On the downside, running a club of our size is akin to running a medium size company. We have over 30 separate teams (not counting the indoor or summer league squads) to coach, manage and umpire. We also have a business with an annual turnover well in excess of £320,000.

History

Old Loughtonians Hockey Club was originally founded as an unincorporated association run by its members for its members.

In 2017, the undertaking and assets were transferred to Old Loughtonians Hockey Club Limited (the “Hockey Club”) which is registered as a Community Amateur Sports Club (“CASC”).

In 2020 it became apparent that as the Hockey Club grew, it might, in the future, no longer be able to meet all of the core CASC tests which include limits on:

(a) property related income (which the Hockey Club earns from the hire of its pitches and the clubhouse); and

(b) non property related income from non members including the very generous support from our then main sponsor Higgins Group plc.

The HMRC guidance indicated that the Hockey Club could continue to meet the CASC requirements if it set up a wholly owned subsidiary which would take over the running of the commercial activities of the Hockey Club.

In 2021, the Hockey Club transferred the non hockey playing related assets of the club to its new subsidiary Old Loughtonians Services Limited (“Services”). Services also took an assignment of any contracts in place between the Hockey Club and third parties. The employees of the Hockey Club became employees of Services.

Separate accounts are now prepared for the two companies and there are separate annual budgets.

Management

The original unincorporated association was run by a management committee of volunteers. This worked well when the club had fewer members and before it had the fabulous facilities we now enjoy.

The Hockey Club is still run by a management committee of volunteers (“ManCom”). Services is also run by ManCom.

Over recent years it has become increasingly more difficult to find volunteers willing to take on the key roles for their fellow members. This has left the management of all aspects of the Hockey Club and Services in the hands of a dwindling number of volunteers and even now some key roles (finance officer and membership secretary in particular) remain unfilled with 7 ManCom members trying to cover those functions as well as their own.

This has become untenable and, put simply, if we cannot find new volunteers to take on the management of the club there will be no club.

Challenges

We are blessed with players and parents willing to give up their time each week to act as a coach, captain, manager or minis helper. There are also lots of unsung heroes who deal with essential tasks such as league liaison, registrations, fixtures, GMS, discipline, website administration and of course the vital role of umpiring. The contacts page is a testament to our many volunteers.

However, understandably, many players are daunted by the prospect of taking on a membership committee role and concerned that with busy work and family schedules they would not be able to find the time necessary needed to help run the club.

Without a massive increase in membership fees we as members could not afford to pay individuals to take on these roles. The roles will therefore need to changed so that members and parents are able to contribute in the way which many would like to.

Proposals to encourage rejuvenation

With immediate effect, the ManCom committee is separating

(a) the playing and coaching side of the club; from
(b) the management of the grounds and services

There will be one management committee for the Hockey Club and a separate committee for Services.

This will allow the Hockey Club committee to concentrate purely on the hockey whilst the Services committee looks after the facilities. An indication of what would be covered by each committee is set out below.

There will inevitably be an initial overlap of some committee members but the intention is to attract younger playing members and parents to cover the hockey whilst those with more time and more business experience look after the infrastructure and commercial activities.

The Men’s and Women’s Club captains, the Membership Secretary(ies) and the playing and Performance Officer and the Welfare and Safeguarding Officer will look after the hockey matters. The Company Secretary, the Finance Officer and the Property Management Officer will look after the services under the guidance of the Chairman.

Each committee would, as now, be able to co-opt two additional committee members. For example the hockey committee might wish to co-opt a representative from the Talent Academy or Minis section. The Services committee might wish to co-opt somebody to cover sponsorship or the bar and catering.

We hope this will allow more people to get involved and for those playing the game week in and week out to be at the core of the decision making relating to the whole playing experience.

Further messages encouraging volunteers to step up will be circulated separately on social media and the website.

Examples of Hockey Club remit
Coaching, training, playing, membership, welfare, selection, umpires, fixtures, league liaison, EH liaison and membership, social events, social media, match day programmes and sponsor liaison, GMS, team management, indoor hockey, summer hockey, tournaments, kit, club shop, match streaming, school liaison and coaching, Back to Hockey, Mavericks, alumni events.

Examples of Services remit
Finance, club office, pitch maintenance and replacement, floodlights, clubhouse, cleaning, bar, catering, external lettings (nursery, Padel courts, overflow car park area, telephone mast), insurances, energy supplies, club policies, compliance, data protection, health and safety, pitch hire, hall hire, pitchside boards, sponsors, annual accounts, AGM, website, signage.