CLUB DEVELOPMENT

Club development is essential to ensure that your club stays healthy in terms of activity, membership and finances. I would suggest that every club needs a Club Development Plan.

This plan will help to ensure the club is moving in the direction the members want it to and will keep your club focused on this aim.If you are considering applying for funding or to become an Onboard Club or Volvo Champion Club you will be asked for your Club Development Plan.

This plan will ask you a few questions about the club –
Where are you now?
Where do you want to go?
How are you going to get there?

If you would like a guide to club development please email gareth.brookes@rya.org.uk. This is not a downloadable document as it is regularly updated. Once you have had a go at writing your plan I am willing to come and meet you at your club to discuss your plan and assist you implement it.

FUNDING

Before applying for any funding it is worth completing a Club Development Plan. This will not only help you with filling in most application forms, but it will also ensure you are applying for funds that will help to meet the clubs overall aims and objectives.

When applying for funding all applications will have a greater chance of success if they have evidence that you are engaging with the local community and are contributing in some way to the fund raising yourselves. This could be through savings or through a specific fund raising event such as a sponsored sail, car/boat wash, or a boat bits sale. Your grant will also be looked on more favourably if you are a Training Centre and involved with OnBoard, T15, Sailability or you are a Volvo Champion Club.

Below are a few sources of potential funds

Awards for All - http://www.awardsforall.org.uk/
Fairly easy applications for up to £10,000. Eight week turnaround in applications

Youth Opportunity Fund - Contact your local Youth Service
Grant scheme administered by young people which must be applied for by young people. Will pay for non capital based projects such as funds for a trip to sail on the coast.

Youth Capital Fund - Contact your local Youth Service
Grant scheme administered by young people which must be applied for by young people Will pay for capital projects such as boats.

John Merricks Sailing Trust - http://www.jmst.org.uk/da/13730
Flexible in what grants can be used for.

The National Lottery - http://www.lotteryfunding.org.uk/
Useful for larger projects although time consuming and slow to process.

Foundation for Sport and the Arts
Variety of sports related uses for the funds may be accepted. Up to £40,000.

Commercial Sponsorship
Local business may be interested in sponsoring your club. The idea of sponsoring new sails has worked well in the past especially if your club is in a public park.

Sports match
http://www.sportsmatch.co.uk/about/index.html

If you can get any commercial sponsorship you may be able to match it through this scheme. -
B&Q - http://www.diy.com/

The B&Q awards are launched every January and offer between £1,000 and £10,000 of B&Q products to organisations across the UK and Ireland which are working on projects that aim to enhance the local community or help us to return to ‘One Planet Living.

It would be worth speaking to myself about which is the best grants to apply for your club.

I will also have access to an up to date list of funds.
If you are aware of other potential funds please email me at gareth.brookes@rya.org.uk