Developing the agenda – beyond Clubmark: what now for club development? the first in a series of virtual Network forums is now only one week away.

Ahead of the event, we have posted some discussions in the LinkedIn group to tease out relevant issues, views and experiences:  

• What could club development look like beyond Clubmark?
• How do you get people to do things?
• Coaches and club leadership
• How is SHMS implementation going?

Your comments will help shape the content and contributions on the night.  So please let us have your thoughts.

As well as our members’ LinkedIn group page there is a Network event page with more information here. This allows members to invite club colleagues and other clubs’ leaders who are not members of the Network.

The event page invites you to confirm attendance to get further updates. But you MUST register for the event as well by clicking here to get joining details shortly before the day.

We are fast approaching our attendee limit so please ACT NOW!  

Other current posts:

• All Stars and Dynamos 2021 launch. So what did we think?
• ECB Microsoft partnership: what could this mean?
• Any clubs received business interruption insurance payouts yet?
• ECB Coaches Association conference recordings
• Testing for legionnaires in closed clubhouses; any advice?
• Recommendations for online prize draw ticket sale platforms?
• Covid-19 impact on grassroots sport; Sport & Recreation Alliance survey

The full library of past discussions with links to individual posts can be found on the Network’s website here

This is the first in a series of online Network forums focused on key club development issues, identified by Network members, on February 25 starting at 6.30pm.

This event explores the future of Clubmark following recent developments and will update participants on what is happening and why. It will also share understanding of the purpose and practical implementation of the Safe Hands Management System.

Beyond Clubmark, we will focus on some critical club development challenges that repeatedly emerge from the Network’s online discussions: applying leadership skills, identifying strategic priorities, delivering plans, getting and keeping others involved.

However, this is not about warming-up well rehearsed problems but seeking solutions and different practical approaches. Some will be presented to the session, others will be teased out of the discussions.

We are delighted, therefore, to have some great speakers and contributors.

Be warned, though, there’s heavy emphasis on attendee participation with posted discussions on the main issues both before and after the event, allowing us to weave your comments and questions into the agenda.

As well as our members’ LinkedIn group page we have set up a Network event page with more information here.  This allows members to invite club colleagues and other club leaders who are not members of the Network.

You can register for the event, now, here

On the back of the successful Covid-19 support webinar series over the summer and the new found universal passion for Zoom (or equivalents) we wanted to gauge the appetite for further virtual sessions on a range of club development issues.

So if you have yet to give us 2 minutes of your time to complete a quick survey, please click here and tell us NOW.

If there is sufficient interest, and it looks as though there is already for at least a few of the topic areas, then we will pursue discussions with the cricket bodies, outside providers and potential guest contributors to Network hosted events to look at doing something over the winter.

And please also tell us if you’re NOT interested so we don’t get carried away with the response from a skewed sample of the Network membership.  We know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

The focus has to be on short punchy sessions with maximum participation – our sharing knowledge and learning ethos –  which adds value to you as a club leader; delivering practical things you can do that you’re not already doing in areas that present the most challenge or where there is scope for deriving the most benefit for your club.  This is not about training but quick wins. 

Thank you in anticipation of your support.

Do you have:

1. A clear vision for the Club
2. A defined and agreed strategy
3. A live action/development plan
4. Allocated responsibilities for delivering the plan to those with the right competence/skill sets

Can anyone genuinely respond 1,2 3 and 4 and claim that commitment to the vision is largely unquestioned, all who need to buy in to the strategy have bought in, the plan is guiding everything the club focuses time on, and you and your committee are leading – that is inspiring, engaging, guiding, supporting, coaching, mentoring and occasionally directing – and not just managing yourselves or the few involved in delivering?

If yes, then what’s your secret?

I have had some very interesting conversations on the back of the ECBCA Zoom calls over the summer.  Primarily around the role of leadership in clubs………………..

Continued on LinkedIn here

  

We posted a link to the Charity Excellence database of community/charity funding organisations in the notes from the May 7 Network webinar.

Still the most comprehensive we have seen and now up to 903 different funding sources.

Most will not be relevant but the database can be sorted by location, focus and scale of funding required/available. You will need to register.

We would be keen to hear who has had any success with funding – Covid-19 emergency or otherwise – from agencies and funders other than government schemes. ECB? Sport England? Others?

Any new or novel sources you have tapped into?

And those who have used Crowdfunding……..any unanticipated results? Have you managed to reach out beyond your membership and immediate community?

Love to hear about the successes………….and frustrations!

Add your comments to the post in the LinkedIn group here.

The poll has closed with nearly 750 club responses – around 40% of all Clubmark clubs – in little over a week.

58% of you want to get the game on and, if league cricket is now unlikely, you’re looking for guidance on what’s possible to deliver meaningful cricket at some point this summer. The ECB Routemap published last night sets out what progress might look like.

However, nearly 30% of respondents are keen to play whatever form of cricket, whenever that is possible. And that might be ahead of or without official guidance, if it comes to it, so long as legal and insurance requirements are met.

13% of respondents think the practicalities of putting the game on make meaningful cricket unviable and we should focus instead on keeping the family silver safe for a return in 2021.

Some further analysis using raw data:

These are the questions uppermost on people’s minds and the focus of the next Network webinars on Thursday 11 June at 4.00pm and 8.00pm.

The webinars will cover some key issues:

• The Playing in 2020 poll results and why people voted the way they did
• Where are we with getting back on the field, what are the main challenges, and what might the game look like?
• What’s stopping us getting the game on, now, and can clubs really ‘go it alone’?
• Is no cricket in 2020 an option?
• How do clubs participate in the decision making and what can we contribute to the recovery

I am delighted we will be joined in the 4.00pm session by guest contributors to help frame the discussion:

• Richard Cox is ECB’s Head of West Midlands region, former CEO of the Dutch Cricket Board, and integrally involved in cricket’s response to the crisis
• Alastair Symondson is Head of Media at CricketWorld and has published challenging digital articles advocating an early return to the field
• Colin Mico is a member of the Network’s advisory board as cricket development lead at Caterham CC and one of the leading club insurance experts

The 8.00pm session will reflect on what we heard and broaden the discussion.

We want to ensure the sessions are as interactive as possible and draw on the wealth of evidence and views already on show in Network discussions.

If you want to join one of the webinars, simply post a comment with the time you prefer to attend – 4.00pm or 8.00pm – on this post in the LinkedIn group. We will add the simple joining instructions there ahead of the events.

If you haven’t already spent the one minute responding to the Poll – and over 730 clubs have to date – you have until midnight tonight and you can find it here.

With league cricket looking increasingly unlikely, leagues and clubs are already exploring other options.

That, of course, is dependent on the development of appropriate playing conditions to comply with government guidelines.

To gauge a club view, we have put together a one question poll with three options and asking you to identify which option best fits with how you see your club’s view on its appetite for cricket in 2020. 

There are a few identifying questions – name, club, county,  league(s) – but, as usual,  the results will only be published in aggregate and anonymised form

So please take a minute to complete the poll HERE

*********UPDATE********** Registration will close at 15:00 on Thursday

In view of the many issues confronting clubs in the current situation we have arranged a webinar so that members can share their challenges, news, questions and learning for the benefit of all.  You can join online and/or phone using simple to access conference call technology.  We have set two times – 4.00pm and 8.00pm – on Thursday 7 May to enable as many people as possible to join one or other. 

Each webinar will be moderated to allow as much free discussion as the technology can accommodate.  We will seek to keep to a hard cut off at one hour but may look to organise future events should the demand become apparent.  The webinar joining details will be sent shortly before the first call.   

To help facilitate arrangements, please spend one minute answering a few questions in the survey here