North Dorset RFC

We hope you are looking forward to the 21/22 season. Considering the disruptive situation that we’ve all been in during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to tell you that our club has emerged from it in a good shape to build on for the future. This is due to the energetic activities of so many of you who have volunteered your help both before, during and after the various lockdowns. We are very proud of what we have achieved together.

Going forward, the primary areas for investment in the short term are:

• Regular upkeep of the clubhouse building (the bar, cellar and toilet areas need significant maintenance)
• Funding for training opportunities for all our coaches at all levels (so that we can offer our players from Minis to Vets the best possible rugby experience)
• Full compliance with RFU safeguarding policies including funding DBS checks, first aid and safeguarding training for a growing number of volunteers
• Replacement of playing and training equipment
• Upgrade of Playing Kit

And, in the long term:

• Expansion and improvement of floodlighting
• Refit and remodel of club main bar area to create more function space

The board have had to carefully consider how we are going to fund the necessary investments as we strive to maintain and develop our position as the best equipped and best run community rugby club for miles around. We have managed over the last 5 years to sustain the club without increasing membership fees but in order to properly fund the playing side of the club going forward the board’s conclusion is to raise membership fees for the coming season.

We have compared the NDRFC fees for the 21 / 22 season to those at other clubs and to other sports in the local area and are confident that belonging to the NDRFC family remains excellent value. For example, based on 32 training weeks, a senior player membership will cost £4.10 per week (not much more than the price of a pint!), whilst a junior player member will cost £2.20 a week.

The new fee structure also comes with three new benefits:

• A complimentary Associate membership (worth £80) for one adult with every junior membership purchased
• A reduced fee for volunteers (including Coaches, Team Managers, First Aiders and others that give up their free time to make NDRFC what it is today)
• A fee limit of £200 per family in recognition that we are a family focused club, with many families sporting players in several age groups

Discounts for students and others are available. For anyone wanting to discuss this please contact our Director of Rugby, David Stickland.

Membership Subscriptions should be paid by logging in to your GMS account. You can access the NDRFC GMS area by following this link https://gms.rfu.com/GMS/Dashboard/Organisation?id=1897.

If you need help accessing your GMS account or have a membership query, please email Clare Davenport at membership@ndrfc.co.uk

We look forward to seeing you at the club very soon!

Best wishes

Dan Brickell                          Clare Davenport

Finance Director                    Membership Director