2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
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Charity Information
Charity Name - Bedwell Rangers Football Club
Charity Number - 1131242
Website Address - https://www.bedwellrangersfc.com/
Public Address - 67 Whomerley Road, Stevenage, Herts. SG1 1SS
Trustees (as at 01/06/20) Neil Finch (Chair)
Gary Dempsey
Susan Penn
Peter Webber
Nicola George
Sharon McLean
Jon Pace
Warren Kennedy
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1 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
Chairman’s Report – Neil Finch
The end of another season during which every aspect of all of our lives has been affected by the ongoing pandemic. You might of thought that with the season put on hold a couple of times due to covid restrictions there would have been less going on and times when there was not much work going on behind the scenes when in fact the opposite was true and as always I want to record my appreciation for all the amazing work done by my fellow trustees. The time, effort and emotion put into everything they all do is incredible. It’s not just the time they give but their professionalism that enables the club to function. I’m sometimes frustrated by people within the club be it parents or officials who believe that things just happen and have no appreciation of what is involved because if they did I’m sure they would be much more understanding of how difficult things are made by not supporting the coaches of the teams, not responding to emails or having to be chased for information or registration payments. Fortunately, this frustration is far outweighed by the satisfaction of seeing the smiling faces of the young people at the club as they enjoy the game while making friendships and learning so many life skills.
The smiles on the faces of the players and their loved ones are all put there by the managers, coaches and officials of all our teams. The time, effort and commitment all these people show is what enables us to provide so much for so many in our community. Never underestimate the effect these people are having on the lives of the children in their teams and vice versa. We have many coaches who have been with us for a long time and lots who are new and just starting their coaching journey; they all have my appreciation and admiration.
The standing of Bedwell Rangers within the community remains as high as ever and coming out of lockdown has resulted in a huge rise in the number of children who want to start playing football at the club with applications averaging more than 2 a day resulting in a current waiting list of approximately 200 children. It’s never been more important for us to rise to the challenge of giving playing opportunities to as many of these children as we possibly can. In the last few months, I’ve been coaching about 100 children a week and I’ve seen a big increase in the number of children who seem to be struggling emotionally and mentally. While we aren’t trained to fully deal with these issues, I’m 100% sure that spending time with friends and playing football benefits them all immensely. To provide opportunities for all those who want to play football requires just two things, a place to play and a coach to coach them. Our main focus for the past few months has been to increase the training slots available to us. No stone has been left unturned, but demand far outweighs supply and there is no doubt the town is woefully short of facilities meaning our options are very limited. However, we will be doing our very best to make sure we can secure what we can. We have longer term plans and I’m sure the future will be bright for the club.
We are more than just a football club and I believe we are second to none when it comes to what we provide. A great example of this is the Youth Forum headed up by Nicky and the recent Junior Coaches Level 1 Coaching Course is a demonstration of the great additional things we can do for the benefit of the amazing young people in the club. In the coming months I want to build on the pre-Covid momentum we had with regard to social and fundraising events and I’m looking forward to seeing as many people involved as possible.
I don’t want to forget that during the past year there have been some very sad times and loved ones have been lost which has affected many people within the club. My heart goes out to everyone who has had to endure loss and sadness during these unprecedented times. As a club we are always there to offer any support we can.
There is no doubt that we have some huge challenges ahead, but I know the Bedwell Rangers Family will come together to drive us forward to even bigger and better things.
2 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
Secretary’s Report – Sharon McLean
Well what a season! COVID has once again given us another season of uncertainty, with a stop start season! Another null and voided season for majority of leagues but was ended with 8 great weeks of football, with a great final from our U14 JPL team.
I personally had great pleasure going out and watching teams training and playing matches in those 8 weeks, seeing the children and adults back doing what they all love and enjoy was truly enjoyable. Here is hoping 2021/22 season will bring some normality back to football for everyone.
I would like to personally thank all of my fellow trustees for all of their hard work throughout the pandemic, behind the scenes things didn't really stop. I am very lucky to work alongside an amazing team of people who work so hard at everything they do to make this club the successful one that it is.
I would also like to thank all the manager, coaches and assistance for all their support this season, responding to emails and keeping teams together and motivated during uncertain times.
Treasurers Report – Sue Penn
This year has seen a difficult time for families, communities and the economy, and Bedwell Rangers hasn’t been immune to any of those impacts. Whilst we haven’t been able to provide football on a regular basis, nor enjoy any social events due to the pandemic, we have been financially sound enough to meet the contracted requirements the club are committed to and able to offer significantly reduced registration fees for the 21/22 season for existing players (not owing outstanding fees) due to a reduction in pitch fees / ref fees payable. Sadly, the coming season will see my last at the club due to personal reasons after 12 years at the club, starting as a parent, then admin and holding the post as Treasurer for the last 7 years. I am delighted to say that a volunteer has already offered to take over my role and this season will see a full handover made in readiness for the future.
On another sad note, the past season has seen the passing of our independent auditor, Tony Grieves. Tony had a long-standing affiliation with Bedwell Rangers with his son Craig, being a player and a trustee for years. He played an instrumental role in the soundness and viability of the club’s future and a huge help to me personally, gone but never forgotten.
I would like to thank all those that volunteer at the club; the coaches, managers, parents and trustees, all of whom play a key part in the success that has been Bedwell Rangers since 1959 and whom make BRFC a club to be proud of.
3 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
Please find below the budget for the coming season (2021/22) and the provisional accounts for season 2020/21.
Proposed Budget 2021/22
| Income | Proposed 21/22 Budget | 20/21 Budget | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registrations | £40,750.00 | £72,000.00 | ||||
| Sponsorship | £6,000.00 | £5,000.00 | ||||
| Misc. Income | £500.00 | £1,500.00 | ||||
| Gift Aid | £6,000.00 | £6,000.00 | ||||
| Presentation Day | £0.00 | £1,000.00 | ||||
| Fines Repaid | £200.00 | £0.00 | ||||
| Donations | £750.00 | £1,000.00 | ||||
| Arsenal Tickets | £0.00 | £600.00 | ||||
| Grants | £0.00 | £2,000.00 | ||||
| Club Fundraising | £3,000.00 | £6,500.00 | ||||
| 3rd PartyFundraising | £0.00 | £0.00 | ||||
| Payto Play | £3,000.00 | £0.00 | ||||
| CRY Reserves | £0.00 | £7,500.00 | ||||
| £60,200.00 | £103,100.00 | |||||
| Expenditure | Proposed 21/22 Budget | 20/21 Budget | ||||
| Arsenal Ladies | £0.00 | £600.00 | ||||
| Administration | £1,000.00 | £750.00 | ||||
| Club Equipment | £2,500.00 | £1,500.00 | ||||
| Courses | £1,500.00 | £1,500.00 | ||||
| CRB/First Aid/Safe | £1,500.00 | £1,500.00 | ||||
| Donations | £250.00 | £1,000.00 | ||||
| General Kit | £8,000.00 | £13,650.00 | ||||
| SponsorshipKit | £5,000.00 | £8,000.00 | ||||
| Managers Kit | £3,000.00 | £3,750.00 | ||||
| Fines | £600.00 | £750.00 | ||||
| Gift Aid Expenses | £0.00 | £100.00 | ||||
| Insurance | £1,000.00 | £3,000.00 | ||||
| League Registrations | £1,500.00 | £5,000.00 | ||||
| Pitch Fees | £10,000.00 | £8,000.00 | ||||
| Presentation 2020 | £6,000.00 | £7,000.00 | ||||
| Referees Fees | £9,000.00 | £7,000.00 | ||||
| Misc. Expenditure | £500.00 | £3,500.00 | ||||
| School Pitch Fees/Training | £50,000.00 | £29,000.00 | ||||
| CRY | £7,500.00 | £7,500.00 | ||||
| Direct Debit Charges | £1,000.00 | £0.00 | ||||
| Coaches Portal | £1,250.00 | £0.00 | ||||
| £ 111,100.00 | £112,800.00 |
4 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
Bedwell Rangers Football Club - Charity number 1131242 Provisional Income and Expenditure Statement
1st June 2020 - 31st May 2021
| 2019/20 2020/21 £ Income £ 66,265.81 Registrations 2019/20 82,101.68 6,310.00 Sponsorship 6,955.00 2,865.10 Misc. Income 104.87 6,766.76 Gift Aid 6,469.68 561.71 Presentation Day 0.00 80.00 Fines Repaid 217.00 580.00 Donations 0.00 203.00 Arsenal Ladies 0.00 2,400.00 Grants 3,360.00 0.00 Team Fundraising 154.80 3,885.00 60th Ball 0.00 89,417.38 Total Income 99,363.03 Expenditure 701.25 Arsenal Ladies 0.00 370.04 Administration 660.64 0.00 Club Equipment 5,531.04 1,145.00 Courses 1,297.50 1,091.00 CRB/First Aid/Safe 400.00 450.00 Donations 100.00 18,055.25 Kit & Equipment 9.919.80 8,018.15 Sponsorship Expenditure 11,703.75 4,476.75 Managers Kit 2,578.80 559.00 Fines 277.00 1,251.53 Insurance 788.67 3,422.50 League Registrations 1,290.00 3,439.94 Council Pitch Fees 1,653.10 29,175.99 School Pitch Fees / Training 24,832.19 110.75 Presentation Day 3,247.95 7,165.00 Referees Fees 3,846.00 3,879.40 Misc. Expenditure 126.07 0.00 Direct Debit Charges 1,927.32 293.33 Registration Refunds 322.00 1,352.25 Team Fundraising 0.00 5,804.77 60th Ball 0.00 90,811.90 Total Expenditure 70,501.83 |
2019/20 2020/21 £ Income £ 66,265.81 Registrations 2019/20 82,101.68 6,310.00 Sponsorship 6,955.00 2,865.10 Misc. Income 104.87 6,766.76 Gift Aid 6,469.68 561.71 Presentation Day 0.00 80.00 Fines Repaid 217.00 580.00 Donations 0.00 203.00 Arsenal Ladies 0.00 2,400.00 Grants 3,360.00 0.00 Team Fundraising 154.80 3,885.00 60th Ball 0.00 89,417.38 Total Income 99,363.03 Expenditure 701.25 Arsenal Ladies 0.00 370.04 Administration 660.64 0.00 Club Equipment 5,531.04 1,145.00 Courses 1,297.50 1,091.00 CRB/First Aid/Safe 400.00 450.00 Donations 100.00 18,055.25 Kit & Equipment 9.919.80 8,018.15 Sponsorship Expenditure 11,703.75 4,476.75 Managers Kit 2,578.80 559.00 Fines 277.00 1,251.53 Insurance 788.67 3,422.50 League Registrations 1,290.00 3,439.94 Council Pitch Fees 1,653.10 29,175.99 School Pitch Fees / Training 24,832.19 110.75 Presentation Day 3,247.95 7,165.00 Referees Fees 3,846.00 3,879.40 Misc. Expenditure 126.07 0.00 Direct Debit Charges 1,927.32 293.33 Registration Refunds 322.00 1,352.25 Team Fundraising 0.00 5,804.77 60th Ball 0.00 90,811.90 Total Expenditure 70,501.83 |
|
|---|---|---|
| 90,811.90 Total Expenditure 70,501.83 |
5 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
| -1,394.52 Net Income 28,861.20 |
|
|---|---|
| General Funds 69,108.82 Opening Balance b/f Main 67,714.30 -1,394.52 Movement inyear Main 28,861.20 |
|
| 67,714.30 Closing balance 96,575.50 |
|
| Fund Raising Account 1,819.63 Opening Balance b/f Main 1,686.23 -133.40 Movement inyear Fund -425.44 |
|
| 1,686.23 Closing balance 1,260.79 Club Fund Raising 0.00 Opening Balance b/f Main 5,501.42 5,501.42 Movement inyear Main 0.00 |
|
| 5,501.42 Closing balance 5,501.42 Being 0.00 Total Outstanding Cheques 37,350.84 Current Account 66,192.95 30,292.46 Savings Account 30,311.55 1,686.23 Fundraising A/C 1,260.79 5,501.42 Club Fundraising 5,501.42 71.00 PettyCash Balance 71.00 |
|
| 74,901.95 Total Funds Available 103,337.71 |
|
6 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
– Registration Secretary Gary Dempsey
Last season we ended with 627 players, which was a considerable increase from the previous season and was a return to the numbers shown 2 seasons ago. The numbers would have been higher had the ladies’ team not folded.
The following shows the breakdown of player numbers
| 2020-21 | 2019-20 | 2018-19 | 2017-18 | 2016-17 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Girls | 192 | 168 | 196 | 179 | 185 |
| VETS | 21 | - | - | - | - |
| Ladies | 0 | 15* | 15 | 20 | |
| Boys | 376 | 300 | 313 | 305 | 341 |
| Inclusive | 38 | 31 | 32 | 37 | 21 |
Squad numbers have increased, and I expect this trend to continue next season.
| GIRLS | BOYS | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| U5G | 2 | U5 | 24 |
| U6G | 6 | U6 | 17 |
| U7G | 9 | U7 Dortmund | 21 |
| U8G | 13 | U8 Juve | 9 |
| U9 Dragons | 11 | U8 Napoli | 7 |
| U10 Dragons | 16 | U9 Boas | 10 |
| U11 Athletico | 21 | U9 Corinthians | 10 |
| U12 Dragons | 11 | U9 Cruziero | 9 |
| U12 Phoenix | 16 | U9 Flamengos | 12 |
| U13 Dragons | 13 | U9 Palmerias | 10 |
| U13 Phoenix | 13 | U9 Santos | 10 |
| U14 Amazons | 17 | U10 Lazio | 12 |
| U15 Comets | 15 | U10 Milan | 10 |
| U16 Reds | 15 | U10 Roma | 12 |
| U18D | 14 | U11 Barca | 13 |
| 192 | U11 Juve | 12 | |
| U11 Real | 12 | ||
| Inclusive | 38 | U12 Albion | 11 |
| U12 Athletic | 14 | ||
| U12 | |||
| Vets | 21 | Wanderers | 15 |
| U14 Bulldogs | 14 | ||
| U13 Jaguars | 17 | ||
| U14 Panthers | 18 | ||
| U14 Tigers | 16 | ||
| U14 JPL | 11 | ||
| U15 Galaxy | 15 | ||
| U15 Impact | 18 | ||
| U18 Reds | 17 | ||
| 376 |
To ensure a clean set of records we decided to reset all data on the registration portal. At the time of writing more parents agreed to gift aid their registration fees.
7 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
The work needed for the Whole Game System during July and August was immense with registrations taking up to 5 minutes per registration. This was due to the under capacity of the WGS, something the FA had apparently resolved, but time will only tell. It is essential that parents realise the importance of supplying correct documentation and photos are provided for all registrations.
During lock down parents continued to pay their registration fees. This was essential, as it ensured that we were able to maintain payments to contracts that had fixed term payments.
However, we have a serious situation with some parents who have not paid and refuse to acknowledge correspondence. The trustees are aware of a coach and assistant who made no payments and action will be taken to refuse registrations to the children of these parents. Their actions are unreasonable and unfair to parents who have made all payments, even whilst suffering financial difficulties.
The result of parents paying their fees will mean all players who signed last season and paid their fees in full, will now pay a restricted fee in most cases of £50. This will not apply to all squads where expenses are high, but these squad fees will also be greatly reduced, this will only be for one season. Players who registered late last year did not pay in full and all new players will pay the new fees that will increase £10 across the board next season.
I have an offer from a parent to help with next seasons registrations and I will be following this up in the coming weeks.
Registrations will begin in the first week in July, so please start collecting photos. The new registration form will have details of kit that is supplied to players and parents will have to sign their acceptance that kit is owned by the club.
8 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
Kit and Equipment Officer – Jon Pace
Taking over a new role in a worldwide pandemic can only be described as interesting. First off thanks to Craig Grieves for handing over all the information he had for previous years, this at least gave me some confidence as to what my starting point was, and also being available with advice and help as needed in the early days.
I will apologise to all players, parents, sponsors and officials for any delays with regards to kit and supply we have had during this period. Umbro Teamwear have really struggled with kit availability during the pandemic, and although it has improved during 2nd and 3rd lockdowns, it is still far from ideal and lead times for basic kit are far too long for both my and the trustees liking at present. As a club we are working hard to rectify this and in the future periods we will looking to carry more stock of kit where possible.
We are now at the end of the second season of our kit contract with Umbro, and despite the supply issues, as a club we are still happy with the actual kits. One of the initial selling points of the kit we chose is that it is a range that will not go out of date, so by the time we are through the 3rd year of the cycle, we will have lots of spares, so we should be able to patch up team kits, a lot easier than present. We have also taken the decision to change the officials kit this season to a black T-Shirt as opposed to a Polo shirt, due to it being smarter in appearance and also harder wearing.
As kits are on a three year cycle, it is worth reminding everyone including parents, that this is how long the kit should last. When you order kits for your players, you should be reminding the parents of this, whilst it is not an exact science, please do not hesitate to ask any advice on what size kits to order. The club will know from history what sizes teams have ordered in the past and whether it has worked. The other thing we need to drum into parents is that the kit remains property of the club at all times, so if a player leaves the club all kit must be returned without exception.
When I originally took possession of the club storage facility, it was a bit overwhelming to see what the club had hoarded over the years, however thanks to all the Trustees and their families who have helped, clear out, sort out and throw out any unusable old or unsuitable equipment and especially the kids who helped sort out old Joma kit that was donated to Africa via one of our sponsors Ace Hose and Hydraulics. For me this is exactly how a local community charity such as ourselves should be working with local partners and building relationships.
It is my long term aim that we try and re-use as much as we can within the local community and as such, we have already donated several old footballs to Featherstone Wood school after being approached by one of our coaches who was going into the school to coach.
Whilst on schools, it was a pleasure this year to get real high quality goals in place at our new venue at Giles. When you look at the quality of these, it shows what pride we put in building relationships with our venues. I’m confident that you will not find betting fixtures and fittings than this at any other Primary school in Stevenage. Thanks to Larry and Dan at Giles for taking the time out of a weekend to help put these goals together, along with several parents from U12 Dragons.
Another long term challenge for myself, is for the club to be able to invest in more equipment, outside the standard equipment that is provided to all managers, so that we could offer out rebound nets, mannequins or similar on a short basis so that managers could take advantage of something like this to vary sessions, however this is a long term aim, and not something we will look at for the forthcoming season due to reduced signing on fees for 2021/22,
One of the other positives this year was to change from bog standard, generic, end of season trophies to personalised medals, the original process was challenging due to Covid, however the feedback I received on these was excellent, and feel these gave a more rewarding end of season memento. Plans are now well underway for the current season.
After the success of this, the club will soon be moving into a little bit of Bedwell Rangers merchandise, whilst the club will hopefully turn a small profit on this activity I would like to really see our logo out there in the
9 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
community. This will be starting out with Umbrellas and Towels, and hopefully moving onto hats/beanies before the winter. If anyone has any other ideas on what the club could look at selling in future, please let me know. The club have already liaised with the youth forum for ideas.
For the upcoming season, all managers who will be going up a size in football will be contacted in due course about swapping over your current balls. Your old balls will all need to be returned, so we can recycle any balls in good condition within the club, or donate these elsewhere as appropriate. If you are in need of any other items such as First Aid Kits or Ice Packs please let me know. Teams who are due are in line for a new kit emails will go out once the registration portal opens and we can confirm teams are viable.
Thanks to everyone who has made this role an enjoyable position in my first year, it is a demanding, timeconsuming role, but like the majority of things relating to Grassroots football, the positives far outweigh the negatives. A personal highlight of mine is to see how many of our youngest players that we have put in Bedwell kit for the first ever time. Seeing a sea of Red at training with the youngest female players on Thursday night is really rewarding.
Fixtures and Pitch Co-Ordinator – Peter Webber
10 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
My third full season in the role saw us continue to build on the work we had done in the previous seasons adding more venue capacity to be able to offer all teams more training space than they had the previous season while still having capacity for new teams.
In the summer we added Giles School to our venues for both training and matches. We have exclusive use of this venue and with its addition allowed us to finally be able to offer our older teams U13’s and above more space for training.
We still have several logistical issues at all venues primarily around parking and we need to continue to provide reminders to managers and parents to make sure club members only park in marked bays and only disabled bays when a blue badge is shown.
On the pitch side, following the return from the first Covid lockdown the pitches were in a good state compared to other years, we continue to have overuse issues on the Marriotts grass pitches with these also not being repaired over the summer months by the school meaning in some areas despite no football being played there was still no grass and dips in the pitches.
The last few seasons have seen us not lose as many teams at the older age groups and thus there is a need for more 11v11 pitches both Junior and Senior this also pushes our budget as we only have one 11v11 senior and one 11v11 junior pitch available to the club at our existing venues, meaning we need to continue to use council facilities. This was a particular problem when we returned following the third lockdown as our 11v11 pitch at Nobel had been replaced by an athletics track. This meant that all senior 11v11 games had to be played at council facilities.
The Coronavirus pandemic has continued to affect the amount of training and games our teams have been able do, the first lockdown ending in June but venues remaining closed saw all teams having to use parks for there social distanced training. Our venues were able to open in September following strict government guidelines including us having limited spectators and track and trace.
A second lockdown in November followed a brief return to football in December were despite the weather we tried to keep the pitches open as much as possible to allow the kids to keep playing. A third lockdown just before Christmas saw no football until the start of April at which point, we had a full schedule right the way through to the end of May.
We are hopeful that next season will be unaffected by Covid and that they only reasons games are called off are due to adverse weather. I am looking forward to continuing my role for the 2021/22 season with the club.
Child Welfare Office – Nicky George
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2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
I think we have all looked back at this year and can agree that it wasn’t the year that we wanted. However, we are already starting to work our way towards ‘normal’ and kick-starting our brilliant ambitions that were put on hold due to Covid.
No.1 priority has always been about getting everyone back playing football and I’m delighted that we have been able to achieve this. Covid has not been easy, in fact, it was like learning a whole new job!!! So this was a massive team effort of people chipping in with their interpretation of the constantly changing rules. Particular thanks do go to Sharon McLean, Jon Pace and Neil Finch who were the Covid working party.
It is difficult to reflect on such a disjointed season. We have had a few issues, but all been dealt with as they come, so I’m keen to talk about how what I would like to work on this year. Now we are reaching a period of stability, here is what we must do:
QUALIFICATIONS
Because of Covid, this quite frankly has been a mess. The FA extended some things, not others, then they did, then they didn’t. You can see why it was a little admin nightmare for me and I may not have always got it right. Thanks to those that have been patient and supported and given me a little nudge where needed.
DBS
Sometimes this takes our volunteers by surprise. It shouldn’t. You will receive an email from WGS 3 months in advance. As soon as you get this, please action. A couple of points of note: it is your responsibility to keep your email address up to date on WGS; if you let your DBS expire, you will be temporarily suspended by Herts FA and BRFC will support this.
First Aid / Safeguarding
These are now online. Whilst not ideal and personally not my preferred way of learning, it does mean we have a massive opportunity to get everyone qualified. Please support me in making this happen and book yourself on these courses.
Introduction to Football / Level One
Again, this is now online. If this is something you are hoping to achieve, please book yourself on this course. Remember, BRFC will pay 50% on completion and then a further 25% after one year.
I fully appreciate that these points above are not the most exciting, but it essential for us to be Charter Standard club. Please take ownership of your qualifications.
YOUTH FORUM
I love being part of the Youth Forum (YF) and I’m absolutely delighted that we were able to re-start our meetings. Our members are AMAZING and they have come back with gusto! Their ideas are brilliant, they are lively, funny and keep me on my toes. We only met last week, so in the very near future I will be putting forward their ambitions for the coming season.
One thing that we have been able to achieve, is that finally, we are putting our coaches through their ‘level one’. This has been 2 years in the making and delayed for 15 months. Now it is finally happening, I am buzzing for our young coaches. They will be given the opportunity to learn warm up activities, how to control and vary a session amongst other key skills that they may need.
You will know who these young coaches are as they will be given a coaching kit of their own to wear proudly. If you are interested in mentoring one of our junior coaches, please let me know. Special thanks to James Donkin of JD Football and our U14 JPL team coach for writing and delivering this session for us.
To sign off, again, it is with sadness that we can’t have a presentation day. I’ve always said that of course we celebrate the children and their achievements, but we must never forget the effort of all of our volunteers.
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2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
Managers, Coaches, Admin, Match Day Delegate, Covid Officer and of course the Trustees themselves. (and I’ve probably missed a few)! You are the reason we not only keep going but we keep growing!
We couldn’t do it without you. THANK YOU.
Head of Boys Football – Peter Webber
I had the pleasure following the last AGM of taking up the role of Head of Boys football for the club following the departure of my predecessor Neil. This first season in the role was a season severely affected by Covid and two national lockdowns meaning that our teams were unable to train or play games.
Following the return from, the first lockdown we were able to retain most of the boys teams that we had before Covid however, the lockdown had affected some of the interest, some of the clubs players had in playing football which meant these boys did not return at least initially.
Despite all the covid restrictions we were able to start the season and had for the first-time teams playing in the Junior Premier League (an elite level league) alongside boy’s teams continuing in the HDL, Royston Crow and Mid Herts Leagues.
Unfortunately, a second and then a third national lockdown in the winter months meant that our teams had to stop playing again until Easter at which point the leagues returned in full with fixtures right the way through to June. Only one of our boys teams decided not to return to the league arranged games due to concerns over the pandemic and for the teams that did return we had a number of successes that we are proud of.
Our U15’s moved from Royston Crow to Mid Herts at the start of the season and enjoyed much more success with the fairer split of leagues with more mixed results than in recent years. Our U15’s Impact finished top of their table after all games were played and in normal seasons, they would have been officially crowned league winners.
Our under 14 JPL team had a wonderful season as a team in their first season at the club, they have made everyone proud with a run to the National Final in the JPL cup unfortunately suffering a narrow defeat in an entertaining final.
We continue to have a great intake in our younger age groups as well which bodes well for the future as these teams move to the older age groups.
In a season interrupted by covid the number of issues for the trustees to deal with have been less than in normal seasons, we do continue to have some discipline issues in our older age groups that we are looking to solve with clearer rules and understanding among the players what happens if they do not follow them.
At the time of writing we know we will be losing at least one team next season as our U12 Athletic team will not be continuing for season 2021/22 we have successfully been able to find places at the remaining two teams in the age group for the players that wanted to remain at the club and I would like to thank Paul and the rest of his coaches on behalf of the club for the hard work they have put into the team over the years.
I am looking forward already to the 2021/22 season and hoping that this is one that is not affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Head of Girls Football – Neil Finch
13 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
2020-21 Annual Report of the Trustees for the charity known as Bedwell Rangers Football Club Registration 1131242
At the end of another strange season due to the pandemic I want to recognise all the coaches and officials of our girls and ladies teams for the great efforts they have shown during the past year. You are all very much appreciated by the club and I’m sure the players and their families as well.
There has never been a greater demand for opportunities for girls to start playing football and our numbers are increasing week by week. Thankfully, there were less unwanted issues throughout the season than previously.
My greatest satisfactions from the season are the amount of girls we have joining the club as young as three years old and the number of new coaches we have for the very youngest age groups, but we still need more to step forward if we are to register as many teams in the leagues as I would like…we definitely have enough players to do so.
I’m also really pleased with the number of players from the girl’s teams who are performing the role of Junior Coach. These girls are doing a great job of coaching and inspiring the younger players they are interacting with.
Going forward I want to remain the best club locally for girls to play football at and ensure we never turn away a girl that wants to play the game.
– Sponsorship Officer Warren Kennedy
Another exciting season has come to a close which saw Bedwell Rangers FC sponsorship partners continue to support.
We exit 2020/21 season with a total of 21 (45 teams) with active sponsors.
It should be noted that the entire club benefits form the sponsorship dues that are received and not just the team carrying the sponsors logo; therefore if you are a Manager of a squad that is unsponsored I urge you to assign yourself a goal of identifying and obtaining a sponsor (2 years) for the coming season. It should be the collective goal of the entire club to have all teams/squads at least assigned to a single sponsor.
Enjoy the summer, and please ensure that any interested party who are looking to support and sponsor a real grass root team are directed for my attention.
Teams Currently Sponsored
14 | P a g e Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Registration 1131242
Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees and members of Bedwell Rangers Football Club – Charity Number 1131242 for the year ended 31 May 2021 which are set out on pages 1 to 14.
Respective responsibilities of officers and examiners
As the charity’s trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
It is my responsibility to examine the accounts to ensure that they have been prepared in accordance with general accounting principles and to state whether any matters have come to my attention.
Basis of Independent examiner’s report
An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Club and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from you as officers concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair view’, and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination and confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and contents of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Neil Heyes FCA Independent Examiner
Rayner Essex Chartered Accountants Faulkner House Victoria Street St Albans Hertfordshire AL1 3SE
Date 31 March 2022