BSRFC - A new Sports Development plan for 2008

BSRFC have had in place a Sports development plan since 2004. This plan was created to set out what the aims of the club are, and how all areas of the club, and all members, can play their part in achieving those aims.

On a practical level the plan has been used to support initiatives and fund raising activities, explaining to those outside of the club what we are all about.

Peter Scarlett headed up the original working group that developed the 2004 plan, and we are pleased to say he has agreed to do the same as it is brought up to date in 2008.

A working group is in place to work under Peter's chairmanship consisting of the following members representing specific sections of the club:-

The first action of the group is to have agreed a vision statement, now approved by the Executive committee and Trustees, which will be the permanent reminder of what the club is here for and to act as a double check for relevance against everything that is written in to the plan.

BSRFC Vision Statement

To be strong and successful rugby club united from senior to mini sections, trusted and valued by the community.

Based on this vision the plan will also include a mission statement and action plans. The group will now work over the coming months to completely review and update the plan and present it for approval.

Steve Dunkley
February 2008

BSRFC members – yes it's that time of year again...
Valentine's Day is soon upon us and it's time to decide how to spoil her!

Elegant Stems are offering free local delivery on Valentine's flowers for BSRFC members.

Excellent quality flowers and great designs to suit all budgets. We'll create a bespoke bouquet to really impress.

If you don't buy into Valentine’s Day remember Elegant Stems throughout the year and mention you're a Rugby Club member when you call. Also don't forget Mother's Day is not far away – Sunday 2nd March.

Give us a call on 01279 658876 or 07779 326 095 and we will help you decide on the best flowers to make sure you win her over! Order ASAP to avoid disappointment!

Elegant Stems is a small local business with strong connections to BSRFC. We are a Mother and Daughter team – Janice and Carla Zelezinski. See www.elegantstems.co.uk for more details.

We'd like to encourage members of BSRFC to use our floristry service by offering free local delivery on all orders throughout the year, not just Valentine’s Day. We support the club as much as we can with raffle prizes etc but the more we grow thanks to rugby club orders, the more we can give back to the club.

We are flexible with deliveries and collections to suit you, i.e. collect the night before and hide in the car for the morning or we can deliver to her home or workplace in the local area.

Many Thanks
Janice and Carla
Elegant Stems

The club is delighted to announce the appointment of Bob Winnington as it's first Commercial Manager. Bob will be taking up his new duties from 1st March. He has been an active member of the club for over 8 years and is currently the Under 15 Youth Team Manager.

Bob was born and raised in the North West where he first started work for NatWest in Cheshire. He has worked for NatWest / RBS Group for over 30 years and has taken the opportunity to make lifestyle and career changes enabling him to devote part of his time to developing the commercial activities of the club. In particular, Bob is seeking to upgrade the Club Shop and is keen to hear from any club members who have improvement ideas or who wish to help out in the shop for a few hours at weekends. Similarly if you can offer any support and help to improve the appearance of the clubhouse and surrounds please let Bob know.

In addition, the club are looking to utilise the premises more extensively outside match days and Bob will welcome calls from anyone wishing to use the premises for personal or business purposes. Please contact Bob on 07988646384.

A NOTE FROM PADDY, YOUR CLUB CAPTAIN,
Your immediate support is needed

Ladies and Gentleman welcome to this, a slightly out of the ordinary captains corner. More of a captains comment really but thank you all for your time nonetheless.

As I'm sure you are all aware, the season up until now has proved to be every bit as challenging as expected. A culmination of some fantastically strong teams and a few key players missing for key occasions has left us ruing many a missed opportunity. Thankfully the tremendous team spirit within the squad has meant that numbers at training continue to flourish, increasingly as the weeks go on. It does also mean that we still maintain an enormous amount of self belief and the mood in the camp is wonderfully buoyant. This is helped largely by the continued support of some of the most loyal members of the club and the first team squad would like to thankyou all for that.

Here comes the plee!

Whilst the support from the 'wrinklies' has been superb, It would be nice to see a few new, (and old!) faces. We are now entering into what can only be described as make or break for the future of the first team in this league. We have now highlighted certain games that the squad consider 'must wins'. There is a huge game for us all this weekend in the form of Basingstoke at home, (ko 2.00) I would now please urge all of you who are capable of sparing a few hours on Saturday afternoon to come up and cheer on the troops. This really does make a huge difference to everyone involved, and I truly believe that at times like this, communities such as Bishops Stortford RFC have to come together and really prove their worth. So please, its time to dust off that old pair of wellies get your umbrella out and prepare yourselves for a gripping home fixture.

It would be a pleasure to see and hopefully hear you all on this, and every Saturday in the near future.

With thanks
Paddy Dean

Wednesday 16th January 2008

Hello and a Happy New Year to you all. I thought I would take the opportunity to keep you informed of a few points: -

Suggestion Box
There is now a suggestion box in the main front foyer on the wall next to the notice board, if you have any suggestions for the club please feel free to use this box. The suggestions should not be anonymous and where response is requested it will be given. Relevant suggestions will be covered in executive meetings. Please use this as a means to give useful suggestions to the club officials.

Tesco Vouchers
Ros Lennon has been drumming up support for Tesco Vouchers and to date we have had only 1954. Which has made it possible to get 3 items of equipment. We still have until March to hand in any vouchers. If you have any, please leave behind the bar, or in the new suggestion box, even small amounts, every little helps. 2008 prohibited substance List.

World Anti-Doping Agency
The RFU would like to remind all constituent bodies, clubs, players and coaching staff that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2008 prohibited list came into effect on the 1st January 2008. The 2008 list replaced the 2007 list and outlines the classes of substances and methods that are banned in sport, including rugby union.

The 2008 list is available for download together with a summary of the major changes at www.rfu.com/antidoping. It is particularly important to remember that:

a) The RFU can test any player, anytime, anywhere.
b) The principle of strict liability applies to all players. Meaning they are solely responsible for any prohibited substance found in their body, irrespective of whether the player intentionally or unintentionally used the substance.
c) Players should take extra care to re-check the status of any substances they may be taking; particularly medications, and they can do this by logging on to the Drug Information Database at www.didglobal.com

For further information please contact RFU Anti-Doping Officer, Given Dovey via email on gavindovey@rfu.com or telephone on 020 88 31 74 41.

Club House
With the wet weather comes the mud, please lets keep the mud out of the club-house. Please bring a spare pair of shoes to change into after being on the pitches and ensure no boots or soiled clothing are worn in the clubhouse.

Executive committee
Our next meeting is Tue 19th February. If you have any points you would like me to bring to the committee's attention please talk to me or use the suggestion box.

Many Thanks

Scott Gleed
BSRFC Vice Chairman
07659 122 454
scott.gleed@ceilite.com

Ben Millard is raising money for St Claire Hospice
by doing a charity trek across the Andes

Please visit www.justgiving.com/millardandwardlaw to see how Ben is doing, or to sponsor him.

You can also click here to visit the St. Claire's Hopspice website.

Ben prior to serious training.

As you know over the past 9 years we have many successful Senior Tours, and one of those was to Prague.

We have therefore decided to re-visit Prague and already have the games arranged.

If you speak to anyone that went on the 2002 tour you will know that our hosts are superb!

To confirm Hotels and flights we need a deposit NOW OF £125 NON returnable by 25th January 2008 at the very latest.

The balance of £200 to be paid by the latest 28th February 2008.

The cost of the tour includes Flights from Stansted, hotel accommodation in a 3 Star hotel on a bed and breakfast and evening meal basis, airport transfer fares, playing shirt and playing Insurance, two Games of 15 a-side Rugby, and two 3rd half Rugby matches!!

As you might be aware we do have a facility for you to pay by Standing Order into the Tour account to assist you with the savings, and for those of you that wish to take advantage of this scheme the appropriate form is attached.

If you do not wish to pay by Standing Order please can you let me have a cheque made payable to R.Lennon NOW, and send it to:

15, Five Acres, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex CM24 8DG.

Regards
Ros & Perry

To download a printable PDF version of this information and the application form/standing order payment form, please click here.

Commercial Manager (part-time)
Bishop's Stortford Rugby Club are seeking an enthusiastic individual to undertake this new and exciting role to assist in the future development of the club.

The Club
Bishop's Stortford is a thriving community rugby club well sited and well known in the Town. With over 500 adult and senior player members and in excess of 400 junior players the club is one of the largest sports clubs in the community. The club play in the very competitive London and South East Division 1 of the Rugby Union League and have a history of excellence at Junior level competing and winning in National Competition.

Facilities
The club house has two main function rooms each capable of seating over 80. There is, of course, a main bar, a smaller side bar and catering facility. The club has over 12 acres of playing pitches including 4 full size pitches (1 fully floodlit) plus some smaller junior playing areas.

The Role
The primary purpose of the role is to develop and manage a professional commercial operation to maximize utilisation of the facilities. This will be achieved by:

• Development of the club shop to include the launch and development of internet based shopping
• Development of lettings utilising all the facilities inside and outside the club-house
• Increasing usage and profitability of the bar

Skills and Characteristics
A range of administrative skills to include:

• Business Development skills in use of advertising and building relationships with local trade organisations
• Strong inter-personal skills to develop trust and confidence amongst members and the local community
• Financial and sales skills to develop income and manage profitability
• An understanding of the balance required between commercial activity and the primary focus of the club in the playing of Rugby

Remuneration package. OTE £15k - £17k p.a.
The package is a combination of a basic income together with a commission. This is a part time role of c.20 hours per week. The club are very interested in a self-employed contract and will negotiate with the individual accordingly.

Apply for this role by sending c.v. to Club Chairman Jim Smith at jim.smith5@ntlworld.com or by post to the club at the above address. Closing date for applications 31st December 2007.

Club Forum, Tuesday November 13th
8-00pm The Rose Room

Your opportunity to meet members of the Exec, Trustees and Coaching Staff in an informal gathering. Any subject is open for discussion but we will specifically look at Communication Commercial Activity Coaching and Playing.

The meeting is open to any paid up member of the club.

Come along and have your say and find out what is going on in your club.

Brighter Future for Bishop's Stortford
(Press release October 2007)

Bishops Stortford have completed the installation of new floodlighting that will revolutionise training and playing at the Silver Leys ground.

The club secured a grant of £30,000 from the RFU’s Community Club Development Programme and raised £9,000 themselves through members of the Oval Club to install six new lighting pylons at their training pitch.

Bishops Stortford, who run 17 adult and junior teams, have a first team that plays in London Division One and an impressive record in junior rugby underlined by their National Colts Cup victory in 2006.

And the enhanced facilities should help them continue to develop young talent like England internationals Ben Clarke and Ben Skirving.

"The new lighting will make a considerable difference and enhance the training facilities for the whole club," said Peter Scarlett, a trustee and former president of the club.

"Previously we've been relying on temporary lighting and mobile lights that only covered a small area of the pitch. Now we can use the training pitch fully and even play the odd game under the lights."

Now the project is completed the club will hold an official switching on ceremony in the near future.

The Community Club Development Programme is part of an innovative collaboration between the government, Sport England and 16 national governing bodies of sport aimed at improving community club sports facilities.

The grants go towards improvements in playing surfaces and lighting for first team and training pitches to enable more people to take part in the game.

More than £9million of CCDP funding has been made available over the last three years to rugby clubs throughout the country.

Chairman's letter to England
To Brian Ashton, Phil Vickery and all the England Team
I sent the following message to Clive Woodward and Martin Johnson in November 2003. It worked then and we all hope it works again on Saturday.

"All the Members of Bishop's Stortford Rugby Club send you our very best wishes for the Final. Whilst we might have the odd drink in hand before you, we are all confident you will be joining us in celebrating a great victory later in the day".

Good Luck
Jim Smith Chairman
Bishop's Stortford RFC

Dave Selby
Probably only the longer serving members of the club will remember Dave. He was a larger than life character who looked after our thirst and appetites in the 1970's and 80's as well as any Landlord and Chef could ever do whether it was at The Nags Head at Little Hadham or the Fleur de Lys at Widdington. Although we can't remember seeing him actually playing on the pitch we certainly can remember him on the touch line clutching the odd bottle of blanc and supporting the club in his own inimitable way.

He moved on to Derbyshire to successfully run his own hostelry and we have learned over the weekend that his funeral took place last Friday, 21st Sept 07. Our fond memories of him hopefully will bring some comfort to his family to whom we pass on our sincere condolences.

Cairnsy

He's up to something again! Even at his age, please support him in his latest challenge.
Click here for more details...

Wanted!!! 10k Runners
to join 'Team Private / BSRFC" to come and race against Bam Bam - Capital FM DJ!!!

If any of you were lucky enough to be listening to Capital FM on Friday evening then you would have heard our 3rd Team Sponsor Dave Moran (Private Condoms), pictured below, rising to a challenge.... click here to learn more!

Coaches End of Season Comments
At the commencement of pre season Training last July I would have accepted gratefully the knowledge that we would finish 7th in the league. Given the size of our squad and the number of injuries we sustained, I believe the whole team has coped admirably (well done Julie and Russell!!!!!), paticularly in the second half of the season. Great highs with wins over OA's x 2 HH x 2 Portsmouth x3 and Staines at H and occasional lows with losses against Barnes and Shelford x 2 and Staines away. The side has been lead well by Alex who has had a tremendous season and also Mark Macraith whose consistency has been inspirational - and our "young" backs are coming of age. Alex is stepping down as Captain and Paddy has stepped up to takeover - he is already working hard to overcome his frustrations of last season - I am confident that Paddy will do an excellent job!!!! The League will be even tougher next year with 5 new sides all keen to stay and Portsmouth improving and 4/5 sides looking for promotion. Obviously we are looking to strengthen the squad particularly as we say farewell to a stalwart of the front row in Stuart Adams - we must replace him and strengthen the back line and 2nd row of the scrum.

Finally, only 5 weeks to go till pre-season starts!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CJ