A note from the President
I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every person in our club for their efforts this season in what has been a very difficult time. Our volunteers have worked tirelessly under challenging and rapidly changing circumstances in order to allow our players to train and take the fields and courts, albeit for a shorter period than we would have liked. Our coaches and support people showed great dedication and they were willing to push on until we were told otherwise.
COVID-19 has brought stresses into all our lives both financially and from a wellbeing perspective. I encourage all our playing groups to keep connected and I know many are already doing this via their social media groups . It is a time, as players, members, and sponsors that we need to support each other and I am confident we will get through this and once again enjoy our sport that we have, up until now, taken for granted.
For any club to survive and thrive , the Membership and Sponsor base are vitally important areas to keep us afloat. Each season purchases are made such as jumpers, training and game equipment, club merchandise, medical supplies and team kit bags to be prepared for the upcoming season. This year we have also had considerable additional costs of signage, sanitising products and resources for clubrooms, gym and team kits to keep us COVID compliant. Along with these expenses, we have running costs like any other organisation for maintaining the club rooms, insurance and league commitments.
Purchases are made possible by the memberships paid by players and supporters, sponsorship, canteen, bar income, functions and major fundraising undertaken by our volunteers. These income sources have been greatly affected this year.
We thank all of you who have paid your membership and ask all families who can maintain their memberships for season 2020 , to please consider doing so. This will allow our club to survive this challenging time and to come back in season 2021 resilient and ready to thrive.
We understand there are families who have been significantly financially impacted by COVID-19 and understand you may want to contact us to discuss a partial refund. If your family requires a partial refund due to financial hardship, please contact your Team Manager or email the club at info@stmaryssc.com as soon as possible. This will enable us to begin planning for season 2021.
Of course, our online membership system is up and running for anyone still wishing to support the club.
We had such high hopes for an amazing season in 2020. We were coming off premiership wins for both our senior men and senior women’s football and we were excited to be opening our new club rooms. Unfortunately COVID-19 has put a stop to all of this. However, I can assure you that myself and the Board are already busy planning for season 2021 and look forward to an exciting year.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Jock McMahon
President