Club Awards 2023.
Haven’t entered yet?
Here’s why you should. Read on...
– page 19
Three in one – Dubai hosts MDPs 1, 2 and 3 in one week!
Spotlight or chorus? – the art of sharing success
Observations and considerations – in praise of the humble notebook
Marriott International – CMAE announces new partnership
The dawning of a new day, and all of nature peacefully awakens the soul of the course At Toro, we strive to offer tools that can maintain that peace while giving the same level of precision and dedication to each job, every day. With multiple electric-powered options engineered to help reduce engine exhaust emissions, and noise pollution, any course can be maintained in harmony with the surroundings, naturally.
This year has seen a remarkable and very encouraging growth in CMAE, with larger MDPs and new and exciting educational opportunities for Club Managers across the CMAE Family.
As you will read in the pages ahead, the CMAE team accomplished the extraordinary feat of holding three MDPs in the same week and in the same location –not something I think they would want to do too often, but going by the reports flowing back this was an outstanding success. Our thanks must go to the team and all the presenters who helped make this such a success, as well as to our host the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.
As I write this, London is preparing to host our second Sport and Recreation MDP followed the week after by MDP1 with a full house of 30 delegates, one of the biggest groups to come together for this. MDP. Our calendar of MDPs is available on page 6 and I would urge you to sign up as soon as possible as we’re finding the programmes are becoming ever more popular, with a number already fully booked.
Many of us are also looking forward to the very first of our BMIs which will be hosted in Washington in September. This promises to be a unique experience and one we will certainly continue to grow over the coming years with many exciting locations already on the wish list.
Planning for Conference in London in 2024 is also well underway and we hope to release the dates before the end of the year along with details on a world class line up of speakers, as well as opportunities to experience what London life has to offer, both inside and outside of Clubs.
I would also like to take this opportunity to highlight the European Club Education Foundation. The Foundation does extraordinary work, both within CMAE and partnering with the wider Club community, to offer bursaries for colleagues throughout Europe and beyond to attend CMAE courses and to further their careers which may not have been possible without funding. I certainly do believe this support and the ability to provide these opportunities is something we should all strive for, as well as recognising individuals who would benefit from this support and encouraging them to apply.
I hope you all have a successful Summer season.
CMAE Board of Directors
David Balden CCM david.balden@cmaeurope.org
Michael Braidwood CCM CEO@bruntsfieldlinks.co.uk
Niall Carroll CCM niall@cducestates.com
Cristian Fiora CCM fiora@tee-time.it
Debbie Goddard debbie.goddard@cmaeurope.org
Alberto Iglesias CCM aiglesias@fdlgolf.es
Torbjörn Johansson Torbjorn.johansson@cmaeurope.org
Michael Newland CCM michael@theberkshire.co.uk
Debbie Pern CCM admin@deesidegolfclub.com
Silvia Serrano CCM serrano_silvia@yahoo.es
Michael McCormack CMDip michael.mccormack@cmaeurope.org
Craig Cotterill craig.cotterill@cmaeurope.org
Editor Caroline Scoular caroline@alchemymedia.co.uk
Design David Foster
Editorial Nick Sellens
Advertising: Sean Ferris sean@alchemymedia.co.uk
Circulation Jonathan Hardy
Association Manager Debbie Goddard Debbie.Goddard@cmaeurope.org
Publisher
Clubhouse Europe is published by Alchemy Contract Publishing e.info@alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk
t. +44) (0) 1753 272022
ACP Gainsborough House, 59/60 Thames Street, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1TX United Kingdom
t. +44 (0)1753 272022
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CMAE The Club Management Association of Europe 1b Bagshaw Close Ryton on Dunsmore Warwickshire CV8 3EX United Kingdom
t. +44 (0) 247 669 2359
The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers or the CMAE. ClubhouseEurope does not verify the claims made by advertisers regarding their products.
David Balden CCM President, Club Managment Association of Europe (CMAE)David Balden CCM Craig Cotterill Sean Ferris David Foster Debbie Goddard Cindy Hedmann Torbjörn Johansson Michael McCormack Caroline Scoular Hamish MacLean Jill Slingsby Nick Sellens
5
News, views, search for young ambassadors and new partnerships.
6
Latest news on MDPs. Plus: New CCM awarded and bursary recipients announced.
8
Three MDPs took place in Dubai across one week in June at the five star Park Hyatt Hotel and the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, with spectacular results.
11
The CMAE is delighted to announce 2024’s European Conference. See you there?
13
The CMAE has announced a ground-breaking collaboration with Marriott International to enhance its educational offerings using the hotel group’s venues to deliver its MDPs.
17
After attending an exhilarating MDP last November, Damien Connolly explains why notebooks are a must-have tool for club professionals.
25
19 The search is on –
From nominating Young Ambassadors and Community Heroes, to entering Golf Club of the Year, Sports Club of the Year or Manager of the Year it’s time to enter the 31st Club Awards. Deadline: August 30.
25 How not to be Brian Clough
David Roy CCM offers up advice on how to share credit for your contribution to the success of the club. Importantly, don't hog the spotlight. But equally, don’t hide in the chorus!
27 Tackling golf’s sustainability credentials
Golf needs to ‘speak up’ on sustainability and communicate positive case studies and stories, according to a study commissioned by Syngenta.
31 Cyber security
What happens if you experience a cyber incident despite taking every precautionary measure? Club Support offers advice on incident response planning.
32 Spotlight on Mental Wellbeing
Examining the importance of Mental Wellbeing in the Workforce, with expert advice and available resources.
Katy Moses, MD at KAM, reflects on research, carried out in partnership with Growth Partners looking at employee engagement in hospitality.
Four outstanding tennis venues have become the first LTA Youth Recognised Venues for adopting and delivering junior programmes to the highest standard.
For more information on any of these articles or to contribute to our next issue, contact Editor Caroline Scoular.
e. caroline@alchemymedia.co.uk
t. +44 (0)1753 272022
For more information on the CMAE, its events and/or courses contact Debbie Goddard.
e. debbie.goddard@cmaeurope.org
t. +44 (0) 247 669 2359
The CMAE has announced a supplier partnership with Club Support Inc, an IT service and consulting company dedicated to meeting technology needs of clients in the recreational Club Industry.
Club Support Inc specialises in helping General Managers build the right IT infrastructure and adopt modern IT solutions and club software with maximum efficiency.
Craig Cotterill, CMAE Commercial Director said: “Technology continues to play a vital part of modern club management and so
the importance of having the correct systems in place has never been more critical to any business. That’s why the CMAE is delighted to be introducing Club Support Inc as the latest addition to the partnership network.
“As a business they have over 20 years’ experience of working within the club industry, offering support and advice on IT infrastructure and systems, ensuring that club communication remains consistent.” • clubsupportinc.com
The 2023 Club Awards are seeking out young ambassadors from Golf Clubs and Sports Clubs across all disciplines.
“Young ambassadors play a vital role in encouraging young blood to come through the club gates,” said the Club Awards Sean Ferris. “We were incredibly impressed by the breadth of young people represented at last year’s Awards, and this year we want to up the ante still further.”
Last year’s winner, Nicola Bennett was nominated by Stewart Judd, Director/General Manager at Bush Hill Park Golf Club. Nicola is a PGA Professional and Golf Foundation Ambassador running various community projects including a schools event for 100 local pupils, aiming to deliver a golf programme for local children who would not normally be exposed to golf. She also runs a beginner programme at Bush Hill Park which
has resulted in 60 new female beginners on a pathway to membership.
To nominate a Young Ambassador contact info@clubmirror, or to enter yourself or your
John McCormack CCM, FCCA, has joined Club Benchmarking EMEA as a Director.
Club Benchmarking is a leader in benchmarking and business intelligence for private clubs in North America as well as in Australia through its partnership with Golf Business Advisory Services.
club into any of the other Club Award categories, visit www.clubawards.co.uk
Deadline August 30, 2023.
Global recruitment firm within the golf industry Colt Mackenzie McNair has announced the return of Douglas Philip as Director (pictured).
The company has offices in Ascot, UK and Georgia, USA with over 250 clients in 29 countries. Notable partners include The PGA of America, The R&A, Wentworth, Rainbird and IMG among a number of leading golf clubs and properties.
Richard Wood, Managing Director, Colt Mackenzie McNair, said: “This acquisition not only strengthens our market position but also expands our capabilities to deliver even greater value to our clients. We are excited about Doug rejoining the team and the
opportunities this brings. Our shared values and approach to search make this a natural fit, and his expertise complements the CMM business perfectly.”
• coltmm.com
The European Club Education Foundation have awarded their annual Ethnically Diverse Managers Bursary for the 2023/24 season.
Funded by The R&A, the bursaries, have been awarded to six recipients who are now able to participate in the CMAE Management Development Programme.
The recipients are Rebecca Nnachor, David Okach, James Thande Gathu, Maryem Alaoui and Sheif Yusuf and Majd Najada. • Forfulldetailsturntopage6.
John joins fellow Club Benchmarking EMEA Director James Burns CCM at the Dublin base. Both John and James are previous Presidents of the CMAE.
“I am delighted to welcome John to the company as a fellow director,” said James. “He brings a unique perspective as a qualified accountant, in addition to his decades of experience managing clubs, most recently at Castle Golf Club where he served as General Manager.”
Club Benchmarking CEO Jim Butler said that he and Founder Ray Cronin are very excited about expanding the EMEA team. “John is extraordinarily skilled and respected, and we are thrilled to have these two consummate professionals leading the way to spread the benefits of data-driven leadership to Ireland, the UK, mainland Europe and the Middle East.”
• clubbenchmarking.com
The CMAE has announced a partnership with Marriott International, a global leader in the hospitality industry. The groundbreaking collaboration aims to enhance the educational offerings of the CMAE by utilising Marriott venues to deliver its Management Development Program (MDP) Pathway.
• Fulldetailsonpage13.
The CMAE’s Management Development Programme (MDP) is the leading education programme for club industry professionals and provides the pathway to the european Club Management Diploma (CMDip) and the global Certified Club Manager (CCM) certifications.
The CMAE MDP is a series of courses focused on the core competencies of club management designed not only for those working as club general managers, club
secretaries and in other senior positions at sports, city and business clubs today, but also for those who aspire to these roles in the future.
Watch out for new MDPs coming up. (Information correct at time of going to press) Full details
available on CMAE’s website. (See ‘Get Involved’ for links and contact details.)
AUGUST
MDP 1 – Club Operations
21-25 August, London
Part 1 is a week long course targeted in particular towards those managers who are either new to a post, recently appointed or simply want to enhance their knowledge so that they may better serve their club committee, owners and members. At the end of the week, those taking the course will have an excellent grasp of the basics in every area of club business, and will have established a valuable network of support for their career in this industry.
MDP International
15 – 18 September, Washington DC
CMAE's inaugural MDP International in historic Washington includes club visits to the Congressional Country Club and The Chevy Chase Club amongst others. The trip includes education sessions from top US Clubs and their managers on pertinent subjects in modern club management. Also: club tours, sightseeing and activities from golf to padel tennis and archery along with other organised team building activities during the week. The cost includes five nights of accommodation, all breakfasts and lunches plus two dinners, sightseeing, transports and golf at the Congressional Country Club.
MDP 1 – Spanish
4-8 November, Alicante
Details as per 21-25 August, London (Spanish).
MDP 1 – Club Operations
6-10 November, Edinburgh
Details as per 21-25 August, London.
MDP 2 - Building & Managing the Club Team
13-17 November, Manchester
The Part 2 course builds on the foundations of Part 1 to focus on strategic and business planning, performance and service standards, and the professional and communicative skills to develop every aspect of both the individual’s performance and that of
their club. At the end of Part 2 there is an optional examination to attain the CMAE Diploma in Club Management.
MDP - Golf Management
27 November – 1 December, St Andrews
This course is aimed at Managers with particular responsibility for successful golf operations. By attending this course, delegates will learn to maximize their working relationship with the key personnel employed in this area of the business, including the Course Manager, Professional and Club Manager.
The course will cover in detail areas such as agronomy, golf shop operations, merchandising, fleet management, tournament operations and business planning to fit with the club’s overall aims and traditions. Delegates will have a thorough understanding of the history, evolution and future trends of the golf industry, to better serve their clubs and committees.
MDP 2 – Club Operations
4-8 December, Dublin
Details as per 13-17 November, Manchester.
JANUARY
MDP 2 – Spanish
15-19 January, Seville
Details as per November 13-17 (Spanish).
MDP 3
22-26 January, Budapest
MPD 3 Strategy and Leadership is aimed at those managers who wish to learn how to enhance their management style and tap into their leadership potential in order to operate the club as a business.
FEBRUARY
MDP 1
5-9 February, Manchester
Details as per 21-25 August, London.
MDP 2 – Club Operations
12-16 February, Edinburgh
Details as per 13-17 November, Manchester.
MARCH
World Conference
4-8 March, Las Vegas
APRIL
MDP F&B
15-19 April, Montreux
Designed to develop Food & Beverage knowledge. The tools will be provided to manage and raise standards in front of house operations, controlling costs, driving sales and to be able to work closer to their team to achieve better results. This programme is applicable to Clubs with all levels of turnover and those working with contract caterers.
Highly relevant to all club managers, it provides an insight into the delivery of food and beverage services within successful clubhouse operations. Delegates will study trends in menu and service delivery, as well as evolving legal requirements. Particular attention will be paid to the creation of successful, unique or themed events and how best to plan their marketing. The course will also enable managers to create and deliver appropriate training sessions for clubhouse staff, to ensure that service excellence is the norm at their club.
GET INVOLVED
To register your interest or for any queries, contact Debbie Goddard on debbie.goddard@cmaeurope.org. Full details are available at cmaeurope.org/ mdp-courses/or use this QR Code.
The European Club Education Foundation (ECEF) have awarded their annual Ethnically Diverse Managers Bursary for the 2023/24 season.
The bursaries, funded by The R&A, have been awarded to six recipients who can now enjoy stepping onto the MDP pathway.
The recipients are: Rebecca Nnachor, David Okach, James Thande Gathu, Maryem Alaoui and Sheif Yusuf and Majd Najada. Five of the six recipients opted to use their bursary to attend the recently held MDP part 1 course in Dubai (see next pages for coverage.)
A word from the recipients:
Rebecca Nnachor: “I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the R&A and CMAE for recognising Ethnically Diverse Managers in the industry through programmes in club management. Your continued support of ethnically diverse individuals in the industry is truly making a difference and has made a significant impact in my life.”
James Gathu Thande: “The bursary enabled me to visit a new country, meet new people and make new connections. I now have a friend from Italy, another one from Hong Kong, another from China, another from Morocco, another from Russia, another from Ireland and very many from Dubai. Apart from making new friends, I mingled with like-minded professionals in the Golf industry. I realised that clubs share challenges across the industry.”
Majd Najda: “For me being selected for this bur-
sary is a validation of countless hours of hard work, dedication and sacrifice that went into it. It’s a moment of overwhelming joy and gratitude, a reminder that anything is possible with passion, perseverance, and faith. I’d like to express my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to the ECEF and the R&A. Receiving this award is a tremendous honour, and I am deeply humbled and grateful for their acknowledgement. I feel privileged and overjoyed.”
Sheif Yusuf: “I am thrilled and deeply honoured to have been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Ethnically Diverse Managers in Golf Bursary. Words cannot express how grateful I am to the judging panel comprised of ECEF and R&A officials
for their unwavering belief in my potential.
“I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the R&A for generously funding this bursary and providing me with the invaluable opportunity to attend the MDP 1 Course organized by CMAE. It is an incredible privilege to be supported in my professional development by such esteemed organizations. I am genuinely excited about the possibilities this course will bring, as it promises to enhance my skills and propel my career forward in the golf industry.”
• For more information on the ECEF visit https://www.euroclubfoundation.com
Pat Barrett, General Manager at County Dublin’s Lucan Golf Club, has gained his CCM certification, raising the number of Certified Club Managers in Europe and the Middle East to 71.
“I am immensely proud to have attained my Certified Club Manager qualification following six years of engagement with CMAE through the MDP programme,” said Pat. “The Journey to CCM has been a fulfilling one, and the network of people whom
I have engaged with, along with the vast learning experience, have been invaluable in my day-to-day activities as a club manager.
“I would sincerely like to thank all the delegates and presenters who have endured my participation at each MDP week. And thanks to Toby, Michael and Debbie at CMAE as well as Jason from CMAA. Without their support and guidance I don’t think this would have been possible.
“Finally I would like to say that I’m delighted to join the ranks of Irish CCMs. I would like to thank all at the Club Managers Association of Ireland and those who have mentored and guided me through this process. If I had to single out one person though, I would have to thank most especially the Godfather of Irish Club Management, Michael Walsh CCM. He is an inspiration to us all and is there whenever we need him - a true quality of any Certified Club Manager.”
Fifty six delegates gathered at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club to attend MDPs Part 1, 2 and 3, all held concurrently during the same week in June.
CMAE Director of Education Michael McCormack said: “We were delighted to host the three MDP courses in the same week once again in Dubai. The quality of delegates and educators was fantastic and the experience gained by all attendees is invaluable. Our thanks go to Dubai Golf and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club for once again being such fantastic hosts.”
The busy week included an evening of networking and educational sessions, where six speakers from the USA, Middle East and Australia shared their perspectives on current trends in club culture.
The CMAE also took the opportunity to recognise recent delegates who had gained the Club Management Diploma (CMDip) and James Burns CCM, former President of CMAE, was presented with honorary life membership of the CMAE.
Christopher May CCM, CEO at Dubai Golf said: “Hosting three MDP courses in a week once again in Dubai has been a great experience for all the delegates who attended providing world class learning and development with amazing networking opportunities amongst over 50 attendees from around the world. Having great speakers and educators, including Jeffrey Kreaffle from Congressional Country Club and Ray Cronin from Club Benchmarking, elevated the whole week.
“We are grateful to the CMAE team who made this happen. We’ve now had over 250 MDP delegates progress their learning and experience in Dubai over the past seven years, and we look forward to hosting the courses once again in 2024!”
Three MDPs took place in Dubai across one week in June at the five star Park Hyatt Hotel and the spectacular Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. And the week was declared a resounding success.
MDP Dubai was an open event with over 70 people attending. Besides great speakers from the US, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Australia, five people were also honoured on the Wednesday evening. Four CMDips and one Honorary Life Membership were given as follows: CMDip - Jack Bamford, GM Windlesham Golf Club (top left); CMDip - Nick Paris, Course Manager Royal Wimbledon GC (top middle); CMDip - Adam Dutson, Cluster Director Of Golf Emaar Hospitality Group (top right); CMDipIain Russell, Club Manager East Renfrewshire Golf Club (far left). Former CMAE President James Burns, CCM was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the CMAE (left).
GREENE KING IPA HAS THE HIGHEST ROS WHERE CUSTOMERS HAVE THE MOST CHOICE*
Anew partnership between Marriott International and the CMAE will see members benefit from exceptional facilities, personal benefits and resources from the global hotel chain.
Marriott International is well known for its extensive network of luxury hotels and resorts, spanning the CMAE’s territories. By partnering with Marriott, the CMAE gains access to a diverse range of worldclass venues, offering unparalleled opportunities to deliver a consistent experience to club managers on the MDP Pathway with dynamic learning environments where participants can engage in interactive workshops, gain hands-on experience and network with industry experts.
Craig Cotterill, Commercial Director of the CMAE, is excited about the new venture.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Marriott International to elevate the learning experience for our members. This collaboration represents a significant milestone for the CMAE and reinforces our commitment to delivering exceptional education and training experiences,” he said. “We are confident that the resources and expertise provided by Marriott will enhance the value we offer to our members and contribute to the continued professional development of club managers across the UK, Europe and MENA.”
Naomi Martin, Account Director at Marriott International, is equally enthusiastic.
“Marriott Hotels International are delighted to announce our joint partnership with the Club Management Association of Europe,” said Naomi. “We will be supporting the organisation with their
accommodation and venue requirements, with a vision to enhance their delegate experiences whilst
delivering their educational programmes across Europe. Offering the most powerful portfolio in the industry, our 31 brands and 8,500+ properties across 138 countries and territories will give CMAE members more ways to connect, experience and expand their world.”
The CMAE is widely recognised as a leading professional organisation for club management in Europe, providing education, training, and support to club managers and industry professionals. With its commitment to advancing the standards of club management, the CMAE constantly seeks opportunities to expand its educational resources and deliver quality learning experiences to its members.
The CMAE’s comprehensive curriculum covers the 11 core competencies of club management, including leadership, finance, operations, and member experience, all designed to empower professionals to navigate the ever-evolving challenges of the industry.
The CMAE has announced a partnership with Marriott International, a global leader in the hospitality industry. The ground-breaking collaboration aims to enhance the educational offerings of the CMAE by utilising Marriott venues to deliver its Management Development Programme (MDP) Pathway.
Available exclusively to Golf Genius Tournament Management premium customers, the events marketing toolkit provides golf facilities with everything they need to advertise their golf competitions, corporate events, and society days, whilst still guaranteeing autonomy
over their marketing activities.
“The recent surge in golfing participation has provided golf clubs with a great opportunity to engage with more golfers, so we’ve developed this toolkit to act as their driver for more revenue, as it enables our customers to market their event offerings more effi
ciently and effectively,” said Craig Higgs, Managing Director at Golf Genius International
The toolkit provides clubs with a comprehensive suite of assets that can be delivered in a coordinated and systematic fashion to:
• Drive awareness
• Foster interest
• Provide a point of action
These resources include:
• A short explainer video
• Customisable templates for social media posts
• Email newsletters and website banners
• A one-page customer enquiry form
• A corporate sales brochure for lead capture
The assets come in smart, easy to use formats such as PowerPoint or PDF, helping to give customers a more professional look and feel to their communications.
MORE DETAILS
To find out more about Golf Genius and how it can benefit your golf facility, visit https//calendly.com/d/dzk-sqm-75s
Golf Genius’ brand-new events marketing toolkit helps its customers drive participation and maximise revenue opportunities for their golf events, by providing access to a variety of resources, specific to the needs of each golf facility, explains the company.
Club Benchmarking delivers fact-based, actionable insight through a suite of business intelligence tools and services built specifically for private clubs. We believe that when club leaders elevate fact over opinion, the result is healthier clubs, more empowered general managers and boards that are properly equipped to focus on strategic issues. Everything we do is grounded in data and research and we serve the full spectrum of club industry stakeholders; club staff, general managers, boards, committees, members, owners and industry constituents including associations.
Financial & Operational Benchmarking
COMPASS Comprehensive Asset Management
Member Motivation, Attachment & Loyalty Benchmarking
Employee Engagement Benchmarking
Compensation & Benefits Benchmarking
Strategic Governance Advisory Services
After attending an exhilarating MDP last November Damien Connolly takes time out to share a drop-the-mic moment which has changed his attitude to capturing conversations and observations. Enter the notebook.
As those of us who have attended an MDP know, the learning throughout the week never stops. The evening review and sharing of experiences over dinner or a nightcap can add massively to the day’s learning, help clarify certain areas and add real-life experiences to the mix. Some of these pearls of wisdom from these debriefs will really stick with you – and there’s one in particular I felt was well worth sharing.
While attending MDP Golf last November, the ‘mic drop’ moment in question happened during a spirited discussion on club governance. Midway through the conversation, one of our esteemed colleagues reached into his pocket for a pen and paper to jot down a note on a particularly insightful tidbit that had just been shared by one of the attendees.
I know it doesn’t sound ground-breaking, but this action led the three non-notetakers in the discussion fourball to pause and glance at each other, all thinking the same thing. Wow, that must be a seriously valuable piece of information if it warrants being written down.
This act of jotting down a note now and again continued over the evening, and I decided that this was definitely a practice I would try once I got back home from MDP. Keeping a notebook close is a habit that has stuck since, and I want-
ed to share the findings with you as it could be well worth considering adding a notebook to your management toolbelt.
So, what did I find myself jotting down in my notebook over the past few months, and what were the benefits? I grouped these into three areas:
As a club professional, you constantly encounter new ideas and observations that could benefit your facility. However, these ideas can quickly disappear unless you write them down. That’s
where a small notebook comes in handy. By carrying one, you can quickly jot down your thoughts, observations and ideas before they slip away.
If you work at a desk, you’ll know that the simple act of looking up from your computer can result in conversations with team members, committees, members or guests. Having your notebook ready is a great tool to keep track of those tasks you promise to take of or issues you will investigate. I have had some great wins following up
with members and staff on the small things mentioned in passing. When tackling tricky conversations with an unhappy customer, using a notebook to convey the seriousness of the issue at hand has also helped defuse situations.
The club industry attracts really passionate people who care about their clubs. This can lead to a lot of time thinking about work, whether onsite or not. It can be 8 pm, and you are out walking the dog or sitting in traffic on the way to a football game when the intrusive thoughts of to-do lists can drift into your mind. Having a braindumping ground to jot down these thoughts and to-do lists was a game changer in clearing my mind outside of work and letting me relax a bit more, knowing I would not forget them.
While it’s possible to record notes on your phone when in mid-conversation, pulling your phone out of your pocket and tapping away with it will likely have a negative effect on the conversation flow. The person speaking to you can quickly jump to thinking ‘is the manager still listening to me? Are they answering a text?’. However, suppose a manager reaches into their pocket to take the time to jot down a handwritten note. In that case, this is a much more powerful indication that you are listening to the person, are present in the conversation and will take action in the future.
The final reason to try to keep your phone in your pocket for personal notes and ‘brain dumping’ is that taking your phone out can be a massive distraction that will soon have you scrolling Instagram or checking emails. Concentrate on getting your thoughts and getting them on paper to claim back some calm in your mind.
To get the most from your note-taking skills, I recommend setting aside time each day to review your notes. Decide what’s of value and worth keeping and add things to do to your task management system or keep those titbits in a safe place that can be easily accessed when you need it (more on this ‘second brain’ in a future article!).
At the end of this article, I wonder if your mind has lingered on what that governance insight was that led to the first note being jotted down and starting this notebook journey. Honestly, it was brilliant, and I would love to share that with you, but unfortunately, I have no idea as I didn’t write it down! I won’t let the next one escape so easily.
While it’s possible to record notes on your phone, when in mid-conversation pulling your phone out of your pocket and tapping away will likely have a negative effect on the conversation flow. The person speaking to you can quickly jump to thinking ‘is the manager still listening to me? Are they answering a text?’
Calling all clubs! It’s time to enter the 2023 Club Awards, the only Awards dedicated to recognising the commitment of clubs, committees and individuals who work to ensure a healthy future for their clubs, their members and their communities. Could that be you? Time to find out!
Will your club be joining us at this year’s prestigious Club Awards in Leciester? Have you got what it takes to take your place alongside the best clubs in the country?
The Club Awards celebrate clubs of all types and sizes from across the UK and beyond, from commmunity clubs and social clubs to high profile sports clubs, providing the perfect opportunity to meet up with fellow clubs to share ideas and initiatives while having a lot of fun along the way.
As well as recognising the hard work and sparkling initiatives of clubs themselves, where would clubs be without the individuals that are at the heart of all that clubs do? In recognition of this, the Club Awards also applaud individuals, community heroes, long-serving officials and young ambassadors. We will also welcome on stage officers from clubs that are proudly marking their 100th birthday this year. (Turn to page 34 for full details).
In addition to a great night out with two free tickets for finalists and after dinner entertainment, clubs use their success to raise the club’s profile, gain coverage in the local media, encourage new members and to gain even greater standing with suppliers.
Turn the page to see the list of Club Awards categories, then head to www.clubawards.co.uk to enter online.
Originally designed in 1936 as an Odeon Cinema, Athena is recognised as one of the most extravagant buildings in Leicester, restored to its original art deco splendour and enjoying a reputation for being the leading venue within the region.
Athena is centrally located within easy reach of all major road and rail neworks. Bus and train stations are within walking distance, and there are parking facilities include an NCP next to the venue.
There is a large selection of accommodation nearby to suit all budgets, searchable at booking.com and www.tripadvisor.co.uk amongst many others.
Visit clubawards.co.uk for further details or scan this QR code.
Have a look at these categories, then head over to www.clubawards.co.uk and enter online. You can enter as many categories as you like. And don’t forget your nominations for the Recognition Categories. Good luck!
n LET THE JUDGES DECIDE
RECOGNITION CATEGORIES
n 100 Club – recognising clubs over 100 years old (R)
n Volunteer Recognition (BC)
n Community Heroes (AD)
n International Club (AK)
n Young Ambassadors - under 30s (BE)
n Long Service Recognition (AO)
PEOPLE CATEGORIES
n Bar Manager/Bar Steward of the Year (S)
n Manager/Secretary of the Year (AP)
n Committee of the Year (AB)
BUSINESS CATEGORIES
n Business Initiative of the Year (U)
n Entertainment Club of the Year (AI)
n Innovative Club of the Year (AJ)
n Marketing Club of the Year (AQ)
n Refurbishment Club of the Year (AS)
n Social Media Club of the Year (AU)
n Turnaround Club of the Year (BB)
n Website of the Year (BD)
SPORTS CATEGORIES
n Bowls Club of the Year (T)
n Cricket Club of the Year (AE)
n Darts Club of the Year (AF)
n Football Club of the Year (AL)
n Golf Club of the Year (AM)
n Racing Club of the Year (AR)
n Rugby Club of the Year (AT)
n Sports & Social Club of the Year (AV)
n Sports Club of the Year - Group/Chain (AW)
n Sports Club of the Year - Multiple Sports (AX)
n Tennis Club of the Year (BA)
CATERING AND BAR CATEGORIES
n CAMRA Club of the Year (V)
n Cocktail Club of the Year (AA)
n Catering Club of the Year (W)
n Chef of the Year (Y)
IN THE COMMUNITY
n Charity Club of the Year (X)
n CIU Traditional Club of the Year (Z)
n Community Club of the Year (AC)
n Diversity & Inclusion Club of the Year (AG)
n Family Club of the Year (AH)
GREEN & ENVIRONMENTAL
n Green Club of the Year (AN)
n Sustainability Project Award (AY)
n Grounds Team of the Year (AZ)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENTRY!
Couldn’t join us in 2022? Then take a look at last year’s welcome drinks reception for Awards finalists, club guests, club associations, dignitaries and sponsors as Leicester lit up for a night of celebration.
MORE COLOURS AVAILABLE
Brian Clough, the former Derby, Leeds United and Nottingham Forrest manager was famously nicknamed ‘Old Bighead’ and never resented it. Replying to a journalist who enquired how he ranked himself as a manager, he said “I wouldn’t say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one”.
Clough commanded respect whilst he was a winning manager but was derided when his career ended in ignominy.
Conversely, one of the most progressive, radical and reforming Prime Ministers of the UK, Clement Attlee is best remembered for Churchill’s chilling put-down, “Mr Attlee is a very modest man. Indeed he has much to be modest about.” He went from leading the Labour party to a landslide victory in the UK General Election in 1945 to losing to a more unpopular Conservative party in 1951.
Treading the line between these two extremes is fraught. Upon hearing that a high profile club manager has moved on, many members will sigh with relief, publicly stating that “At last we can get
our club back”.
The quietly effective managers, eschewing any public profile and rightly allocating success to the staff and volunteers are seen as weak leaders.
Sharing credit for one’s contribution to the success of a club is essential for fostering a positive work environment, building trust among team members, and promoting collaboration. As a club manager, here are some strategies to effectively share credit and acknowledge the contributions of others:
During meetings, events, or club gatherings, take the time to recognise and publicly acknowledge the specific contributions and achievements of individual team members. Highlight their efforts, skills, and dedication, and express gratitude for their valuable input.
When the club achieves significant milestones or successes, attribute the accomplishments to
the collective efforts of the team. Emphasise that it was a team effort and give credit to everyone involved, including staff, volunteers, and members. Avoid singling out one or a few individuals as the sole reason for success.
up advice on how to share credit for your contribution to the success of the club. Importantly, don’t hog the spotlight. But equally, don’t hide in the chorus!> David Roy CCM
3. Showcase team achievements
Use various communication channels, such as the club’s website, newsletters, and social media, to showcase the achievements of the entire team. Highlighting team efforts and successes publicly reinforces the culture of collaboration and teamwork within the club.
4. Ensure the Board/Committee reward success
Ensure that the staff are financially rewarded for their efforts. Argue for a discretionary
budget to be able to buy a gift for anyone who has achieved a personal professional qualification.
5. Parking space
If you have one, get rid of it.
The challenge is how to do this and at the same time draw attention to your part in the success.
There is an expression in Scotland that describes someone with an over-confidence in their own abilities that translates as “Give the ball to me, I’m brilliant”. This description of the unpopular kid who screams for the ball to be passed to them in a kickabout remains relevant for the adult who claims to be an expert in everything.
It is important therefore to find a way of enhancing your profile and be regarded as a competent administrator who has the wit of Churchill, the bravado of Trump and the modesty of Mandela. In truth this is impossible but certain strategies can help.
1. Find a differentiator
It may be that you are naturally talented at sports. Don’t underestimate the authority this provides and make sure that you are recognised as such. Similarly, you may be a great public speaker, or a fantastic data analyst. Wherever your talents lie, make every effort for this to be recognised.
2. Catalogue success
The club manager’s HR file can often contain the least amount of information. Setting goals with your Board/Committee and agreeing success factors that are subsequently recorded will prove to be invaluable when an agitator wants a change of leadership.
3. Minutes of meetings
Find an ally in the Board/Committee and make sure that your contributions are recorded, even if you are responsible for taking the minutes. A friendly member can be primed to state, “I want the minutes to record that the club manager deserves congratulations for...”
4. Use the network
CMAE can enable the most impressive industry network that can provide benchmarking, reciprocals and insights. There are very, very few club managers in the CMAE family who will not do their utmost to help a fellow manager. Make the effort to introduce your President to the Board members of other clubs. They are always amazed that club problems are universal.
5. Be excellent
Unfortunately, you have to be excellent to survive. And to be excellent, you have to know what excellence is and how to be excellent. CMAE can help with that.
When the club achieves significant milestones, attribute the accomplishments to the collective efforts of the team... give credit to everyone, including staff, volunteers and members.
Golf & Social Media: Sustainability is a snapshot report designed to help clubs and courses understand what is being said about golf on social media and how best to respond.
The study found that golf is widely perceived to be wasteful with water and bad for the environment.
The industry is also facing increasing questions from detractors about its sustainability credentials, especially in times of drought, with some social media campaigns even calling for golf to be banned.
Mark Birchmore Syngenta Global Head of Marketing, Turf and Landscape, who commissioned the report, said: “This study highlights a major challenge for the industry: there is strong negative senti-
ment across social media in relation to golf and sustainability.
“However, there are a wealth of case studies that demonstrate golf courses’ sustainability credentials. These compelling examples serve as proof of the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices. It is important that golf courses, and the industry, now communicate these stories to change perceptions.”
Data for the report was provided by Ipsos, with 16.1 million mentions of golf on social media in the United States and UK analysed over a three-year period (2019-2022).
Claire Martin of Ipsos said: “The negative image
of golf is a common theme throughout the study. During droughts, people are especially vocal in their opposition to golf courses using water for irrigation. It is seen as bad for the environment and communities.
“Detractors also accuse golf courses of privatizing large green areas. There are calls for the repurposing of golf courses from developing the land for housing to meet the needs of growing urban populations to making golf courses nature reserves.”
For more details and a copy of the report visit www.syngentagolf.com
That’s the conclusion of a new social listening study commissioned by Syngenta that reveals the full extent of golf’s negative reputation across social media.
Clubs may need to accept that paying higher prices for food and drink is the only sustainable way to secure supplies of fresh, seasonal produce from UK farmers, says hospitality buying specialist Lynx Purchasing.
Lynx Purchasing’s Spring/Summer 2023 edition of its regular Market Forecast has warned that the problems caused by fresh produce shortages and price increases are unlikely to go away any time soon.
Rachel Dobson, Lynx Purchasing Managing Director, said: “The immediate issues with salad produce are now well understood, in terms of the impact of bad weather in southern Europe, and the unwillingness of UK growers to pay to heat glasshouses without support on energy costs.
“The current availability issue is hopefully a relatively short-term challenge, but new crops can’t be grown overnight, so it is likely to be a significant issue for the next few months. Our advice is that hospitality operators should plan for both potential shortages of supplies of the produce affected, as well for further cost increases.
“In the longer term, we believe the trade-off for a more secure supply chain may have to include operators paying farmers and food producers a sustainable price that not only covers the true cost of production, but also enables them to continue to invest in their business.”
Dobson acknowledges that paying more for food will be a far from welcome prospect to operators who are already paying dramatically more for core food and drink products after two years of high inflation.
She said: “As bodies such as the National Farmers Union [UK] have said, we need to become less reliant on food imports, and focus more on home-grown, seasonal produce. That should include a sensible
debate on how famers and food producers can be paid at a sustainable price.
“The race to the bottom in terms of food prices has been driven by the demands of retailers, but when meat, dairy and fresh producers suppliers are exiting the market because their business has become unsustainable, hospitality also suffers.”
The Lynx Purchasing Market Forecast combines official inflation data with exclusive insight from the range of specialist hospitality suppliers Lynx works with, providing detailed information on pricing trends over the coming months.
Along with the fresh produce shortage, product areas highlighted as a concern in the latest edition include:
Potatoes
The cold weather has had an impact on potatoes, both in the UK and in Europe, where many processed and frozen potato products are produced. This is likely to affect availability and price of new potatoes this spring, as well as frozen chips and other potato products as current supplies run out.
Beef and Lamb
Current prices are well above average, as higher energy and feed costs have combined with the labour shortage to reduce production of both beef and lamb here in the UK. With seasonal increases in demand for beef – particularly during barbecue season –demand for the most popular cuts will be high.
Pork
Higher production costs have made it more of a challenge for pork producers to make a profit, prompting a number to cut back or exit the market at the start of the year. This has seen upward price pressure on bacon initially, and is likely to make prime pork cuts more expensive.
Salmon
An expected price increase in both fresh and smoked salmon has proved to be much sharper than suppliers were expecting, due to the impact of factors such as fish quality, high demand and the impact of bad weather on production.
Dobson urges: “Discuss options and availability with suppliers, and be prepared for a wider range of specification in terms of size and colour when buying fresh produce. It’s also worth looking at accompaniments and garnishes across the menu, and deciding which genuinely add value for customers.
“Overall, by working closely with suppliers, focusing on seasonality and availability, and applying basic buying discipline, operators can manage food and drink costs more effectively and avoid unexpected bills. Best practice includes planning menus well in advance, and consolidating orders to meet free delivery and minimum value thresholds.”
To see what Alchemy Contract Publishing could do for you please call Sean Ferris on +44 (0) 1753 272022
CMAE partner Club Support Inc explains how to respond to the cyber incident quickly and lessen its impact on your club.
What happens if you experience a cyber incident despite taking every precautionary measure? To respond to the issue quickly and lessen its impact on your Club, you must have an incident response plan.
In this short article, we’ll tell you about the NIST Incident Response Framework and provide you with a checklist of the steps you need to follow in case of cyber incidents. Hopefully, you’ll never have to use this information, but it’s always good to be aware and prepared because knowledge is power.
Identify
If you want to manage your cybersecurity risk, you need to have a comprehensive understanding of your tech environment. This function requires a Club to have visibility over its digital and physical assets, clearly define its roles and responsibilities, identify the risks it faces, and create policies and procedures to manage those risks.
Respond
When your Club experiences a cyber incident, you need to develop a response strategy:
• Pinpoint channels of communication between the pertinent parties.
• Gather and analyze case data.
• Carry out all necessary actions to end the incident.
• Incorporate any lessons gained into updated response tactics.
Detect
To swiftly identify cybersecurity incidents, your Club must take proper measures. You need to constantly monitor systems that recognize unusual activity and other risks to your operational continuity. A business must have complete visibility into its networks to anticipate a cyber threat and act appropriately in the event of one.
The best way to detect and prevent cyberattacks on ICS networks is through constant surveillance and monitoring of threats.
Protect
Your IT service provider should keep track of both digital and physical resources, provide awareness and training, safeguard data, and oversee network configuration baselines and operations during this phase of the incident response framework. It will guarantee that compromised system components are quickly rectified. To increase cyber resilience, you should also implement preventive technology.
Recover
Getting your affected systems back online following
an attack or incident is the focus of the recovery phase in your incident response plan. This will depend on whether the systems’ flaws have been fixed and how your company plans to make sure they aren’t exploited again.
During this phase, your affected systems are tested, monitored, and verified. If you fail to ensure adequate recovery, you can have difficulty preventing another similar disaster in the future. We all know how terrible that can be for operations and reputation.
As you know, cyber incidents can happen to anyone at any time, and it’s essential to know how to act quickly and effectively. Here are some steps to follow in case of a cyber incident:
• Isolate the affected system: If you suspect that a particular system or device has been compromised, isolate it from the network immediately. This can prevent the spread of malware or other malicious activities.
• Contact the IT department: Inform the IT department of the incident as soon as possible. They will be able to assess the extent of the damage and take necessary steps to address the issue.
• Gather information: Collect as much information as possible about the incident, such as the time of the attack, the affected devices, and any error messages or notifications that you may have received. This can help the IT team to investigate the issue more efficiently.
• Change passwords: If your passwords or login
credentials have been compromised, change them immediately. Use strong and unique passwords, and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.
• Back up data: If possible, back up all important data and files to an external drive or cloud storage. This can help you to restore your data in case of data loss due to the cyber incident.
• Report to the authorities: In case of a serious cyber incident, such as data theft or fraud, you should report it to the appropriate authorities, such as the police or cybersecurity agencies. They can investigate the issue and take necessary actions to bring the perpetrators to justice.
• Educate employees: To prevent future cyber incidents, it’s essential to educate employees about cybersecurity best practices, such as using strong passwords, avoiding phishing scams, and keeping software up to date.
Cyber incidents can be stressful and overwhelming, but following these steps can help you to act quickly and effectively to minimize the damage.
MORE INFORMATION
If you want to ensure your club’s safety and protect it from all possible cyber dangers, delegate it to the experts. Club Support Inc has been working with clubs for over 20 years. We know clubs’ pains, common problems, and how to solve and prevent them.
• clubsupportinc.com
In 2021/22 over 900,000 workers suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety according to a Labour Force Survey (LFS). It’s not surprising to learn then, that 76% of employees believe their company should be doing more to protect the mental health of their workforce.
In recent years (and prior to the coronavirus pandemic), the rate of self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety had shown signs of increasing. The current rate is in fact higher than the 2018/19 pre-coronavirus levels, with 17 million working days lost (LFS) and a cost to the UK economy at least £117.9 billion per annum (London School of Economics).
It’s not surprising to learn then, that 76% of employees believe their company should be doing more to protect the mental health of their workforce.
The following steps (collated here by communications experts NewZapp) can help companies to build a culture that better supports employees with their mental wellbeing.
Mental wellbeing is complex. For you to provide effective mental healthcare it is likely that you will need support from professionals. This could be:
• Trained mental health first aiders within your organisation.
• An external mental healthcare support scheme provided by a professional body.
• Signposts to charities and helplines (some of which are listed at the bottom of this blog).
In many cases, all three of the above may be the best option.
Alongside these support networks you also need a clear mental health policy. Your employees need to know that you take mental health seriously and hold significant importance over their wellbeing.
Once you have the right policy and support in place, the remaining five steps will help you convert your culture into a more supportive environment for those experiencing mental health challenges.
To know how to effectively support your team you need to know if there are any factors that could have a negative impact on mental health. For example, a big project with tight deadlines, a noisy work environment, an increase in lone working, or poorly managed change could all cause mental health problems. By taking into consideration all the possible triggers and ensuring you monitor and measure them, you can make the necessary changes or interventions to protect your staff.
As the statistic at the top of this page pointed out, many people are reluctant to seek professional help. That is because there is still a huge stigma around mental health. Many people put excessive pressure
on themselves and believe their employer would regard a mental health issues as a weakness or failure.
Your employees need to feel comfortable and confident in sharing their experiences. They need to know that good health, both mental and physical, is a company priority. The best way to achieve this is to lead from the top. If senior leaders and line managers are honest and open, the barriers will begin to lift.
If an employee went to their line manager and informed them they were struggling with their mental wellbeing, are you confident that all your line managers would know how to respond? If not, this needs to change. Here’s a few things that are worth considering:
• Mental health training.
• A recap of your mental health policy.
• A reminder of the importance of regular 1:1s or catch ups.
• Encouraging line managers to speak out about their own mental health.
• Signposting line managers to guidance on how to start the conversation. (This factsheet has some useful guidance.)
Ultimately, if your line managers are confident, your employees will feel better supported.
The more we communicate about something the more comfortable we feel. But we are all different and we prefer to consume information, and engage, in different ways.
Therefore, the more channels you use to spread the message the more aware your employees will be of your commitment to support their mental health. From the induction process, through to articles, posters and weekly tips for line managers.
“ Your employees need to know that you take mental health seriously and hold significant importance over their wellbeing.
Every time you discuss mental wellbeing, it has the potential to resonate with another person.
And finally…
If you’re a line manager, don’t forget to lead by example. Actively encourage your team to adopt healthier
Work-related stress, depression or anxiety is defined as a harmful reaction people have to undue pressures and demands placed on them at work. The latest estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) show:
• The total number of cases of work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2021/22 was 914,000, a prevalence rate of 2,750 per 100,000 workers.
• In the recent years prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of self-reported workrelated stress, depression or anxiety had shown signs of increasing. The current rate is higher than the 2018/19 pre-coronavirus levels.
• The number of new cases was 372,000, an incidence rate of 1,120 per 100,000 workers.
• The total number of working days lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2021/22 was 17 million days. This equated to an average of 18.6 days lost per case.
• In 2021/22 stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 51% of all work-related ill health cases and 55% of all working days lost due to work-related ill health.
• By top-level industry averaged 2019/202021/22, stress, depression or anxiety was most prevalent in:
– Public administration and defence; compulsory social security
– Human health and social work activities
– Education
working habits by working sensible hours, taking full lunch breaks, taking annual leave and resting after busy periods. Maintain a good work–life balance and set boundaries between your work and home life, including guidance around accessing work devices or inboxes out of office hours.
Here are just some of the resources available to help companies better support employees with their mental health.
• Legal guidance surrounding mental health from ACAS - https://www.acas.org.uk/health-and-wellbeing
• Guidance specifically for line managers from CIPD - https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/culture/wellbeing/mental-health-support-report#gref
• An overview of mental health at work from Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/workplace/mental-healthat-work/
• Ways to tackle loneliness (the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2022)https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week
• How to get help for mental health from the NHS - https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/
• In terms of occupation averaged 2017/182019/20, higher rates of stress, depression or anxiety were found in:
– Professional occupations
– Associate professional and technical occupations
• The main work factors cited by respondents as causing work-related stress, depression or anxiety were workload pressures, including tight deadlines and too much responsibility and a lack of managerial support (2009/102011/12).
• Of the 914,000 workers suffering from workrelated stress, depression or anxiety in 2021/22 an estimated 452,000 believed it was caused or made worse by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Before I landed on Research and Insights as a career, I ran a recruitment company down in Surrey. I was often amazed at how many job vacancies we were given WITHOUT mention of salary and only scant descriptions of benefits- surely, I thought, nobody applies for a job without this most basic of information?
Fast forward 16 years, and we are still seeing this irritating practice in hospitality.
But that was then, and this is now. We used to only know the things about companies that they wanted us to. But now there are a plethora of ways to ‘gen up’ on a company, its management team, its culture, structure and salary/benefits schemes. And not making this information transparently and publicly available simply isn’t good enough.
In a time when our industry is facing a recruitment and retention crisis, shouldn’t we be doing our best to woo the best candidates rather than hiding (very important) information from them –and then doing our best to keep them?
Confirming my suspicions, recent KAM research, conducted in partnership with Growth Partners shows us that hospitality businesses are still not effectively communicating many things when they’re trying to recruit, including employee benefits; 75% of employees we spoke to couldn’t find information about employee benefits while researching their hospitality job. 20% said they only found out during their interview and 15% had to wait until after they’d started in the role.
Hospitality employees also told us that when in a role, their current employers need to do a better job of communicating the services available to them, many don’t have a clue what benefits are available (or where to find info on them), this despite the clear impact they can have on staff retention. 79% would use employee engagement services more if they were made aware of what was available.
We know from previous research that 1-in-2 hospitality job candidates won’t apply for a role if it doesn’t have an advertised salary- so anyone NOT making renumeration clear, is missing out on 50% of the already scarce pool of talent. The research showed us that the majority of employees (75%)
believe that offering employee engagement services makes a business a more attractive place to work and there is an expectation for businesses to offer services which look after their physical and mental well-being as well as their financial wellbeing.
So why oh why aren’t we shouting more about it?
Things have changed since Covid I liked what Anne-Marie Sarantis, Head of People, Gusto said on the topic; “Everything has changed since Covid and there has been a shift towards better engagement and usage of benefits– it’s all important, but equally many employees don’t even use it when we give it to them. So, it’s important that we, as a business, signpost them sufficiently.”
It’s also important businesses are aware that the types of benefits wanted by employees are changing – not just with the times, but also from one employee to the next – we need a less ‘cookie cutter’ approach, and more of an individual understanding of what matters to our team members.
But, if you want to look at an overview from our
research, with regards to ‘health and lifestyle’ the most popular benefits among hospitality employees are gym discounts, flexible shifts, healthy eating programmes and medical healthcare (no surprise that this is particularly popular among older employees). The most sought-after financial benefits are 24/7 online access to payslip documents, the ability to receive their pay earlier than pay day and an online chat service to query/sort out issues with their pay slip.
As an industry, we need to realise that we have to be competitive with other industries when it comes to salary and benefits – and we have to shout about it – otherwise, aren’t we just stuck in a 2007 state of mind?”
LTA Youth was introduced in 2021 as a junior programme created to help more children enjoy the benefits of playing and staying in tennis, whatever their age, gender, ability, disability or background.
In June, the first four venues to achieve LTA Youth Recognised Venues were announced as Penarth Windsor Tennis Club, Nottingham Tennis Centre, the University of Bristol and Sunderland Tennis Centre.
Sam Richardson, Head of Tennis Products and Programmes at the LTA said: “We are so pleased to be recognising tennis venues for delivering outstanding junior programmes and committing to LTA Youth. The venues that have been awarded the status so far are examples of best practice and should be very proud of their
achievement. These four venues have delivered on the programme’s five key principles and offer all five stages of the game – from blue through to yellow,” said Sam. “This, alongside adopting LTA Youth Competitions into their weekly programmes has meant that they have continued to grow and open the game up to new audiences in their areas.”
This recognition is expected to become a key tool which can help to promote their venues, attract more players and grow their clubs still further.
Ellie Lewis, coach at Tennis Squad for Penarth Windsor Tennis Club, said: It’s a game changer for us. We can use that to help promote the club and we’ve had a lot of feedback from Tennis Wales, our committee and other venues wanting to know how
they can achieve it as well.
“We’re maxed out now and actually have waiting lists for the under 10 age group which I think say a lot about why we’ve become a recognised venue.
“Not only are we bringing them in but we’re retaining them as well, which is really important. Kids are having fun on court but they’re also developing at the same time.”
For Dave Everington, Tennis Manager at the Nottingham Tennis Centre, delivering the LTA programme is an honour, providing local players with the opportunity to play amazing tennis.
“The programme in Nottingham has continued to grow and is now one of the biggest in the country with nearly 1300 players weekly,” said Dave. “The challenge with that is keeping the standards
high, but our attrition rates have improved so much since we’ve had the LTA Youth programme and are at the lowest they’ve ever been.”
At Sunderland Tennis Centre, working in a city where other sports tend to dominate, LTA Youth Schools have proved the key to growing into the thriving centre they are today.
“LTA Youth Schools have been a great tool for us,” said Tennis Manager Graham Fowler. “We work very closely with Sunderland’s three games schools’ organisers and took the idea to them.
They liked it and pushed it in schools across the city. We got into a lot of schools that had never played tennis and from that we had a load of kids coming to the centre and we’re going from strength to strength.”
A different challenge faced Jason Boon and the team at the University of Bristol, where they found themselves with a very healthy numbers of teenagers but struggling to engage the under eights.
“We ran an LTA Youth roadshow which
brought in 600 kids and off the back of that 210 signed up for our follow up offer of six weeks and we’ve retained over 150 of them – almost triple what we had before!
“The programme is really thriving and now we can’t wait to have our next influx of kids.”
MORE INFORMATION
More details on the LTA scheme are available at www.lta.org.uk
Turf Assistant is an industry-leading software for Course Managers. It gives them automated, accurate data so that they and their Clubs' stakeholders make decisions based on facts, not opinions.
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CMAE Members should contact jim.callaghanccm@parconex.com or call Jim on 0044 78522 88732 to arrange a zoom demo of Turf Assistant.
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Drans elds SPOTLIGHT is a state-of-the-art audio visual platform delivering the best entertainment to your venue and giving your customers lots of fun with the ultimate entertainment experience.
Spotlight is modular system that enables a club to tailor it to their needs, whilst allowing instant upgrades to bring in additional features on a pay-as-you-use basis
Drans elds is the UK’s largest independent supplier of gaming and amusement machines to private members clubs, pubs and the licensed trade. With over 75 years’ club and pub industry experience, we have unrivalled expertise and are able to provide the very highest levels of service and support to help you maximise pro ts for your venue.
