When thinking about the ‘value proposition’ of sports clubs, it’s critical to strike a balance between keeping sport accessible, given that it is such a prominent part of Australian culture, and keeping clubs sustainable.
It’s not surprising that we have seen a rise in multi-user, shared or multi-purpose facilities. Multi-use facilities provide a feasible solution when the availability of greenspace is limited, when clubs have smaller membership numbers or distinct playing times, or when resources are limited. However, we have found that there is an expectation from some clubs that the Council will provide each club with their very own exclusive clubhouse and activity space. The dissonance between expectations and feasibility can stifle development of new facilities.
Towers Jockey Club has scored $944,960 from the federal government’s Building Better Regions Fund.
When matched with Racing Queensland funding for track work, this grant will deliver a community event centre worth $1,259,960 to benefit the club, the racing industry, the community and the local economy.
Michael Connelly, our Managing Director, has been focusing his sights on something a little different of late. The big question has been; “Is your Council's approach to managing community leasing as good as it should be?”
If you manage leasing, or know someone who does, contact us to take part in our research project and become involved in the ongoing development of an automated, tailored one-stop-shop for community lessees - clubTRAC.
Over the past 24 years, we have seen this happen to plenty of clubs; they start out as a volunteer-run organisation, then it gets harder and harder to recruit and keep volunteers. All the while, they’re attracting more members. The few volunteers they have start getting burnt out, so, without a formal process in place, they start to pay some people to do the work for which volunteers can’t be found.
If there are dodgy payments being made to individuals, there are real risks to clubs and their volunteer decision makers.
There is often a misconception that grants are easy money. The idea that grant money will just fall in your lap is really far from reality. If you have a well-planned project, grant money is a great way to get it accomplished sooner, and that’s the key - grants provide money for a project. Be proactive by starting with your project and being ready when the right grant comes along. Here are some rules to think about when you’re considering applying for a grant for a project.
As clubs are warming up for the 2021 winter sporting season, you can actively re-engage with your members after a disrupted 2020. Start with a clear strategy, and a shared vision for what your marketing needs to ACHIEVE, and then use stories to connect with the right people, using the right messages that speak to them, emotionally.
We understand every club is different, with volunteers that require different approaches and support to be inspired to achieve real, long-lasting results. We also understand that club budgets are finite, so we have developed the clubMENTOR+ package for peak bodies to provide high value support to their affiliates.
Longreach Regional Council has recently commissioned our team to help strategically plan and harness funding opportunities for future development in the region. Our team is excited to help the Longreach community plan and deliver new infrastructure, improve existing facilities and provide community based programs. These initiatives are vital in making our towns and places more liveable and more profitable, as they help our communities be healthier and happier.
Clubs often invite too many people to their meetings for the wrong reasons, thereby creating large groups that make it challenging to work together. Smart clubs identify the purpose of each meeting and invite participants accordingly.
Here are some types of meetings and a suggested number of participants for each.
What does the future hold for the 280 or so bowls clubs currently operating in Queensland? Confronted by declining memberships, increasing maintenance costs and ageing volunteers, many face a perfect storm. Add in the impacts of coronavirus restrictions and it is easy to see that, for many bowls clubs, their very survival is at risk.
2020 has been a fascinating year for fuelling the flames of committee conflict. News outlets and social media thrive on shock tactics, and with most people consuming terrible news all day long, there’s little wonder that by the time people get to committee meetings in the evening, they are likely to begin in a pretty miserable state and end up in nasty quarrels.
In this article, Michael Connelly shares some surprising stories about the lengths committee members can go to in an effort to make other people’s lives miserable and the secrets to lasting conflict resolution.
