Report of Members' Working Group meeting - Thursday 4th May
14 July 2023
The second meeting of the Members’ Working Group took place at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol at 4pm on Thursday 4th May 2023.
Those present were:
Neil Priscott – Chief Operating Officer
David Finch – Ticketing and Membership Administrator
Jack Longstaff – Communications Manager
George Cook
John Gordon
Ruth Sharville
Chris Toft
Wendy Body
Apologies were received from Jim Bath, Dominic Ferguson and Matthew Davies.
NP welcomed Wendy Body to the MWG. Wendy put her name forward after our request for further female representation.
FEEDBACK FROM MATCHES TO DATE
There was a request for women’s matches to be more widely publicised. The Club highlighted the difficulties caused in this area by the first Western Storm game following on the day after the conclusion of a Gloucestershire Championship match. It discussed how it was working hard to promote the T20 double header on Sunday 4th June but agreed to review publicity of the remaining Women’s matches.
CHELTENHAM CRICKET FESTIVAL
Members’ Area access arrangements – following on from discussions at the first meeting, the group agreed that a charge of £5 would be made to any guests of Members wishing to access the Members’ area at Cheltenham who do not have a Members’ Guest Pass as a ticket. There will be card payment facilities at either entrance into the area from the public section of the ground.
Smoking policy – The group agreed that no smoking or vaping would be permitted in the stands and seating areas or in the covered parts of the ground.
Club tents – John Gordon raised the topic of Club Tents and atmosphere at the Festival. NP highlighted the Club’s desire to ensure there was consistency and fairness in our pricing policy and that all Club Tents were paying the same amount. Whilst all Clubs were offered the same proposal, Old Patesians will be the only Club represented at The Festival again this year.
Catering – NP advised the group that the Club is very close to signing a contract with new Catering partners for The Festival this year, including the provision of all the concessions around the ground.
WEBSITE AND COMMUNICATIONS
In response to comments and concerns, it was agreed that the website is dated and needs revamping. The Club intends to create a Focus Group drawn from the MWG to help with this project. JL conveyed the Club’s desire to avoid additional expenditure on the current website ahead of its impending replacement. Chris Toft commented on how much he enjoyed the ‘Match Pack’, published ahead of each fixture.
SHOP/RETAIL
Ruth Sharville expressed her view that the shop should be offering garments more suited to female customers, eg more polo options and sweater options without a hood. The Club will ask Natalie Mansfield, Retail and Events Executive, to investigate available options and will report back at the next MWG meeting. The absence of Western Storm branded items was also discussed. The Club have made every effort to secure such items to sell so far without success and will continue to work on this area ahead of the 2024 season. NP highlighted unique items that are being produced in conjunction with our ACE programme, alongside our Carnival Clash on 17th June and ahead of our special Pride match on 22nd June. Chris Toft queried why the 10% Members’ discount is no longer available on-line. The Club have asked New Balance to reactivate the ability to benefit from the discount when buying through the website.
FACILITATING CONTACT BETWEEN MEMBERS AND THE MWG
MWG members wanted to initiate a channel of communication between the general membership and the group. It was agreed that an on-line form would be placed within the MWG pages of the website allowing members to raise queries, concerns or suggestions.
AOB
Update on policy on unattended bags – further to discussions at the previous meeting, the Club have sought advice on the most appropriate policy in this area, ensuring the safety and security of all our guests whilst also demonstrating an appropriate degree of flexibility reflecting the nature of the specific match. The Club will continue to prohibit the leaving of unattended bags at Vitality Blast and One-Day Cup matches. During County Championship matches, any Member wishing to leave a bag unattended should first take it to Club Reception where it will be checked and tagged stating the time of inspection. This clarification will be included in the ‘Match Packs’ published ahead of each fixture.
Charity Partnerships – In response to a query from John Gordon, NP reiterated the Club’s policy regarding support to charities. Each year, the Club appoint three charity partners at a Local, City and Regional level and would welcome applications when the time comes ahead of 2024.
Cashless Policy – Ruth Sharville expressed concern that we risked being perceived as being discriminatory against those with any sort of disability or impairment who might find negotiating a card payment difficult in the event of a PIN being required; also potentially against those who might be assigned a certain amount of cash for the day. NP assured the group that in the event of such a scenario occurring, the situation would be handled with respect and discretion. The customer would be taken to the office and payment facilitated in the most appropriate way.NP reiterated that the Club’s cashless policy will remain for operational efficiency, alongside all other 17 first class counties.
Benches and seating in front of the Pavilion/Thatchers Bar and Kitchen – Ruth Sharville queried the whereabouts of the traditional benches with the plaques that used to be in this area. The Club confirmed that some of the benches were beyond repair and have had to be discarded. All the plaques have been mounted on a ‘In Memoriam’ board in the Legends Walkway. The Club will ensure that any remaining old benches will be brought back into use for future matches.
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