Before I started writing this message I remembered that old style math question that often used to come up when I was younger. “If it takes 1 man 2 hours to dig a hole, how long does it take 4 men to dig the same hole” - The answer, which I’m sure you knew, is ½ hour. This analogy is very important as it cuts to the heart of an issue at our club currently. We need more help. We need more help of various types and extents. Let me explain and let’s see if you can help us in any way, no matter how small. Because we really do need your help. And when I say “we”, I mean all of us, because The Club = you and me and all of us, “Our Club”.

Ways in which you can help:

1. Official Positions
Currently we have the following positions vacant at our club, the positions with an asterisk are official RFU positions, these must be filled and have roles the RFU require from us. The other positions are those that would help run our club internally.

Honorary Secretary* - Helps receive reply and direct official correspondence from rugby bodies
International Ticket Contact* - Helps apply for allocate/invoice the club’s ticket allocation for Twickenham matches
Merchandise Manager - Help run and manage the shop for example
Sponsorship, Fundraising and Grants Manager - Manages these areas, looking for new avenues of funding. Also manages kit supplier
Communications & Marketing Manager - traditional and social media content and messages
Communications & Marketing Assistant - assists the above
Team Project Manager - eg. Windows, Roof
Health & Safety Manager - To help with risk assessments etc reporting to an exec com member.

The amount of work in many of these positions probably varies from 1/2 hour to 2 hours a week. However if like now, we have individuals doing more than one of these roles we start to see a rather heavy workload that just isn't sustainable for a volunteer to carry out before they get burnt out.

2. Volunteering
Anyone that’s seen me around The Stute on a weekday can testify that my handyman skills are not the greatest.
If you have a trade or profession that would benefit our club, why not pledge a certain amount of time or service to our club, this would benefit our club in many ways. It would save us money, undoubtedly, but also your expertise would mean it would probably save us time and even produce a better result than if Roger and I did it! Half an hour of your expertise is probably 4 hours of my bumbling along!
Finally if you play/your child plays, help your team or age group out. Make sure you do kitchen duty or tidy the changing rooms after use. We are all volunteers, The Club is not a thing that just exists, we are all “The Club”.

3. Sponsorship
This may come as a surprise, but Ilkeston is not the most fashionable of places to support. It lacks the white picket fences and village greens that well to do suburbs and villages can charm sponsors with. Sometimes support can be hard to find. However, what it does have, is a great sense of community (#weare) and a slightly out of fashion feeling of belonging and looking out for your neighbour. We do of course have some long term sponsors who we are immensely grateful to. These businesses have supported our community club and recognise the position it holds locally and we are immensely grateful to them all. If you own or work for any business, particularly a local business, that could help support our club, then please put them in touch with us. This can start from as little as £500. We are also looking for Match ball sponsors and player sponsors (we have a very young 1st and 2nd team, who would be extremely grateful of any help) which start from £100.

4. Support that’s due
Subs, money owed for tickets, whatever it may be, if you owe your club money please pay it in swift time.
Simply put, your club needs the money. It cannot survive whilst trying to continually chase money it is owed. Subs for example, cover all coaching (including training courses etc), equipment (e.g. we spend approx £2k just on balls per year - yes that’s how much they cost), festival entry,ground maintenance and match food costs, to name but a few. This equates to around £4 a week per person or just £1.50 per session for some groups.
If you are struggling to pay anything owed, then come and talk to us early on, we have never stopped anyone from playing because they can’t afford to pay, there is always a solution.

5. Casual support of the club
There is no doubt that since Covid, our behaviours and that of the rest of the public have changed. Financially, the cost of living squeeze on everyone has not helped either. These slight changes have all had a cumulative effect, so that the turnover of The Stute is probably only 50% of what it was pre covid. Times that used to be very busy, such as post mini/junior training on a Sunday are no longer as busy as they were. So I would ask you to support your club where you can. For example

Why not pop in and have that post training drink? It only needs to be one to help the club.
Why not occasionally treat the kids to breakfast cobs at our club, every once in a while?
If you are in a position to make a small donation to our club, we can get it gift aided which adds 25% to the donation.
Support our fundraising activities. In the coming months and year we have big funds we need to raise to replace our decaying windows, to update our kitchen and to get our exciting new balcony project to fruition.
Support on match days, pop down and watch the older teams Colts to 1stXV play matches on fridays and Saturdays.
Support social events - why not bring your other half along, or your kids on family days. Let’s make it even more of a sociable place for everyone. We have all sorts of events planned. Follow our facebook page and other social media to keep up to date.

I have helped support the club (with many others) for numerous years now, you all know who I am, and you all see me around. I am more than happy to carry on to support this great club because I truly believe in the huge difference it makes to our community and people’s lives who play and enjoy what our club stands for. It is a place/institution that we need to cherish and protect. However, now more than ever, I/we/you need your help in doing so.

Many thanks for your time in reading this message,
Andrew Evans
Chairman Ilkeston RUFC
chairman@ilkestonrugby.com
07770 303167