At the Annual General Meeting of the members held on Tuesday 2nd July, it was announced that the basic annual membership fee will increase to £275 for the forthcoming season.
As with all sections of society, Blackheath Rugby has been hit by the increase in costs across all areas of the Club’s activities. Energy costs, staff costs and ground maintenance costs in particular, have all increased significantly in recent times and the Executive Committee has reluctantly decided that our membership fee must increase to assist in helping to meet these increased costs for the Club. We have also simplified the structure of our fees for additional members of a family seeking to be members and for those who are included in our country members category.
At the AGM, a question regarding the benefits that members receive for their membership was asked and set out below are the specific benefits that a member of Blackheath Rugby receives:
- Entrance to all First XV matches (worth up to £260)
- For players of all ages, access to qualified coaches and referees (courses paid for by the Club) and provision of pitches and training facilities, plus post-match meals for adult players
- Significantly discounted membership for young players (18-22)
- Free car parking on match days (£5 for non-members)
- Opportunity to use the Member’s credit system for payment of membership fees
- 10% discount for all purchases at the bars at Well Hall and Hervey Road on production of a valid membership card
- An increasing number of discounts at local businesses and Club Sponsors
- Access to the ballot to purchase International match tickets, subject to availability
However, being a member of Blackheath Rugby delivers so much more. Our objective as a club, is to provide the opportunity for our members to be part of a growing, developing and thriving sports community centred around the game of rugby. We maintain all the facilities at two grounds, Well Hall and Hervey Road, and we contribute to the upkeep of The Rectory Field. We play rugby across the ages, from Under 6 age group upwards. We have recently launched Touch Rugby as a dedicated section of the Club and we will shortly be launching Didi Rugby and in due course, we hope to launch Walking Rugby, so we will be able to cover all sections of the community and all aspects of the game of rugby. However, none of these activities happen without financial support and equally, the quality of our facilities cannot be maintained to a high standard without financial support. To quote the sentiment of a former President of the United States of America, being part of the Blackheath community is about asking what you can contribute to that community rather than focusing on what that community can do for you.
We aim to generate our income from several different sources, but the heart of our income is provided by members’ subscriptions and a member’s annual subscription directly contributes to the life and development of our Club as a key member of the local community. For under £6 per week, being a member of the Blackheath Rugby community is not only a bargain, but it also delivers significant benefits to all and represents true value.
James Fleming
Chairman
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