News from HQ

NEWS FROM HQ Ever thought of getting your club listed as a community asset? Well Communities Minister Marcus Jones thinks you should. Here he explains why, and how it could protect your club.

On the topic of protection, does your club have an up-to-date Flood Plan in place? Do you know what action needs to be taken, when and by whom? If the answer is no, then have a look at Sport England’s advice on developing a water-tight Flood Plan.

Finally, if you’re feeling drowned by the number of members huddled over their smart phones, then have a look at a novel idea from Beefeater – a No Phone Zone. HQ club mirror

List your club as a community asset

Communities Minister Marcus Jones has called on supporters and councils to up their game and do more to help boost sport locally by listing their grounds and clubs as Community Assets.

Since 2012, community groups have had the right to help protect sports facilities and other much-loved local buildings or land by listing them as Community Assets. More than 3,000 assets are now listed. This means that an owner cannot sell a ground or stadium, pavilion or pitch without a supporters group knowing about it or having the chance to put together a bid to buy it on behalf of the community.

“Clubs are rooted in their communities and many supporters’ trusts around the country have been exercising their rights and having more of a say in how their grounds and stadiums are run,” said Marcus Jones. “Taking control can not only secure their future, but it can also help them to grow and develop new commercial opportunities that help boost local economies.”

Community Asset kits have now been made available to supporters to give them more of a say over their clubs and their grounds future.

“I want to see more sports fans up their game by converting their community rights to ensure

Marcus Jones

that their clubs and grounds remain at the heart of their local sporting communities,” said Jones.

Oxford United Supporters Trust was the first club to make use of the scheme, listing the Kassam stadium in May 2013 and more recently Tewkesbury Rugby Club listed their club as an Asset of Community Value with their local council.

Oxford United Supporters Trust

Tewkesbury Rugby Club

In 2014, Plymouth Council handed over the 22 acre Horsham Playing Fields to the trustees of Plymstock Albion Oaks Rugby Football Club.

The transfer to community control provided the club with a platform to attract investment and the club is now going from strength to strength, securing lottery funding for a new pavilion, sealing a kit deal for all of their 16 teams and gaining promotion to the Cornwall-Devon League.

“No one wants to see their sports club kicked into touch so why not follow the examples of Tewkesbury Rugby Club and Plymstock Albion Oaks and explore the range of support and help available,” said Jones.

Developing a Club Flood Plan

Awell considered and implemented club flood plan can significantly reduce the impact of the costs or delays to recovery. Sport England offers the following advice.

Actions 1. The club committee should review the implications of flooding to the club and its facilities and develop a club flood plan.

2. Register with the Environment Agency for a free flood warning service.

3. Identify which part of the site is likely to flood and what sort of warning you are likely to get. Consider the previous flooding in the area and establish the direction and location of flooding.

4. If in doubt take the advice of the experienced professionals, the Environment Agency and other informed agencies.

5. The flood plan must include a list of key contacts, personnel and a list of agreed actions and responsibilities. You will need to identify a list of volunteers, with their contact details, who you can call on if there is a flood alert.

6. The flood plan should be a formal club document and similar in structure and content to the template found at this following link – http://www.environment-agencygov.uk/homeandleisure/ floods/38329.aspx.

7. The club committee should appoint an officer to act as the first point of contact and be responsible for reviewing and updating the plan.

8. You must regularly test and improve your flood plan to ensure everyone understands what is required and that the information and key responsibilities are up to date.

9. Ensure all key personnel have a copy of the plan.

10. Display a copy of the flood plan on the club notice board and on the club website. This ensures everyone knows that the plan has been implemented and what will happen and why. 11. Ensure the club flood plan effectively links in with any local community flood plan that may have been developed.

12. Ensure that the flood plan takes account of any specific requirements of your insurers.

13. Make sure that you are aware of all the organisations that respond to flooding in your area. This will help you contact the correct organisations when the club needs help. Identify all of the resources that are available to you and the club.

14. Make a list of reputable contractors who may be required after the flood.

No Phone Zone

Fed up with members spending more time on the phone than talking to each other? Here’s an interesting idea from restaurant chain Beefeater – No Phone Zones.

The chain decided to trial phone-free areas in response to a survey on behaviour which ruins family outings. Top of the spoiler list was the constant checking of phones at the table; 54% listed this as the single most likely occurrence to cause an argument. The second and third most likely things to spark an argument were a family member being scruffy for the occasion (28%) and family members having earphones constantly plugged in (18%).

Beefeater’s No Phone Zone was trialled across sites on Mother’s Day weekend, with a view to make the areas permanent if well received by diners.