Firstly an update about treatment. The infection in my belly button was still present and so treatment was delayed again until this Friday 2nd November. Look out for updates on my Twitter feed.
This weeks blog is about 2 subjects that I am heavily involved in - grassroots sport and the governments Welfare Reform agenda. It talks about how one will impact on the other. Feel free to comment.
Anyone who knows me or has come across me on a touch line or cricket pitch knows that I am passionate about grassroots sport. I believe sport is a fantastic way of creating better citizens of the future by teaching the values of respect, team work, personal responsibility, effort and hard work. It’s also useful in leading a healthy lifestyle as well as great at making new friends. The one thing I demand from all my teams and to me the most important thing in sport is to have fun. If we discover the next Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard or Andrew Flintoff along the way, or win a trophy or two, then great - but those things are not that important to me.
In my day job I work for Wigan & Leigh Housing. My current role involves preparing the organisation for the impact of the governments Welfare Reforms something I have been working on for nearly 2 years.
The Welfare Reform Act came into being in March 2012 following a long path through parliament. It's aims are to encourage people into work by proving that work pays and remaining on benefits for long periods doesn't. It also aims to deliver major efficiencies in the system that deliver savings to the government. Other aims are to make the benefits system less complicated and easily understandable as well as reduce the levels of fraud and error.
Whatever your political persuasion the Welfare Reforms will leave many people, particularly those in Social Housing (Council Housing or Housing Associations) with less money. The Act contains many, many changes that will impact on many different people. However, the major change that will impact on us as sports clubs is the introduction of Universal Credit.
Universal Credit is a new benefit that will replace all income related benefits such as
Income Support
Income based Job Seekers Allowance
Income Related Employment Support Allowance
Working Families Tax Credits
Child Tax Credits
Housing Benefit
From October 2013 until March 2017 people of working age (18-62) will be migrated across to UC. Migration will involve the cancellation of the old benefit and a new claim for UC. UC will be paid monthly, to resemble a salary, rather than weekly or fortnightly. This means people will need to develop their budgeting skills. Furthermore it's designed to be a dynamic benefit, so if you are in work but on a low income then it is also payable and will automatically alter depending on any change in hours or salary.
Makes perfect sense you would think. In reality though the practice will not support the theory.
Claimants will need to administer their claim online. Figures show that typically only around 70% of any northern Borough have access to the Internet. This figure drops significantly on Social Housing estates. We know there are football and cricket clubs in our areas that do not use the internet to communicate with their members. Those that do will know there are members that do not use the internet and you need to make alternative arrangements for them.
Claimants will, over time receive less money. You don't need to be told that food, fuel (gas, electricity and petrol), clothes etc are going up. Less income more expenditure.
Claimants will only receive their first payment 1 month after submitting their claim for UC - that's one month with no money to feed, cloth, heat their families.
Any changes in circumstance will only take effect from the beginning of the next payment period. For example if my payment period is the 1st February to 28 February and my hours drop at work on the 15th February - my UC will only be altered we'd from 1 March (my next assessment period). In reality I may not get that payment until April.
Other changes that will impact as well as UC is that from April 2013 Councils will administer the Social Fund. This is the fund that makes emergency payments to people to help them with basic living expenses. This is then reclaimed via a deduction from their benefit. Not surprisingly the amount the DWP will give to local Councils as their Social Fund allocation is less than the previous years expenditure. Therefore Councils will face the difficult decisions as to when and when not to fund a Social Fund payment.
So what does this mean for grassroots sports clubs?
In simple terms people on benefits will have less money. For some, particularly those with children, poverty will be a reality. Food, gas and electric will be the priority for the little money they have - things like weekly or monthly subs, new boots or spikes, shin pads, the latest kit of their favourite team, waterproof coats, warm hoodies for winter - will be out of reach or quite far down the list of priorities.
If less people are paying subs then that means clubs will find it more difficult to find funds to buy equipment such as balls, cones, samba goals, corner flags, bats, stumps, etc...
It would be a disaster for the area and the league if clubs began to turn children away because they couldn't afford to play. If we become financially exclusive then we are failing 100s of youngsters we should be helping. If they are living in poverty then sport may be the only escape they have. That hour training and that 2 hours gametime may be the highlight of their week.
It is anticipated that crime (illegal money lending, counterfeit goods, burglary and robbery) and anti-social behaviour will increase as a result of the reforms but sadly it also predicted that as family life becomes more stressful Domestic Violence will also increase.
Councils will find it difficult to help clubs as their budgets are being slashed. In an effort to save money last year, Wigan Council decided to reduce the number of times grass is cut from 16 cuts a year to 12 cuts a year.
Already this year, comments have been made on various forums that Councils should invest in football playing fields to ensure that games don't get called off. Whatever your opinion of your local Council, investment in playing fields will be very far down the list of priorities.
So what can we do?
We need to think about how we fund our clubs. This means building a financial model that doesn't depend on 100% of your members paying their subs to keep afloat. Build some capacity in that will allow you to let a few players pay less or no subs at all for a period of time whilst they are in difficulties.
We need to think about the equipment we buy. Could we not share the equipment, and the cost with neighbouring clubs. If we spend less on equipment as clubs then we have greater capacity to financially assist our members.
Kit recycle schemes. Leigh Utd have a boot recycle scheme - clubs could look at similar schemes for not only boots, but other sports clothing. I remember hand-me-downs as a child - this would be a similar scheme. Its not great and its not ideal however, it may be the difference between retaining that child as a player or not.
I'm working a model up and think I have a solution. We need to put rivalries aside to come together and help each other so we can help the children of our communities. By developing geographical partnerships (football clubs, rugby clubs, cricket clubs – and other sports clubs too) then we can reach children all year round, provide a range of equipment to a variety of clubs but also help each other with cross membership benefits (your local cricket club may be struggling for junior members but you may be able to help signpost your members in)
Whatever you decide to do as a club hopefully this note will help.In my day job I work for Wigan & Leigh Housing. My current role involves preparing the organisation for the impact of the governments Welfare Reforms something I have been working on for nearly 2 years.
The Welfare Reform Act came into being in March 2012 following a long path through parliament. It's aims are to encourage people into work by proving that work pays and remaining on benefits for long periods doesn't. It also aims to deliver major efficiencies in the system that deliver savings to the government. Other aims are to make the benefits system less complicated and easily understandable as well as reduce the levels of fraud and error.
Whatever your political persuasion the Welfare Reforms will leave many people, particularly those in Social Housing (Council Housing or Housing Associations) with less money. The Act contains many, many changes that will impact on many different people. However, the major change that will impact on us as sports clubs is the introduction of Universal Credit.
Universal Credit is a new benefit that will replace all income related benefits such as
Income Support
Income based Job Seekers Allowance
Income Related Employment Support Allowance
Working Families Tax Credits
Child Tax Credits
Housing Benefit
From October 2013 until March 2017 people of working age (18-62) will be migrated across to UC. Migration will involve the cancellation of the old benefit and a new claim for UC. UC will be paid monthly, to resemble a salary, rather than weekly or fortnightly. This means people will need to develop their budgeting skills. Furthermore it's designed to be a dynamic benefit, so if you are in work but on a low income then it is also payable and will automatically alter depending on any change in hours or salary.
Makes perfect sense you would think. In reality though the practice will not support the theory.
Claimants will need to administer their claim online. Figures show that typically only around 70% of any northern Borough have access to the Internet. This figure drops significantly on Social Housing estates. We know there are football and cricket clubs in our areas that do not use the internet to communicate with their members. Those that do will know there are members that do not use the internet and you need to make alternative arrangements for them.
Claimants will, over time receive less money. You don't need to be told that food, fuel (gas, electricity and petrol), clothes etc are going up. Less income more expenditure.
Claimants will only receive their first payment 1 month after submitting their claim for UC - that's one month with no money to feed, cloth, heat their families.
Any changes in circumstance will only take effect from the beginning of the next payment period. For example if my payment period is the 1st February to 28 February and my hours drop at work on the 15th February - my UC will only be altered we'd from 1 March (my next assessment period). In reality I may not get that payment until April.
Other changes that will impact as well as UC is that from April 2013 Councils will administer the Social Fund. This is the fund that makes emergency payments to people to help them with basic living expenses. This is then reclaimed via a deduction from their benefit. Not surprisingly the amount the DWP will give to local Councils as their Social Fund allocation is less than the previous years expenditure. Therefore Councils will face the difficult decisions as to when and when not to fund a Social Fund payment.
So what does this mean for grassroots sports clubs?
In simple terms people on benefits will have less money. For some, particularly those with children, poverty will be a reality. Food, gas and electric will be the priority for the little money they have - things like weekly or monthly subs, new boots or spikes, shin pads, the latest kit of their favourite team, waterproof coats, warm hoodies for winter - will be out of reach or quite far down the list of priorities.
If less people are paying subs then that means clubs will find it more difficult to find funds to buy equipment such as balls, cones, samba goals, corner flags, bats, stumps, etc...
It would be a disaster for the area and the league if clubs began to turn children away because they couldn't afford to play. If we become financially exclusive then we are failing 100s of youngsters we should be helping. If they are living in poverty then sport may be the only escape they have. That hour training and that 2 hours gametime may be the highlight of their week.
It is anticipated that crime (illegal money lending, counterfeit goods, burglary and robbery) and anti-social behaviour will increase as a result of the reforms but sadly it also predicted that as family life becomes more stressful Domestic Violence will also increase.
Councils will find it difficult to help clubs as their budgets are being slashed. In an effort to save money last year, Wigan Council decided to reduce the number of times grass is cut from 16 cuts a year to 12 cuts a year.
Already this year, comments have been made on various forums that Councils should invest in football playing fields to ensure that games don't get called off. Whatever your opinion of your local Council, investment in playing fields will be very far down the list of priorities.
So what can we do?
We need to think about how we fund our clubs. This means building a financial model that doesn't depend on 100% of your members paying their subs to keep afloat. Build some capacity in that will allow you to let a few players pay less or no subs at all for a period of time whilst they are in difficulties.
We need to think about the equipment we buy. Could we not share the equipment, and the cost with neighbouring clubs. If we spend less on equipment as clubs then we have greater capacity to financially assist our members.
Kit recycle schemes. Leigh Utd have a boot recycle scheme - clubs could look at similar schemes for not only boots, but other sports clothing. I remember hand-me-downs as a child - this would be a similar scheme. Its not great and its not ideal however, it may be the difference between retaining that child as a player or not.
I'm working a model up and think I have a solution. We need to put rivalries aside to come together and help each other so we can help the children of our communities. By developing geographical partnerships (football clubs, rugby clubs, cricket clubs – and other sports clubs too) then we can reach children all year round, provide a range of equipment to a variety of clubs but also help each other with cross membership benefits (your local cricket club may be struggling for junior members but you may be able to help signpost your members in)
You may decide to look at some of the options or all of them.
You can get more information on Welfare Reform athttp://www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/welfare-reform/
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