CEO and Chairman Message to Members
29 May 2020
Dear Member,
During this Coronavirus pandemic, we have tried to communicate with you as regularly as possible, and as ever we hope your families and loved ones are well. Our intent has been to bring you updates from both the Club and our governing body, the England & Wales Cricket Board, as this season unfolds. Last week, we reluctantly had to announce the cancellation of this season’s Cheltenham Festival; we also promised to write to you this week with a more general ‘membership’ update. We therefore write to you today to do just that.
As you know, the 2020 season was planned to be a huge one for the Club as we came together to celebrate our 150th anniversary. Sadly with the outbreak of Covid-19 we have had to postpone or cancel most of the events in 2020, although we very much plan to celebrate “151 Not Out” with you all next year.
Our 150th anniversary also represented a significant fundraising opportunity, with the Club originally hoping to raise £150,000. We saw this as an appropriate way to raise money to invest in Member-facing facilities at the Bristol County Ground – such as the redevelopment of the Hammond Bar – in the years ahead.
In these unchartered waters, we now have to face the new reality that the Club’s finances this year – and perhaps to an even greater extent for several years to come – will be stretched and our ability to fund areas such as facilities development will be diminished as a result of the economic impact of Covid-19.
As a member we ask a lot of you, we know we do. Every year we take you on a rollercoaster of emotions as we tackle the season; hopefully with more highs than lows and often with moments of humour, exasperation and camaraderie along the way.
We have one specific request for this year – we would like you to consider donating your 2020 membership subscriptions to the Club.
Should you be able to donate your full membership subscription you will then also be eligible for a 25% discount from your 2021 fees. In doing so, you will also automatically qualify as an ‘Anniversary Member’ for 2021, and your name will be included on a commemorative ‘150’ plaque to be installed at the ground in April 2021.
We know this is a big ask at what is a difficult and uncertain time for us all; we have no expectations but anything you can do is very much appreciated. Should you donate your membership, you would of course still be entitled to all the normal benefits if, as we hope, we do have cricket here this Summer.
All of us at the Club are still working hard towards playing cricket this year but as the season progresses we will consider both a “Rollover” and “Refund” option for all annual members. The details of these potential options will not emerge for many more weeks yet, however, as we respond and react to the ever-changing circumstances this pandemic has presented.
To recap:
- We’re inviting you to donate your 2020 membership subscription to the Club.
- You will still retain a valid membership for the 2020 season.
- You will be eligible for a 25% discount on your 2021 subscription.
- You will qualify as an ‘Anniversary Member’ for 2021, and your name will be inscribed on a plaque to be unveiled at the Bristol County Ground in April 2021. You will of course be invited to this special reception as an extra thank you for your contribution.
- Anniversary Members will receive a unique membership card for the 2021 season.
- You waive your right to any rollover or refund option which may be offered in due course.
To donate your membership please click here and complete the simple instructions to submit your details. We will then ensure that you qualify for the reduced Membership price for 2021 and, as an ‘Anniversary Member’, your name will be included on the commemorative ‘150’ plaque at the Ground.
As part of this fundraising drive, the Club is contacting all Members – including Life and Honorary Members – to ask for their help at this time. If you would like to make a separate donation to the Club then this is also very welcome – simply email membership@glosccc.co.uk and we will send you payment options.
If you have any questions about this scheme or would like to talk to someone at the Club directly, please don’t hesitate to contact us on membership@glosccc.co.uk or call 0117 910 8010.
Once again we’d like to send you our very best wishes at this time and thank you once again for your support.
Will and John
