Club Fees ?
ti man
Posts: 41
Why do most M.T.B and Road clubs charge £20.00 annual membership? I have joined a few over the years and was wondering were the money goes. I know they register the club with British cycling that's £180.00 so if they had 100 members that's £2000 minus the £180 so over the years the pot grows. One club I joined the first year they bought a gazebo, lights, fire pit and some grub they have been going for a few years now so they must have amassed a pretty sum by now. Same with a road bike club your allowed 3 rides then its £20.00 or ride on your tod. It would be different if they had a club house that they rented and needed the money but its just a facebook page. I know what one club as in the coffers and its a large amount so I said why do you keep on charging??? NO REPLY. Seems like I am riding on my tod these days.
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Obviously depends on the club, but some possilbe uses for a reserve of cash off the top of my head:
Buy a stock of club kit so you don't have to wait for ages when ordering.
Affiliation to various bodies (BC, CTT, etc).
Possibly some basic bikes to loan to new/prospective members on rides
Annual trophies and a prize giving night0 -
For surplus and to fund or subsidise events. In theory it would also cover a ctc/Bc should membership fall dramatically.
However I don't always see the need. I run a small club (between 50-100) and only charge £5 but nor do we run time trials, we just join the associations such as BC and CTT. Bear in mind we offer very little else except rides three times a week by leaders.0 -
If you're running TTs or sportives or races then signage, first aid kits, race numbers etc
As said financing stock of kit, website hosting costs and numerous other miscellaneous expenses.
If you really want to know where your particular £20 goes get on the committee or get to the AGM, I find we're always crying out for more people to get involved0 -
I know us roadies are notoriously tight, but the people who complain about twenty quid a year club membership (38p per week) will often go out and happily spend sixty notes on a carbon bottle cage.0
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£5 for three months, just pay it ffs
It's over £300 to join our cricket club !0 -
Clubs can budget for race teams, where they will be paying for race fees and supplying free kit etc0
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Clubs can budget for race teams, where they will be paying for race fees and supplying free kit etc
Not been in a club that does that, but that would really annoy me! Happy to subsidise young riders to help get them started but can't see why adult racers should be funded by the rest of the club...0 -
Another reason is to prevent people who joining who just aren't very interested in the club, the higher cost encourages investment, so people actually contribute to the club.Jibbering Sports Stuff: http://jibbering.com/sports/0
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Blimey! £20 for riding all year with a club... absolutely outrageous. I want to raise that injustice on the next "What vanity purchase wheelset should I buy for £850" thread...0
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Blimey! £20 for riding all year with a club... absolutely outrageous. I want to raise that injustice on the next "What vanity purchase wheelset should I buy for £850" thread...
^ THIS!
Many will happily pay £25+ for a Sportive a number of times a year, which is just a few arrows, some energy products at the feed station and a little medal at the end. Joining a club for a similar amount of money (usually less) and you can be led on rides with a great groups of people every week on different routes! Get involved in your local cycling scene, meet like minded folk, learn proper road craft and watch your cycling improve.
Club fees are probably one of the best cycling investments you can make!
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My club membership is £16 per year (£32 with CTC individual insurance). The club is affiliated to BC, CTC and CTT (and runs a CTT TT trial each year). We have at least four official club rides each week, an evening club meeting in the local community centre, subsidized club clothing, a presentation evening with loads of cups and various one off rides/trips/events. Seems like a good deal to me...0
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I know us roadies are notoriously tight, but the people who complain about twenty quid a year club membership (38p per week) will often go out and happily spend sixty notes on a carbon bottle cage.
I don't see your point. It's about value for money. The OP wants to know what a club spends his £20 on. What he our any of us spend our money on is our own choice.
I ride with two collectives and neither charge a membership fee. Both collectives have regular rides and offer regular rides and membership deals. If I were to race then I would have to join a club but for people who simply want to ride with similar minded people then I see no need for a fee.0 -
Brandon A Thanks for seeing my point
Some interesting points. Its not about the £20.00 or 38p per week, its about where the money is spent and the clubs that I know certainly don't buy bicycles or any other items that have been mentioned above.
A nice fat bank account that needs two signatory and there's another story I could go into
sa0u823e The £5.00 charge seems about right and fair play to you. Its a shame more don't take your out look.0 -
If I was wanting to know where the clubs spend their money I'd maybe look at the annual accounts or ask a member of the committee.0
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Brandon A Thanks for seeing my point
Some interesting points. Its not about the £20.00 or 38p per week, its about where the money is spent and the clubs that I know certainly don't buy bicycles or any other items that have been mentioned above.
A nice fat bank account that needs two signatory and there's another story I could go into
sa0u823e The £5.00 charge seems about right and fair play to you. Its a shame more don't take your out look.
Thank you for the comment. I would like to add though, it is a closed club, which is heard about through word of mouth or BC website, rather than out chasing members.
I agreed with a fair few posts that £20-30 isn't very much however if it appears it isn't being used it is fair and right to ask. Just because everybody else charges £20 doesn't mean all clubs need too.
As somebody said, should you have paid a sub (and unless the club is a private company rather than a club/charity) you are probably able to request the accounts to see where the money is going and how much of a surplus is being kept0 -
Stocking kit
Subsiding racers (they represent your club and ride in your colours after all)
Subisiding events (mini busses etc.) or paying for BC coaches for skills days
Donations to charitable causes and occasionally local cycle events
Race day equipment; signage, radios etc.
Surplus for a rainy day
To name a few but you'll need to ask your committee to know for sure.
Unfortunately many people think this £20 is the equivalent of a years membership down the local gym and except service as such. Our club actually charges £40 and 2 years membership to try and filter out the aforementioned people.0 -
£20... really? If it was £200 I would sympathize.
If you want to know where the money goes, go the club AGM, see the accounts and ask the committee in person.0 -
Simples, ask to see last years published financial figures. My club publishes these and discusses them at teh AGM.
Very easy to see where the money goes!0 -
My club actually charges £30 but as I couldn't attend the last AGM I haven't seen the accounts to know how much of a surplus we're running. I do know that no one on the committee is paid, even expenses; we're affiliated to a few organisations and have to run events as part of that; club-organised rides are insured; even the minimum order size for a batch of club kit will cost the equivalent of half the club's membership fees; and when the road race last year made a healthy profit the committee decided to use it as grants to people who'd represented the club in a variety of events instead of reducing subs or adding it to the bank balance.
There has been a lot of discussion/disagreement about membership fees, including reduced rates for women, juniors and second claim, at the past two AGMs. Personally I think 60p a week is good value just for the camaraderie, advice and years of accumulated wisdom that comes from being involved in a club.0 -
Simples, ask to see last years published financial figures. My club publishes these and discusses them at teh AGM.
Very easy to see where the money goes!
ha a club member asked at AGM where club funds were spend and got a very polite "anyone who wants to know this info, can email any member of committee and get an accounts statement, this is a fun event today and we d like to keep it informal"
a week later they had membership withdrawn and never got to see club accounts.
so long as a club keeps providing rides and kit, most people turn a blind eye, as someone said to me "£20 is nothing, why should i care?" but with a 200 plus members, that 4k per year.0 -
I did a stint as our club secretary - I think we had about 120 members at the time - so a fairly large club.
People whinged about club subs there too - but thought nothing of buying £100+ Oakleys or carbon trinkets.
Club pays out for :
Costs of meeting room rental
Insurance for the club and members
Association Costs of all of the National and Local Bodies
Subsidised entries for schoolkids
Upfront payment for club kits and holding stocks
Purchase of race kit - direction arrows, Marshals Bibs, etc
Club Website
We paid for members to become coaches to improve the services we offered
We'd consider claims for sponsoring our top riders to races
Promoting club road races, TT's open and club - that costs too.
Hiring village halls for TT's and Road Events.
I'm sure there's lots I've missed out - but we presented all the figures at every monthly meeting. The accounts were signed off annually.
I'm not sure I believe the story above - getting kicked out of the club for asking about the accounts ? And nobody batted an eyelid ? Was this a proper BC affiliated club ?
If people get involved in the club and do some work they will realise where the money goes. Nobody's sitting on a pile of gold in club cycling. Yes the club might have reserves but they need those reserves to pay upfront for events.0 -
I've seen our club accounts, a few hundred goes to the various associations - BC, CTC, insurance etc. Then most of what is left is used to purchase club kit up front. Members place orders but don't pay until they take receive their kit. Extra kit is ordered in different sizes for those who didn't place an order and new members who don't want to wait until the next order. I'm happy paying my £20 each year, it's a drop in the ocean compared to the income Wiggle get from me.0
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At our club Lichfield CCC it about £40 for family membership.
That gets you
Free use of a closed circuit
Free coached session
Pays to have coaches BC accredited
Low price kit
Subsidised events ( if numbers down or overall costs too high)
Bursaries for youth riders
Pay for meeting rooms
BC affiliation
Plus they invest in things like gazebos, chip timing, jet washers ( for cyclo cross)
Then there is other equipment to buy ( to run races etc)
Its not difficult to get the accounts and or ask questions at an AGM or attend one of the monthly committe meetings0 -
I think people seem to be confused with the idea the post was complaining about the £20 cost to wondering where all the money goes.
Explaining that it can be spent on X Y and Z helps explain it, however it doesn't mean the club in question does or their accounts work out.
I know plenty of clubs who are sitting on large surpluses (large is relevant for the club and sport, this isn't Chelsea FC and the prem league) for rainy days, and others who use regular members to subsidise the average racing ability of certain old time members. Who you choose to be a part of is your call, but there is nothing wrong with wanting to know where your pennies are being spent.
Personally I'd have no issue with helping fund under 18s race however over 18 then I'd be questioning what does the club get out of it. But as said that is personal0 -
Personally I'd have no issue with helping fund under 18s race however over 18 then I'd be questioning what does the club get out of it. But as said that is personal
The club gets people representing and flying the flag, people who are then very likely to volunteer when the club hosts races/events, all of this is good for the image of the club and in turn gives those juniors peers to look up to and learn from. Conversely should a club remove subsidies for all over 18s; club kit, hill climbs, annual BBQ, sportives, CX racing, track riding, training events etc.?0 -
£20...outrageous...the club treasurer and leaders are pocketing millions in offshore accounts obviously...0
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Personally I'd have no issue with helping fund under 18s race however over 18 then I'd be questioning what does the club get out of it. But as said that is personal
The club gets people representing and flying the flag, people who are then very likely to volunteer when the club hosts races/events, all of this is good for the image of the club and in turn gives those juniors peers to look up to and learn from. Conversely should a club remove subsidies for all over 18s; club kit, hill climbs, annual BBQ, sportives, CX racing, track riding, training events etc.?
Depends why you want the club to be represented, the level of racing etc. My reasoning for under 18 help is cost, i appreciate familes can have a hard time funding a sport for their children, I was lucky my parents encouraged me to try everything and had the ability to finance it. I however saw children less fortunate but more talented and so would be one to argue for helping them with club funds.
Now if I race, it is my choice, my hobby and I don't expect or want to be indebted to anyone for indulging in it. I'm not sure that many people would look up to a cat 2 racer, they may think, good work, but not aspire to, especially compared to some of the Pro's who local hero's.
If the club was E/Cat1 then maybe I could go with a different argument, but I'm not sure it would change
I generally don't agree with having others pay for my hobbies so a lack of subsidies wouldn't bother me. I know I can run development sessions with BC instructors for very little and have plenty of a small club turn up and so I see no reason in lessening the cost at the expense of those who have no interest or can never attend due to other commitments. Am I (and others) willing to organise these, yes. However it is generally because the person doing so wants to do it themselves.
My experience of clubs being overloaded with volunteers because the club is doing X isn't great. I generally fid (across lots of the local clubs) that the only way to get enough marshals for the races etc is to have a rota which you have to adhere to (or swap with somebody)
However I digress, this is all personal and moves away from the topic point and question. We both have reasonable arguments from different view points and I certainly wouldn't question how a club spends their money as long as they are open about it (which I believe most clubs are).
I do wonder how many clubs charge between £20 and £30 because that is how it everyone else does it and always has been0 -
£20...outrageous...the club treasurer and leaders are pocketing millions in offshore accounts obviously...
you ll be first in line for the soon to be announced FBI investigation.0 -
All you have to ask is it good value for the fee i pay. Most road bikers spend more on brake pads or socks than their membership.0
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I think people seem to be confused with the idea the post was complaining about the £20 cost to wondering where all the money goes.
Explaining that it can be spent on X Y and Z helps explain it, however it doesn't mean the club in question does or their accounts work out.
I know plenty of clubs who are sitting on large surpluses (large is relevant for the club and sport, this isn't Chelsea FC and the prem league) for rainy days, and others who use regular members to subsidise the average racing ability of certain old time members. Who you choose to be a part of is your call, but there is nothing wrong with wanting to know where your pennies are being spent.
Personally I'd have no issue with helping fund under 18s race however over 18 then I'd be questioning what does the club get out of it. But as said that is personal
I'd have thought after all of the expenses that the club has to pay that there wouldn't be much left of the £20 annual fee. Most of the balance we built up in my club was from our popular organised rides - that brought £100s into the club.
What would the OP suggest membership be set at ? £20 sounds more than reasonable - cycling isnt a cheap sport - but joining a club certainly is.0
