

Follow five steps to wash your hands the right way Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community—from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals.

Follow these five steps every time.

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.

2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.

4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

Use hand sanitizer when you can’t use soap and water You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol by looking at the product label.

Sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in many situations. However, • Sanitizers do not get rid of all types of germs.

• Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.

• Hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals from hands like pesticides and heavy metals.

Caution! Swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers can cause alcohol poisoning if more than a couple of mouthfuls are swallowed. Keep it out of

reach of young children and supervise their use. Learn more here.

How to use hand sanitizer • Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).

• Rub your hands together.

• Rub the gel over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.

Downloadable posters can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/posters. html and for a short YouTube NHS video visit this link https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com

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HQ - COVID-19 BULLETIN

HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS, the free service for clubs, helps you get set up ready to come out of the Covid-19 crisis in fighting fit shape. With workloads easing up (for all the wrong reasons) now is the time to plan for reopening. To assist in reopening, keeping your staff and members virus free, here are some products and services which might help. There are many more which you can see at www.hqbuildingthebusiness.com

Sanitising equipment and PPE T

o purchase sanitiser products and personnel protective equipment (PPE) like face masks, safety visors, detergents, disposable gloves, hand and cleaning detergents, dispensers and other useful products, please visit Office Monster. Don’t forget to quote HQWELCOME10 on your first order to enjoy an additional 10% saving !

ALCOHOL-BASED SANITISER ROOM BOMBS This product sanitises a room in less than 1 hour, killing germs and making the room virus free and smelling fresh.

Sanitiser Room Bombs, suitable for rooms up to approximately 12 m2 per single use can. £117.60 + vat per case of 12 cans + £10 delivery UK wide.

To order please contact David on 07495893993 or email enquiries@hqbuildingthebsuiness.com and we will call you back for your order.

DEEP CLEANING ASSISTANCE Our partner technicians will meticulously disinfect areas and objects that pose a threat of cross contamination using Steri-7. (Steri-7 is a high-level surface disinfectant. Steri-7 kills up to 99.9999% of a broad range of pathogens within seconds of contact and has been tested against feline Coronavirus; a surrogate for Coronavirus.)

The areas disinfected will be all touchpoints in your premises, such as door handles, light switches, tales, seat arms and kitchen surfaces etc to help minimise the risk of microbial transfer. Additional ultralow volume (ULV) disinfection fogging can be used when required for the treatment of large areas in a short space of time quickly and efficiently as the extremely small droplets of the disinfectant fog settle underneath, on top of and on the sides of many objects and inaccessible areas making the club clean and safe.

FEVER CAM SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT PRICING Large Camera unit, for high volumes of measurement: • Able to measure multiple faces simultaneously within a crowd.

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• Can be integrated with facial recognition systems.

• Monthly Charge, including file storage and data access.

Small Camera unit for low/slow volumes of measurement perhaps for unmanned receptions or staff entrances • Measures one person at a time.

• Can detect the presence of a mask or not.

• Can be integrated with facial recognition systems.

Systems can also be configured using a mix of large and small cameras. Cameras can be purchased on a supply-only basis.

FEVER CAM TECHNOLOGY AND YOUR CAMERAS We can also work with existing client’s camera systems you have in place and add our propriety software to make your cameras “Facial recognition” enabled and “temperature” enabled, we then add links back into the existing systems for monitoring and compliance.

CONTACT DETAILS For further information and/or detailed quotations: e. enquiries@hqbuildingthebusiness.com t. 07495893993

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CLUB AWARDS

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE!

CLUB-SUPPORTING SUPPLIERS WE SALUTE YOU ALL! 26

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CALL FOR ENTRIES – CLUB AWARDS

Time to shine Enter the 2020 Club Awards The Club Awards recognise the commitment of those who work to ensure a healthy future for their club.

Against a backdrop of COVID-19, it’s time for clubs to be recognised for all that they do. Read on...

I

f you haven’t entered the Club Awards before, then make sure 2020 is the year that you do.

From football clubs to rugby clubs and from social clubs to political clubs, and everything in between, we look forward to your entry, both old friends and new.

The Club Awards celebrate clubs across the UK and provide the perfect forum to share ideas and issues, particularly important during the current coronavirus pandemic.

JOIN THE JOURNEY – WHY ENTER? Clubs use their success to: • Raise the club’s profile.

• Cement their position at the heart of their communities.

• Encourage new members.

• Thank existing members for their support.

• Show that the club is spending members’ money for their benefit and that of the community.

• Celebrate clubland in all its forms.

ENTERING YOUR CLUB So, do you think you could be a finalist? Do you have what it takes to beat the best and stand out from the rest? Time to find out.

HOW TO ENTER This year, and given exceptional circumstances, we’re encouraging clubs to complete a self entry form. So either: 1. Turn the page and fill in the form OR 2 Just email your details to info@clubmirror.com and we'll take it from there.

Simple as that. We look forward to your entry – good luck!

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CALL FOR ENTRIES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CLUB AWARDS

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HOW TO ENTER n Please email me a self-entry form.

Which categories would you like to be considered for? (Please tick as many/few boxes as you wish. The judges may also enter you in other categories which they believe you excel in.)

n Bar Manager/Bar Steward of the Year (Q) n Business Initiative of the Year (R) n Bowls Club of the Year (S) n CAMRA Club of the Year (T) n Catering Club of the Year (U) n Catering Club of the Year – Golf (V) n Charity Club of the Year (W) n Committee of the Year (X) n Community Club of the Year (Y) n Cricket Club of the Year (Z) n Darts Club of the Year (AA) n Entertainment Club of the Year (AB) n Family Club of the Year (AC) n Football Club of the Year (AD) n Golf Club of the Year – under £1m turnover (AE) n Golf Club of the Year – over £1m turnover (AF)

Name:

n Grounds Team of the Year (AG) n Innovative Club of the Year (AH) n Manager/Secretary of the Year (AI) n Marketing Club of the Year (AJ) n Membership Club of the Year (AK) n Racing Club of the Year (AL) n Refurbishment Club of the Year (AM) n Rugby Club of the Year (AN) n Social Media Club of the Year (AO) n Sports Club of the Year (AP) n Sports and Social Club of the Year (AQ) n Tennis Club of the Year (AR) n Traditional Club of the Year (AS) n Turnaround Club of the Year (AT) n Website of the Year (AU) n King of Clubs (AW)

__________________________________________________________

Role at club: __________________________________________________________ Club name: __________________________________________________________ Address:

__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Postcode:

_________________________________

Tel:

__________________________________________________________

Email:

__________________________________________________________

CONTACT THE CLUB AWARDS TEAM: Fill in this form and post to: Club Awards, Alchemy Contract Publishing, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor SL4 1TX

BY EMAIL: Email your details to info@clubmirror.com OR request a ‘self entry’ form.

BY PHONE: Just call in your club details to 01753 272022

BY POST:

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OUT AND ABOUT

On tour with Marston’s As Club Mirror heads towards the 2019 Club Awards, we take a whirlwind tour of just some of the Marston’s clubs who have made it through as finalists. Congratulations to them all.

Broadstone RBL Broadstone, Dorset Founded: 1947 A major £160k refurbishment of the club has been completed, all paid for directly by club funds with not a loan in sight. “The refurbishment has made a big difference in retaining members,” says Treasurer Peter Buchan. “We’ve also increased membership as a result.”

Two important areas to come under the refurb focus were the Ladies and the constructing of an impressive outdoor smoking area. “And as part of the refurbishment, I installed a computerised POS system and accounting system last year,” says Peter, his IT background coming to the fore.

Live entertainment has been also been the focus of a makeover, with more live bands, soloists and duos, and in the Summer the club held a two and and a half day open day with a full programme of entertainment – comedians, bands, kids’ entertainment – where the club could showcase itself.

Great Brickhill Cricket Club Great Brickhill, Buckinghamshire Founded: 1978

Top Fact: The town of Broadstone has grown from a small farm in 1840 to a suburb of 10,000 people.

The Dunmow Club Great Dunmow, Essex Founded: 1919 The Dunmow Club owes its origins to the returning service men from the Great War, being inaugurated in January 1919 at a meeting held at the local technical college. Its links to the Royal British Legion remain strong as a result.

The club’s 2019 centenary has been marked with a number of activities for its 1100 members, including commemorative medals for AGM attendees, special presentation packs at the annual golf day and a June party.

Getting members out and about is key and includes taking 150 members to Newmarket races free of charge, along with Chelmsford and Great Yarmouth courses plus a trip to Romford Dogs.

“The Royal British Legion travel free on our coaches,” says Graham Haslam, Secretary. “We’re also running a senior citizens outing to Southwold and a free five course Seniors Christmas lunch with live entertainment.”

The bar is a focal point for club life, open 11 am to 11 pm Monday to Saturday and Noon until 11 pm on Sundays. There’s a big screen showing the full range of sporting events (both BT Sport and Sky Sports), a separate Pool Room, Snooker Room and a quiet area were members can read the newspapers and chat quietly amongst themselves.

The traditional club fare of darts, snooker, pool and dominoes are part of the fabric of club life, along with live music, quizzes and poker nights.

Top Fact: Originally the site of a Roman settlement the town boasted a church as early as 1045.

Great Brickhill CC has to make sure it has other revenue streams outside the cricket season – May to September – to make sure that the grounds and pavilion pay for themselves long after the echoes of ‘Howzat’ have faded away for the season. This issue has been addressed so well by this Bucks club that its social side has now surpassed the cricket element.

“This is as a result of introducing special food events every Friday evening which brings new people in. For example, we’ve had an evening of street food, Mexican, curry night, Calzone night, Greek, Italian… on average 150 people attend, including many nonmembers who then join up,” says Karen Roff, Pavilion Manager. “Membership is up by 10%.”

At the bar 300 gins are on offer and the club’s September Gin and Beer Festival attracts 500 people.

Functions – parties, Christenings, wakes etc – help boost revenues, and the club is now in a position to put the off-season to good use with a refurbishment.

Top Fact: In the English Civil War, the Earl of Essex’s army camped for a month in the village.

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Marsden Golf Club, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire Founded: 1920

Parkstone Yacht Club Poole, Dorset Founded: 1895

With the club’s centenary celebrations already being planned – including a Summer Ball and a golf day with players in 1920s attire – Marsden Golf Club is in great shape as it heads into its next 100 years.

The arrival of a new Club Steward, Ben Moorehouse along with wife Lizzie, has seen bar sales increase by 75%, says Chairman Dave Shufflebotham: “Ben has revamped our drinks offering with new beers. He and Lizzie have improved the food offering considerably with bar snacks, burgers, ham and chips, curries, chilli and so on, and we serve lunches, evening meals and Sunday lunches.”

Marketing the club has also taken on renewed importance, with the power of social media now being employed, alongside banners outside the club advertising the facilities as well as the “Let’s Try Golf” poster inviting people to join for six months at £150.

“This has been well received and is succeeding in bringing new people in,” says Dave.

Parkstone Yacht Club, established in 1895, now has 2,800 members and an impressive new clubhouse.

The clubhouse boasts four separate balconies to make the most of the panoramic views over Poole harbour.

With a thriving social section, sports screenings (BT Sport) and three separate indoor eating areas, its stylish new restaurant serves breakfast and lunch Monday to Sunday, with evening dining, Friday and Saturday. Bars open 11am - 2.30pm and 6pm 11pm daily (5pm on Sunday).

Top Fact: There were Stone Age hunting settlements discovered near the club, dated at circa 7,000 BC. Milton Keynes RFC, Milton Keynes , Buckinghamnshire Founded: 1974 Membership at Milton Keynes RFC has grown by 15% over the past year, reports Steward Darren Harvey. “We’re doing more on social media, mainly Facebook and Twitter, to promote the club,” he says.

The club proved a spectacularly popular venue for watching the Rugby World Cup 2019. It boasts a healthy social membership and function business is doing particularly well. “I’d say we get around fifteen to twenty calls a week about booking the venue,” says Darren.

Founded as Wolverton Rugby Club (1870s) the advent of new City Milton Keynes saw the club change it name to Milton Keynes RFC in 1974.

An active Cruising Section runs regular rallies, while yachts of all sizes compete in cruiser racing on Mondays, Thursdays and weekends. Dinghy racing on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays keep the club busy, along with XODs, Darts, RS200s, Flying Fifteens, Wayfarers, Lasers, Toppers, Cadets and ABs also enjoying competitive class racing.

The club regularly hosts World, National Championships and Open meetings with a highlight of its calendar being Poole Week every August, with Open Regatta racing for classes of Dinghy, and the Parkstone Regatta for Cruisers. There is also the Youth section, offering training, racing and ‘Youth Week’, active fun days out on the water.

Top Fact: The club is situated on the North shore of Poole Harbour, the second largest natural harbour in the world.

Top Fact: A new ’70s clubhouse was funded by a Marston’s loan and a sponsored run to Twickenham raised funds which saw players televised handing over the match ball for the 1973 All Blacks game.

>

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OUT AND ABOUT nuts, sports teas and jacket potatoes. Now we are offering full eating facilities for members – lunch, evening meals and even takeaways.” This has had a massive impact on the club, and with a change of license membership has gone up by 10%.

“As a private members’ club, we couldn’t have non-members, but now we’re licensed premises we can have walk-ins, members of the public who aren’t members who use the bar and order food. Nearby is a hospital with 3,500 staff - just 80 yards away - so we attract custom from them as well as patients,” says Gareth.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, leaflet drops and an e-newsletter are all helping to spread the word.

Function business has increased, the lounge area has been fitted out with a new bar, furniture and flooring at a cost of £20k (which came from club funds) and the club holds an annual Beer and Gin Festival – a three day event with live music – a hockey festival, a tennis festival and an Oktoberfest extravaganza.

Penn Bowling Club Wolverhampton, West Midlands Founded: 1911 The biggest change for Penn Bowling Club this year has been the appointment of a new Steward, Stefan Canning. “There’s been a 20% increase in sales of guest beers compared to last year,” says Treasurer Roger Baker. “Our annual Beer Festival continues to be a great success (and thanks to Marston’s for providing equipment). This year we put on entertainment and attracted 1,000 people over two days. It’s a great showcase for the club, and new visitors can see what the club is like and consider joining.”

Food is playing an increasingly important part of club life thanks to Stefan’s wife Jackie, catering manager. “Now we have a new menu with a popular Sunday Carvery and hot food on Fridays and Saturdays,” says Roger. “Jackie also provides the catering for functions held at the club for which we receive glowing reports.”

With the bowling season spanning April to September/October, Penn’s fortunes are secured by ensuring it’s a year-round social club, offering sports screenings, dominoes, crib, pool and darts plus a revamped children’s play area, appealing to families.

Top Fact: The club’s Beer Festival took £18k in revenue, £3k up on last year.

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Top Fact: The Peterborough Chronicle, written by Peterborough monks in the 12th century, contains unique information about the history of England after the Norman conquest.

Peterborough Town Sports Club Peterborough, Cambridgeshire Founded: 1977 Peterborough Town Sports Club is kept busy year round with its four cricket teams, eight men’s and four ladies hockey teams, six tennis teams, 10 bowls teams (of different age groups), squash, racquetball and a multitude of junior teams. But it’s catering that has proved a jewel in the club’s crown this year.

“We’ve completely revamped our catering offering with the appointment of a full-time chef in October this year,” says Gareth Andrew, General Manager. “The kitchen has been refurbished with new catering equipment including ovens and dishwashers. The restaurant now has a five star hygiene rating. Prior to that all we used to offer was crisps and

RAFA Association Club Kirkby, Liverpool Founded: 1958 RAFA Kirkby is very much a community club, says Marie Fairclough, Stewardess: “We pride ourselves on being the central hub for the community, and we continue to be the ‘go to’ location for births, deaths and marriages,” she says.

The club hosts Christmas and Halloween events for local children, raises funds for local charities and hosts ‘staple events’ including weekly bingo and major sporting events from both BT Sport and Sky Sports: “We believe that by covering all offerings we are ensuring that when our long standing members sadly pass, the next generation will be proud and happy to take their place, ensuring that the club builds on its past and builds for its future.

“No doubt like many in the industry, costs have to be managed to ensure that the club will be here for generations to come. So not only do we work with our brewer to ensure that our offering and package is reflective of the market place, but we also review our costs across the board to ensure that every penny counts,” she says. “We do this through the support and regular business meetings with Marston’s along with our own experience and industry knowledge.”

Top Fact: Pink Gin and tonic is a must at the bar.

Wrockwardine Wood FC Sports & Social Club Wrockwardine Wood, Shropshire Founded: 1889 It’s been a big year for Wrockwardine Wood FC Sports & Social Club all round. Membership continues to grow, the Junior Football arm now has sections for all ages up to 18 and a refurbishment is pulling in new members.

“Our refurbishment – especially the news windows – have had a very positive impact,” says Chairman Jamie Morris. “ We’ve more money in the bank than ever before!”

Old wooden doors were replaced with brand new composite doors (better for security), there’s new furniture throughout the bar and the men’s and women’s changing rooms have been completely

revamped. “We’ve also replaced the TV with a 65in screen and now have BT Sport, high speed broadband and WiFi,” says Jamie.

Pool is a massive draw for the club, with matches being screened on dedicated channel Telford Pool TV. Upgraded pool tables have seen new players coming in to compete (also boosting membership; they have to be members to play) and the bowls, crib, darts and dominoes sections are also thriving.

Top Fact: The advent of the 18th century industrial revolution saw Wrockwardine Wood become home to many coal and iron mine workers and their families.

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HOSPITALITY SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS

Hospitality Social Media Awards Calling all clubs! Are you a tweeter? Or a Facebook fanatic? Have you been using social media to build club business? Are you using it now to help your members with the current COVID-19 pandemic? Then step into the spotlight and take a bow with the Hospitality Social Media Awards 2020.

he Hospitality Social Media Awards (HoSMA) are the only pan- industry awards designed to celebrate licensed outlets of all types and sizes who are using social media to build their business.

Clubs of all shapes, types and sizes, along with colleagues from across the Hospitality spectrum, are invited to enter these exciting awards.

Want a sense of the event? If you couldn’t be there last year then head over to www.facebook.com/HSMAwards for a flavour of what’s in store. To see 2019’s finalists then it’s www.hsma.biz/news. And don’t forget our twitter handle –

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twitter.com/HSMAwards.

What are they again? Just to recap! The Hospitality Social Media Awards celebrate how social media is helping clubs and the UK hospitality sector as a whole to build their business.

Last year saw hundreds of entries from all forms of hospitality imaginable - from social clubs and football clubs to rugby clubs and sports clubs and from pubs and bars, to hotels and restaurants.

So whatever your club, whether you’re a prolific tweeter or a facebook aficionado, we’re waiting for your entry.

See opposite page for how to enter. Good luck!

2019 winners

Club Insure’s Jason Cook (left) presents Leicestershire County Cricket Club with the opening category of the 2019 Hospitality Social Media Awards, Sports Club of the Year.

Golf Club of the Year goes to the impressive Formby Golf Club, presented by Bob Williams (centre), Chief Executive of the Golf Club Managers Association.

BT Sport’s Ed Cracknell (centre) presents worthy winners South Shields FC with the 2019 Football Club of the Year trophy.

Canterbury Rugby Club’s Ian Lloyd (right) collects the Rugby Club of the Year trophy from Club Control’s Chris McNally.

HOW TO ENTER

Dransfields’ Trevor Roberts (left) congratulates Northern FC on becoming joint winner of the 2019 Community Club of the Year Award.

To enter online – visit www.hsma.biz/enter or use this QR code.

Alternatively – email info@hsma.biz with your details and we’ll send you a self-entry form.

Wortley Men’s Club celebrate their joint win of Community Club of the Year, collecting their trophy from Trevor Roberts, Dransfields (centre).

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CLUB NEWS

Clubnews

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We take a whirlwind tour of clubs around the country in the fastest way possible â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by social media.

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CLUB NEWS

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CLUB NEWS

Clubnews

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Social media is playing a dominant role during the current pandemic. UK golf clubs were quick to harness its power to welcome back members as they reopened for business.

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CLUB NEWS

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CLUB ACT OF THE YEAR

Singing their praises – club acts take a bow!

Club Mirror continues to search for the best club acts in the country and we’re asking for your help. Just nominate your favourite acts and you could be on your way to winning £500. Time to take a bow.

D

oubling up as a nation-wide membership drive for when normality returns, the Club Act of the Year is set to become a showcase for club entertainment across the UK. This new award aims to raise the profile of clubs and their live entertainment throughout the UK, and to provide a platform for acts who have been thriving on the club scene.

Have a look through the club’s 2019-20 entertainment schedule. Who would you like to shine?

Which comedians did members flock to see last year? Which bands always got an encore? And which singers consistently drew in the crowds?

From comedy acts to, bands, duos and soloists, we’ll be announcing finalists by category and then category winners. Finally comes the ultimate accolade – Club Act of the Year. The winning act will perform live at the prestigious Club Mirror Awards (date to be announced) and the nominating club will be invited to attend. The club will also receive £500.

How to nominate your favourite acts Just complete the form opposite OR email us with the relevant details. We’ll do the rest. So let’s get this party started! Good luck!

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“

Doubling up as a UK-wide membership drive, the Club Act of the Year is set to become a showcase for clubs and club entertainment across the country.

”

CLUB ACT OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS To nominate your act/acts: Complete this coupon and post to the address below. Better still, email the details to caroline@clubmirror.com using the subject line ‘Club Act nominations’.

I would like to nominate the following act/acts.

Please include contact details of the acts. This could be their email address, facebook page, web address or agent. We will advise them of your nomination.

1. __________________________________________________________ Act contact details: _____________________________________________ 2. _________________________________________________________ Act contact details: _____________________________________________ 3. _________________________________________________________

“

Act contact details: _____________________________________________

Your Name: __________________________________________________

Nominate your favourite acts and you could be on your way to winning £500 for the club.

Club:

__________________________________________________

Address:

__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

Email:

__________________________________________________

Mob/Tel:

__________________________________________________

Fill in this form and send to: Club Act of the Year, Alchemy Contract Publishing, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor SL4 1TX.

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SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Supplier of the Year Awards Clubs are at the top of their game when it comes to working with suppliers and favourite club brands.

So which brands have been consistently pulling their weight at the bar? And which brands will remain at the top of the re-opening list? Linked in with Club Mirror’s exclusive Brands Report, compiled by CGA, welcome to the Supplier of the Year Awards.

A

nnounced at last year’s Club Awards, the Supplier of the Year Awards 2020 will recognise the brands that have and will pull in business, day in day out, to the club bar.

As a springboard to the activity, Marston’s Beer Company was presented with a Special Award at the 2019 Club Award Dinner, held at Doncaster Racecourse on November 27.

“Marston’s is a leading light when it comes to working with clubs ,” said Sean Ferris, who co-presented the Awards with CGA’s Ashley Cairns.

“We’ve worked with Marston’s for over 15 years now, so it was a pleasure to welcome Free Trade Sales Director Simon Barnes on stage to celebrate all that he and his teams do to support the club sector.”

The new awards will be held at the Houses of Parliament at a future date, alongside the Hospitality Social Media Awards.

• More details will be released soon online at www.clubmirror.com.

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