Here for you
Royal Bank Here for you of Scotland RugbyForce 2014 Event Planning Guide 9/10 August
Get set for the big kick-off! Contents 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
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Welcome to Royal Bank RugbyForce How we’ll help Food for thought Need some inspiration? Spreading the word Bringing others on board Keeping it safe
Royal Bank RugbyForce 2014
Welcome to Royal Bank RugbyForce Your chance to show your community what your club’s all about
Thanks for registering for Royal Bank RugbyForce 2014! We’re delighted to be working with you to open up your club to new interest while energising the people you already have on board. Rugby sits at the heart of communities the length and breadth of Scotland. Royal Bank of Scotland is proud to also be a part of these communities. Royal Bank RugbyForce allows us to demonstrate our commitment to making a meaningful contribution to the places where we live and work.
Royal Bank RugbyForce is your chance to show that your club is approachable and accessible. That it’s got something to offer everyone, be they passionate rugby fans or players, a society looking for somewhere to hold meetings, or families new to the area wanting to make friends and get under the skin of local life.
We’re striving to make rugby clubs more sustainable and understand that clubs need other people to help them achieve this: players, supporters, members, volunteers and sponsors. Your Royal Bank RugbyForce event gives you the perfect platform to welcome the local community to your club and let everyone experience all the great things you have to offer: the friendly welcome, the unique atmosphere, the team spirit, the opportunities for children, the social side… and of course some quality rugby!
Royal Bank RugbyForce is a great means of drawing folk in and proving to them that your club can be a great place to socialise, host events, meet friends to watch sport on TV, enjoy a drink or bring the kids to get some exercise in safe, friendly surroundings. There will almost certainly be untapped interest within your community – people who wouldn’t usually think of their rugby club as a place that can offer them anything besides rugby.
Royal Bank RugbyForce was created five years ago by Royal Bank of Scotland to encourage communities to get involved with their local club. The initiative used to be all about enabling volunteers to make improvements to club facilities. Now our ambitions are even bigger: we want to help you extend a hand to your local community and inspire in them a real and lasting connection with the club game.
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Royal Bank RugbyForce 2014
We hope this guide gives you all you need to host a great event. If you have any questions in the lead up to Royal Bank RugbyForce, please feel free to e-mail us at rbs.rugby@rbs.co.uk.
RBS Scottish Rugby @RBS_Rugby_Lad #RBSRugbyForce
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How we’ll help • Contribute £250 for your event • Provide posters and a banner to get the word out • Help get local media behind your event • Involve selected partners who can assist with useful products and offers • Send Scotland internationals to raise the profile of events at selected clubs
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Royal Bank RugbyForce 2014
Food for thought… Royal Bank RugbyForce can be as big or as small as you like. You’ll know what works best for your club - here are a few suggestions
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Pre-season friendly - this could be the main part of your event, topped off by a family BBQ and/or minis tournament
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Touch rugby - the perfect opportunity to introduce new players to the game
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Sevens tournament - make it more than a one-club event
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Stalls and raffles - give your event a real village green feel while raising funds
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Face painter and bouncy castle - show off your club’s family-friendly credentials
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Minis/midis sign-up day - make everyone feel welcome and boost your numbers for the year ahead
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Awards day - invite your whole club and their families, recognise achievements from last season and look forward to 2014/15
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BBQ - reward your volunteers and bring everyone together
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Guided tours - tell people how they can use your facilities for non-rugby events
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DIY - tick off those last few items from your pre-season clubhouse checklist
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Royal Bank RugbyForce 2014
Need some event inspiration? Duncan Campbell Montrose RFC Royal Bank RugbyForce 2013
What activity did Montrose arrange for their Royal Bank RugbyForce 2013 event? We held a family fun day for existing members and others interested in rugby who weren’t already part of the club. As well as games of touch, we had fun activities for younger kids and a barbecue on the go. Some of the parents also helped tidy up the clubhouse in advance of the new season
How did the day go? It was an absolutely terrific kick-start to the season. The excitement of the day helped drive big attendances right from the first training session and we also managed to bring in new interest
What impact did the presence of Royal Bank ambassador Chris Paterson and the international players have? Chris Paterson and the Scotland players were excellent. They were only too happy to play rugby and have photos taken all day. Knowing they were coming meant there was a lot of interest from the local press and we could also promote the event through social media. Having the RBS 6 Nations Trophy along was a great surprise and a real added bonus
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Royal Bank RugbyForce 2014
Did you draw in any new players and volunteers as a result of Royal Bank RugbyForce? Royal Bank RugbyForce was a tremendous boost for the club. As well as engaging with existing players and volunteers in advance of the season, we attracted a number of new families who now play an active part in the running of the club as players or volunteers
What advice would you give to clubs planning a Royal Bank RugbyForce event who aren’t quite sure what to do? Focus on having a fun day that everyone can enjoy. There are so many ways for people to get involved with a rugby club, not just playing, so make everyone feel welcome: you may be speaking to a future coach, referee or volunteer. The contribution from Royal Bank of Scotland could fund some food for those coming to the event, or supplies to do a bit of DIY. Remember, if people enjoy the day, they will be back. Use social media and the local press to get the word out about your event well in advance. We had over 500 people on the day, which was just incredible.
What have Montrose got planned for Royal Bank RugbyForce 2014? This year, we’ll have another family fun day and build on the success of Royal Bank RugbyForce 2013. It’s now a key date in our club calendar and a brilliant start to our season.
Spreading the word… Make sure everyone knows about your event
Contact local media
Circulate a media release
We’ll be involving media in the build up to Royal Bank RugbyForce 2014 and on the weekend itself, but it always pays to involve local contacts. A good place to start is www.mediauk.com. Just put your town or region into the search bar and you’ll get a list of print titles, TV and radio stations based in your local area.
About a week before your event, why not send out a media release focusing on your goals. Ask the media to run a story highlighting the event, the people involved, and a brief summary of what you’re hoping to achieve for and with your local community.
As well as newspapers, each region has BBC and STV/ ITV regional news desks. Not sure which region you fall into? No problem - you can search for your postcode in the ‘BBC Local’ box at ww.bbc.co.uk/ local. For STV/ ITV regions, check out www.stv.tv and www.itv.com Once you’ve got contact details for your news outlet, give them a call and speak with the main news desk first. As your story is focused on community sport, you could also ask to be put through to their sports desk. Then give them all the information about your upcoming Royal Bank RugbyForce event!
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Royal Bank RugbyForce 2014
Don’t forget to include contact details for your club in any media material, so journalists and editors can get in touch with further questions or for details of interview and photo opportunities on the day.
Invite local celebs or well-known players As well as inviting the media along, be bold and invite local celebrities, your local mayor, your MP/MSP, or elite players who have a connection with your club or region.
RBS Scottish Rugby @RBS_Rugby_Lad #RBSRugbyForce Take plenty of photos! Make sure someone is responsible for photography – it’s a great reminder of the day and the perfect way to tell the story of what you’ve achieved as a club. How about making a video of the event for an excellent ‘before’ and ‘after’ story? We’ll be featuring imagery from Royal Bank RugbyForce events around Scotland on the RBS Scottish Rugby Facebook page. To show off your club, simply email your pictures to RBSRugby@mcsaatchi.com.
Keep people updated in the lead up to your event Make sure they know where and when they have to be, by preparing an outline of the
weekend’s events and posting it on your clubhouse notice board, website, Facebook and Twitter channels.
Keep a record of your event Afterwards, why not circulate photos of the weekend to everyone who helped out – it’s always great to have a reminder of what you achieved together!
Get social! Share your event photos and banter with us on the RBS Scottish Rugby Facebook page and by tweeting @RBS_Rugby_Lad using #RBSRugbyForce. We can help spread the word to our 85,000 Facebook fans and 19,000 Twitter followers!”
Bringing others on board… Make your team the best it can be!
Regardless of the size of your event, it’s vital to encourage help and support from existing players, supporters, members, volunteers and sponsors. It may seem obvious, but you can really make a difference by bringing people together to help give your project wings, drawing on the pride they all share at being part of your club. Everyone will be able to contribute something to the team effort, with the potential for outstanding results.
Don’t be afraid to ask! People and organisations are willing to help in all sorts of ways, so if you have a need whether it’s a local celebrity to announce the winners of the raffle or nearby shops to donate the prizes – make sure you ask someone you think can lend a hand. After all, everyone loves being part of something that’s for the good of the whole community!
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Royal Bank RugbyForce 2014
RBS Scottish Rugby @RBS_Rugby_Lad #RBSRugbyForce
Key Projects
Budget Income Sponsors?
£
Donations? £ Total inc.
£
Local Businesses
Expenditure DIY (Paint, Fittings etc)
Key People Name Skill
£
Cleaning
£
Equipment hire
£
Food & Beverages
£
Publicity (Flyers, etc)
£
£ £ £ £ £ Total Expenditure
£
Net (inc. Less Exp)
£
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Keeping it safe… •
Appoint a Project Manager to supervise tasks and assign to the most appropriate volunteers
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Check club’s insurance policies to ensure it has appropriate cover
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Ensure appropriate first aid assistance is available
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Undertake a basic risk assessment of each task
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Ensure premises are safe before any tasks begin
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Ensure no tasks are attempted by participants not appropriately qualified
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Ensure all reasonable safety precautions are taken
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Ensure appropriate safety equipment is used/worn
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Ensure children are supervised at all times
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These guidelines are not to be considered definitive advice
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Royal Bank of Scotland and Scottish Rugby accept no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage caused to any club, individual or third party
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Royal Bank RugbyForce 2014
Here for you
Get stuck in and enjoy!
Here for you
For all the Royal Bank RugbyForce action and banter RBS Scottish Rugby @RBS_Rugby_Lad #RBSRugbyForce