The Camanachd Association announced a financial support package worth up to £32,000 to support members and clubs on Monday 15 March 2021.
The Camanachd Associations Finance Committee met earlier in the week to discuss ways to support the return to shinty and, importantly, remove any barriers that may exist. The challenges faced by communities over the past year are significant and it was the Board of Directors’ goal to reduce costs where possible to make the return to shinty that little bit easier.
The Camanachd Association Board confirmed a 50% reduction in membership fees and went a step further by confirming that every club would also be offered up to five free memberships to support those facing barriers to participation. Clubs will be free to allocate these memberships based on local needs as they will be best placed to understand how to reduce barriers in their communities for a return to shinty.
Delivering On Priorities
Camanachd Association Chief Executive Derek Keir said: “Our core priorities this year are to restart shinty safely and in line with government guidance and to do this in an inclusive way. We believe this reduction in fees and extended support will help clubs continue to play a pivotal role in the community as Scotland recovers from the challenges it has faced.
“The developments in government guidance over the past few days are hugely exciting but the quick turnaround in legislation means that volunteers may need a bit more time to figure things out and digest the guidance as well as adjust their plans in order to restart shinty.
“Whilst we are excited to restart our sport, a key component in our journey is to do this safely to ensure everyone takes a considered approach balancing the desire of participants with the capacity of club coaches and volunteers and placing wellbeing at the top of our agenda for all.”
Membership Changes
In addition to the 50% reduction in membership fees, the Association has also negotiated a decrease in cost from insurers.
This means an adult membership has dropped from £25 to £12 whilst adult insurance has decreased from £21 to £18 meaning the overall cost has come down from £46 to £30.
A student membership has dropped from £21 to £10 whilst student insurance has decreased from £21 to £18 meaning the overall cost has come down from £42 to £28.
Youth membership has dropped from £8 to £4 whilst youth insurance has decreased from £6 to £5 meaning the overall cost has come down from £14 to £9.
Restarting Shinty & Supporting Volunteers
The Camanachd Association also stated its willingness to urge all participants, parents and supporters to be patient and supportive as clubs prepare their covid guidance to restart opportunities to take part. It will take time as clubs prepare guidance for the return of local club-based activities and the Association is encouraging anyone interested to play a supportive role in this process and consider volunteering for their local club now more than ever.
The following guidance is in place for clubs who have verified covid readiness guidance and registered all players.
- Children aged under 12 years can take part in outdoor contact and non-contact organised shinty including training, group exercise and competition within their usual club or facility environment.
- An outdoor sporting ‘field of play bubble’ for under 12s consists of up to 30 people including children and coaches at any one time.
- Adults and youths over 12 years of age can take part in outdoor non-contact organised shinty within their usual club or facility environment.
- Outdoor shinty ‘field of play bubble’ for over 12s is up to 15 people including participants and coaches.
The Camanachd Association’s number one priority has always been restarting our sport. With this financial package, the game’s governing body hopes to have taken the first step in this journey, removing any potential barriers to participation.
Camanachd Association staff, committees and board members are working closely to identify the next steps to support clubs as they progress positively beyond the pandemic.
Anyone requiring support with the membership sign-up process or indeed anything to do with a return to shinty should not hesitate to get in contact with the Camanachd Association staff.