15th June Please see our [web-published] updated statement below in regard to the Covid-19 crisis.
Dear Players and Parents/Carers
During May and the first half of June with the generous support of many individuals through gifts and loans, the Trust has again provided remote support, home footy drills and online social activities. The Trust continues to seek financial support from relevant authorities.
More recently over the past few weeks we have been busy preparing plans for our partial return in line with Government and FA guidelines, and then getting them approved by our facility providers. This has now been achieved and so starting this week we are running sessions for our players that remain signed on in our Academy and Community groups. After these initial activities we will be inviting the remaining squad members to sign on again and come along to the sessions.
Activities will be technical and fitness based sessions in-line with the current environmental (outside), distancing (2m), and grouping (up to six including a coach) guidelines. There will be absolutely no contact, and therefore matches and contact games/drills can’t be played.
For now all sessions will be on the grass at the Victory Sports Ground. You must use the north car park beyond the sports hall, parking in the designated spaces each marked by a red cone. There is an entrance and exit place to the grass that must be strictly observed (sanitising hands each way), and the footballing activity will be on the space normally occupied by the bottom pitches beyond the cricket square (please walk around the square and NOT across it). Due to restricted numbers allowed in the vicinity of activities, spectators will be able to observe only from the car park. Toilet facilities will NOT be available.
IMPORTANT NOTE – DO NOT COMPROMISE YOUR SAFETY
These sessions are of course optional and you must only attend if it is safe for you and the people you share a household with (including bubble extension).
IMPORTANT NOTE – SPECIAL COVID-19 REGISTRATION PROCEDURE
For each session you must now register your intended attendance. Registration will be facilitated by a ‘free’ product in our website shop. You must read the terms and conditions so you know how to attend the session safely.If you’ve any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Darren Brown, Sporting Trust Director
4th May Please see our [web-published] updated statement below in regard to the Covid-19 crisis.
Dear Players and Parents/Carers
Since the beginning of lock-down and the subsequent suspension of sessions the Sporting Trust has taken actions to honour its contractual requirements, and maximise the chances of its ongoing viability. At the end of March the Trust was able to fulfil its commitment to all its staff and meet its wages bill. Throughout April all of its first quarter invoices for session facilities and overheads were paid in full; and all facility bookings going forward were cancelled.
During April with the generous support of our subscribers who have continued paying, and some very kindly gifted donations from individuals, the Trust’s administration, customer support and end-of-year accounting activities were able to continue. Also, Coaches have delivered one-on-one remote support, produced ‘Academy Covid-19 Crisis Home Footy Activities’, and supported adult Community sessions with online social meetings: chats, quizzes and other interactive activities.
Unfortunately no grant support has been made available to the Trust from the Government (including their agent Sport England), the local authority, or the FA; and therefore without sufficient income the Trust has had to suspend some staff positions without pay. This is a deeply upsetting and frustrating situation where we know that our young and enthusiastic workforce don’t qualify for furlough or self employed income support, particularly so where they are self supporting and have a family.
We are concerned about our decreasing income, but hope to continue our current provision at least through May, and hope to find alternative grant funding. The staff and I thank you for your support.
Darren Brown, Sporting Trust Director
23d March
Dear player or parent/carer
With no near end to the crisis it is reasonable for you to stop your Sporting Trust payments until further notice, especially if your own well-being, financial and or practical situation has been affected.
Unfortunately there is no suspension mechanism with the WorldPay system that we use to manage your subscription, so you will have to outright cancel your agreement. You do this online within your WorldPay account, the details of which you’ll find in the emails sent to you by WorldPay when you signed up.
Very importantly, if you choose to suspend your payments, please let us know in an email so that we can retain you on our register and then contact you immediately we return.
Being a non-profit organisation we don’t hold any financial reserves and so the survival of our organisation is unfortunately not assured. Currently there is no crisis support on offer for the Trust or its self employed staff from the FA or any Local/National Government or community/sports agencies. We can only hope to remain solvent through the short term and return soon.
Please note that the Football Club’s pastoral resources are available to Trust members. So whatever your need don’t hesitate to contact Club Chaplain Tim.Banks@Sporting87.co.uk. Take care and best wishes – we will win this together!
Darren and the Sporting Trust Coaching Team
Darren Brown MA ODEd
17th March Please see our updated news on Coronavirus and Sporting football activities.
12th March Please see our response to the concerns of our members in our Coronavirus and Your Football statement.