Blaydon RFC Fundraising Update

Good Evening All,
We wanted to keep you updated on how things are progressing with respect to Blaydon RFC during the Coronavirus ‘Lockdown’ and how the ‘Club’ not just the Executive are rallying to secure our future.
Help is coming from many places, let us share, the update will be in form of:

•  Areas of Funding Available
•  Current Status of Club

Areas of Funding:

The Blaydon Appeal, the response so far has been great, THANK YOU to everyone who has donated or distributed the appeal details, we are getting contributions from many sources, we currently have, with circa 80 donations equating to £8.5k, at around 57% of our £15,000 target. We are only a few days in, we need to keep this going and ensure everyone who can, gets the opportunity to contribute, to-date we have:
Many Current/Past Players/Members have donated
People who left the club many years ago
People who have enjoyed watching rugby at Blaydon RFC
Majority of the Players/Coaches who are owed expenses have waivered these, donating them into the appeal fund
An optional entrance fee has been placed on the weekly quiz to further contribute to the appeal
The response has been so positive with many contributing. We recognise there are many charities/organisations needing help at this time and contributing to Blaydon RFC is a choice people need to make given the wider context of what is happening at this time, if they feel they should support another worthy cause with any discretional spend they have available, we fully understand, we are very thankful to those who can contribute in what is a very strange time, we hope is never repeated. If you feel you can contribute, please donate any amount you can, it all adds up.
Government Help:
We have just been notified we are eligible for the £25,000 rates associated grant and we await payment of those funds which will be a great help.
Rates holiday in place to reduce operational costs
Job Retention Scheme – all staff furloughed and once portal is available to submit claim we will.
Sports Funding:
RFU Funding available for emergency grant funding – Submitted initial numbers, revised submission will be completed next week
Sport England have set up emergency funding – We are completing a submission
Club Refinancing – this was already in progress and expect it to complete soon, reducing mortgage/bank costs etc.
If anyone has any other views of where assistance could come from, don’t assume we’ve already found it or know about it, send us details and we’ll look at it.

Current Status of Club:

Our income streams have all but gone:

•  Rugby season has been ended, functions cancelled and Bars are locked up as instructed by the government
•  Carboot is cancelled

Outgoings; We are reducing our operating costs where we can, from circa £18,000 pcm to £8,000:

•  Staff costs predominately negated by Job Retention Scheme – although not certain when any of the money may be paid out, so we are having to fund with Blaydon Appeal & Rates associated grant at this time.
• We’ve got rates holiday for duration of lockdown
•  VAT holiday
•  Our utilities will reduce with building not getting used, heating reduced to a minimum
•  Sky have offered reduction, waiting for confirmation of reduction value, BT offering 2 months rebate
• We have no rugby expenses
• We’ve stop spending on maintenance and grounds activity

For completeness our costs are not just the operating costs we’ve reduced above, we have a number of deferred payments coming due, an approach we always use managing cash through the year, as our income is boosted by the Carboot during the Spring / Summer

 

Some people are exercising on the grounds, any of this needs to comply with government guidelines:

•  No more than 2 people in a group, unless from same household
•  No footballs, rugby balls, tackle pads, etc, as all those involved contact and sharing (balls etc.)
•  Maximum period 1 hour

As RFU have canned training and there is no AGP bookings, they is no PLI cover etc.

 

Thank you again to those who’ve already helped and to those who are still to help.

Please where you can, stay home, stay safe.

Bruce on behalf of the Executive at Blaydon RFC