Chairmans One Month Update

Chairman's One Month Update

On Friday evening there was a members and friends gathering at the Club where the new board presented updates on the last month since being voted in at the AGM. We value your continued support and we know that you value our transparency.

Firstly, we will put Heath and Safety of our members and friends first. There are many mandatory Health & Safety matters that are long overdue, requiring a significant amount of work and money to resolve. Examples include broken windows, broken tiles in showers and new thermostats to ensure safe showering. Most regrettably the building inspectors have concerns of the recently semi-completed Junior Clubhouse, which cost a significant sum to construct to its current incomplete status. We will therefore be focusing on this building and trying to get clearance to use it but currently it is not strictly usable. In addition to these things we have other facility requirements including areas such as carpentry repairs and putting in place proper service contracts.
I really want to say how grateful I am to the many club members who have stepped up to the mark and taken on significant responsibilities these include Nick Heath who is doing a great job looking after our pitches, Paul Templeman who is actively taking responsibility for the buildings and Jeff who is rebuilding our offering so the facility that can be used for many purposes. Everything is coming together; we are rebuilding our reputation with our suppliers and we have their support. The goal is to get things looking so good we can host weddings and bring in the additional revenue. Some in attendance on Friday would like to see a detailed list of items that require resolving which we will provide. Please contact me (email link on my profile on website) if you would like a copy with a view to helping resolve these matters.

Financially things are still unclear. The 2014 and 2015 accounts still remain illusive and have not been produced by the previous board and are still not presented to Companies House.

Despite the previous Board using the 'ring fenced' mast monies for what we believe are playing and operating expenses normally covered by sponsorship we are now also in receipt of a bill from GForce for £20,000 for playing expenses for December. We will review this expenditure as and when accounts are made available.

Furthermore we have received demands for long overdue Business Rates for £9,000, which were not in the cash flows handed to us before the transition. Thank you all very much for your support and generosity - so many of you have given something - we all appreciate that. Please contact Mike Champain mike.champain@champain.co.uk if you wish to donate. We produced a standardised set of sponsorship packages available on a three year term basis. ‘Productising’ sponsorship this way means transparency and with it a fair deal for sponsors and a fair deal for the Club and packages that all of you can promote to businesses that you feel may be interested in partnering with us. We will be centralising the Members and Friends of EGRFC database which is currently in several different places from RFU portals, FaceBook Pages and Excel Spread Sheets all into the Club database. It is here memberships will be paid (there will be exemptions for those without computers or handhelds!) subscriptions made and communication maintained. This will free us up from maintenance activities (collecting subs) to turn our attention to progressive things for the club. All the coaches and administrators will co-ordinate things from here.

On the Rugby front (which is ultimately why we are all here!) the guys and girls across the club have made HUGE progress in all age groups in starting to re-organise ourselves with the changing culture. The strength and organisation of the Juniors and Intermediates continue to grow starting with the return of a three day Summer Camp for all those U12. All Junior and Intermediate paid playing members will receive a free playing shirt for which we ask for an appropriate donation. The Colts have been reorganised into U17's and those from the 'upper 6th' now mostly playing senior rugby with occasional Colts matches. We would love to field four senior sides this coming season: The 1XV, and regular 2XV with a fortnight my VetsXV and a growing Ladies XV who are starting to build with the enthusiasm of Suzi Funnell (please contact skf.funnell@gmail.com). The Club now has a new Head Coach, Rhodri Lewis who will be coordinating efforts across the Club and all ages. On Tuesday 12th July we have the first of four 'Rugby for All' touch competitions with fitness and skill development aimed at different ambitions - so Mums and Dads and children come and join in and have some fun! It will run every Tuesday for four weeks (19th July, 16th July and 2nd Aug).

The next board update will be before the end of July.

ONWARDS!

Regards

Bob Marsh