In order to be supportive of clubs in their development, Berkshire RFU needs to know what clubs are planning in terms of their facilities for which they might require funding. We are looking for realistic projects with timeframes that fit into your club development plan and are relative to your membership/catchment area and club vision.
We would like to be aware of all projects large or small, appreciating that every clubs situation is different and could range from the replacement of an existing boiler or new rugby posts through to changing room extension, new changing rooms, training or match floodlights and pitch improvements.
Click here for the Audit Form. Dan Whiteman (Email: dan.whiteman@rfu.com or Mobile: 07738 648918) will be visiting all Berkshire clubs regularily to discuss club development and how the RFU People & Places is applied to your club.
The Berkshire CBRDP, the RFU Facilities Funding Department (Dave Stubley) and Dan will then collate the data and produce an overall Berkshire Facilities Development Plan.
The scheme runs over 4 years commencing April 2009 and our objective is to have projects prioritised over this period for each year. Now is the time to prepare projects for the following three years - that is 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13.
Below is some background on the this project and the last paragraph explains how Berkshire clubs have benefited over the last five years.
Steve Cullen
Berkshire CBRDP Chairman
5th November 2009
Background
In 2001, the RFU in partnership with the RFUW and Sport England produced the ‘National Facilities Strategy for Rugby Union in England’. This strategy has recently been reviewed and updated and the new strategy will be launched in June 2008. The strategy has been produced to help clubs and other providers develop their programmes, increase participation and improve their facilities to match the needs of their members. It therefore has a two pronged approach; it is the guidance document for all facility development and is also a reference point for funders.
The Strategy adopts a simple 4 step approach;
· Why are facilities important? (The Context) The Right Reasons
· What facilities are needed? (The Rationale) The Right Facilities
· Where should facilities be located? (The Priorities) The Right Places
· How might the facilities be provided? (The Process) The Right Way
However fundamentally the starting point for facility development is around the development of the game and associated activities (people), the range of facilities is therefore dependent upon the activity delivered. The strategy highlights that clubs wishing to develop facilities will have to demonstrate key readiness factors to be a priority;
- Be sustainable and continually meet objectives
- Have development and management plans in place.
- Have appropriate security of tenure.
- Demonstrate a commitment to sports equity and the improvement of access to all sections of the community.
- Have sufficient appropriately trained or skilled personnel to support the programmes.
As part of the ‘How’ the strategy identifies the roles and responsibilities of the different organisations, Berkshire RFU was requested to produce a County Facility Development Plan following a bottom up approach which will achieve three main things;
- Identify the current facilities and facility requirements at all clubs based on activity delivered, and looking specifically at;
- Improved quality and quantity of natural grass pitches
- Improved quality and quantity of changing provision for men, women and young people
- Improved access to artificial turf training facilities.
- Increased quantity and quality of floodlit areas
- Improved standard of social facilities
- Enhanced and increased provision for spectators
But also looking to record the range of other facility issues that can affect a club from new boilers to pitch maintenance equipment to a hole in the roof
- Agree and set priorities within Berkshire.
- Identify those clubs who can – or have the potential to – deliver Berkshire RFU programmes at youth through to adult.
As part of this Berkshire RFU have been requested to audit and speak to clubs about facility issues, coordinate and produce a 4-year County Facility Development Plan which begins to identify the clubs with facility development needs and includes a priority action list of facility needs for Berkshire. This plan has now been in place for a number of years in Berkshire and a review of the facility information held needs to be undertaken to ensure that we are keeping up to speed with issues in the community game.
In terms of working with the RFU and securing funding, Berkshire RFU since 2003 has seen investment of £188,781 being secured/ earmarked for a range of projects from the Rugby Football Foundation (loan and grant) and Community Club Development Club Programme.
