BRANDON SPORTS CLUB COVID RECOVERY

Aim

Helping the Club to recover from the effects of Covid by Improving Physical Health and Wellbeing and Sustaining a vital Community Service

We have launched this campaign to help fund changes needed to allow the Club to function safely and to ensure its financial viability going forward from the current situation.

The Club prides itself on being financially self-sufficient in normal times, but the ongoing Covid situation is having a huge impact on our income and we have lost 70% of our revenue in 2020 compared to a normal year.

We generate almost all of our revenue through matches, the bar and social/fundraising events. This income enables us to cover all of our costs and maintain our excellent facilities for the whole year but with these activities being severely curtailed, our income has dropped dramatically. 

Your volunteer committee has done a great job in reducing costs and applying for grants and the Government support available but the Club’s loss this year is significant and who knows how long the pandemic will continue.

Members will be aware that our last major expenditure from our own revenues and self-help before lockdown was to complete the renovation of the interior of the Clubhouse, creating a new Kitchen and Toilet Area including a fully compliant disabled facility and achieving a 5-Star Hygiene Rating from our Local Authority.

COVID-19 has had a serious effect on our finances.

The ongoing lockdown restrictions have resulted in a substantial loss of revenue and we are existing on dwindling reserves. We had been building up our reserves to pay for continued improvements to our Clubhouse and Grounds to sustain the Club in the future. Our facilities and playing surface are second to none 

We also pride ourselves on being a Community Club and attract thousands of local people to our Club to attend a variety of social events including an annual music festival with Marquee providing food and bands throughout the festival.  

The following day, the Marquee is converted into a Boxing Arena for a competitive day of Boxing provided by Brandon Boxing Club.

These events all had to be cancelled in 2020 

Summer Family Fun days and our Annual Community Fireworks and Funfair Event, a regular local attraction enjoyed by hundreds at the beginning of November have also had to be cancelled 

During 2020, we provided as much sport and recreation as we were able to do safely. Despite this, we lost 70% of our revenue for the year. Although we obtained some emergency support packages, we continue to operate on dwindling reserves.

OUR GOAL

As mentioned, we lost 70% of our income in 2020 but the bills still had to be paid.

We have spent many years of hard work by volunteers building the Club to be self-sufficient to be able to maintain the Premises and Grounds for the Sports of Cricket, Boxing and Football. 

We are proud of our facilities and the access we provide for all of our community to enjoy Cricket, Boxing and Football and to have a safe place to socialise, regardless of anyone’s ability to pay.

We have decided that the best way forward for is to prepare to restore the Club’s self-sufficiency again once we are allowed to begin functioning normally. To do so, we need more Clubhouse space to enable us to be adaptable for functions and group meetings and to extend our car park to cope with demand.

The Budget for the scheme is £61000 and the Committee have already secured Grants totalling £40000 from Mid Durham Action Area Partnership Covid Recovery Scheme and from our Local County Councillors Neighbourhood Budgets. 

As an example to show supporters how well thought of the Club is in our Community, I quote from Councillor Paul Taylor (on his behalf and on behalf of Councillor John Turnbull) in his recent response to our scheme and our request for funding:

• "John and I are delighted to see your exciting plans, it’s fantastic to see the ambition of the club to continually look to improve.  Our local businesses, youth and sports clubs are constantly in our thoughts during this awful time, thanks to medical science we seem to be on the road to getting our lives back.
• "So back to your fantastic project.  I hope you realise just how much that John and I admire what you have achieved to date and what a valued part of our community the Sports Club is.  On behalf of John and I, I would like you to be aware that we are four square behind the next stage of the clubs success story."

We also have ‘help-in-kind’ promises, so we are well on the road to making this Goal a reality and need your support for a final push to help us secure the future of the Club to recover and go forward from this dreadful time for everyone.

PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY AS OUR TARGET IS NOW WELL WITHIN REACH.

REWARDS

The club and our supporters are kindly providing rewards for your donations and pledges. We are very grateful to our supporters and local businesses for providing a selection of rewards for your donations. 

Please check regularly on the rewards available as we are adding new ones as often as we can.

We also encourage all our members and supporters to Buy a Brick for "your name in history" and to take a Members Loyalty Card at the one-time special offer price.

Thank you to everyone who pledges money towards our campaign. You are all very welcome at our Club.

This project successfully funded on 18th March 2021