Chairman's Update

1 May 2020

An update from Bath Cricket Club

Firstly, and most importantly, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best in these uncertain times. I hope that you and your loved ones are safe, and that you are managing to keep your spirits up. Despite the impact COVID-19 is having on the cricket season and the club, there is nothing more important than the safety and wellbeing of our members, staff and supporters.

Although the situation is evolving daily, and many uncertainties remain, I wanted to share with you where we stand on a number of matters.   

Furloughed status

With the closure of the ‘The Boundary’, we took the decision to furlough all our bar and events staff in March. Information coming from the news and governing bodies suggests that the hospitality industry may be one of the last to re-open after lockdown, but we will be continually reviewing this.

The club’s full-time staff continued to work remotely for a period, but are now all furloughed, bar two. Karen Young, our Finance Director, is working hard from home and Tom Hankins, our Assistant Groundsman, continues to work incredibly hard on both our grounds so that we maintain the best facilities for you all.

2020 season

We understand how important cricket is to our members from a physical, social and mental health perspective and we are as keen as you to get started BUT we must follow governing body and government guidelines. The ECB has announced there will be no professional cricket before the 1st of July and all forms of recreational cricket remain suspended for now.

The leagues remain committed to providing some competitive cricket – but should this not be possible, we are already in communication with other clubs to develop something close if we can. As things currently stand, we hope the amateur game will reflect the professional game and that there may still be cricket played from July.

Membership

We have already received a number of your membership subscriptions for this season and I would like to thank you all for your early commitment to the season, and to the club. I am aware that this is a difficult time financially for many people.
We recognise there may be the need to refund or rollover membership fees, should no cricket be played this season. However, we would like to ask for your continued patience in this matter, until we know what the season looks like.

Along with our new headline sponsors, McKenzie and Co, the club has already invested hugely in new Kukri playing kit, training kit and casual apparel for our new online shop. There have been some printing delays due to furloughed staff at our printing partners, however we are working hard to get new kit bundles to those members who have already paid their subscription for the season as soon as possible.

As a charity, Bath Cricket Club has many responsibilities, both in the community and to its staff. This unique status is something we are very proud of, and we are determined to come through this period with our ambitious initiatives for our members, our staff and our community intact. Your membership subscriptions have been incredibly important during this time, and I want to thank you again for your support.

Finally, I’d like to leave you with a short clip of North Parade


We are ready and waiting for cricket to resume, and we look forward to welcoming you all back to the club soon. In the meantime, please stay safe and well, and if you have any queries you can reach us at office@bathcricketclub.com

 

With best wishes from everyone at Bath Cricket Club,

Matt Hankins

Chairman

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