2020 Season: Letter from the Chairman

MAIDENHEAD & BRAY CRICKET CLUB (Founded 1798)

1st May 2020

Hello everyone,

I expect that you are all very naturally still focused on the effects of Covid-19 and its implications for our families, jobs and livelihoods. I hope that you are all safe, well and managing these extraordinary times as best you can.
I apologise in advance for the length of this letter, but it is very important so please do read to the end! We had hoped that by now issues surrounding cricket this summer would have become clearer but, despite the length of the lockdown so far, there has been no decision yet as to when the suspension of recreational cricket will be lifted. We await news from the ECB and the various league authorities and will keep you informed.

Your Cricket Committee has been meeting regularly on-line and trying to plan for this summer’s cricket season in the hope and anticipation that the lockdown rules will be relaxed at some stage. We are ensuring that both our home grounds are being prepared so that we can get going at short notice as and when that happens, and we are thinking hard about the administration of possible games: umpires, scorers, communal refreshments and use of the nets and pavilion, so far as we are permitted to do so.

At the same time, we are still trying to see whether we can use the down time to improve the outfield on the main ground, which would be a massive benefit to the playing and practice experience for everyone, from the U9s to old-timers like me.

As the junior sections of the club will know, we are also sending out daily, short coaching drills and games via WhatsApp and from our new YouTube channel. Please do subscribe and add a few minutes cricket to the end of your “Fitness with Joe”! Youtube: Maidenhead and Bray Coach

The cricket club’s average annual running costs amount to about £36,000 per year, before additional expenditure such as the recent refurbishment of the surfaces in the nets or purchasing new covers for the wickets. Many of the fixed costs are unavoidable: the cost of wicket preparation, materials, fertilizer, loam and machinery maintenance, as well as our contribution to the Pavilion’s costs, insurance, water, Council Tax; cost of new cricket balls and fees to the various leagues. We have done an analysis of what we can and cannot avoid, and the fixed costs of just keeping going this year, even if there were to be no matches at all, is £16,500. The Club has some “rainy day” reserves built up over the years, but these will be pretty much entirely used up by those expenses. The reserves also provide the cashflow from which we pay the substantial expenses payable at the start of every season, and we are very concerned that if we do not receive any income this season not only will our reserves be wiped out, but we may struggle to pay for our insurance and next season’s expenses while we wait for everyone to pay their subs for 2021.
It would also, almost certainly, put an end to our plans for much-needed improvements at the club, in particular the work that needs doing to improve the playing surfaces and the conditions at the Jubilee ground. There is a risk, therefore, that if we receive no income this year, the club might not be here for you in 2021.

Taking all that into account, we have concluded that we will need to ask all our members to pay their membership subscriptions this year, despite the uncertainty. We have already been contacted by a number of people offering to do so, and we have been immensely grateful to hear that. We understand that this will not be possible for some people – those whose income has been drastically hit by the lockdown, for example – so if you cannot afford to do so, please do let me know and I promise that we will be understanding.

If at all possible, however, we do need your help. Last year, all told, our income from subscriptions was about £19,000. Our other sources of income (match fees, sponsorship and donations, social fundraisers, etc.) made up the difference and those are completely gone without any cricket happening. As you can see, if we are to raise the £16,500 so that we are able to start 2021 in good order, we do need pretty much everyone to pay the same as they paid last year if they possibly can. If you can’t, please can you at least pay a reduced subscription, which we suggest should be:

This way, we will avoid having to charge higher match fees when we can play, and be in a position to sustain the Club going forward beyond the 2020 season.
Payment can be made via the secure Teamo payment system, once you sign into that and provide your payment details. If you can’t do it that way, please do contact me direct and I will forward an alternative, but Teamo is a lot easier for you and for us! To sign up for Teamo, please go to https://web2.teamo.chat/club/register/mhbcc and put in your details.

To pay:
• Logon to Teamo
• Select SETTINGS on the bottom left, followed by MY PAYMENTS
• Select CLUB MEMBERSHIP
• You will be presented with either one or multiple membership options
• Select the appropriate one, e.g. FAMILY MEMBERSHIP
• This will then allow you to select either the FULL or REDUCED FEE option
• Click on the BUY button

I know how much you will be missing the comradeship and challenge of our wonderful summer game and the familiar sound of leather on willow. The Committee is doing its very best to keep in contact with the League administrators, with the Maidenhead and Bray Sports Club (who run the Pavilion and the bar) and with others who support our Club. So we urge you to do two things for us: (1). Stay fit and get organized for the new, abbreviated season, (2) do all you can to make your financial contribution to the Club by 1st June.

Thank you and I send my warmest regards to you from me and the whole Committee.

Yours,
Tim Child
Chair, Maidenhead & Bray CC
Tjp.child@gmail.com
077 333 20 555