These are troubling times for everyone and the whole country is facing massive challenges during the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This letter gives some important information for everyone associated with Ashford Cricket Club and I would be most grateful if you could read it to the end.

The cost of no cricket
Cricket at Short Lane was originally due to start on Saturday 18th April, with junior fixtures from 23rd April. The start of the season has been delayed until at least the end May and the committee is really struggling to see how the season will pan out, which is especially concerning for the whole Sports Club and for all our members both senior and junior.

At present, it may not seem important but life must go on and we must continue functioning as a cricket club. We do not know when we will be allowed to play cricket this season, we sincerely hope it will be sooner rather than later but, as a cricket club, we currently forecast we will make a loss of more than £15,000 this year if membership subscriptions are not paid at all. Even if most subscriptions are received, we will still make a loss, but it will be less than the worst case highlighted above.

We have taken the necessary steps to reduce all the costs that we can. However, we cannot stop paying rent to the Sports Club, who are responsible for the groundwork to pitches which we depend on, and they are suffering at least as badly as we are.

If we make a very large loss, then this will have the following impacts:

1. Major strategic projects (e.g. outdoor nets) will be severely delayed or cancelled
2. Significant increases in subscriptions and match fees in 2021, and perhaps beyond
3. Reduced expenditure on facility maintenance (sight screens, covers etc)
4. Reduced expenditure on training gear

However, there will also be a significant impact on your activities as a member or parent of a junior member if you do not pay your subscription, as set out in the table below.

	Full Membership	Social Membership	No Membership
Use of clubhouse	Yes	Yes	No
Use of sporting facilities	Yes	No	No
Reduced rates on function room bookings	Yes	Yes	No
Attending practice	Yes	No	No
Playing matches	Yes	No	No
Attend social events	Yes	Yes	No
Attend AGM	Yes	Yes	No
Vote at AGM	Yes	Yes	No
Nominate at AGM	Yes	No	No
Stand at AGM	Yes	No	No

What you can do to help your club
We are aware of the many challenges faced by our members at this difficult time and are taking a huge step by making a significant, one-off, reduction to our subscription this year. This reduction will allow members and parents of junior members to continue to support their club, whilst still conserving their own resources and retaining all the benefits of membership. As it is currently unclear as to when the season may start this year, we have kept the subscription at a low level.

	Full subscription	Reduced subscription in 2020
Full Playing	£140	£30
Under 23	£80	£30
Lady playing	£80	£30
Juniors (for all juniors in a family)	£75 (£40 for other juniors)	£30
Social	£30	£30

We ask our club family – players (past and present), juniors and their parents, and other valued members - to support their club by making donations in addition to their membership subscription. We expect, and need, many of our members to top up their subscription with a donation so that the sum of the two equals their relevant full subscription. As a registered Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC), we will claim Gift Aid on donations – increasing their value by 25%. Donations (plus Gift Aid) will be an exceptionally important source of income for our club in this difficult time. If support through donations to the club is generous, these funds will also allow us to limit future increases in subscriptions and match fees.

The reduced subscription product is now on the club's website, alongside a donation option (www.ashfordcc.co.uk/payments). We will also follow the example of many other clubs and set up a separate JustGiving crowdfunding webpage. This will allow us to accept donations from our wider community, as well as those of us from our immediate club family (who may choose to pay a donation on this webpage rather than on the club website). More news will follow on this, so watch this space.

What to do if you have already paid a 2020 subscription
For those of our members who have already supported their club by paying a full subscription, they have the following three options for the excess that they have paid over and above the reduced subscription:

1. Donate the excess to the club e.g. for a full playing member this will be £110 donation
2. Use the excess as a credit towards 2021’s subscription, which will almost certainly be significantly increased
3. Request a refund of the excess

Please could all such members decide which option they wish to take and confirm this to treasurer@ashfordcc.co.uk. The club will need proof of what these members have decided to do so please do not use any other form of communication except email. Please do send an email as the club will be forced to contact you and make a refund to you unless you contact the Treasurer yourself.

Thank you for your ongoing membership and friendship, we will come through this difficult period and be out on the cricket field again. Let us hope that it is sooner rather than later.

If you have any questions, please address them to me, or Treasurer Saad Choudhary.

Kind Regards,

Jim Berressem
Chairman, Ashford Cricket Club

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Call for support during covid-19 pandemic

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