clubmirror November 2017
AT THE HEART OF THE COMM UNI TY
Licensing Act 2003 review Government response AT TH E B A R • HQ • L EG A L • BUIL DING T H E BU SINE SS
Contents
club mirror AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY
NOVEMBER 2017
AWARDS, EVENTS AND CALLS TO ACTION
SMARTDISP PENSE
12 Join us at Rugby Tonight
SETS A NEW STAN ANDARD IN DRAUGHT DIS SPENSE
15 Calling all clubs – date for the diary
12
Fancy joining the live filming of Rugby Tonight at BT Sports’ London studios? Here’s how
The Club Awards and Gala Dinner is a celebration not to be missed. Here’s why.
17 Free club raceday Fancy a flutter? Read on...
AT TIVE DRAUGHT SY YSTEM • INNOVA
NEWS, VIEWS, CLUB LIFE AND LEGISLATION
AND 4-WEEKLY PROFESSIO ONAL SERVICE SUPPORT THAT DELIVERS CONSISTENTLY GREAT FRESH PINT QUALITY
06 News News, views, latest legislation and clubs on social media.
10 What’s new? Latest launches and new brews to consider stocking at the bar.
AP TO MULTI-TAP AP SYSTEMS • FROM 1-TA
– SMARTDISPENSE HAS A SOLUTION S FOR YOU OUR BAR’S NEEDS
20 At the heart of the community A whirlwind tour of just some of the UK’s outstanding clubs at the heart of their communities.
25 Fifty years of club life
TO P QUALITY Q Y
ENERGY EFFICIENT
LESS WASTE A
That was the year that was – a snapshot of 18,250 days (give or take a leap year) in Club Mirror’s 50 years of publishing.
TOTAL
SUPPORT
10 HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
A GAM ME CHANGER FOR O OUR CUSTOMERS “ WOULD RECOMMEN ND TO ANYON NE.” KEVIN, BELMONT CLLUB
“THE SMARTD DISPENSE SYSTEM HAS LED L TO GREAT CUSTOMER O FEEDBACK ON N QUALITY OF BEER B .”
“IT’S TH HE BEST CELLAR SYSTEM I’VE HAD AND ALSO TH HE MOST RELIABL LE.”
DAV VID MANDELLL, JACK MYTTON IN NN
TRISTIAN, KNOWLE HOTEL
58
ASK THE EXPERTS
40 HQ Building the Business
57 A word with...
From handling DBS to avoiding festive failures.
Club Insure's Broking Director shares his thoughts.
42 HQ Building the Business – Legal Eagle
58 Tracking prevention
This month our Legal Eagle answers your questions on personal and premises licenses.
The folk at Larrytech gauge the impact of Apple’s IOS update.
44 HQ Building the Business – Licensing updates
59 Theft – it isn’t always a stranger
The Government responds to recommendations from the Select Committee on the Licensing Act 2003.
48 HQ Building the Business – Better Buying
Discovering theft is always a shock, especially when the culprit is someone you trust.
60 Budgeting top tips Top advice on covering all budgeting bases.
Want to cut club spending while increasing efficiencies? Read on.
62 It’s classified!
50 Racing Club
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Discounted race day tickets for clubs and members.
Showcasing club-supporting suppliers.
54 Sporting fixtures
FIND OUT MORE, VISIT US AT: SMARTDIISPENSE.HEINEKEN.C CO.UK
What’s coming to the club screens next month? Sports4Bars.com on the latest and greatest fixtures.
CLUB MIRROR 3
LEADER
Contributors
REFRESHING
Resolutions and celebrations
*
With just a few weeks to go until we hit New Year’s Resolution time, everyone’s busy reviewing 2017 and planning for 2018.
Mike Braidwood
Chris Colverd
Sean Ferris
Karen Foreman
David Foster
Larry Hardcastle
Jonathan Hardy
David Lucas
Leigh Ann Ogilvie
Justin O’Regan
Victoria Romero-Trigo
Jill Slingsby
Here at Club Awards HQ we’ve been gaining excellent insights into what has – or hasn’t – been working well for clubs, thanks to the many of you who’ve shared your tales with us. As so often, many clubs report that pub closures continue to swell their numbers, as displaced pub-goers seek alternative venues. Great news for membership levels of course, while also demanding that clubs continue to re-invent and re-revaluate themselves. The platform from which all successful clubs are operating is uniquely geared to their membership, catchment and circumstances. For some this means building business around evergreen stalwarts, for others it’s creating entirely new revenue streams to reflect the ever-shifting fortunes of their local environment. The common denominators of these successful clubs remain true to the reasons they were founded in the first place – think community, think safe environments, think reasonably priced bars, think sports and think entertainment.
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A truly noteworthy element this year – particularly amongst Club Awards entrants – has been the amount of monies clubs are able to reinvest in their clubs with major refurbishments dominating many entries as well as increased entertainment budgets and expanded social media activity proving an extremely cost effective – free! – way to spread the word. On spreading the word, a reminder that we’re celebrating Club Mirror’s 50th birthday next year, so any of you sharing a similar landmark – from long-serving members to a key club event which happened in 1968 – do get in touch and we’ll include you in our Birthday Hall of Fame! I hope you enjoy the issue.
Caroline Scoular UNDERSTANDING YOU, FIRST...
Editor, Club Mirror
Editor Caroline Scoular Design David Foster Editorial Chris Colverd Events Jill Slingsby, Karen Foreman Display Advertising Margaret Doherty Sales and Marketing Manager Leigh-Ann Ogilvie Circulation Jon Hardy Accounts Andrew Soles Publishing Director Sean Ferris
Club Mirror is published by Alchemy Contract Publishing Ltd, Gainsborough House, 59/60 Thames Street, Windsor SW4 1TX. Tel: 01753 272022. Fax: 01753 272 021 Email: caroline@clubmirror.com; sean@clubmirror.com; leigh-ann@alchemymedia.co.uk; info@clubmirror.com ACP Gainsborough House 59/60 Thames Street Windsor Berkshire SL4 1TX UK t. +44 (0)1753 272022 f. +44 (0)1753 272021 e.info@alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk www.alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher. Club Mirror does not verify the claims made by advertisers regarding their products. CLUB MIRROR 5
Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority
CLUB NEWS
Join us at the 2017 Gala Dinner The Club Awards 2017 look forward to welcoming guests at Doncaster Racecourse on 30 November 2017.
The Government has issued its response to the detailed call for evidence taken by the House of Lords Select Committee on the Licensing Act 2003. (See Club Mirror, April issue.) The Government rejected a number recommendations outright but also stated that there were recommendations which were a ‘spur to further work, particularly in respect of how the system of licensing can be made to function more effectively and the lessons that can be learned from the planning system’.
This year’s Gala Dinner is open to the entire club community and all attendees will receive a free day of racing on December 1 at Doncaster. Ticket prices include: • Beer Festival • Drinks reception • Three-course gala dinner • Entertainment with celebrity host • After dinner entertainment • Complimentary ticket to Doncaster Racecourse the following day
British Gin makers call for spirit duty freeze Voluntary Living
Philip Hammond
adding to its already high tax bill this year. British gin is a global phenomenon which is why we are asking the Chancellor
why he is penalising what Britain does best? By freezing spirit duty he would be allowing industry to invest, create jobs and grow.” In the last five years, the number of distilleries in the UK has more than doubled to 273, with 40 opening in 2016 alone. The UK is the biggest gin exporter in the world. British gin exports are now worth more to the UK than beef with exports, valued at £475m last year. This letter follows hard upon a communication signed by 12 of the WSTA’s English wine members asking for a freeze on wine duty, stating that the significant tax burden is restricting growth and is damaging to rural communities.
Wage to increase More than 150,000 workers whose employers are signed up to the voluntary Living Wage rate are set to get a pay rise. The voluntary rate, which is separate from the government’s compulsory National Minimum Wage (NMW) and the National Living Wage (NLW), is set to rise by 30p an hour to £8.75. For those living in London, the rate will rise by 45p to £10.20 an hour.
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the ocean each year where it takes over 450 years to biodegrade. Delphis Eco worked with UK waste collectors to produce recycled plastic granules from which the new packaging is formed. It also partnered with specialist producers to blow its bottles to achieve the 100% food grade quality PCR level. “We believe everyone has the obligation to be more sustainable and for the last 10 years have produced the UK’s most
accredited eco cleaning range for the commercial cleaning and out of home sector,” said Mr Jankovich. “And now, with the world’ first PCR 100% packaging – which we are bringing to market - we hope that big international corporates will sit up and take note and take on board the responsibility to invest in, and drive a paradigm shift on, how we recycle plastic and use PCR waste.” • www.delphiseco.com
The Committee of Registered Clubs Associations’s (CORCA’s) meeting last month was held on 24 October 2017 at the Naval Club in Mayfair, London. • Club research – The state of the licensed trade was discussed and it was noted that 19.4% less alcohol was being consumed in the UK than a decade ago. It was agreed that research into demographic trends and current demands on clubs would be of benefit. CORCA Club Groups agreed to forward data to the CORCA Secretary. • Best Bar None – CORCA Chairman Lord Smith CBE had recently been appointed
Chairman of the ‘Best Bar None’ initiative, formed in 2003 to promote high standards and safe drinking environments within all licensed establishments. Attendees supported his proposal to include CORCA clubs in the scheme. • Pensions – It was noted that the rates payable under the auto-enrolment scheme would increase from April 2018 to 2% for employers and 3% for employees. This would increase for each category by a further 1% in April 2019.
All for charity
Suppor ted
by
The Stroke Association
The Stroke Association is the leading charity in the UK changing the world for people affected by strokes.
World first for UK manufacturer
British eco cleaning-chemical manufacturer, Delphis Eco, has pioneered the world’s first post-consumer recycled plastic packaging, using it to launch a new range of robust packaging. CEO, Mark Jankovich, said: “By driving this change to our packaging we have taken 500 tonnes of carbon emissions out of the equation.” The UK gets through 38m bottles per day with over 8m tonnes of plastic dumped into
The Government did not accept the Committee’s report findings that a ‘radical comprehensive overhaul of the Licensing
Act is needed’ however. •For more in-depth coverage turn to pages 44-45 in this issue.
CORCA calls for club sector research
• Turn to pages 15-17 for more details.
Gin makers and the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) have called for Chancellor Philip Hammond and Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark, to freeze spirit duty. Gin duties collected in the UK will go up around £25m on last year if duty is raised again for the second time this year. In March spirit duty was increased by inflation at 3.9% which added 30p to an average priced bottle of spirits. The Chancellor now plans another increase of 3.4% , adding another 26p to a bottle. Miles Beale, Chief Executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said: “Government is stifling the gin boom by
Government rejects call for Licensing Act 2003 overhaul
Living Wage Foundation director Katherine Chapman (pictured above) urged more employers to sign up to the scheme. “In-work poverty is today’s story,” she said. “The new Living Wage rates will bring relief for thousands of UK workers being squeezed by stagnant wages and rising inflation.”
In the last 20 years the number of major strokes has decreased by 40 per cent. More people than ever are benefitting from cuttingedge treatments and making full recoveries. And more people now understand the need to seek emergency treatment for strokes. “Our support services have helped hundreds of thousands of people get through one of the most frightening experiences of their lives and build a life after a stroke,” says the charity. “And our campaigning has touched the lives of even more people through initiatives like the FAST campaign which we developed to help people recognise the signs of a stroke and take
emergency action. The Department of Health in England was so impressed with this campaign that they took it up in 2009 and promoted to millions of people. But there’s still more to do.” Every year there are about 152,000 strokes in the UK. Thanks to improvements to stroke care you are twice as likely to survive a stroke than 20 years ago. Nevertheless strokes are one of the greatest health challenges of our time but doesn’t get the attention or funding it deserves, according to the charity. “As the leading stroke charity in the UK we know we need to change how people think about this
• APPG Business – The Group was informed that Lord Smith had been elected Joint Chairman at the recent AGM of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Non Profit Making Members Clubs. The CIU Officers and Head Office Manager (CORCA Secretary) had met with former Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe to consider a recruitment exercise for the APPG and a Parliamentary reception. • The NUL&SC – The NUL&SC reported that they are currently undertaking a recruitment and awareness drive and have written to all Labour Peers and MPs.
devastating disease. But we can’t do it on our own. We need to work with people who share our commitment to changing the world for people affected by strokes – with stroke survivors and their families; with decision makers; with researchers and medics; as well as with our supporters.” The charity believes that: • Strokes can and should be prevented. • That everyone has the right to make the best recovery they can from strokes. • That the power of research will save lives and ensure people make the best recovery they can. • That together we can change the world for people affected by strokes. •www.stroke.org.uk •t. 0303 3033 100
NEWS IN BRIEF Calsberg UK sponsors Northampton Saints
Carlsberg UK has reaffirmed its sponsorship of Premiership Rugby team Northampton Saints club after more than three decades. The stand is to be re-branded as the Carlsberg Stand in 2018. The brewer will invest in cellars and bars to improve quality, minimise wastage and reduce queuing time. An enhanced range of beers and ciders, including Carlsberg Export and Brooklyn Lager, will be available. Molson Coors launches ‘Balance’ Molson Coors has launched ‘Balance’, an initiative designed to advise customers on how to achieve the perfect ‘balance’ in their beer offering with the optimum range of mainstream, premium and craft options. The initiative is based around three pillars – maximising core brands, encouraging trade up, and inspiring choice. • t. 0845 6000 888 Kamara fronts Drinkaware radio campaign
Football pundit Chris Kamara took to the airwaves on behalf of alcohol education charity Drinkaware to support its ‘Have A Little Less, Feel A Lot Better’ campaign. Speaking openly about his own recent experience of cutting down on alcohol, Kamara took the message about moderate drinking to nearly 9m listeners across 19 regional and national radio stations. CLUB MIRROR 7
CLUB NEWS
Clubnews
Club Mirror takes a whirlwind tour of clubs around the county in the fastest way possible – by social media.
18/10/2017 07:31 Page 1
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CLUB MIRROR 9
AT THE BAR
AT THE HEART OF THE RUGBY COMMUNITY
ISSUE 10
So what’s new? Latest launches and new brews to consider stocking at the bar.
SHARP’S BREWERY CELEBRATES SUCCESS Cornwall-based Sharp’s Brewery picked up five honours at the annual IWSC Beer Awards. Doom Bar and Sea Fury were named a ‘4-star beer 2017’, and Atlantic, Sharp’s Pilsner and Chalky’s Bite achieved the ‘3-star beer 2017’ status. James Nicholls, Senior Brand Manager at Sharp’s Brewery, said: “To be recognised at this year’s Beer Awards is a fantastic achievement for the Sharp’s team, and a testament to the all of the hard work that goes into making our beers.” The brewer also picked up five awards at the 2017 International Beer Challenge and a further five medals at the World Beer Awards 2017. • www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk £4M INVESTMENT AT BUTCOMBE BREWERY Somerset brewery Butcombe has invested £4 million in its business. The investment includes a new craft beer production unit, new packaging lines and a beer storage and delivery facility near the M5 designed for more efficient and broader distribution. There will also be increased capacity at the brewery to support the double digit growth of the brewer’s keg range which includes Butcombe Original, Goram IPA, Blonde Ale and Bohemia Pilsner. Managing director of brewing and brands at Butcombe, Steve Wilkinson, said: “The investment in specialist bottling and kegging equipment is a rare opportunity for a regional brewer of our size to really gear up and satisfy the rapidly changing market, to redouble our efforts in our heartland with Butcombe Cask beers at the centre of what we do supported by the same consistent quality beers in bottle and keg.” In February this year the brewer and pub operator unveiled a major rebrand which included a new logo, revamped packaging and updated point of sale materials. • www.butcombe.com MATTHEW CLARK PREPARES FOR FESTIVE SEASON Matthew Clark has launched its Christmas offering along with a series of category selling guides. The
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range includes sparkling white wines, mulled wines, brandy and Cognac, as well as cream and coffee liqueurs, which see 27% of all volume sales traded throughout the Christmas period. With value set to be a key driver for consumers, a series of competitive offers on key seasonal drinks choices is also offered, including for Black Friday and the first 12 days of Christmas. Mat Bird, Marketing Director at Matthew Clark said: “The festive season is vital for licensees, with many outlets taking around 20% of their annual sales in November and December. However, we understand that along with greater sales opportunities also come greater pressure on time and resource, which is why we’re committed to helping licensees make the Christmas period as simple and straightforward as possible.” • www.matthewclark.co.uk ANCOV ANNOUNCES ITS PEATIEST WHISKY TO DATE Aberdeenshire’s Knockdhu Distillery has added Peatheart to its Peaty Collection. The whisky takes its name from the nearby peat bogs and has a phenol content of 40PPM creating ‘an intensely warm yet smooth finish’. Matured in bourbon barrels for over a decade, the whisky is described as delivering ‘an initial smoky burst on the nose which surrenders to a surge of fruitiness. Notes of ripe pears, apples and citrusy lime give way to a slight hint of tobacco in the background. To taste, smoky flavours are laced with leather and sweet stewed apples. Closely followed by chocolate, the whisky is perfectly complemented by sweet vanilla and zesty lemon, leaving drinkers with a lingering warmth and floral smokiness’. • www.ancnoc.com PORTOBELLO ROAD GIN LAUNCHES SEASONAL OFFERING London-based Portobello Road Gin has launched what it claims is the world’s first pechuga gin, distilled with turkey breast. Directors Cut No.03 Pechuga Gin is created using
T U O
a process borrowed from Mexico’s mezcal producers where a Pechuga (chicken or turkey breast) is suspended over the still and cooked in the vapours. The new Pechuga Gin uses turkey breast and 13 botanicals including apples, pears, plums, currants, raisins, sultanas, apricots, brown rice, passion fruit, cinnamon and cassia bark as well as nutmeg and mace. • www.portobelloroadgin.com TRAPPIST MONKS GET PLANNING PERMISSION FOR A BREWERY Monks at Mount St Bernard Abbey near Whitwick, Leicestershire, have been given planning permission to build the UK’s only Trappist brewery and, if accredited by the International Trappist Association, will be one of only 12 in the world to produce authentic Trappist beer. The brewery will be sited in the monastery’s old dairy farm which is no longer operational. Profits made from the venture will go to registered charity the Trustees of Mount St Bernard which is responsible for supporting the monks and maintaining the abbey.
W O N k u . rg
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Ben Kay – meet the man on Rugby Tonight Enter the Social Media Awards <
using this QR code
Fixtures for the months ahead – all you need to know HQ Building the Business – free advisory service
Legal Eagle – legislative update
Free racing tickets for Doncaster
CLUB ACTIVITY – FREE TO CLUBS 1
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5. 1st Military Working Dog Regiment RFC. 6. Marston’s is a keen rugby supporter. (Pictured: Burton RFC.) 6, 7, 8 & 9. Guests arrived in their club colours. 10. The Club Rugby/Club Mirror team. 11. University of East Anglia Old Boys. 12. Harlequins’ Adam Jones, AKA ‘The Hair’, takes questions on the sofa. 13. Re-enactment of tackles and moves. 14 & 15. On set in the studio.
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Club Mirror and Club Rugby invite you and your rugby-mad colleagues to join us at BT Sport’s London studio for a filming of Rugby Tonight. Rugby Tonight, BT Sport’s popular weekly rugby magazine show, is set to play host to rugby-mad readers from Club Mirror and sister magazine Club Rugby with presenter Sarra Elgen and former England players Austin Healey and Ben Kay welcoming the club guests. This follows on from the hugely successful screening earlier this year when the two titles took over the studios courtesy of Club Awards sponsor BT Sport. The event includes re-enactments, audience interviews, rugby chat in the studio’s Ruck & Maul pub and on-the-sofa discussions about up and coming matches. • For your chance to join us, simply email your club’s details to info@clubmirror.com or ring in on 01753 272022.
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1. Lights and...action. 2. Club representatives were interviewed about their passion for rugby. 3. BT Sport’s Bruce Cuthbert (left) and ACP’s Sean Ferris. 4. Audience interviews. 5. Lock in at the Ruck & Maul bar.
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CLUB AWARDS 2017
Callingallclubs
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our bigggest season ever e.
as well as the European Rugby Champions & rugby, letting you show the biggest b and best rugby competitions all on onee package.
Join us in Doncaster
Club Mirror invites you to join fellow clubs and club-supporting sponsors at the 2017 Club Awards and Gala Dinner. Plus: continue the celebrations on December 1 with a day at the races â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on us. Date: 30 November, 2017 Venue: Doncaster Racecourse Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meeting sponsoring suppliers, comparing notes with other clubs or trying out a new beer for the bar, the Club Mirror team invites you to join them for an action packed Evening on November 30, followed by a dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s racing on December 1.
Be There
5 - 6pm MINI BEER FESTIVAL Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cask to the fore as we invite you to sample some splendid real ales.
6 - 7pm DRINKS RECEPTION Join us at the pre-Awards drinks reception courtesy of Marstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Heineken UK. Photo opportunities to date courtesy of BT Sport have included the FA Cup, the Challenge Cup and the Premier League Trophy.
Join now to show these t great competitions in your o venue
Call 0800 678 8 1061
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CLUB AWARDS 2017
JOIN US FOR THE CLUB EVENT OF THE YEAR
The Club Awards, now in their 26th year, are well known for providing the perfect informative – and fun – way to network with suppliers and fellow clubs. Come and join us for a night of celebration and fun. Open to all clubs, this is the must-attend event of the year. (Finalists in the Awards receive two complimentary tickets.) Complete the form below, or email us on caroline@clubmirror.com
STO Don P PR ’t fo ES r f r Don ee ra get the S r
7 - 9.30pm CLUB AWARDS & GALA DINNER The 26th Club Awards and Gala Dinner is being presented by sports personality John Inverdale (above, top). Back by popular demand, he is one of many celebrity hosts to join the Club Awards Hall of Fame.
on Dcaster cing at e’s Club ecem Racec ou be A See wards ar 1 for arse opp tten ll o s i t mor e pa dees. e de tailsge for .
TICKET BOOKING FORM 30 November, 2017, Doncaster Racecourse
10pm - 12 midnight
• Complimentary drinks reception
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• Three-course gala dinner
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• Entertainment with celebrity host
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• After dinner entertainment
ENTERTAINMENT ZONE The evening continues after the Awards with festive entertainment in the Alpine Village!
• Complimentary ticket to Doncaster Racecourse the following day for each guest
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CLUB PROFILES
At the heart of the community A quick tour of UK clubs just goes to prove what we all know – that they’re an integral part of their communities, ensuring a lively entertainment programme in convivial surroundings and a haven for all age groups. And what’s more, they're thriving.
Grangemoor WMC, Burntwood Members: 700 Grangemoor WMC has completed a £40k refurbishment of its main bar and outside awnings with new furniture, custom-made curved tables for the Function Room, new windows and new signage. “We’ve paid all our brewery loans so we are truly a freehouse,” says Darren Ennis, Treasurer. “Also, we now have an ethos whereby anything that we have traditionally hired or rented for the club we try and buy it for ourselves.” The club has a busy entertainment programme, BT Sport, two pool tables and a darts area. Membership has grown by 20% in the past year. Lower Hopton WMC, Mirfield Members: 560 “We’ve been carrying on our upward curve from previous years with bookings up on private functions which bring in a decent income,” says Colin Avery, Club Secretary. “Private parties at the weekend are a great boost to the club and we’ve had fantastic feedback from the people who’ve hired out the Function Room. Indeed, many of them return to join as members.
Daventry WMC, Daventry Members: 800 With three bars, pool and snooker plus a skittles table in the Snug this has been another strong year, reports the club. Particularly strong has been the private function side of the business with bookings several months in advance. “The income generated by the private function business has been a focus,” says Sadie Taylor, Club Secretary. “The ultimate endorsement is that people who’ve attended events here often then hold their own functions and join as members. We hold all sorts of functions and recently held an ordination party for a local priest attended by the Bishop of the area.” The club is also bringing in younger people to the club, securing the future of the club. “The bar sports and games has been growing and we’re renowned for our pool and snooker facilities which are the best in the area,” says Sadie. “A lot of young people are joining the clubs to use the tables. Darts has also been very successful this year. Skittles is also going really well; we now have two Leagues using our club. “We have regular live music evenings and one big act every two months which always sell out. Most recently we hosted a Take That tribute concert which proved very popular with our members.” Eastleigh WMC, Eastleigh Members: 1,345 “There is live entertainment every Saturday night and we try and book a real variety of acts to widen the appeal. We mainly have cover bands from the various eras,” says Colin Richards, Secretary. “We also have all the traditional activities you’d expect from a Union club – darts, snooker, pool, whist, dominoes, bingo, meat draws and bottle draws.” There are eight clubs within a few miles of each other but the club’s well-priced bar, good sports
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Everton & Lymore Social Club, Lymington Members: 550
facilities and entertainment offering ensures that it is busy throughout the week. “We’re part of the CIU and proudly display that outside the club,” says Club Steward Julianne Graham. “We’re very community focused and CIU associate members are always assured of a warm welcome. “Our membership numbers continue to grow and what is particularly pleasing is that we’ve managed to get more young people to join through putting our message out on social media about the entertainment we have on offer. We’ve also showcased the various games facilities we have in the club like the snooker and pool tables and that has helped boost membership.”
“We’ve been delighted with the refurbishment of our Sports Bar which has totally transformed the club’s space, giving us a more contemporary feel,” says Roger Hockham, Chairman. “We invested £18,000 in the project and it’s money well spent. We have Sky Sports in the bar and wanted to complete it for the new season as we attract a pretty good crowd for the big matches. Our members have been delighted with the results and it has attracted many positive comments from our members. “The club has also invested in a new heating system which is much more efficient than the old one so this will cut our energy costs.” There has been an increase in use of the function room by locals and new signage let’s people know the welcome that awaits them. Activities are promoted on the club’s Facebook page as well as via Twitter.
“The football teams which are part of the club continue to do very well for us. The playing fields are just down the road so we’re essentially the clubhouse for two men’s teams and a ladies team,” says Colin. “Bowling remains the core of the club with our green one of the busiest in the area with eight teams using it on a weekly basis. We have a very good reputation as a venue for bowling and our teams get weekly mentions in the local paper which is great for the club.” In addition to the eight bowling teams, the club has two men’s football teams, one women’s football team and a snooker team. “We’ve also negotiated a favourable contract with Heineken to keep our prices down for the next two years and on the cask ale front we’ve continued to grow beer sales. We’ve stuck to local cask ales from Yorkshire breweries and that has gone very well for us. We’re involved with the local branch of CAMRA.”
Main Line Social Club, Leeds Members: 1,945 “The club’s live entertainment focuses on Saturdays and Sundays and that has been going great guns with some very popular nights in the club. A new Northern Soul night has been a great success and tribute acts always go down well with members. We’ve had some excellent ones over the past few months,” says Keith Baxter, Secretary. “We’ve also become known as a venue for wakes. It sounds a bit gloomy but it’s really important to people to have somewhere where they can give their loved ones a good send-off. The bar takings for wakes are always very good – we have taken £3,000 in one afternoon from just one wake – and they usually take place midweek in the daytime when the club is generally quiet.” Darts, snooker, dominoes and cribbage are very important (the club participates in many leagues) and the club’s football team adds a buzz to the bar at the weekends along with the various visiting teams. Charity-wise, the club maintains regular fundraisers for various charities and has a good relationship with the local care home. “As well as running the club quiz two nights a week here, I also do four quizzes for the folks at the care home,” says Keith. “We also donate prizes as a club, such as boxes of chocolates, for the winners. It’s nice for the club to be putting things back into the community.”
North Biddick Social Club, Washington Members: 2,700 “The U3A group (University of the Third Age) is now well established here and everyone in the group has to become a club member,” says Eric Wilkinson, Treasurer. “We have an online system that advertises what’s happening in the club. We hire out the Function Room to members on Friday nights for private functions - the next year 26 Fridays have already been taken - and we’re keeping the club upto-date with re-decorating and getting prices for new tables and chairs. “We’ve also renovated the terrace. It used to have just an awning above the terrace. Now we have a proper roof with heating and lighting so people can be sheltered when they stand outside.” The club has both Sky Sports and BT Sport and entertainment includes country and western dancing, a belly dancing group, bingo, live music and comedy acts every Sunday, a pigeon fanciers club, darts club, leek club, three pools teams, two snooker teams, two dominoes teams, two fishing clubs and a bowls club. Poynton Workmens Club, Stockport Members: 850 The club’s greatest success in recent months is undoubtedly its £300k refurbishment as Steward Ian Robins explains. “We’re absolutely delighted with it,” says Ian. “It’s been a long process from the initial idea to the completed project but it has been well worth the time
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and the money. We wanted something which would be a long-term benefit to the club and we’ve achieved that and ensured that we stand out in what is a very competitive club scene around us. We believe that the refurbishment is worth every penny to future-proof the club.” Phase 1 of the project saw the Lounge completely ripped out and a new overall design put in with large flat screens around the Lounge showing all the live Premier League football on Sky Sports and BT Sport. Phase 2 centred on the Concert Room, similar in look and feel to the Lounge but fitted out with the latest audio-visual equipment, lighting rigs and a 30-foot screen that can be pulled down as required. Both rooms have top-of-therange fittings and LED lighting throughout. “We recently hosted the local Rotary Club for an event and the following week 20 of them filled in the application forms for membership,” says Ian. The social side of the club includes darts, snooker, bingo, crown green bowling and a Motorcycle Club. Events include a monthly comedy night with three comedians. “They take the ticket sales and we keep the bar takings which is a great earner; the evenings are always a sell-out,” says Ian. “We also have regular musical acts and special ‘audience with’ style talks. We also have a good reputation for great drinks at good prices and we work really hard with Marston’s to offer a good range, from keg to cask ales to wine.” The club has also upgraded its EPOS system and debit card system. “We’ve noticed that more and more young people are coming to the club and they very often want to pay with a card, even for a single drink. To this end, we’ve put in a more robust card system which goes through instantly, rather than keeping you hanging around waiting to connect with your bank. It makes a huge difference on a busy night and means that the service is as swift as can be.”
ling to Llandudno for this year’s trip. The club is recognised as female-friendly and club security is regarded as of paramount importance. Each member is issued with a personalised key card and the club has invested in CCTV cameras which cover the entrance and car park areas. The club also welcomes fellow CIU members. “The camaraderie between clubs in the Union is shown by the fact that we have two coach-loads of Newcastle United fans from a CIU club in the North East who come down to the club each year when their team is playing in Birmingham to have a few drinks before and after the match,” says Val. “As you’d expect they are all impeccably behaved and it’s always a very enjoyable day for them and our club members.” Two years ago the club initiated a highly successful Sunday Carvery which has seen the bar able to turnover £3,500, making Sunday one of the busiest days at the club. Lunch costs £7.95 with a choice of three meats. “This has been so successful that in the past year we’ve extended the food to Wednesday nights, bringing in people midweek,” says Val.
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Southborough Mens Club, Tunbridge Wells Members: 600
Ryton Social Club, Ryton Members: 1,000
Remembrance Club, Birmingham Members: 2,000 “We are a community-orientated family club and we’re busy throughout the week with activities and entertainment all year round,” says Val McConnell, Secretary. “Our membership continues to grow and we’ve managed to bring in lots of young people. We keep things fresh by encouraging families with family-focused events such as the Christmas pantomime.” Red Card holders – those who’ve been members for more than 20 years – are treated to an annual break with three coach-loads of members travel-
chairs and redecorated the bar and downstairs Lounge to the same standard at the same time so the whole club is bang up to date.” A new jukebox has proved to be a great earner for the club and there is something going on at the club seven days a week, including live entertainment, quiz nights, bingo, darts, dominoes, cards and pool. “The club has its own compere – Scotty Adair – and he ensures that the entertainment nights are really professionally run and great fun,” says Maurice. “We also have Sky Sports in the bar with a big screen and several other screens and that always attracts a good crowd in for the big games, especially when Newcastle United are on.”
Ryton Social Club has an upstairs Lounge and downstairs Lounge, a Concert Room and a separate games room with dartboard and pool tables. “We’ve spent £60,000 on updating our Concert Room and bringing it into the 21st century,” says the club’s Maurice Baines. “The main area of the room has been re-carpeted and redecorated to a high standard with features such as eye-catching safety barriers along the entire width of the room which divide the three levels of the room from the bar to the stage. We’ve also replaced all tables and
Southborough Mens Club celebrates its 85th birthday this year and has marked the occasion with a major refurbishment. “We’ve been delighted with how the club has gone this year and the members have been very happy with the new refurbishment which has brought the club up to date and made it much more welcoming,” says Damon Biggs, Club Secretary. “We’ve put in new furniture throughout with new chairs and upholstery and it looks extremely smart. We’ve also had a membership drive with new banners outside the club to encourage people to come and join. “We have live entertainment most Saturday nights and show live sport on Sky Sports and BT Sport which draws in plenty of people at weekends. Free Wi-Fi is also a plus for members.” The new banners have proved very successful in getting people through the doors while the club website keeps everyone up to date with the club’s many activities.
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CLUB MIRROR – 50 YEARS YOUNG
Thatwasthe yearthatwas First appearing in 1968, Club Mirror has published its way through decades of world history. Here, we take a whirlwind tour through just some of the highs and lows of clubland, the UK and world events.
1968
1969
Club Mirror is born. In the same year the new Gaming Act is introduced. Massive sums are being spent on telling the nation that ‘A Double Diamond works wonders’, and that the Watney’s ‘Red Revolution’ has arrived. Meanwhile, the winds of democracy blow throughout Czechoslovakia in the ‘Prague Spring’. Dr Martin Luther King is assassinated in April, and Robert F. Kennedy in June. A Christmas Eve greeting from space comes from Apollo 8 Space Mission, December 24.
Captain Morgan Rum makes its advertising debut in Club Mirror with ‘Had any Yo-Ho-Ho lately?’, and Teacher’s appears with its ‘Teacher’s does wonderful things to water’ campaign. The maiden flight of Concorde takes place, the Boeing 747 jumbo jet takes to the air and the Open University is launched. Richard Nixon becomes president of the United States and man sets foot on the moon. Golda Meir becomes prime minister of Israel and Yasser Arafat president of the new Palestine Liberation Organisation.
1968
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1970
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Beer enthusiasts form the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), Anwar Sadat is elected president of the United Arab Republic (Egypt) and President Nixon sends combat units into Cambodia. ABC shows The Partridge Family – hello David Cassidy. Biafran War ends when the Biafran surrenders to Nigeria, Boeing 747 makes its maiden voyage and Muammar Gaddafi takes over rule of Libya. Microprocessors reach Britain and Clive Sinclair then creates the first pocket calculator.
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CLUB MIRROR – 50 YEARS YOUNG
1971
becomes John Paul II. The world’s first test tube baby is born in Britain, Liverpool Cathedral is completed after 74 years in the making and the country’s first nudist beach opens at Brighton.
Smirnoff tells Club Mirror and the world, ‘I thought the Kama Sutra was an Indian Restaurant until I discovered Smirnoff’. The Eagles, Supertramp and Queen form. The British House of Commons ends a 14-year debate and allows the United Kingdom to join the European Common Market. Internment without trial sees Belfast and Derry erupt. Two soldiers and 21 civilians die in three days of street battles. Flares are in.
1979 There are 3,025 licensed clubs listed in Scotland, reports Club Mirror. The 1979 general election brings the country’s first woman prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, to power. General Samoza resigns as president of Nicaragua, and the Sandinistas succeed to power, Mother Teresa accepts the Nobel Peace Prize and in December, Soviet forces invade Afghanistan.
1972 Pre-cursor of the current Rising Stars regular, Club Mirror’s Photo Call feature discovers an up-andcoming duo Cannon & Ball. Led Zeppelin’s classic, Stairway to Heaven, hits the airwaves and in the US the Coca-Cola Bottling Company recalls three million cans of Coke because some of the aluminum lids are found to be contaminated.
1973 Squires London Dry Gin claims to be the ‘fastest growing leading brand of gin’, while J&B Rare is launched on the club market. Pink Floyd releases Dark Side of the Moon, The Exorcist hits the screens, Juan Peron, president of Argentina from 1946 to 1955, is again elected to that post and the Watergate scandal hits the headlines. The three-day week in the UK affects most workers while to save fuel, a general speed limit of 50 mph is introduced and television broadcasts end at 10.30pm. Concorde slashes Atlantic flight time.
1974 The Good Beer Guide plans to advise its readers to avoid Watney’s ales ‘like the plague’, but tones this down at the last minute. Paper Lace’s Billy Don’t Be A Hero, David Essex, and John Denver’s Annie’s Song are all in the charts. Patty Hearst, daughter of multimillionaire publisher Randolph Hearst, is abducted. Weeks later Hearst is seen helping her captors rob a San Francisco bank. Golda Meir resigns as premier of Israel, Valery Giscard d’Estaing is elected president of France, and, faced with impeachment over the Watergate affair, President Nixon resigns. Muhammad Ali knocks out George Forman and regains his heavyweight title.
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1972
1980 Club Mirror launches its free reader legal service, and seven pages of new clubs are listed. A report on the 1980 National Club Show shows Brian Rix and Moira Anderson help to raise £6,000 for Mencap. Police
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1977
Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood and John and Christine McVie are joined by new members Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Angola gains its independence from Portugal. Margaret Thatcher is the first woman elected to lead Britain’s Conservative Party and Egypt reopens the Suez Canal after eight years. The first Cricket World Cup is played in England in 1975. The West Indies beats Australia by 17 runs in the Lord’s final.
The new lotteries act allows clubs to run lotteries while London’s Penthouse Club boasts the biggest fruit machine in the land. Fleetwood Mac’s album Rumours is released, ready to stay on the album charts for three and a half years. Leo Sayer, KC and the Sunshine Band and ABBA’s Dancing Queen make the charts. An oil well shoots out of control in the North Sea, creating a slick 45 miles long and 30 miles wide.
1976
1978
Rocky, All The President’s Men, Marathon Man and The Omen hit the big screen. Gymnast Nadia Comaneci of Romania is the darling of the Summer Olympics, while military spending in the world skyrockets to $300 billion a year. Racial violence in black townships outside Johannesburg, South Africa, is the worst in 15 years. The raid on Entebbe; Israeli special forces storm a hijacked airliner in Uganda and rescue all but one of 104 hostages. UK Prime minister Harold Wilson shocks the country by resigning and successor James Callaghan faces a plummeting pound and soaring trade deficit.
Croxley Green Community Association opens its doors having persuaded village residents to part with £1 per brick to build premises. Evita opens. Paul McCartney signs a $20 million recording contract with Columbia Records, Saturday Night Fever hits town and Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols is arrested in New York, charged with murdering girlfriend Nancy Spungen. The Vatican has a tough time, with three popes in one year, following the untimely deaths of Paul VI followed by John Paul I. The College of Cardinals amazes the world by choosing a nonItalian, Cardinal Karol Wojtola of Poland, who
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obtain power to enter clubs without warrant. The first wave of privatisation hits – notably of British Airways – and the IRA revive the hunger strike at the Maze prison. John Lennon is shot to death in New York and Andrei Sakhorov is exiled to Gorky. Gang of Four including Mao’s wife go on trial in Beijing. Workers seize shipyards in Gdansk. Polish court recognises Solidarity as umbrella union.
1981 Beer sales are down a staggering 21%, attributed to Sir Geoffrey Howe raising duty. Bob Monkhouse is Club Mirror’s Comedian of the Year. Club of the Year for Special Achievement is the Lakeside Country Club, Surrey, cigarettes go up by 4p per pack of 20 and tea is the nation’s favourite drink according to a Water Research Council survey – 37% tea, 13% alcoholic, 12% coffee. Heavy increases in gaming machine duty are imposed by Sir Geoffrey Howe as part of a package to recover revenues lost by the reduction in diesel road fuel duty. Charles and Diana marry and John McEnroe wins his first Wimbledon.
1982 The standard of entries are so high for the Club Mirror Awards that 14 Certificates of Merit are issued that year. The Young Ones shock the old ones on TV, while ET phones home. Culture Club hits the big time, and Ra Ra skirts and leg warmers are all the rage. Argentina invades the Falklands and Britain recaptures them – 255 British and 1,000 Argentinians die. Israel returns Sinai to Egypt. A mysterious disease is reported that kills 40% of its victims – AIDS.
1983 100 names are put forward for Club Mirror’s DJ of the Year Awards. The rate burden on clubs grows and the pace of growth is slackening. New sick pay arrangements introduced by the Government cause problems for clubs. Consumption of keg beers grows and sales of bottled beer is on the increase. Margaret Thatcher wins the general election and controversially puts the DeLorean Motor Company into
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CLUB MIRROR – 50 YEARS YOUNG In Prague, Havel changes from prisoner to president, while in East Germany, Erich Honecker is deposed. On November 9, the German Democratic Republic announces that all citizens are free to travel; the Berlin Wall tumbles. Bloody battles in Romania and dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu and his wife are tried and executed. In China, students join the clamour for change, but demonstrations in Tiananmen Square are suppressed.
1990 John Major succeeds Maggie Thatcher and leading anti-apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela is freed from prison in South Africa after 27 years. Boris Yeltsin is elected President of the Russian Federation and the first Moscow McDonald’s opens. Hot pants and mini skirts are back, tent dresses and pant suits are in.
1991 The Gulf War explodes onto our television screens. Terry Anderson, the last US Hostage in Lebanon is released, Slovenia and Croatia declare Independence from Yugoslavia, Elizabeth Taylor marries her eighth husband, Larry Fortensky, and after 13 seasons soap Dallas ends with JR apparently shooting himself (the original assailant was revealed ten years earlier!).
1992
1995
Club Mirror magazine is now £3.25 and incorporates Club Secretary. Mr S. Ferris is classified ad manager and the Manager of the Month competition is now a regular in the magazine. Black Wednesday’s stock market crisis forces the UK out of the ERM, and Miss
1988
receivership. The Hitler Diaries are exposed as fraudulent and Korean Air Lines 007 is shot down by a Soviet Missile.
Barbie Dolls surpass in number the American population, and Sylvester Stallone hits the screens with Rambo.
1984
1986
Striptease acts at Jolly’s Night Club, Caergwrle, near Wrexham, are complained about by 105 local petitioners. The Miners’ Strike begins following successful strikes in ‘72 and ‘74. Arthur Scargill becomes a familiar figure as leader of the National Union of Mineworkers. The Grand Hotel in Brighton is blasted by an IRA bomb during the year’s Conservative party conference, taking five lives.
Michael Barrymore is named Comedian of the Year in the Club Mirror Awards. He holds this accolade two years running. Is it because of this he goes on to host Strike it Lucky the following year, his first TV break? A nuclear accident at Chernobyl endangers the USSR and Europe. Challenger explodes 30 seconds after lift-off, and Panamanian army chief Manual Noriega is accused of drug dealing.
The Clay Lane Club in Doncaster hits the headlines when Oliver Reed is laid across a pool table and shaved after calling members ‘northern working class pigs’. Club vice president Tony Lindley tells Club Mirror ‘it was just a bit of fun!’. White label, Whitbread’s low alcohol bitter, is launched on draught. Edwina Currie resigns after saying that most eggs in Britain are infected by salmonella. In Pakistan Benazir Bhutto is elected prime minister and Salman Rushie publishes The Satanic Verses, to be condemned to death by the Ayatollah Khomeini. An earthquake in Armenia kills at least 25,000 people, spurring an international aid effort.
1985
1987
1989
Sam Fox gets her big break, appearing on the front cover of Club Mirror! Posing on a ladder, she is tipped to climb to the top. The miners go back to their jobs, in most cases doomed to early redundancy. Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia raise millions of pounds for famine aid in Africa. Soviet Leader Chernenko dies and Mikhail Gorbachev, 54, takes over. In Columbia a volcano erupts killing 25,000.
A £600,000 cabaret club is planned for the Isle of Sheppey and heavy increases in gaming machine duty are imposed. Margaret Thatcher is elected for a third term. Oliver North takes the fifth amendment in the Contra Investigation, and 338 of 452 accused are convicted in the famous Mafia trial, Polermo, Italy. Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire die.
Real ale fans are set for the offensive in a bid to protect cask beer from the gravity threat of nitro keg bitters. A survey shows that seven out of 10 clubs now have cable or satellite TV, the highest proportion ever. Europe is transformed. Mikhail Gorbachev relaxes his grip on Soviet Party rule and nationalist and reformist fervour sweeps through Russia, Poland and Hungary.
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1985
1986
1987
1993 Labour MP Eric Illsley calls for a complete ban on alcohol for drivers, John Smith’s Bitter sponsors the Great Britain Rugby League Team and Famous Grouse sponsors the Scottish Rugby Union. Budweiser launches the UK Budweiser Basketball League. Linford Christie takes the 100 metres gold at the World Athletics Championship.
1984
1983
Flowers alleges an affair with presidential candidate Bill Clinton. Andre Agassi wins Wimbledon and Mike Tyson is sentenced to six years for rape.
1988
1994 Club Mirror’s market report shows that the number one drinks in clubland are Diamond White for cider, Bell’s for whisky, Bacardi for white spirit, Holsten for bottled beer, Carling Black Label for draught lager, Worthington Best for draught bitter and Guinness for stout. Tetley’s Smooth Keg is launched. Barbara Windsor joins EastEnders, Ab Fab is a must and Britpop and Prozac hit the headlines.
1995 Club Mirror runs a Carling competition to win a video of Carling ads, including ‘Sunrise’ – beating the Germans to the sunloungers. A Sun Readers’ poll shows that ‘I bet he drinks...’ is the second most famous catchphrase in the English language after ‘To be or not to be’. Eleven die in a cult nerve gas attack in a Japanese subway, and Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols are arrested for the Oklahoma bombing, O. J. Simpson is acquitted of murder and the US space shuttle docks with Russian space station Mir.
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CLUB MIRROR – 50 YEARS YOUNG
1996 A row rages over alcoholic lemonades and Scottish Courage links up with the Institute of Bar Management in a bid to improve training across the club trade. Clubs around the country watch Euro ‘96 to the tune of Three Lions, courtesy of The Lightning Seeds and football-mad comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner. Clinton remains US President, a lone gunman in Scotland stuns the country when he murders 16 children, and ‘Mad Cow Disease’ forces the destruction of over 1 million cows. Princess Diana gets £26 million in her divorce settlement, but loses the title ‘Royal Highness’, and Michael Jackson marries LA nurse Debbie Rowe, six months pregnant.
1997 Operators lobby for deregulation of the casino industry, hoping that it can follow in the profitable footsteps of bingo clubs. Men Behaving Badly are still behaving badly, while Ally McBeal and the Teletubbies find TV stardom. Pol Pot surrenders in Cambodia and the Sojourner vehicle roams Mars sending pictures back to earth. The world mourns the death of Mother Teresa, 87, and of Princess Diana who dies in a car crash in Paris. Dolly the cloned sheep hits the headlines, and Mike Tyson bites off the ear of Evander Holyfield in a title fight.
1998
2001 Boy Slim. Radio 1 refuses to play Cliff Richard’s Millennium Prayer, while the country enjoys the Millennium celebrations. The Phantom Menace, The Sixth Sense, Toy Story 2 and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me are top earners for the film world.
Suits you Sir ads for Holsten Pils hit the screen, and as part of its Pure Entertainment campaign it also sponsors a tour of the Manic Street Preachers. Barcrest previews Costa Del Cash, Tessa Jowell (health minister) makes her strongest hint yet that she intends to act to curb smoking in all public places, including clubs. Clinton denies sexual relations with 21-yearold intern Monica Lewinsky, and Exxon and Mobil prepare to merge.
2000
1999
2001
NATO forces led by Britain and the United States begin air attacks on Serbia. BBC TV presenter Jill Dando is shot dead and a nail bomb explodes in a Soho pub. There’s a total eclipse of the sun over Britain and Ali G makes his TV debut. Victoria and David become Mrs and Mr Beckham, Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones marry, as do Zoe Ball and Fat
Tom O’Connor is a huge hit at the Club Mirror Awards. Ariel Sharon is elected as Israeli prime minister and the world is stunned by the sight of the World Trade Centre’s twin towers crashing down. For the first time ever, the UK has more people aged over 60 than under 16, while square melons are an interesting contribution to the culinary world from
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1997
Des O’Connor hosts the Club Mirror Awards at the Celtic Manor. Ken Livingstone, the independent candidate and maverick MP expelled from Labour, is chosen as London’s first elected mayor and the Conservatives take control of 16 councils, winning 592 seats.
1998
Japan.
2002
headlines again and just the belief that you are drinking alcohol can lead to poor judgement and impaired memory, say psychologists. The Hutton Inquiry shocks the nation, and it’s goodbye to Alistair Campbell and Concorde. The European Union says it will impose diplomatic sanctions against Cuba over its human rights record. Saudi Arabia promises to do “whatever it takes” to uphold security after the Riyadh suicide bombings. Thailand’s interior ministry says the death toll from a crackdown on drugs has reached 993 in 24 days. The invasion of Iraq is followed by unrest and a hunt for Saddam, who is caught in the last month of the year. Bob Monkhouse sadly loses his battle against cancer on 29th December. England win the Rugby World Cup.
and 7UP. Carslberg changes its name from Carlsberg-Tetley to Carlsberg UK and Sebastopol Social Club, Sebastopol Cwmbran, is named Britain’s Best Real Ale Club in the prestigious CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) ‘Club of the Year’ competition. Club Mirror reports that credit cards and debit cards are expected to overtake cash as the favoured way to pay for goods. The findings of the Hutton report are published. The CIA admits that there was no evidence of weapons of mass destruction before the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the Republic of Ireland begins its smoking ban. Tony Blair is hit by a purple flower bomb in the House of Commons. Saddam Hussein’s trial begins. A tsunami hits Thailand on Boxing Day, dominating the nationals.
2004
2005
In February 2004 Club Mirror HQ is launched, Club Mirror and the RMA join forces to host the UK conference for Club Managers and soft drinks on-trade value sales break the £2 billion barrier for the first time, with major player Britvic Soft Drinks contributing a 20% growth over the last year. Carlsberg-Tetley raises its prices for ales and lagers by an average of 4.9%. CCE withdraws all stocks of its Dasani bottled water following health scares. Elsewhere Britvic signs a new bottling agreement with Pepsi and continues as PepsiCo’s exclusive bottling partner in the UK, manufacturing, distributing and jointly promoting Pepsi
The minimum wage rises to at least £5 per hour and Guinness signs a deal worth £20 million to become sponsor of the rugby premiership, ending seven years of sponsorship from insurance company Zurich. Keri Farish from Maryport, Cumbria, beats over 20,000 contestants to become the champion of the UK’s largest independent karaoke competition, sponsored by Mediatheme, manufacturer of Entertainer Pro, and Fuller’s Brewery launches cask beer ‘Discovery’. New Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt hints at an all-out smoking ban, according to the national press and Sport England’s Clubmark
scheme, which aimed to raise standards in UK sports clubs records 1,000 fully accredited clubs across 20 different sports. Camilla Parker Bowls and Prince Charles are married. Four bombs hit the London transport system killing hundreds and Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, damaging land and killing hundreds.
2006 Club Mirror reports that according to the European Union, clubs with both male and female members must ensure that women enjoy the same status and entitlements as men by 2007 or face prosecution. The introduction of Identity Cards (ID Cards) is bought a step closer and reports from the BBC suggest that the government may rise the legal age for buying tobacco in the UK from 16 to 18 years of age. Liverpool City Council becomes the first local authority in the country to allow under 18s to lie about their age in test purchases of alcohol. Tuesday 14 February 2006 was an historic day for the club industry, when MPs voted in favour of banning smoking in all enclosed public spaces, a decision to change clubland forever. Elsewhere brewing giant Scottish Courage changed its name to Scottish & Newcastle UK and MP for St Helens South, Shaun Woodward, was appointed Minister for Creative Industries and Tourism, with responsibility for licensing. A new industry scheme following on from Club Mirror’s
Paul Daniels and the lovely Debbie host the Club Mirror Awards at the Wintergardens, Blackpool. The industry awaits the final draft of the guidance notes for licensing reform and the timetable for implementation. A devastating year for Palestinians and Israelis, weapons inspectors return to Baghdad and Zimbabwe’s economy is on the brink of collapse. Britain and the United States advise their citizens to consider leaving India, because of the threat of war with Pakistan. The World Cup takes place in South Korean capital, Seoul. Robbie Williams signs £80m deal and around 400,000 people from across the UK march through central London to highlight the needs of rural communities.
2003 Club Mirror is published by Alchemy Contract Publishing and publishing director is Sean Ferris (who first worked on the magazine in 1992). Smoking bans, ID cards and deregulation of gaming hit the
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CLUB MIRROR – 50 YEARS YOUNG
2007
declares independence from Serbia to mixed international reaction and Radovan Karadzic, Bosnian Serb president during in the 1990s, is charged with genocide.
2009 Club Mirror goes online and Clare Balding wows an appreciative audience at the Club Awards. Drinks companies are busy, J2O re-launches and Carlsberg UK announces a £7m marketing investment in San Miguel. Recession hits Britain as the economy shrinks at its fastest rate since the war and the MPs expenses scandal angers the country. Manchester United accepts a world record £80m bid for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid and Michael Jackson's death shocks the world. Slovakia becomes the 16th Eurozone country, and Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the USA.
2010
‘Plan for the Ban’ called ‘Fresh Air, Fresh Thinking’ is given room to breath with help from clean air initiative, AIR. The smoking ban comes into force in Scotland. The 2006 FIFA World Cup begins in Germany and Saddam Hussein is executed in Baghdad.
2007 Guinness launches, on trial bases only, Guinness Red, a new variant which uses lighter roasted barley and Club Mirror begins its coverage on the looming smoking ban, set to start July 1. The Connaught Bingo Club, Herne Bay, Kent celebrates its 40th Birthday and Britain’s oldest employee, Buster Martin, celebrates his 101st birthday with his own brew. Alan Johnson, a BBC journalist is taken hostage while reporting in Gaza City. The smoking ban hits the UK clubs. Tony Blair resigns as British Prime
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Minister, leaving his position to Gordon Brown. Mike Reid, host of the 2006 Club Awards, sadly dies unexpectedly from a heart attack.
2008 John Smith's unveils its 2008 No Nonsense Racing programme, Manchester is named the friendliest city in the UK and Tony Jacklin swings to victory at The Open, Royal Lytham. Golf clubs benefit from the media spotlight. Towards the end of the year fears surround the UK banking system. Lehman Brothers bank files for bankruptcy in the US and in the UK HBOS enters into merger talks with Lloyds to prevent its collapse. Interest rates are cut to the lowest for 57 years, bank shares continue to fall and US stocks slide to a five year low. UK banks receive a £37bn bailout. Elsewhere, Kosovo's prime minister Hashim Thaci
2007
Steve Rider hosts the Club Awards and Club Mirror's trade events and Beer Festival prove popular with readers. Amongst the many drinks brands stories are Guinness signing a series of rugby sponsorships, a well-stocked walk-in fridge hiding behind a Heineken poster (London) and the launch of the WKD Good Kebab Guide. An earthquake in Haiti claims 230,000 lives, ash from an Icelandic volcanic suspends flights across Europe and Tony Blair gives evidence at the Iraq inquiry. Alistair Darling cuts stamp duty for first-time buyers and a Conservative-led coalition government with the Liberal Democrats is formed. Club Mirror holds its first Club Associations Luncheon and Awards.
2011 Club Mirror and readers lobby government to have Private Members Clubs and clubs operating under a Club Premises Certificate exempted from the proposed Early Morning Restriction Orders (EMROs) and the Late Night Levy (LNL). John Inverdale hosts the Club Awards to great acclaim and Club Mirror brews its own beer. Newcastle Brown Ale emphasises its Geordie roots, Diageo launches a consumer drive for Smirnoff Flavours and Bulmers announces limited edition Crisp Blend. Further afield and drama unfolds across the globe with the killing of Osama bin Laden and Libyan leade r
2008
2009
2012 Muammar Gaddafi. The Arab Spring sees successful protests in Tunisia and Egypt and Japan loses 16,000 people to the tsunami. Apple icon Steve Jobs dies.
2012 Club Mirror continues rallying readers when a consultation on Early Morning Restriction Orders (EMROs) and the Late Night Levy (LNL) is issued by the Home Office. Clubs must act, warns Club Mirror. Chris Hollins hosts the Club Awards to great acclaim, and other crowd pullers at the same venue on the same day include the John Smith's Grand National Trophy, Club Mirror’s Ask the Experts Live and Club Mirror’s Annual Beer Festival. Clubs, suppliers and brands alike get excited about the Olympics, UEFA EURO 2012 and a spectacular summer of sport. Elsewhere, and Vladimir Putin becomes president of Russia (for a third term), Francois Hollande defeats Nicholas Sarkozy to become president of France and Libyans go to the polls for the first time since the ousting of Colonel Gaddafi.
2010
2013
2013 The end of the escalator tax for beer is announced, Carlsberg rolls out its first cider (Somersby), Club Mirror launches regional trade shows and George Dawson and John Tobin are returned as CIU President and Vice-President respectively for another two-year term. Hazel Irvine proves toast of the town at the Club Awards and the Tetley's Challenge Cup makes its first Club Awards appearance. Credit rating agency Moody's cuts the UK's AAA rating to AA1, warning of sluggish economic growth, and Canadian Mark Carney takes over as Governor of the Bank of England. The 'Bedroom tax' causes uproar, UKIP gains 139 seats and former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher dies (87). Also unforgettable – the horsemeat scandal, the phone hacking trial begins, the skeleton of King Richard III is discovered, Sir Alex Ferguson retires and Andy Murray wins Wimbledon. Pope Benedict XVI resigns (the first pope to do so since 1415). North Korea plans to expand its nuclear
2011
arsenal despite UN warnings and Syria hits the headlines yet again. Leaked details of the NSA surveillance programme are published and Nelson Mandela, South Africa's ex-president, dies, aged 95.
2012
2013 > CLUB MIRROR 33
CLUB MIRROR – 50 YEARS YOUNG
2014
the UN Security Council call for an immediate and indefinite humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The US agree to resupply arms to Israel and provides $US225 million in additional funding for Israel's Iron Dome defence. Russia formally annexes Crimea. NATO suspends cooperation with Russia and The Council of Europe suspends Russia's right to vote. Russian President Putin signs agreements with China in relation to trade and infrastructure. Closer to home, and Stephen Hawking claims that Artificial Intelligence could be a “threat to mankind” and spell the end of the human race. The Church of England votes in favour of allowing women to become bishops and Scotland votes ‘NO’ in a referendum deciding whether or not to stay with the United Kingdom. And on a lighter note: The Guardian newspaper calls 2014 ‘The year the people stood up’, Beji Caid Essebsi is sworn in as Tunisia’s first ever freely elected President, and in Copenhagen chaos erupts after the Swedish Public Employment Service mistakenly invites 61,000 people to a job interview in Stockholm.
2015
2014 The drinks industry toasts George Osborne as he cuts the price of beer and freezes duties on spirits and cider. A ban on below-cost alcohol comes into force and the popularity of electronic cigarettes is causing consternation in terms of defining them. The City of London Corporation ratifies the decision to introduce a Late Night Levy and pub closures hit 31 per week. Germany beats Argentina 1-0 in extra time to win football’s 20th FIFA World Cup in Rio de Janeiro. At the 143rd British Golf Open Rory McIlroy
2014 34 CLUB MIRROR
shoots a 271 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club and Europe wins the 40th Ryder Cup. On the world stage, Human Rights Activist Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi win the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon calls for global action on climate change after warnings from scientists. The World Health Organisation estimates 1,900 people have died from the Ebola virus out of 3,500 infected in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Early in the year the Syrian civil war death toll reaches 130,000, with 4 million displaced. The military stage a coup in Thailand (its 11th since 1932) and
2014
Club Mirror publisher ACP launches Sports4Bars.com, its first pan-hospitality electronic magazine. Club Rugby magazine also joins the portfolio, dedicated to all rugby clubs and officials around the country, and ACP Club Awards’ rugby club finalists appear on BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight programme, explaining their road to success. ACP is also proud to be appointed publisher of the CIU’s illustrious magazine Club Journal and becomes organiser of the Union’s annual Beer & Trade show in Blackpool. On the entertainment front, Star Wars: The Force Awakens earns a record $US 517m in global ticket sales, second only to Jurassic World’s opening weekend. Adele’s third album sells 5m copies in the US as soon as it goes on sale. Still in the US and 40% of Republicans support Donald Trump to be the party’s next nominee for presidency, according to polls. Experts, however, continue to dismiss Trump’s chances.
2014
2014
2016
Europe is shocked when masked gunmen kill 12 people in the Paris office of satirical weekly magazine, Charlie Hebdo. Boris Nemtsov, vocal critic of Vladimir Putin, is assassinated in Moscow and Germanwings Flight 9525 crashes in the French Alps killing 150 people when co-pilot, German Andreas Lubitz, deliberately crashed the plane.
2016 ACP continues to launch, with Sports Club Management and the launch of the first ever panhospitality Social Media Awards, designed to recog-
2016
2015
nise those who are busy using social media to engage with customers and members – from clubs and pubs to hotels and restaurants, and from sports resorts to casual dining outlets (see pages 30-31 in this issue). ACP attends the House of Commons All-Party Parliamentary Group for Non-Profit Making Members’ Clubs as guests of the CIU. This Group aims to support clubs and make their collective voice heard in the corridors of power. The UK’s Brexit vote takes many by surprise and sees Prime Minister David Cameron resign. Theresa May takes his place. Jeremy Corbyn retains his leadership of the Labour Party, despite a leadership challenge. Legends Prince and David Bowie die and Guns ‘n Roses Axel Rose performs with ACDC after singer Brian Johnson withdraws because of hearing problems. Andy Murray wins Wimbledon, the Rio Olympics see the UK shine with 67 medals, and Laura Trott and Jason Kenny marry. Euro 2016 see disappointment for England, Leicester wins the 2015/16 Barclays Premiership and Arnold Palmer dies – R.I.P. The nation enjoys celebrating the Queen’s 90th birthday and Rupert Murdoch marries Jerry Hall. Apple receives an £11bn tax demand from the European Commission, the US and Russia clash over air strikes on Syria, North Korea undertakes more nuclear tests, the US Presidential elections are still underway and the immigration crisis and ISIS continue to dominate world news.
2015
2017
2017 – the story so far An interesting year with the repercussions of the Brexit vote still being much debated, 2015’s predictions that Donald Trump would never make it into the Whitehouse prove unfounded and global unrest notches up a gear as North Korea makes its nuclear stance felt.
2016
2016 CLUB MIRROR 35
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CLUB MIRROR – 50 YEARS YOUNG
2017
Bruce Forsyth and Paul Daniels, both one-time presenters of the Club Awards, leave the stage as do Hugh Hefner, Glen Campbell, Fats Domino and Tom Petty. Roger Federer wins Wimbledon, England wins the Women’s World Cup Cricket and Lewis Hamilton wins his fourth world title. Latest launches from ACP see Club Football and Club Cricket join the Club Mirror stable. Launched to great acclaim the electronic titles are rammed with facts, stats, previews and predictions as well as top advice on making clubs the best that they can possibly be – from membership management and groundsmanship to better business and staff management. Club Mirror’s HQ Building the Business is welcomed when it launches. The free advisory service sees clubs making savings on everything from utilities to equipment with no contracts and no obligations involved. A Racing Club is also launched with discounts negotiated for readers’ clubs and their members. The Club Awards grow out of their Manchester venue and move to Doncaster Racecourse to cope with ever increasing numbers. The Awards and Gala Dinner continue to include a Beer Festival and Drinks Reception and welcome club stalwart John Inverdale as its host. All attendees are invited to a free day’s racing on 1 December the day after the Awards. (See pages 15-17 for details.)
2017
2017
CLUBFOOTBALL CLUBCRICKET www.clubfootball.org.uk
ISSUE 1
Premier League Fixtures Preview of all the action
Could yyoou be our Football Club of the Year 2017? Use this QQRR code to enter or turn to page 34.
AT THE HEART OF THE CRICKET COMMUNIT Y
ISSUE 1
From the sidelines – the pla layers to watch
Hey big spenders – which clubs are paying top dollar?
Brands Report – top perffo orming club brands revealed Behind the Bar – quirrk ky quizzes and ffo ootie ffaacts
The ICC Champions T Trroph p y Insights, inter views and the ones to watch
Could you be our Cricket Club of the Year 2017?
HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
Want to cut club spend while increasing efficiencies? Well now you can. Introducing HQ Building the Business. Completely free to clubs this new ser vice involves no contracts and no costs, just better buying and better club business.
F
rom utilities and energgyy savings to procurement and ffiinancial services, HQ Building the Business works w wiith your club as a surrogate head offfiice, helping you to boost club business. And by working with careffu ully selected club-supporting partners and suppliers, HQ Building the Business will save you valuable time and resources in the quest to save yyo our club money, ffrreeing up you and your committee to run an even more effficient club. You’re just three steps away ffrrom saving money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Step 1
Q.. If I become a memberr,, what are my Q obligations? A. There are no obliggaations ffo or you or your club and no contracts. All we ask is that when we work with you, you are open about your current supplier sittu uation.
Free no-obligation audit – just call us or email us.
Step 2
Following our audit and discussions, if we believe we can help your club we will source the best deals available.
Step 3
Q. What do I get when I become a member? Q. A: You ggeet a free and conffiidential audit of yyo our club in those areas where you would likkee to ffiind savinggss and efffiiciencies. This could be anything ffrrom utilities to phone bills and ffrrom food to club equipment. Q. What are the costs? Q. A. There are no costs. HQ is ffrree to join.
Better Buying – HQ Building the Business Atttracting and keeping junior members A
Hospitalittyy S ocial Media A Aw wards - enter now
Ben Kaayy – meet the man on Rugby T To onight Enter the Social Media AAw wards
using this QR code QR
Fixtures fo for the months ahead – all you need to know HQ Building the Business – ffrree advisor y ser vice
Legal Eagle – legislative update
Free racing tickets ffo or Doncaster
Your name:
BUILDING THE BUSINESS
Role in club: Club name and address:
suppliers we need to prove the value of a club to their business, but if we can help we will.
_
Q.. W Q Wh hat are your club credentials s?? A. We’ve been workkiing in the clu ub b sector ffo or over 30 years in various roles. The launch of HQ Building the Business is the culmination of many years working with clu ub bs and suppliers, ffrrom brewers and telecoms suppliers, to energgyy and water companies.
_
Q.. Do I need a face to face meeting? Q A. Not necessarily. A lot of the ggrround work can be done over the phone/email.
TTeel no:
Q. How do I become a member? Q. A. Just email enquiries@hqbusiness.com, call 01753 272022 or use the ffo orm on the opposite paggee.
Email:
Q.. Does the club need to have a minimum Q turnover? A. Our services are most suited to clubs with a minimum ttu urnover of £100,000. This is because to secure the HQ Building the Business deals with
Number of members: _____________________________ _______________ __ ___ __ ______ __ ___ __ __ Turnover*:_____________________________________ __ __ ___ __ ___ __ ______________________ __ ___ __ ___ __ __
Your club starts saving moneyy..
PPaarticular areas you are interested in?
This is what we call a win win! So ggeet in touch now and help us help you to make 2017 an even better year ffo or your club and your members. You can call on 01753 272022, email enquiries@hqbusiness.com or use the ffo orm opposite.
All Other (please list): Ryan Bezuidenhout, General Manager of A Avviva Premiership Rugby contenderr,, W Wo orcester W Wa arriors “M Myy rro ollee iiss vveerryy much tto o ensurree tth hat tth he supporrtt mechanisms of an efffiicient stta adium and business arree in place. I’vvee w wo orkked w wiitth h Daviid and his tteeam tto o assist in d deelivveering saviings acrro oss tth he bu ussiness at W Wo orrccestteer Warr rriiorrss and I am d deeliig ghtteed tto o rreecommend tth he team on a prro offeessional as w weell as perrssonal level. Energ rgyy has been one of the big gg gest pro ojjects ts,, and tth hiiss prro ocurreement is deliverriing siig gniffiicant short and long tteerrm m saviin ngs. TTh herree arree plenttyy of people out tth herree w wh ho claim tth heeyy can d do o tth hiss;; tth hiiss tteeam can. A larrg ge part of m myy rro ole is about getttiing tth hin ng gs d do one effi ffficiieentllyy and efffeecttiivelyyy, hence wh hyy I value tth he strra aight talkiin ng g,, effi ffficient and short sharp prreesentta attiion of rreesult ltss. No fu ussss,, no salesmanship p, just a host of p, opportunities ffo ollowed up b byy apprro opriiattee and helpffu ul assistta ance to deliver tth he chosen pro ojjectss;; makkee tth he most of tth hem.” • www.warriors.co.uk
44 CLUB MIRROR
AT THE HEART OF THE RUGBY COMMUNIT Y
HQ
MEMBERSHIP FORM Yes I am interested in joining the no-cost, no-contract, no obligation HQ Building the Business club.
Welcome to HQ Building the Business
Exclusiivve inter view with England’’ss Stuart Broad
ISSUE 10
_
*Turnover - this information is entirely confidential and is not shared with any other companies/agencies etc. It is HQ Building the Business’s measure as to how we can help you save moneyy.. < CLU UB MIRROR 45
Sister title Club Rugby continues to go from strength to strength and works with Club Mirror and BT Sport to invite clubs to join in a live broadcasting of Rugby Tonight.
ACP continues to attend the House of Commons All-Party Parliamentary Group for Non-Profit Making Members’ Clubs and reports on CORCA meetings during the year. Club Mirror’s 50th Birthday is announced. Being celebrated in 2018, ACP plans a serious of events throughout the year, taking the party out to clubs and promoting clubland with a PR campaign.
2017 <
36 CLUB MIRROR
HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
This month HQ offers up a reminder on re-evaluating the bar for the festive season, stocking up on stalwarts as well as bringing premium products to the fore. Also at the fore for November, we examine the impact of staff DBS checks and answer questions on personal and premises licenses. We also examine the Government’s response to the Post Legislative Scrutiny of the Licensing Act 2003. Finally, are you convinced that you are maximising your buying power? Time to test out the theory with HQ’s Better Buying service.
Dealing with DBS checks
DBS checks– Disclosure and Barring Service checks (formally known as a CRB Check) – are vitally important for many clubs. But handling confidential data – particularly when it comes to recruitment – can present a number of challenges, says Michelle Mellor, Managing Director at Personnel Checks who offers the following advice on how to handle confidential information in the best way possible.
It is important to educate your team on the importance of handling data to ensure confidence that you won't have to face any of the legal implications of a data leak. How should you keep DBS data private? First and foremost, in line with the DBS code of practice, businesses need a formal written policy on the secure handling of any information provided. Employers would usually request DBS checks for successful job applicants, at which point they must make the details of this policy available to the applicant in question. The employer must handle all information provided to them by DBS in line with the obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998.
limited to those who are entitled to see it as part of their duties. How long are clubs allowed to keep hold of DBS data? Once a recruitment decision has been made, organisations should not keep disclosure information for any longer than is absolutely necessary. This is generally for a period of up to six months to allow for the consideration and resolution of any disputes or complaints.
What can a club do with DBS data? To keep a record, clubs that receive DBS information can look at: • The date of issue of a disclosure. • The name of the subject. • The type of disclosure requested. • The position for which the disclosure was requested. • The unique reference number of the disclosure. • The details of the recruitment decision taken.
How should the information be disposed of? The information should be destroyed via secure means, i.e. by shredding, pulping or burning. Employee files should be kept in a secure, locked cabinet and access should be restricted to trusted individuals. In line with regulations, DBS reports should be securely destroyed after six months.
What can’t a club do with DBS data? A club cannot reproduce a DBS certificate or related information in such a way that it infers that it is a certificate issued by DBS. Disclosure information should never be kept on an applicant’s personnel file and should be kept separately and securely in a lockable, non-portable storage container with access strictly controlled and
What are employers legally allowed to do if they find criminal information on a DBS check? The DBS code of practice states that employers must ensure that all applicants for relevant positions are notified in advance of the requirement for a disclosure. Employers should also notify all applicants of the potential effect of a criminal record history on the
40 CLUB MIRROR
recruitment and selection process and any recruitment decision. The content of the disclosure should be discussed with the applicant before withdrawing any offer of employment. As outlined in the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Act 1974: ‘All employers must treat Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check applicants who have a criminal record fairly and not discriminate automatically because of a conviction or other information revealed.’ What should a club do with an employee who leaks DBS data? A leak of any applicant’s personal information should mean disciplinary action against the employee responsible. This could even lead to the termination of that employee’s contract. It is an employer’s responsibility to ensure all staff understand their responsibility when handling confidential data and the consequences they should expect if they breach guidelines. Before any disciplinary action can begin, however, a full and proper investigation should take place to determine whether formal procedures are necessary. Breach of confidentiality is gross misconduct, and the club in question must make a decision based on the severity of the breach.
Be prepared – advice for the festive season E ach drinks category plays a distinct role at Christmas but the share does shift between the categories compared to the average of the year, so understanding which categories play which role will help determine effective management leading into Christmas. During December your members – and guests go out more and drink more of their favourite drinks. Mainstream segments across drinks categories tend to show the greatest uplift, generally because they’re seen as a safe choice in a busy ontrade environment; people instinctively revert to what they know best and look for session-able drinks. Those who don’t frequent the club as often (but are drawn there at Christmas) tend to revert to big well-known brands, so visual reminders of these connected to an occasion can drive footfall.
Why it pays to display The fridge plays an important role at Christmas with easy drinking packaged products playing a distinct role delivering speed of serve and sessionability. Ensure your packaged offering is clearly visible during party season. Premium offer and upselling Members often look to treat themselves over the
festive period. Trade-up behaviours when people are in ‘treat mode’ are important to draw attention to, so premium products should be placed on the bar with space around them. On premium pricing, ensure that the pricing ladder is in place to help people find a trade-up that is not too far away from what they currently drink (for example 15p-40p trade up tiers). This also compensates for the reduced volume per occasion compared to mainstream drinks. Marketing and Point of Sale Wet-led clubs see the greatest up-lift at Christmas so ensure people see your club as part of their occasion. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, Black Friday – prompt trade with targeted member communication around these occasions. Highlight your most important and profitable products on your back bar display with Point of Sale. Closer to New Year’s Eve emphasise your packaged range and get people noticing the fridge. Finally, whilst your regulars will be going out more and enjoying their favourite drinks more often, don’t forget that less-frequent members will be visiting your outlet due to the range of social occasions that December has to offer. This
presents a great opportunity to showcase the best that your club has to offer and potentially prompt repeat visits.
Fast facts about Christmas – did you know...? • There are around 42,000 chefs, 22,000 kitchen assistants, 15,000 waiting staff and 13,000 bar staff working on Christmas Day. (The Trade Union Congress.) • Recruitment is on average 47% up during November and December in the hospitality industry. (The Change Group, 2016.) • Hospitality workers only manage to sleep for an average of five to six hours a night over the Christmas period. (Matthew Clark, 2016.) • Hospitality staff will work an average of 28 hours’ overtime over Christmas. In the equivalent time behind the bar or in the kitchen, a member of staff could pour 840 pints of Guinness or cook 168 steaks. (Big Hospitality, 2016.)
< CLUB MIRROR 41
HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
Legal eagle HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
I have a premises licence and have been told that I do not have the correct notices displayed. I can sell alcohol and provide entertainment and late night refreshment. What notices should be displayed? The best way to respond is to provide a check list of the notices which are required: • Licensing Act 2003 – the summary or a certified copy of the premises licence. • Licensing Act 2003 – Notice specifying the nominated person (if applicable) who has custody or control of the full premises licence.
This month we focus on premises licences, personal licences and displaying correct notices. Legal Eagle David Lucas offers the following advice. Regulations 1989 – a notice containing details of relevant health and safety law must be displayed if employees have not been individually provided with this information. • The health and safety policy statement of the business must also be displayed in a prominent position where it can be easily read by employees. If CCTV is in operation, you need to put up a notice informing customers that they are in an area which is covered by the system.
• Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 – a copy of the employer’s liability insurance certificate must be displayed. • The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – requires notices on fire safety equipment and signage for locations of escape routes and fire safety equipment which are easily seen and understood.
• EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation (No. 1169/2011) – food businesses should declare the presence – whether for use as an ingredient or a processing aid – of any of the 14 major allergens listed in the Regulation. • Any other notices or signs which are required as a result of a specific condition attached to an individual premises licence. For example, a notice requiring customers to leave the premises quietly. Please could you provide a general checklist for those like me who hold a premises licence which includes the authority to sell alcohol? A checklist is always a good idea and I hope you and readers will find the following one useful. • Display the summary of the premises licence in a position where it can easily be read by customers. • Display a notice specifying the person (if any)
nominated to have custody of the premises licence other than the licence holder. • Ensure that the licence contains the correct details for the premises licence holder and the designated premises supervisor.
licence holder must be present whenever alcohol is sold. There is no requirement for a personal licence holder to be on the premises when alcohol sales take place provided that the necessary authorisation has been given to the persons making the alcohol sales.
• Be familiar with the terms of the premises licence and ensure that the premises are operated in accordance with the hours, activities and conditions (including the mandatory conditions) applicable to the licence.
I am a personal license holder but have to split my time between venues. I know that I can authorise the sale of alcohol in my absence but just wanted to be certain that I’m doing this in the correct/required way?
• Ensure that any CCTV system is properly operational and, if appropriate, complies with the terms of the conditions contained in the premises licence.
There is no prescribed way in which this authorisation may be given. It may therefore be verbal or in writing. It is strongly recommended, however, that the authorisation is in writing to ensure that it can be produced in evidence should any issue arise, for example in connection with a test purchase exercise. There are a number of ways in which a written authorisation may be provided. An individual authorisation could be given in the form of a letter or notice to each member of staff involved in the sale of alcohol, with a copy retained by the employer. A list of authorised persons signed by a personal licence holder could be kept at the licensed premises. This would need updating whenever there is a change in personnel. If a rota of bar staff is produced, it could contain a statement that all named individuals are authorised to sell alcohol and be signed by a personal licence holder.
• Ensure that there is always a member of staff present when the premises are trading who can operate the CCTV system and transfer images to a suitable format for the authorities on request. • Ensure that all members of staff including managers and, if appropriate, door staff are familiar with the conditions of the licence, licensable activities and trading times. • All staff should be familiar with the law prohibiting the sale of alcohol to under 18s.
• Licensing Act 2003 – Notice making customers aware of the availability of small measures of alcohol required under the mandatory conditions.
• All staff should be familiar with the law prohibiting the consumption of alcohol by under 18s, subject to the following exception.
• Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) Order 1988 – notice identifying the quantities in which some spirits (gin, rum, vodka and whisky) and wine are sold.
• Ensure that all members of staff are aware of the law in relation to 16 and 17 year olds which allows them to consume beer, wine or cider provided it has been purchased by an adult for consumption by them with a table meal at which an adult is present. • All staff should be familiar with the law prohibiting the sale of alcohol to a person who appears to be drunk.
• Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 – requires operators to make menus and prices readily available and to include information sufficient to enable a customer to make an informed choice. • Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991– in premises where tobacco is sold a prominent notice stating: ‘IT IS ILLEGAL TO SELL TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18’. • Smoke-free (Signs) Regulations 2012 – a ‘no smoking’ sign to be displayed in the premises. • The Companies (Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2008 – If applicable, the company name should be displayed at the premises where it can be seen by visitors. • Data Protection Act 1998 – If CCTV is in operation, a notice informing customers that they are in an area which is covered by the system. • Health and Safety Information for Employees
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• Keep a detailed record of all staff training (both induction and refresher) relating to the sale of alcohol and other relevant responsibilities. • Ensure all relevant staff are aware that they are authorised by a personal licence holder to sell alcohol (see below). • Ensure that staff are familiar with all relevant operational policies, especially those concerning age verification in order to prevent underage sales. • All personal licence holders must notify the council of any change to their name and/or address. Every premises licence that authorises the sale of alcohol is subject to a mandatory condition which requires every supply of alcohol to be made or authorised by a personal licence holder. This does not mean that only personal licence holders are allowed to sell alcohol or that a personal
CONTACT DETAILS Fraser Brown Solicitors 84 Friar Lane, Nottingham NG1 6ED e. dlucas@fraserbrown.com t. 0115 959 7139 mob. 07973 899398
CLUB MIRROR 43
<
HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
T
he government’s response to the Select Committee (SC) on the Post Legislative Scrutiny of the Licensing Act 2003 is too extensive to repeat in full here but at HQ we have selected a number of key recommendations from the Select Committee and excerpts of the government’s response. (For the full document visit www.gov.uk/Government/publications.) Recommendations and responses surrounding the Late Night Levy will be covered in the December issue. SC recommendation 1: We think it unfortunate that in the 11 years since the full implementation of the Licensing Act there have been piecemeal amendments made by nine different Acts of Parliament, a large number of significant amendments made by other Acts and by secondary legislation, and further changes to licensing law and practice made by amendment of the section 182 Guidance. (Paragraph 54) Government response: The Government notes the Committee’s concerns. It is important to ensure that the Act remains flexible and responsive to emerging trends and issues. The changes made both to the Act and to the guidance reflect concerns highlighted by partners and those responsible for implementing the legislation and have, in our view, served to make the legislative framework stronger and more effective. SC recommendation 3: Assuming that minimum unit pricing is brought into force in Scotland, we recommend that once Scottish Ministers have published their statutory assessment of the working of MUP [Minimum unit pricing], if that assessment demonstrates that the policy is successful, MUP should be introduced in England and Wales. (Paragraph 86) Government response: Minimum unit pricing remains under review. Subject to the outcome of the legal case between the Scottish Government and the Scotch Whisky Association and any subsequent decision of the Scottish Government to introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol; the Government will consider the evidence of its impact once it is available. SC recommendation 7:
44 CLUB MIRROR
Licensing Act In April this year we reported on the findings of The Select Committee on the Licensing Act 2003. The Select Committee heard evidence from the club sector and industry as a whole and presented its findings to the government. The government has now issued its response. We believe that the debate and the consultation on transferring the functions of licensing committees and sub-committees to the planning committees must start now, and the pilots must follow as soon as possible. (Paragraph155) Government response: The Government recognises that the recommendations this Committee has made about the relationship between licensing and planning is the start of a debate. We acknowledge that others are interested in there being further consideration of whether, and how, licensing and planning could work better together and where there is good practice within planning that could be applied to licensing. Local planning authorities have a duty to determine planning applications in line with their local plan, policies and other material considerations. However, local authorities in England are not explicitly required by statute to have a planning committee (although there are statutory requirements on the make-up of local authority planning committees in Wales); whereas licensing authorities are required to establish committees by the Act. It should be noted that in some areas a planning authority may not be coterminous with the licensing authority. In some English local authority areas there are planning committees and licensing committees made up of the same committee members, or subsets of the same members. It is a matter for local authorities to determine the best arrangements for their area, taking into account the needs of their communities and to provide value for money to the taxpayer. It is up to local authorities to determine how they organise committees to deliver their statutory functions and we do not intend to take the approach recommended by the Committee at this time. Section 7 (5) of the 2003 Act already allows that where a matter relates to a licensing function and to another function of the local authority (for example, planning), the matter may be referred to either committee. This allows for the licensing committee to discharge functions other than licensing matters, and vice-versa, for a planning committee to discharge a licensing function. However, the Committee raises important points in its report on the effectiveness and consistency of implementation of licensing processes and decision making. We accept that improvements could be
made in some local areas and that the synergies between planning and licensing should be part of an ongoing discussion about how we can support local improvements. Instead of transferring the functions of licensing committees to planning committees, we are focusing on improving training and providing stronger guidance on how licensing hearings should be conducted.
The basic structures of the planning and licensing system are similar and our focus will be on improving how the two regimes communicate and interact at local level. There is good practice in many local areas that we will disseminate and build on, for example whether there is additional support that local residents could be given to frame and present their concerns about a licensing application to the committee effectively. The local planning authority is already listed in the Act as a responsible authority and therefore has a statutory role in considering applications for the grant, variation or review of a premises licence. SC recommendation 8: Licensing authorities should publicise the reasons which have led them to settle an appeal, and should hesitate to compromise if they are effectively reversing an earlier decision which residents and others intervening may have thought they could rely on. (Paragraph 173) Government response: We agree that there should be transparency around the decisions made on
licensing appeals, in particular for local residents who may have attended a hearing and expect the decision to be implemented. Our view is that any decision by a local authority should be justified with clear reasons and, where a case is settled out of court, this is just as important as publicising the original outcome of the review hearing... We do not consider it necessary to legislate to this effect. The section 182 guidance states that “It is important that a licensing authority should give comprehensive reasons for its decision in anticipation of any appeals. Reasons should be promulgated to all the parties of any process which might give rise to an appeal under the terms of the 2003 Act.” We will amend the guidance to extend this principle to decisions made after a hearing. SC recommendation 9: We recommend that appeals from licensing authorities should no longer go to magistrates’ courts, but should lie to the planning inspectorate, following the same course as appeals from planning committees. This change is not dependent on the outcome of our recommendations on the licensing function, and
should be made as soon as possible. Government response: The Government notes the Committee’s comments on the appeals process. We do not intend to change the system so that licensing appeals no longer go to magistrates’ courts but lie to the planning inspectorate. However, we accept the Committee’s findings that the licensing appeals system could be improved and we are aware that some local areas find the system unwieldy and prone to delay. We will explore with partners whether there is good practice within the existing regime and from similar regimes that may offer some ideas for consideration. SC recommendation 17: We recommend that where on a summary review a licence is revoked and the livelihood of the licensee is at stake, magistrates’ courts should list appeals for hearing as soon as they are ready. (Paragraph 236) Government response: The Government cannot implement this recommendation because listing is a judicial responsibility and function... We have
> CLUB MIRROR 45
HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS discussed this recommendation with HM Courts and Tribunals Service who will bring the select committee’s recommendation to the attention of the judiciary. SC recommendation 20: Coordination between the licensing and planning systems can and should begin immediately in all local authorities. The section 182 Guidance should be amended to make clear that a licensing committee, far from ignoring a relevant decision already taken by a planning committee, should take it into account and where appropriate follow it; and vice versa. (Paragraph 246) PW Government response: Planning and licensing are separate regimes that serve separate purposes. There may be overlapping considerations that are relevant both from a licensing and a planning perspective. Effective coordination is important to ensure that planning and licensing work together to produce better decision-making that supports the needs and aspirations of local communities. The Government encourages local authorities to take steps to achieve coordination where appropriate and to avoid contradictory decisions as far as possible... However, we recognise that coordination between systems is inconsistent and could be improved in many areas. We will revisit how this issue is presented in the section 182 guidance with a view to strengthening the call for consistency, wherever possible, in the assessment and approach of those matters that are considered by both regimes to support local authorities to make effective decisions. SC recommendation 22: Promotion of health and well-being is a necessary and desirable objective for an alcohol strategy, but we accept that it is not appropriate as a licensing objective. (Paragraph 261) Government response: The Government is committed to working with public health organisations and professionals, in particular Public Health England, to support local areas to tackle the public health harms associated with excessive alcohol consumption. Public health teams have an important role to play in the licensing system, and that is why they have a statutory role as a responsible authority under the 2003 Act. We believe there is much that can be done within the existing licensing framework...We are determined to continue to support an increased focus on public health engagement with licensing. We are working with public health stakeholders to ensure that the promising work underway in this area continues and that new evidence is considered to support future policy decisions. SC recommendation 26: We do not recommend that powers to ban superstrength alcohol across many premises simultaneously be granted to local authorities. (Paragraph 309) Government response: The Government does not
46 CLUBHOUSE EUROPE
intend to grant local authorities these powers. SC recommendation 28: We believe that proposed Group Review Intervention Powers, which would give local authorities the power to introduce mandatory blanket conditions on all premises in a particular area, should not be introduced. As a blanket approach to problems which can normally be traced back to particular premises, they are likely to suffer from the same problems as Early Morning Restriction Orders, and the same results can be achieved through existing means. (Paragraph 316) Government response: In the Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, the Government committed to consult on a group review intervention power (GRIP) to enable licensing authorities to consider the licensing conditions of a group of premises to address problems in a specific location. Where there are serious concerns about individual premises, licensing authorities will continue to use the existing review process; the group review intervention power would not itself result in the closure of premises. Before proceeding with a consultation on the introduction of a GRIP, the Government will explore whether similar measures could be achieved within the existing system. SC recommendation 29/30: We strongly believe that the Alcohol etc. (Scotland) Act 2010 offers a proportionate and practical basis for measures specifically regulating the off-trade. (Paragraph 321). AND: We recommend that legislation based on part 1 of the Alcohol etc (Scotland) Act 2010 should be introduced in England and Wales at the first available opportunity. In the meantime, the section 182 Guidance should be amended to encourage adoption of these measures by the off-trade. (Paragraph 322) Government response: The Government does not intend to introduce legislation based on part 1 of the Alcohol etc (Scotland) Act 2010. Research published to date on the impact of the provisions in part 1 of the Alcohol etc (Scotland) Act 2010 suggests that these restrictions have had a limited impact on the amount of alcohol sold by the offtrade and the manner in which it is sold. Although the research cited by the Committee, conducted by NHS Health Scotland and the University of Glasgow, suggests that the legislation was associated with a decrease in off-trade sales of wine in Scotland in 2013, other studies have shown little or no impact. Research showed that following the ban on multi-buy promotions, households bought alcohol on more occasions but bought fewer products per shopping trip. The PHE Evidence Review also concluded that bans on price promotions are not as effective and are easily circumvented. The Act already includes a mandatory condition for all premises selling alcohol to have an age verification policy that must, as a minimum, require people who appear to be under 18 to produce identifi-
cation on request. Many licensed premises have adopted the challenge 21 or 25 scheme; we therefore do not consider it necessary to make this a legislative requirement. The industry signed up to support staff locally to take action, for example by introducing Challenge 25 as standard, in the Modern Crime Prevention Strategy. SC recommendation 31: Temporary Event Notices are used for a wide range of purposes, and the impact of a particular event on local residents cannot be reliably determined by whether they fall into broad ‘community’ and ‘commercial’ categories. We do not recommend the division of the current TENs system into ‘community’ and ‘commercial’. (Paragraph 344) Government response: We agree with the Committee’s view that changing the current system or introducing different systems for community and commercial events would be undesirable and the Government does not intend to introduce this division. SC recommendation 32: We recommend that licensing authorities be given the power to object to Temporary Event Notices, alongside police and environmental health officers. A system for notifying local councillors and local residents of TENs in a timely fashion should also be implemented. (Paragraph 349) Government response: The power to object to TENs is limited to police and environmental health teams to ensure the system remains light touch...The Government proposes that the section 182 guidance should recommend that licensing authorities consider how to bring TENs to the attention of residents who may be particularly affected, for example if there have been previous complaints about a premises (licensed or not). SC recommendation 35/36: Although it is difficult to know whether the inadequate recording of TENs is widespread among local councils, we recommend that the section 182 Guidance be strengthened and clarified with respect to the collection and retention of TENs. It should clarify what personal information should be retained and in which particular format. (Paragraph 357). AND: This information must be retained in a system allowing for its quick and easy retrieval, both by local authorities and by the public, and in such a way that local and national statistical data can be produced from them. The national GOV.UK platform should be used for receiving and processing TENs. (Paragraph 358) Government response: The Government collects statistics on the number of TENs and late TENs received, withdrawn, modified, and rejected. Section 8 of the Act requires all licensing authorities to keep a register containing a record of, among other things, each TEN received. Under Schedule 3 the licensing authority must also keep a record of any notice of withdrawal of a TEN, any counter notice to a TEN given following an objection by a
relevant person, any TEN received following modification and any copy of a TEN received following loss or theft of an original. If requested to do so a licensing authority must supply a person with a copy of the information contained in any entry in its register... The Government believes that the systems in place are sufficient, but agrees that guidance on the requirements for storing and retaining information should be strengthened and clarified and will amend the section 182 guidance accordingly. SC recommendation 38/39: We are convinced that licensing is a sufficiently specialist and technical area of policing, requiring a distinct and professional body of police licensing specialists. Although we are aware of the many demands currently placed on police resources, the proper and attentive licensing of premises has a considerable if sometimes indirect impact on public reassurance and wider aspects of crime and disorder. AND: We recommend the development and implementation of a comprehensive police licensing officer training programme, designed by the College of Policing. While we accept that such an undertaking will require additional funds, these costs will likely be more than offset if the quality of police licensing decisions is improved, thereby reducing the number of appeals and other corrective procedures. (Paragraph 388) Government response: The Government agrees that comprehensive training should be available to all officers required to undertake licensing duties. All probationary police officers currently undergo training in licensing issues as part of the basic training provided to all those joining the police force... The Government will work with the College [of Policing] and relevant partners to consider whether to commission this training in the future as part of our work to professionalise the licensing system. SC recommendation 42: We support the Government’s current move to transfer Cumulative Impact Policies (CIPs) from the section 182 Guidance and to place them on a statutory footing as this will introduce much needed transparency and consistency in this area. (Paragraph 409) Government response: Cumulative Impact Policies (CIPs) assist licensing authorities in carrying out their functions in relation to controlling the number or type of licence applications granted in an area where there is evidence of problems caused by high numbers of licensed premises concentrated in the area. Prior to these changes they have had no statutory basis and not all licensing authorities have been making effective or consistent use of CIPs...The Government is pleased that the Committee supports the move to put CIPs on a statutory footing in order to provide greater clarity, transparency and legal certainty about their use. SC recommendation 49: We believe it is appropriate that no Early Morning Restriction Orders (EMROs) have been introduced
and we recommend that, in due course, the provisions on EMROs should be repealed. (Paragraph 466) Government response: Although no licensing authorities have implemented an EMRO, we believe it is important to keep this tool available should any licensing authority wish to consider whether it is suitable for use in their area. SC recommendation 58/59: We believe that the Live Music Act 2012 is working broadly as intended, but that there is not presently a case for further deregulation, let alone the complete removal of all live music related legislation from the Licensing Act. (Paragraph 541). AND: We recommend that more be done to spread awareness of the provisions of the Live Music Act 2012 and its implications for licensed premises among local councils, licensed premises and local residents. (Paragraph 542) Government response: Music venues are a vibrant and vital part of society, culture and the economy and Government is keen to support and promote an environment in which the UK’s live music industry can continue to thrive. We want to encourage people to live in our towns and cities, while enabling small grassroots music venues to flourish – giving musicians and artists the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience and providing communities with valuable social and cultural attractions. Positive collaboration between the venues, local authorities and residents, including awareness raising, is key to supporting this important and dynamic sector. SC recommendation 61: We recommend that section 121 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 be brought into force, and new Fee regulations made requiring licensing authorities to set licensing fees. (Paragraph 565) Government response: The Government is grateful to the LGA for the research they commissioned from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA) into the costs of administering the 2003 Act. The data provided by the survey has greatly assisted the Government to come to its decision on whether to implement locally set licensing fees. It is clear from the survey that the costs of licensing vary significantly between licensing authorities and allowing fees to be set locally is not a simple answer to this issue. Although we acknowledge that for many licensing authorities the existing fees do not recover their costs, we also acknowledge the concerns raised by some smaller licensing authorities that the process of setting fees is complicated and resource-intensive. The Government intends to make no change to the existing fees in the immediate future. A revaluation of business rates came into effect in April 2017, resulting in increased rates for many licensed premises. This has had an additional impact in that some premises will have moved up a fee band, meaning that they have seen their business rates and
their licensing fees increase as a result. Pubs were offered some business rates relief in the recent budget24 and locally set licensing fees or an increase in the centrally-set fees would undermine the assistance that this rate relief has given licensees. The Government therefore considers that now is not the time to make changes to licensing fees. The policy will be re-considered in due course. SC recommendation 66: We believe the enforcement of section 128 and 132A of the Licensing Act 2003 would be facilitated by a national database of personal license holders, against which to check those who are convicted of violent offences. We recommend the creation of a national database of personal license holders for use by courts and licensing authorities, linked to the Police National Database. (Paragraph 594) Government response: The Government’s Modern Crime Prevention Strategy commits to encourage licensing authorities to share information about individuals and premises that have SP had their licences revoked...We consider it would be disproportionately complex, resource intensive and expensive for the Government, local authorities and magistrates’ courts to create and administer a database of all personal licences (there were over 650,000 in existence at 31 March 2016). Similarly, the Government does not accept the necessity to link any such database to the Police National Computer or the Police National Database (which is an intelligence handling system holding operational policing information provided by individual forces and not an evidential system)... The Government considers [existing] arrangements, alongside the new powers granted to licensing authorities, to be proportionate and adequate at present. SC recommendation 67: We do not recommend that licensing committees be given the power to suspend or revoke a premises licence for non-payment of business rates. (Paragraph 599) Government response: We welcome the recommendation of the Committee. Business rates must be paid by all businesses and there are already enforcement remedies available to local councils for the non-payment of those rates. In our view, linking the payment of business rates to the right to hold a licence to sell alcohol is not an appropriate route to enforcing payment of business rates.
More information For the full document visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/th e-government-response-to-the-report-from-thehouse-of-lords-select-committee-on-the-licensingact-2003
CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 47
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HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
Want to cut club spend while increasing efficiencies? Well now you can. Introducing HQ Building the Business. Completely free to clubs this new service involves no contracts and no costs, just better buying and better club business.
MEMBERSHIP FORM Yes I am interested in joining the no-cost, no-contract, no obligation HQ Building the Business club. Your name: _____________________________________
Welcome to HQ Building the Business F
rom utilities and energy savings to procurement and financial services, HQ Building the Business works with your club as a surrogate head office, helping you to boost club business. And by working with carefully selected club-supporting partners and suppliers, HQ Building the Business will save you valuable time and resources in the quest to save your club money, freeing up you and your committee to run an even more efficient club. You’re just three steps away from saving money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Step 1
Q. If I become a member, what are my obligations? A. There are no obligations for you or your club and no contracts. All we ask is that when we work with you, you are open about your current supplier situation.
Free no-obligation audit – just call us or email us.
Step 2
Following our audit and discussions, if we believe we can help your club we will source the best deals available.
Step 3
Q. What do I get when I become a member? A: You get a free and confidential audit of your club in those areas where you would like to find savings and efficiencies. This could be anything from utilities to phone bills and from food to club equipment. Q. What are the costs? A. There are no costs. HQ is free to join.
HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS
Role in club: _____________________________________ Club name and address: _____________________________
suppliers we need to prove the value of a club to their business, but if we can help we will. Q. What are your club credentials? A. We’ve been working in the club sector for over 30 years in various roles. The launch of HQ Building the Business is the culmination of many years working with clubs and suppliers, from brewers and telecoms suppliers, to energy and water companies.
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
Q. Do I need a face to face meeting? A. Not necessarily. A lot of the ground work can be done over the phone/email.
Tel no: ________________________________________
Q. How do I become a member? A. Just email enquiries@hqbusiness.com, call 01753 272022 or use the form on the opposite page.
Email: _________________________________________
Q. Does the club need to have a minimum turnover? A. Our services are most suited to clubs with a minimum turnover of £100,000. This is because to secure the HQ Building the Business deals with
Number of members: ______________________________ Turnover*:______________________________________
Your club starts saving money.
Particular areas you are interested in?
This is what we call a win win! So get in touch now and help us help you to make 2017 an even better year for your club and your members. You can call on 01753 272022, email enquiries@hqbusiness.com or use the form opposite.
n All n Other (please list): _____________________________ Ryan Bezuidenhout, General Manager of Aviva Premiership Rugby contender, Worcester Warriors “My role is very much to ensure that the support mechanisms of an efficient stadium and business are in place. I’ve worked with David and his team to assist in delivering savings across the business at Worcester Warriors and I am delighted to recommend the team on a professional as well as personal level. Energy has been one of the biggest projects, and this procurement is delivering significant short and long term savings. There are plenty of people out there who claim they can do this; this team can. A large part of my role is about getting things done efficiently and effectively, hence why I value the straight talking, efficient and short sharp presentation of results. No fuss, no salesmanship, just a host of opportunities followed up by appropriate and helpful assistance to deliver the chosen projects; make the most of them.” • www.warriors.co.uk
48 CLUB MIRROR
_____________________________________________
*Turnover - this information is entirely confidential and is not shared with any other companies/agencies etc. It is HQ Building the Business’s measure as to how we can help you save money. < CLUB MIRROR 49
HQ BUILDING THE BUSINESS – RACING CLUB
RacingClub HQ fixtures
Haydock Park. That same jockey rode his final winner here too, 46 years later. His name? Lester Piggott.
BUILDING THE BUSINESS
WETHERBY Last year 2,500 club people attended Wetherby Races at an event run and organised by the Club & Institute Union (CIU). The Union has its own race alongside Club Awards sponsors Dransfields – the Dransfields CIU Charity Raceday Handicap Hurdle.
Club Mirror readers and their members can take advantage of discounted raceday tickets with our new Racing Club. To enjoy a our specially negotiated rates simply select your dates and send in the booking form.
F
rom flat racing to jumps, racedays are a great day out for members. Now you can make them even more enjoyable thanks to our specially negotiated club-only prices.
CHEPSTOW Chepstow offers over 30 fixtures each year. The picturesque course combines both flat and jump racing with highlights including October’s Jumps Festival and December’s Welsh Grand National. The lefthanded undulating course is a circuit of just under two miles (3,200 m) with a finishing straight of five furlongs (3,300 ft; 1,000 m), five fences on the chase course and 11 fences on a complete circuit.
HOW TO BOOK 1. Choose your raceday as listed on these pages. 2. Write a cheque for the correct amount made out to the racecourse.
• Sat, 9 December: Christmas Party Raceday – £15 • Wed, 27 December: Welsh Grand National – £22 • Sun, 7 January: Winter Racing – £15 • Wed, 21 March: Winter Racing – £15
3. Send the booking form and cheque made payable to the relevant racecourse to: Club Mirror Racing Club, ACP, 59/60 Thames Street, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1TX.
Did you know? At a two-day meeting in 1933 Gordon Richards rode into the record books by partnering the winners of 11 consecutive Chepstow races.
4. Deadline – please send the booking form and cheque at least four weeks in advance of the raceday. Tickets will be sent out once the cheques have been processed by the racecourse.
DONCASTER RACECOURSE – FREE TICKETS Attendees at the 2017 Club Awards and Gala Dinner on 30 November, being held at Doncaster Racecourse, will receive complimentary tickets to the following day’s racing. See page 17 for the booking form. 50 CLUB MIRROR
DONCASTER Doncaster Racecourse, venue for this year’s Club Awards, hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes – the world’s oldest classic horse race – and the Racing Post Trophy. The course has the distinction of both starting and ending the flat season on turf. • Fri, 1 December: Winter Afternoon Racing – FREE to Club Awards attendees • Sat, 2 December: Winter Afternoon Racing – £9.50 • Fri, 15 December: Winter Afternoon Racing – £7.25 • Sat, 16 December: Winter Afternoon Racing – £9.50 • Fri, 29 December: New Year’s Raceday – £9.50 • Fri, 26 January: Sky Bet Chase Meeting – £9.50 • Sat, 27 January: Sky Bet Chase Meeting – £9.50 Did you know? Doncaster is one of the oldest established centres for horse racing in Britain, with records of regular race meetings going back to the 16th century. In 1600 the corporation tried to put an end to the races because of the number of ruffians they attracted, but by 1614 it acknowledged failure and instead marked out a racecourse.
HAYDOCK PARK Situated equidistant between Liverpool and Manchester, Haydock Park is one of the finest viewing courses in Britain. Racing under both codes is of a very high standard and is well regarded by trainers looking to educate their younger horses. • Sat, 25 November: Betfair Chase – £12.50 • Wed 6 December: 1750 Day – £9.50 • Sat, 23 December: Tommy Whittle Chase – £11.50 • Sat, 30 December: The Last Fling – £11 • Sat, 17 February 2018: Jump Racing – £11 • Wed, 21 March 2018: Jump Racing – £11 • Sat, 31 March 2018: Jump Racing – £11 Did you know? In 1948 a 12 year-old boy rode his first winner at
• Sat, 18 November: CIU Annual Charity Raceday – £16
Did you know? The Romans began the Wetherby story racing Arab horses at a place called Netherby, a few miles upstream from the existing course.
Club Mirror Racing Club Booking Form Number of tickets required (minimum 6) __________
Price per ticket £______
Racecourse: ___________________________________________________________________ Date of meeting: _______________________________________________________________ Cheque enclosed ( and made payable to the racecourse) for £________ Contact and club name: __________________________________________________________ Club address: __________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Postcode: ___________________ Daytime telephone number: _______________________________________________________ Email address: _________________________________________________________________ Please send this booking form plus cheque (made payable to the relevant racecourse) no later than four weeks before the meeting date to: Club Mirror Racing Club, ACP, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor SL4 1TX
< CLUB MIRROR 51
LIVE SPORTING FIXTURES FROM
Sunday December 10, 4.30pm – Sky Sports PL HD
Premier League: Manchester United v Manchester City
Old Trafford is the venue for one of the biggest matches of the year as Jose Mourihno’s United side welcomes their cross-city rivals for a Premier League tie. Back in September it was the blue half of the city who were celebrating as Pep Guardiola’s team prevailed by 2-1.
The best of December’s live sport December may be the month for peace on earth and goodwill to humankind, but some major sporting rivalries will also be unfolding on our TV screens.
Saturday December 9 12.30pm Sky Sports PL HD
Premier League: Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham are coming to terms with the post Slaven Bilic era with David Moyes now calling the shots as the new manager on a short-term contract.
A much-anticipated game with stars aplenty on both sides. Harry Kane has been in talismanic form for Spurs and the City defence will have their work cut out trying to keep the England star under wraps.
Premier League: Southampton v Arsenal
Tuesday December 26, 12 noon – ITV
Horse Racing: King George VI Chase, Kempton Park
One of the standout highlights of the racing year, the Boxing Day meeting at Kempton Park. The feature race is the King George VI Chase, run over three miles by four year olds and over, which has been won in the past by such all-time greats as Desert Orchid (four times) and Kauto Star (five times).
A Sunday lunchtime kick-off at St Mary’s Stadium as Saints host the Gunners. Arsenal will expect to gain some points here against a struggling home side. Sunday December 10 2.15pm Sky Sports PL HD
Premier League: Liverpool v Everton The first of the day’s two North West derbies sees Anfield staging this Premier League tie between Liverpool and their closest rivals Everton. Can Wayne Rooney inspire the Blues to a famous victory? Sunday December 10 4.30pm Sky Sports PL HD
Sunday December 31, 12 noon – BT Sport 1 HD
Premier League: Crystal Palace v Manchester City
The Premier League concludes for 2017 with Crystal Palace hosting Manchester City at Selhurst Park. Palace are the favourites to head down to the Championship at the end of the season but can they start their fightback with a win against high-flying Manchester City? It seems unlikely but not entirely impossible with Palace in something of a desperate situation.
Premier League: Manchester United v Manchester City The second huge derby of the day sees Jose Mourinho facing off against Pep Guardiola in the tactical stakes. This could well be a classic or, alternatively, it could be a nil-all draw with the sides cancelling each other out.
Horse Racing: Sandown & Aintree Monday December 11 8pm Sky Sports Football HD
Championship Football: Reading v Cardiff City Friday December 15 12 noon ITV
Sunday December 17 2.15pm Sky Sports PL HD
Horse Racing: Cheltenham International Meeting
Premier League: West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United The Baggies face a daunting task as they welcome United to the Hawthorns, given their relatively lowly standing in the Premier League table. Friday December 22 7.45pm Sky Sports PL HD
Premier League: Arsenal v Liverpool An intriguing clash at the Emirates sees the Gunners take on Liverpool. On paper the two sides are evenly matched but Arsenal will hope that home advantage will give them the edge. Friday December 22 7.45pm BT Sport 1 HD
Wednesday December 27 12 noon ITV
Saturday December 23 12.30pm Sky Sports PL HD
Saturday December 30 4pm BT Sport 1 HD
Premier League: Everton v Chelsea
Horse Racing: Kempton Park & Chepstow
Aviva Premiership Rugby: Harlequins v Northampton Saints
The Toffees’ pre-season optimism has given way to quiet desperation as the team continues to inhabit the lower reaches of the table. It’s hard to see them matching the all-round game of the defending champions. The return of Wayne Rooney to his home club has been fairly underwhelming and the Goodison Road faithful will be praying that the former England star can enjoy a better second half to the season than he experience in the first half.
Some top National Hunt racing action from Kempton Park and Chepstow. At Kempton, it’s Day 2 of the King George VI Meeting while at Chepstow it’s the Welsh Grand National. The 2016 winner was Native River, ridden by Richard Johnson and trained by Colin Tizzard.
What could be better to round off the year than a helping of Aviva Premiership rugby? Neither side has been particularly consistent this season but on their day play a fast brand of attacking rugby which could conjure up a number of tries.
Tuesday December 26 12.30pm Sky Sports PL HD
Aviva Premiership Rugby: Worcester Warriors v London Irish
Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton
A basement clash in the Aviva Premiership as the two bottom teams face off at Sixways. It’s hard to see the Warriors prevailing here given their abysmal record so far this season.
Boxing Day action from Spurs’ temporary home of Wembley Stadium. Saints fans will be hoping their team is inspired by the surroundings as they are likely to be outclassed by their hosts.
For latest news and timings on sporting events coming to the club screen, visit Sports4Bars.com 54 CLUB MIRROR
Saturday December 9 12 noon ITV
Saturday December 16 5.30pm BT Sport 1 HD
Premier League: West Ham v Chelsea
Sunday December 10 12 noon BT Sport 1 HD
ALSO COMING UP...
Arsenal v Liverpool, Friday, December 22, 7.45pm, Sky Sports Premier League HD
Sunday December 31 12 noon BT Sport 1 HD
Wednesday December 27 7.45pm Sky Sports PL HD
Premier League: Crystal Palace v Manchester City
More festive Premier League action, this time from St James’ Park as the Magpies take on Manchester City. It’s an exciting time to be part of the Toon Army with the proposed takeover likely to bring heavy investment to one of the proudest and most followed teams in English football. Currently, though, they are likely to struggle against City.
Palace see out 2017 with a tough challenge against the Premier League’s pacesetters. City have opened up a decent gap at the top of the table and will see this game as a source of a further three League points. Palace need a minor miracle to arrest their current slump which has seen them rooted to the foot of the table. With just one win out of their first 11 ties, they are the favourites for automatic relegation.
Premier League: Newcastle United v Manchester City
Saturday December 23 12 noon ITV
Horse Racing: Ascot & Haydock Park Saturday December 23 5.30pm BT Sport 1 HD
Premier League: Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur Saturday December 23 7.45pm Sky Sports PL HD
Premier League: Leicester City v Manchester United Tuesday December 26 12 noon ITV
Horse Racing: Kempton Park & Wetherby
www.Sports4Bars.com
For latest news and timings on sporting events coming to the club screen, visit Sports4Bars.com CLUB MIRROR 55
ASK THE EXPERTS – INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
A word with Club Insure’s Broking Director
GO OLF EQUIPMENT & IRRIGATION T S UTIONS SOL
Steve Fleming recently celebrated his 15 year anniversary with Club Insure. With 25 years’ experience in the industry, the Broking Director shares his thoughts on the industry in general and the future of the late night leisure and hospitality trade.
©2 017 T he Toro C ompa ny. A l l r ig ht s re ser ve d .
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The Old Course, St Andrews, s Scotland
Finca Corteesin, Spain
Carnoustie Golf Links, Scotlaand
Wentworth Club, England
EGCOA
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stablished in 1998, Club Insure (formerly NDML) are considered to be the Premier Insurance Broker for the late night leisure and hospitality industry. We provide comprehensive insurance for all manner of late night leisure and associated businesses, currently dealing with over 3,000 sports, social and WMCs and growing every day. In a society that is heavily influenced by the “no win, no fee” culture, it is ever more important that companies trading in the leisure industry have adequate cover for all aspects of their business. Unfortunately, due to the diverse trading styles and activities of the industry, both physical and legal risks are probable as the general public become more aware of their rights. Club Insure are fully aware of the litigious culture and thus offer bespoke, tailor-made policies specifically designed to meet the individual requirements of our various clients. We boast being able to place an inexhaustive list of insurance needs, many of which are exclusive products unattainable through any other broker in the UK.
Awards Following on from our successes in 2015 where we won Schemes Broker of the Year, UK Broker Awards, Commercial Broker of the Year at the Commercial Insurance Awards and Modern Claims Awards and the UK Claims Excellence Award for Customer Care Initiative we have in 2017 so far been Highly Commended as Broker Team of the Year at the Modern Claims Awards and we have won Claims Training Initiative at the Insurance Times Claims Excellence Awards. The awards highlighted the level of service provided by Club Insure; our employees were recognised for their professionalism, knowledge and experience. The challenges Whilst Club Insure continues to grow its client base in terms of numbers, it is clear that the turnover in venues and operators around the country is relatively high; much of our time is spent keeping abreast of which venues are opening/closing or changing hands. As with all industries the insurance market is highly competitive but often that competition
comes from brokers or insurers who are inexperienced in or unsuited for the late licensed leisure trade. Whilst it might be easier for clubs to seek advice on their insurance through online facilities or high street brokers, I’m often finding they are under insured or inadequately covered; this is incredibly dangerous in such a litigious society and can be detrimental to their business in the event of a claim. It is imperative that operators seek professional, honest advice from brokers who are both experienced and operate with integrity. The cheapest quote initially often turns into the most expensive in the long term. Club Insure’s position As the official broker to the Association of Conservative Clubs, National Union of Liberal Clubs, National Union of Labour & Socialists Clubs & CISWO, Club Insure are constantly seeking innovative risk management techniques and working practices. We take a strong stand on spurious liability claims and work with the client’s best interest at heart. We understand our clients’ insurance and risk management requirements. We have worked over this period to develop our products to accommodate the ever changing needs and demands of our clients with our products ranging from property and liability cover for traditional bars and clubs, to event cancellation insurance for overseas dance festivals. As well as experienced insurance specialists, Club Insure provide in-house account handlers and
award winning claims managers, which allows for constant communication between us and our customers. The ethos behind our company remains the same; a customer focused specialist insurance broker which prides itself on an ability to provide lasting and effective products to our range of clients.
MORE INFORMATION Club Insure covers all aspects of club insurance from start to finish, with Account Handlers and Claims Managers under one roof. Contact the company for: • Health & Safety Audits • Risk Assessments • Manual Handling Assessments • COSHH Assessments • Fire Risk Assessments • Fire Safety • Method Statements • Staff Handbooks Victoria Romero-Trigo, Director Club Insure Ltd Romero House, 8 Airport West, Lancaster Way, Yeadon, Leeds LS19 7ZA e. Victoria.romero-trigo@club-insure.co.uk t. 0844 488 9204 www.club-insure.co.uk
CLUB MIRROR 57
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ASK THE EXPERTS – TRACKING PREVENTION
ASK THE EXPERTS – DEALING WITH THEFT
Gauging the impact of Apple’s IOS update
Apple’s software updates have caused much debate in the media industry recently. The recent IOS 11 update has introduced a new feature known as Intelligent Tracking Prevention. Larrytech explores the impact it may have on the digital industry.
Theft – it isn’t always a stranger
T
he new feature introduced by Apple aims to reduce cross-site tracking by further limiting third-party cookies and other website data. Machine learning is used to identify trackers, segregate cross-site scripting data and stop users from being tracked by third parties and therefore preventing many re-targeting ads. Sam Vining, iCrossing, head of data and analytics, explains how the technology works: “The 24hour exemption period from cookie partitioning is designed to enable scenarios where users may use their log-in information from one domain on another website or service. “After 30 days (without a subsequent interaction) the cookies will be purged completely from the user’s device. What this means is the cookies that advertisers rely on for measurement will be unavailable after 30 days, and cookies for targeting and re-targeting in media will be unavailable after 24 hours.” Personalisation is at risk We talk a lot about personalisation, and how critical it is for user experience in the media industry. So, with a change in standards for cookies how will digital companies innovate to build content, services and ads that are personalised for users and remember their visits? In the US alone Safari accounts for over 50% of the mobile web browsing market, according to Statista. Apple’s response Apple argues that people have the right to privacy. In a statement they said: “Ad tracking has become so pervasive that it is possible for ad tracking companies to re-create the majority of a person’s web browsing history. This information is collected without permission and is used for ad re-targeting, which is how ads follow people around the internet.” In terms of Intelligent Tracking Prevention, Apple states ‘it does not block ads or interfere with legitimate tracking on the sites that people actually click on and visit. Cookies for sites that you interact with function as designed, and ads placed by web publishers, will appear normally’.
58 CLUB MIRROR
Theft by an employee or club official is, thankfully, relatively rare but nonetheless we see a number of these claims every year. These crimes are particularly upsetting as they are often committed by people considered to be close friends. Discovering that money or stock is missing often comes as a massive shock, says Andy Kitchener Aon UK Limited.
W
e all think we are reasonable judges of character and these situations often leave you questioning your own judgement and wondering how you could be so wrong. Of course, these matters can be extremely delicate in that they affect personalities within the club so care needs to be taken. From an insurance perspective, what should you do if you suspect internal theft is going on?
What does this mean in practise? 0 – 1 day: When a user visits a website deemed as a first-party domain, (top domain) Intelligent Tracking Prevention sees this as a signal that the user is interested in the website. For the first 24 hours, the cookies can be used in a 3rd-party context. 1 – 30 days: Cookies can’t be used in a 3rd-party context. If the user hasn’t interacted with the website in the last 24 hours, the cookies will be kept but they’ll be partitioned. This allows the users to stay logged in even if they only visit occasionally, but blocks cookies being used for cross-site tracking. 30 days +: After 30 days, the cookies will be purged.
1. You should always contact the police in the first instance. 2. You should then contact your insurance broker to report the claim. 3. You should then call your insurer’s legal expenses team to again report the incident and obtain any advice from them regarding disciplinary action to be taken against the employee/official.
What do you make of this feature – either as the club’s webmaster or as a user? Do you agree with cookie restrictions changing? Answers on a postcard please – or better still on an email! – to info@clubmirror.com.
MORE INFORMATION If your bounce rate is high and you are unsure what you can do to combat the problem contact Larryetch via www.larrytech.com/ contact. Alternatively use this QR code. Larrytech Ltd, 44 Newton Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RU
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Fidelity Guarantee insurance is a policy designed to cover you for the loss caused by fraud, theft or dishonesty of an employee. For an insurer to ensure claims are paid promptly and without incident then you will need to comply with all conditions of your insurance policy. No matter who provides your club insurance there will be conditions attached and these can change over time so should be reviewed each year. Making the small print BIG print so to speak. As you renew your policy it is a good time to speak to your broker or your insurer to make sure you are aware of any changes that impact your policy. It is important to realise that Fidelity Guarantee cover is on a claims made basis meaning the policy
in force at the time any theft is first discovered is the policy that will deal with the claim. You can usually include monies stolen fraudulently in the preceding 24 months within that claim even if you were with a different insurer during that time. We thought it would be useful to highlight some typical conditions which may appear in policy wording. You should of course refer to your own club’s policy wording for a definitive guide. There will be special conditions which make you aware of the checks and systems you should have in place. If you aren’t operating in this way then the claim could be repudiated. For example, one of the most common reason a claim can be rejected is when a club have failed to get adequate written references for employees or officers. Typical conditions include: • When you discover any act which may give rise to a claim you should immediately take steps to prevent further loss. • Before engaging any employee or club officers a satisfactory written reference should be obtained covering their previous employment. This may need to be produced in the event of a claim. With some club insurance policies, you may only need to obtain references for new employees taken on after the policy starts. But for most insurers you’ll need to have references for everyone. As ever you should always clarify this with your broker or insurer. • There could be a stipulation that money is handed to an authorised employee or banked within a specified time frame, e.g. 24 hours or within
three days of receipt. • Cash book entries and other records of money received should be fully checked on a regular basis. This is often stipulated as every month at least. • Often there is a condition that stock should be independently and physically checked at least annually. You should be aware of some of these conditions before a claim is made rather than afterwards when it may be too late. It is important to make sure that you understand your obligations and discuss them with your broker if necessary.
CONTACT DETAILS If you have any questions about this article contact Andy Kitchener, Regional Client Manager, Aon UK Limited.?t. 07714 180 551 e. andrew.kitchener@aon.co.uk. Aon UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Whilst care has been taken in the production of this article and the information contained within it has been obtained from sources that Aon UK Limited believes to be reliable, Aon UK Limited does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of the article or any part of it and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way whatsoever by any person who may rely on it. In any case any recipient shall be entirely responsible for the use to which it puts this article. This article has been com piled using information available to us up to 24 October 2017.
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ASK THE EXPERTS – BUDGET CYCLE
Aon Risk Solutions Enterprise | Affinity
Preparing for your upcoming budget cycle Indications are that as clubs become immersed in their annual budgeting cycle, most European economies are witnessing steady improvement and positive forecasts. GGA’s Rob Hill examines the outlook and offers best budgeting advice.
G
oldman Sachs describes the outlook for continental Europe’s economy as “cautiously optimistic” as the housing economy continues to recover in most markets, credit is loosening, unemployment is improving, and in particular, consumer confidence is building. The caution reflects a strengthening euro and of course Brexit uncertainty. Nobody knows yet where that is taking the UK or Europe, but it’s going to be disruptive and it’s not going to be positive. So, emerging gradually as we are from years of frugality and incessant cost reductions, while also looking to better position the club for any future headwinds, how should club leaders be approaching this upcoming budget cycle? Here are five guidelines and questions to address.
1. Evaluate variances in the current budget How do this year’s actual results compare to your budget? Variances of more than 5% should be evaluated closely. Maybe you were overly optimistic? Maybe your execution was off? Beware of line items that were not accounted for in the budget. The question to ask: “How will we generate different and better results next year?” 2. Review and refine your scope of operations The scope of operations describes all that the club does, including which days and hours the club is operational and which services are offered and on what schedule. In most clubs the scope of operations remains untouched from year to year. But it should be evaluated at the launch of each budget cycle. Refining your scope of operations is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve performance results. The questions to ask: “What do our customers and members really want?” And “How can we operate more efficiently and eliminate waste from lightly used or inaccessible services or service times?” 3. Take a zero-based approach Don’t rely on a simple calculation of a percentage increase on all expenses. Start with a clean budget
60 CLUB MIRROR
Aon Specialist Insurance for Sports and Social Clubs
• Bundle services to provide greater value for members and customers and to support price increases. Can you bundle services that give your members greater value and improve operational margins at the club? • Make popular goods and services available to your members and customers ahead of the demand curve. Do you use virtual retailing options to expand access to new and popular products?
sheet and plan each line item for a precise method of operation. Zero-based budgets are built brick-by-brick, with one assumption added to the previous. Any flawed assumption weakens the foundation. Understand and document each assumption in each line of the budget. To build a budget from scratch one must be organised and thorough. It will take more time to ask the questions and to find the answers. While zero-based budgeting isn’t easy, it’s the sign of a real professional. The result is a budget that is more thorough and reliable than one produced by any other method. The question to ask: “Are my assumptions realistic and based on facts/data?” 4. Increase revenue expectations Has revenue growth has been slow or stagnant for several years? Many managers continue to try outdated programs that did not work in the first place. Customers and club members seek value. Price increases in importance in their eyes when value is lacking. So before you budget for improved revenue, make sure you’re maximising value. Revenue increases originate in the following ways: • Sports clubs should sell the worst – least desirable – courts/sessions/tee times first. The best inventory sells itself. Revenue growth comes when attention is given to selling what doesn’t readily sell itself. This increase in utilisation is like finding new money.
Market-leading cover with 10%* discount for new Aon clients At Aon, we have specialised in arranging insurance for Sports and Social Clubs for over twenty years. Our client managers have an in-depth understanding of the risks that owners and managers of clubs face, and can arrange a policy that caters to a wide range of clubs.
The question to ask: “Am I thinking like my customers and members. Am I giving them what they want – recognition, respect and courtesy?”
Call us today and we will look to save costs on the price of your current insurance provider by 10%.*
5. Attack and reduce overhead and administrative costs Most clubs accept increases in products, services, rates and premiums as the cost of doing business, but as a club leader don’t give up so easily. Be committed to the hypothesis that there is a lower cost alternative and to negotiation. Even if you are proven right just 10% of the time this diligence will impact your budget parameters.
Why arrange your Sports and Social club insurance through Aon? • We are confident that we can deliver competitive premiums • Dedicated Client Manager to support you
The question to ask: “Have I thoroughly explored and negotiated the possibility of a decrease in property taxes, utilities, insurance premiums, professional services and supplies?” I’m sure that your planning and budgeting for 2018 will be well underway by now, and hopefully these key five points will be useful to you as you refine it still further.
£100 Material Damage Excess
CONTACT DETAILS Rob Hill is a partner at GGA (formerly KPMG Golf Practice), the largest professional advisory services firm in the world dedicated to clubs and golf-related businesses. From their offices in Dublin, Toronto, Sydney and Phoenix, GGA has served more than 2,900 clients worldwide. The firm specialises in; strategic business planning; governance; market analysis; membership planning; and operational performance analysis.
£2,500 for cover in each gaming machine, up to £10,000 in total Total cover £10,000
Property in the open covered up to £5,000
Engineering cover up to £1,000,000, cooling equipment, boilers, air conditioning units
Directors and Officers limit of indemnity £250,000
* New Aon clients only. Must not hold a current policy with Aon. Subject to qualifying criteria; No claims in the last 3 years; Satisfactory postcode check (such as but not limited to high risk flooding areas, theft and malicious damage); Insurance has not been cancelled or declined in the past; Premises are not unoccupied or unfurnished; Business description is a CIU Club, Other Social & Welfare Club, CISWO Club or Sports Club; Buildings are valued at no more than £1,000,000; Stock limit doesn’t exceed £50,000; and do not operate door staff, regular ticketed events or live entertainment more than twice a week. Evidence of competing terms must be obtained from an Insurer that meet Aon’s security rating requirements and cover must be of a comparable basis to the quotation arranged by Aon. This offer can be withdrawn at any time. Terms, conditions and exclusions may apply.
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John Mckie 0345 004 0515 john.mckie@aon.co.uk
• Arrange market leading cover solutions • Get access to exclusive HR and Health & Safety Solutions for Clubs at discounted rates via our partnership with Citation
To arrange a quote contact:
Maven Sports and Social Club Insurance arranged by Aon UK Limited and underwritten by Maven Underwriters which is a Managing General Agent operating under a delegated underwriting and claims handling authority on behalf of Aviva Insurance Limited and Allianz Insurance plc. Maven Underwriters is a trading name of Aon UK Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Citation Limited is an approved Introducer Appointed Representative of Aon UK Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FP.ENT.1784.MH
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