Communities and Clubs Taking Control

Community Asset Transfer can be a daunting prospect for any amateur sports club, but in these times of economic hardship it can certainly be seen as an opportunity.

Jay Probert, Regional Development Coordinator for the Welsh Football Trust highlights some of the simple questions and considerations community groups and clubs must explore to ensure their decisions are fully informed.

Community Asset Transfer (CAT) is when land or buildings are transferred into the stewardship and/or ownership of voluntary and community sector organisations or social enterprises at below market value.

Managing and taking charge of the day-to-day running of facilities helps to empower local communities and can bring opportunities for greater independence and financial sustainability.

Community Asset Transfer is about giving local people and community groups greater control in the future of their area and their community.

If local groups own or manage community buildings, such as community centres or village halls, it can give them a real asset base to support their development. It can also play a part in improving the skills of the people involved and encourage a stronger community spirit by bringing people from different backgrounds together to work towards a shared goal.

Recently, I have been doing some work with Monmouthshire Council, who lease a number of their facilities to sports clubs.

For Bulwark RFC, a full ownership of the facility was not the best approach, so a more phased approach through long-term lease was agreed.

Bulwark Rugby Club will take on responsibility for the playing field formerly leased to Bulwark Football Club and will develop a full size rugby pitch on this land and complete the work to the sports pavilion started by Bulwark Football Club. In return, the rugby club will allow regular access by Chepstow Town Football Club to the Rugby Club’s existing training area for junior football training and playing junior matches. The two clubs will work together to set up an association to promote sport in Chepstow and to provide facilities and programmes of participation for the local community.

So, if you are thinking of going down this route there are several questions that individuals and groups involved should ask:

1.    The asset itself

· What condition is the asset in?

· How old is the facility?

· What is the history of the site?

· Is the asset freehold or leasehold?

· Are there any covenants relating to the land or asset?

· Who currently uses the asset?

· Is the asset appropriate for our club in terms of size/future changing circumstances (growth or reduction in participation)

· Are there any planning permissions or constraints associated with the property (flood plain etc).What are the financial implications?

· Is the venue accessible? How much investment is required to meet current and emerging legislation?

· Are we likely to be capable of maintaining the asset directly?

· What’s included in terms of fixtures/fittings/equipment?

2.    Workforce

· What human resources currently support the operation and what skills/equipment do they have?

· Will any staff be involved/incorporated into in the transfer?

3.    Surrounding location

· Location – what is the proximity to other clubs...to local amenities...to the heart of the community...to schools...to other assets about to be transferred?

· What are the site boundaries and maintenance responsibilities?

· Is parking included – if not where is nearest parking?

· Who are the neighbours?

· Is there any regeneration/investment planned for the area?

4.    Finances

· What is the value of the asset?

· How much does it cost to operate, market and maintain?

· Does the Council wish to achieve savings through the transfer arrangement?

· Who will pay for the legal costs associated with transfer?

· Is there a dowry attached to the transfer?

5.    Other important considerations

· What are the drivers for change within the LA?

· What is the composition of the community?

· What are the crime/health stats?

· Is there anyone else interested in the asset?

For more on the Welsh Football trust visit: http://www.welshfootballtrust.org.uk/ or www.sportwales.org.uk.

New This Week! (Available from 21 Sept)

What the Commonwealth Youth Games means to Wales

Sport Wales' Sarah Powell blogs about the Commonwealth Youth Games - its importance and Team Wales' success.

So what is the CYG?

The Commonwealth Youth Games is as the title suggests - the junior version (14-18yrs) of the Commonwealth Games. This maybe a younger version but don’t be fooled; the standard and competitiveness is as high and fierce as expected when you bring together 64 countries and a 1000 competitors.

Wales was one of the smallest teams with only 31 competitors, but not the smallest. Niue had only one competitor - not sure ‘team’ fits here!  Our usual rivals of Australia and England had teams four times bigger with more than 70 competitors but as you will soon see it’s certainly not size that matters in these things.

So why do Wales take part?

This is the biggest multi sport event for the youth age group and is the stepping stone for athletes aspiring to win Commonwealth medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014. This is not just theory, ask  Jazz Carlin, Jemma Lowe and Georgia Davies who all won medals in the CYG in Pune 2008. They then stormed to the podium at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Believe me when I say this, transfer of success is not going to be a one off. Remember the medallists named below as I’m happy to put a bet on them featuring in the medals in Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The CYG provides the perfect dry run for athletes, coaches and support staff.  This is the nearest to the real thing that these athletes can get - they experience the build up, the pressure and excitement that is part and parcel of a large multi sport event.

So who’s Team Wales?

This is made up of athletes, coaches, team managers, physio, doctors, media and members of the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales. The Commonwealth Games Council for Wales  is the internationally recognised organisation that selects and delivers the team at the Games.  Superbly organised, experienced and committed, they leave no stone unturned in pre-games preparation and games delivery to make sure the team has no distractions and gets what they need to be successful.  The team spirit and camaraderie that is built up amongst the competitors and support staff certainly give Team Wales that extra edge.

So what happened?

With only 31 athletes, Wales won 26 medals. It makes for an impressive ratio of medals won v no of competitors .  Wales competed in 6 of the 7 sports involved: athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics and swimming. We did extremely well in all the sports missing out in the quarter finals of the badminton and then winning medals in boxing, swimming, cycling, athletics and gymnastics.

This reinforces not only the depth of talent but also that it is diverse across the sports. If you look at medals on a per head of population basis, then we top the table. There are too many medallists to mention but we started with athletics gold on day one in the 1500m and finished with a swimming gold on the last day in the last event - the men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay. 

 It would be remiss of me not to mention the family and friends of all the competitors that travelled out to support individual athletes but also the whole of Team Wales. The power of this cannot be underestimated and the number of Personal Bests reflects this.

So what next

Well for those that tasted success and you are many, enjoy! Remember and crave this again, as winning will hopefully become a habit. For those not so successful this time, remember that selection is a great achievement. Use this as the opportunity to train that little bit harder, or believe in yourself that little bit more because you were there for a reason, because you have the potential.

The talent in Wales is proven. It’s now down to you and your support teams to take that to the next level and deliver success at senior level.

For the sports themselves, what could be better than two home games, London 2012 Olympics and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. A once in a lifetime experience, let’s ensure we maximise every opportunity to show off what in my view is the most amazing product in the world – sport. Be assured the next CYG athletes will be watching!

The medals:

Gold - Ieuan Lloyd 200m freestlye
Gold - Ieuan Lloyd 200m IM
Gold - Ffion Price 1500m athletics
Gold - Angel Romaeo individual all-around gymnastics
Gold - 4x200m mens freestyle relay - Ieuan Lloyd, Oliver Tennant, Lewis Smith, Dan Woods

Silver - Sara Lougher 50m Breaststroke
Silver - Ieuan Lloyd 100m freestyle
Silver - 4x200 girls freestyle
Silver - Carys Mansfield javelin
Silver - Calum Evans boxing
Silver - Owain Doull Road Race
Silver - Elinor Barker Criterium
Silver - Raer Theaker, Beam
Silver - Raer Theaker, Bars
Silver - Cycling girls team in time trial
Silver - Girls gymnastics team event

Bronze - Josh John boxing
Bronze - Mitch Buckland boxing
Bronze - Elinor Barker time trial
Bronze - Girls team in road race
Bronze - Boys team in road race
Bronze - 4x100m freestyle relay girls
Bronze - Sian Morgan 400m freestyle
Bronze - Ieuan Lloyd 400m freestyle
Bronze - Harry Owen gymnastics individual all around
Bronze - Angel Romaeo bronze vault

Oops, I did it again!

Übers Joggen muss man einfach bloggen! : )
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This post is about my first jogging  day. Look at the pictures and you'll see how much I liked it!!! (By the way, in Germany it is required  by the comic-artists union to do Yoga and Jogging!)

How sports clubs can learn from the business world

To paraphrase Charles Darwin, it is not the biggest, toughest, physically strongest, or most athletic that survive but rather those who adapt and develop in difficult times. Applying this thought to sports clubs and to sport in general  - what can we learn from business that will make sport more visible, vibrant and viable?

 In our latest blogpost, Gordon Clark of Sport Wales poses 7 questions to clubs:

·         Does your club have a fundraising strategy that is not reliant on grants? A strong, healthy business must generate profit to survive. Profit is not a dirty word rather it is essential if clubs are to continue to offer healthy community opportunities.

·         What can you do to increase your range of income streams? Have you considered corporate social leagues or tournaments, car boot sales, regular keep fit sessions in your clubhouse etc? A business that has a diverse range of income streams or product lines can better survive a downturn if there is a particular dip in one particular area. 

·         Is your club visible in the local community and beyond? The day of the poster is dead so what is your club doing to raise its profile and encourage new members? Businesses are committing significant resource to maximising the impact of social media marketing. Clubs can do the same – are you putting yourself out there via Facebook and Twitter etc?

·         Do you know who your competitors are and is your offer better value? Customers have the choice to purchase goods and services from other suppliers and this is the same for joining clubs - especially when there is a number of similar clubs nearby, jostling for the same market.

·         Is the experience that your members receive better than that of the competition? Sports clubs are in the experience business so what experience does a parent and child have when they turn up for the first time? Is any thought given to how you can convert this initial contact into a regular purchase / member or is it just expected?

• Does your club have a club development plan? Planning ahead is vital to building a sustainable sports club as much as any business. If the club committee does not have a clear plan for the future and the membership does not have a clear understanding, how will you take advantage of any opportunities that arise? 

What should be added to this list? Let us know what you think...and while you're at it, you might want to look at our club resources

How to be a great captain

Welsh golfer Nigel Edwards has just captained the GB & Ireland team to victory at the 2011 Walker Cup.

In our latest guest blog, he shares his key success factors that he shared with the team before they went on to triumph on the Balgownie Links of Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.

 TEAM

·         Golf is more often than not an individual sport. When we come together it’s important to build that team spirit.

·         I stress with the players that each person has an effect on the team so it is important to have a positive attitude

·         I make sure that the different pairings  socialise and spend time in each other’s company

·         Everyone has to be part of the team. The players need to feel part of the team. The very best players in the team have a role to play as well as those players who aren’t playing so well. Those playing well have a responsibility to lead the team and support those not playing so well and likewise those not playing so well have to support the others.

·         A player is rested not dropped – the players and management need to understand this process. The player that is rested has to support and cheer on the others for the good of the team. One player cannot win the Walker Cup. However, one player can ensure the team loses the Walker Cup.

·         Egos have to be left at the door – players will not always be able to do what they want to do. They won’t be able to practice on their time frame.

·         I ask players to play their own game and not to do anything different to any other week.

·         Expect your opponents to play well and hit good shots, expect them to hole putts but don’t be in awe.

·         Fit in to the team, accept you will have to do “other” things, this is not just about YOU.

·         I don’t expect any whingeing or complaints – whether it’s about hotel, food, missed putts etc

NERVES

·         Handle the nerves, don’t be afraid of them, everyone will be nervous so be prepared for them and DEAL with them when they come. Accept the facts and hit one shot at a time and don’t get caught up in what’s going on around you.

·         Don’t let selectors and outside influences affect your play. Embrace it and prove your qualities.

·         Nerves help you to focus.

·         Nerves bring a clarity of thought.

DISCIPLINE

·         Golf is not a game of Perfect by Dr Bob Rotella.

·         Discipline is being able to do simple things day after day, week after week, year after year.

·         Discipline is key to any professional athlete – training, nutrition, practice etc

·         Just focuses on the target

ATTITUDE

·         A great attitude is key to success – before, during and after a round or tournament.

·         Stick to your routine on every shot.

·         You should be fresh to go when you wake up.

ENJOYMENT

·         This week will be one of the greatest experiences of your lives. You are in a very privileged position of being a Walker Cup player.

·         YOU ARE SPECIAL

·         I want you all to have a great week, this is a really enjoyable experience and I have been privileged to have been part of four teams, two winning teams and I can honestly say that you will look back on this week with great memories. Friends you make on the opposing team and friends you make through golf.

·         There will be thousands of people out there wishing and wanting you to do well and wanting you to hit great golf shots, hole long putts and be successful.

·         Lads ENJOY this wonderful experience.

What do you think? How do you inspire and prepare a team?