This post will cover adjustments and increases to both membership and tournament fees.
The core message is that fee increases are in effect across both membership and events to reflect increasing costs. We have maintained services and programmes based on member and club feedback, and intend to utilise this increase in financial resource to support clubs as we continue to grow and develop.
We've also outlined specifically why these fees have increased, and our plans moving forward to shift the financial burden away from clubs and towards a more sustainable infrastructure - both for competitions and general membership, but also wider projects beyond the base events.
Lastly, while this is not a decision we have reached lightly, it is also important to point out that QuadballUK has not increased fees for the last two seasons.
Membership & Tournament Fees
Barrier to entry is a core element of something we want to minimise, especially for new joiners to the sport, and it was vital that we maintained an easy entry point for those trying out our game for the very first time.
Quadball typically attracts individuals without sporting or athletic backgrounds - which is a fantastic thing. It introduces people to an entire new community and culture that they haven't necessarily had a chance to be a part of before and we all know how great Quadball is at allowing people to discover themselves through both the sport and this welcoming community we've built around it.
So while we have increased base membership fees, we have kept the Trial Membership (now called First Time Membership) so anyone new to the sport can still get involved via the lower financial barrier.
Changes to Membership Fees
- Individual Membership increased from £24.00 to £30.00
- First Time Membership increased from £15.00 to £19.00
- Club Membership increased from £135.00 to £160.00
- Additional Team Membership increased from £65.00 to £80.00
Changes to Tournament Fees
- Northern/Southern Player Fee increased from £15.00 to £20.00
- Northern/Southern Team Fee increased from £150.00 to £200.00
- University Championship / Community Shield Player Fee set at £30.00
- University Championship / Community Shield Team Fee set at £300.00
Fee and Cost Breakdown
Increased Expenses
Simply put, our general operational costs have increased. Venues being a key culprit here - we ended our ongoing venue partnership with Sheffield after significant increased costs, but also the more general expenses surrounding the operations of an event have been growing as well. Travel and accommodation costs for volunteers are the most obvious ones, but also our general background costs have been slowly ticking up.
A less obvious one is also storage. We currently hire a storage space in the Midlands which is comparatively cheaper than other options we've researched – but it very much relies on the availability of a single volunteer. When that individual is busy or unavailable, then we suddenly cannot access our core inventory, or need to organise a more expensive option to source and/or transport the equipment – which ultimately cancels out that cheaper benefit we were previously receiving. We therefore are needing to move our equipment storage so more Volunteers have ready access to it moving forward.
Focus on Development
BQC was a great success on the university front, and it was so refreshing to see this growth of a new generation coming through with that same passion in the sport we share.
Part of the increase in fees is so we can then turn that resource back towards the clubs. A large part of our plan revolves around club-led events - not just clubs hosting events, but QUK being able to advise and resource them through equipment or personnel. Having the funds to send a referee, or organiser, or a load of equipment to a friendly event over the weekend to support a club-led event is incredibly valuable. We want to be able to support and provide directly to clubs, and be part of the work that they are doing.
Likewise, for both Northern and Southern this year, we are hosting coaching and development workshops. We have locked these in with our respective venues, and we will be able to host and educate anyone in the community on refereeing, club leadership, coaching insights, as well as holding a training day for anyone who wishes to attend.
Being able to provide and share our expertise, while engaging directly with the next generation of players and volunteers, is an important opportunity for us – and the membership fees will allow us to achieve that.
Volunteer Expenses
Our current Reimbursement Policy has not been updated to reflect cost increases for several years now, and that simply isn't good enough.
We intend to raise the allowances for volunteers to better reflect the current cost of travel, accommodation, and meals while attending a tournament or completing QuadballUK projects.
Referee payments are still hanging over our head as well, and this is something we intend to clear as soon as possible. Our Head of Operations, Jake Adcock, has determined who and how much money is owed. And we can start fulfilling those payments as soon as our cash flow allows it.
So what next?
The largest step Gio and I wish to see is for the financial revenue streams of both our membership and events to be independent from each other. That is to say, we aren't relying on one to supplement the other. Previously, we would run the majority of our events at either cost or a small loss, with the exception of the British Quadball Cup. BQC, in turn, was relied upon as our revenue generator, and could supplement the additional fixtures financially.
Unfortunately, with reduced attendance amidst rising costs, we no longer see this as a feasible way to continue to fund our sport. Too much reliance is placed on BQC being a financial success, and that is far too risky to sustain ourselves and actually be able to plan or budget ahead.
On the membership side, that money is typically allocated into the operational costs of running the NGB. Costs such as website and associated IT expenses, equipment storage, public liability insurance, professional subscriptions, IQA memberships etc. Previously, it was also utilised to subsidise some of the costs around training for our volunteers, as well as provide some base level of funding for our national team programmes and other ad hoc expenses as they arose.
Ultimately, we need to move away from a model that relies entirely on membership and event fees. It makes things too expensive for our members, and it makes preparation and planning impossible for QuadballUK.
Gio and I are in conversations with potential partners (who approached us) about potentially working together, and we are exploring longer-term financial and resource support moving forward. The very fact that we were approached unprompted, shows that there are going to be organisations out there wanting to work with us, which is a great potential opportunity for us to take.
Merchandise is also something we are investing back into, we will have merchandise for sale at both Northern and Southern this year. We will be taking pre orders only, but more information will be shared on this in the near future.
Charity status is also something we are working through; however, this has been placed on a temporary pause as we focus on getting the season set up and ensuring our university teams can hit the ground running.
Thank you for your understanding, a full annual report will be released soon - alongside an announcement of our Annual General Forum.
If you have any issues or questions, please reach out to myself or Gio or Izzy.
We would be happy to discuss queries or concerns.
