Interclub Volume 27 Issue 2 2021

3 INTERCLUB • VOLUME 27, ISSUE 2 - 2021 Terry Ray - President, Clubs New Zealand Email: terry.ray@xtra.co.nz ‘We’re all in this together’ $2m grant helps bring relief from pandemic C L U B l i f e : n e w s MANAGING DIRECTOR James Lynch james@water fordpress.co.nz EDITOR Nick Gormack 03 983 5505 nick@water fordpress.co.nz JOURNALISTS Sue Russell, Karen Phelps, ADVERTISING Dave McKee 03 983 5518 davem@waterfordpress.co.nz PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT General Manager Luke Lynch luke@water fordpress.co.nz Graphic Artists Connor Gosnell, Anton Gray, Nick King, Sophie McCleary, Liki Udam. 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Corrections made by telephone shall be accepted but the Company reserves the right to decide whether a further proof should be faxed or mailed to the client. Accounts for advertising are due for payment within seven days of publication of the newspaper. Accounts not paid within this time may incur a penalty of 3% per month until the account is paid. Any debt collection costs incurred by the Company will be added to the account of the debtor. Views and opinions expressed in Interclub are not necessarily those of the editors, Waterford Press Ltd or publisher. Interclub welcomes contributions from freelance writers & journalists. All articles published at editors discretion. Interclub accepts no responsibilty for loss of photos or manuscripts. 21 IC2 With Christmas approaching Covid-19 will no doubt mean it is not business as usual. T here’s no doubt the hospitality industry is operating in very challenging times. Delta, as the government keeps saying, has changed everything. Clubs were just star ting to recover from the previous lockdown so this last one has been a blow to many. For Auckland operators it has obviously been even more difficult. The Delta Aler t Level 2 restrictions have proved tough making it uneconomic for many clubs to open their doors. Added to the fact that we have not been able to operate any of our spor ting activities, which many come to clubs to enjoy, it’s been a double whammy. So what can we do in unprecedented times? Firstly don’t be afraid to apply for any subsidies you are eligible for to help get your club through. Wage subsidies and business resurgence payments can be lifesavers to help you and your staff weather the storm. Head office has been doing a great job of getting the information out and just call the 0800 number if you need extra assistance We know fixed costs do not go away just because the club is closed. The pandemic has shown the impor tance of being able to pivot and think outside the square. Some clubs have found that click and collect meals have provided some much-needed cashflow during lockdowns. Let’s keep thinking of and sharing new ideas to help each other get through. We also know times like this are stressful so don’t be afraid to just pick up the phone if you feel you need some emotional suppor t – we’re here to help in whatever way we can. And of course be mindful that your staff are also operating under more stressful circumstances when levels do allow us to open our doors. There will no doubt be requirements to wear masks, sanitise and social distance. We’re all in this together so it’s impor tant to look out for each other and do whatever we can do to help each other. With the vaccination roll out 2022 should be easier. I encourage you to all get your jabs as soon as you can so we can get back to some sense of normality. Help your staff to get their as well by making it as easy as you can for them to book in and have the time to do it. It’s our best defence against Covid-19 right now and the more people who are vaccinated the less likelihood fur ther lockdowns will be in the future. Head office continues to make government aware of the special nature of clubs and that they need protecting for the benefit of the community and that targeted suppor t is necessary. As not-for- profit, community-based organisations we provide connection and belonging to over 300,000 New Zealanders. We will continue to work hard on your behalf to make your voice heard. The right systems will also play a par t in helping to assist clubs to continue to be successful through all the uncer tainty. Trials of our ClubPos till system by our technical manager Leigh Williams have proved successful and we envisage this will star t to roll out to clubs star ting later this year. It will give us better control over this impor tant aspect of our business and means we can offer better backup and suppor t when clubs need it. We are also hoping pricing will also be more attractive, which will be a real benefit in these challenging times. Covid-19 has also shown the real benefits of banding together with other likeminded organisations like RSAs. Out of 103 RSAs nationwide 98 are now members of Clubs New Zealand. We recognise there are many synergies between our organisations and it makes sense to ensure we can both operate efficiently and assist each other where possible and look forward to exploring the potential of this relationship fur ther once lockdown restrictions end. As we head into the Christmas season remember the power of tools such as social media, par ticularly facebook, to keep in touch with your members and let them know what great events you have coming up. Great communication matters in difficult times and no doubt many people will be ready to kick their heels up and have some fun and we cer tainly look forward to welcoming them through our doors again. Having just completed my first year as ratified president of ClubsNZ I would like to thank my vice chair Dave Dalton and my fellow board members for their suppor t and dedication to the club movement. To the team at head office - Larry, Lucy, Michelle, Dave, Keith and Leigh - your effor ts do not go unnoticed. We are very for tunate to have such a team of like-minded people working for this association, especially during these Covid times. It’s been a whirlwind year with many challenges but I feel very privileged to have been able to help the movement to navigate these trying times. I’m especially looking forward to seeing more of you face to face at the Club Managers Conference in November at Whangamata Club and the Annual Conference and AGM in 2022 at Club Hastings. Finally I’d like to personally thank you all for your hard work and dedication during 2021. Nga mihi mo te Kirihimete Wishing you a very Happy Christmas T he one topic on all our minds at the moment is Covid-19. From an RSA perspective it’s brought both negatives and positives. The RSA was extremely for tunate to receive a $2m grant from the government due to the challenges brought by the pandemic. This has allowed us to suppor t our veterans in ways, which we would never have imagined possible previously and we are extremely grateful for the government suppor t. A big shout out to our national office, district and local suppor t managers, district presidents and local RSA’s who all put in a lot of work to get the word out to those who might benefit from the suppor t and process the applications. It allowed us to assist a huge amount of people and their lives are forever transformed for the better as a result. There are the veterans we assisted up the East Coast who were getting their drinking water by collecting rainwater from the roof. They received a grant to help build a new healthy water supply. There were others with physical challenges that needed adjustments made to their homes so they could live more comfor tably. These are just a couple of the good news stories that have, inadver tently, come about as a result of the pandemic. The recent lockdown also gave us the oppor tunity to be of real assistance to our membership. The RSA has had 19,000 direct contacts with members during lockdowns and offered 400-500 direct suppor ts. This is something we can be hugely proud of. With the vaccination roll out in full swing we encourage everyone to get their jab as soon as possible. It’s an easy way to keep not only ourselves safe but also our loved ones and the wider community. If anyone is facing challenges getting to a vaccination centre then please contact your district suppor t manager or your regular RSA suppor t person who will be more than happy to assist you to get there. The negatives facing the organisation are obvious: Covid-19 has brought huge challenges in terms of lockdowns and having to mothball RSA venues. The testing times will be on going and we will continue to offer our suppor t in any way possible to ensure RSAs are able to get back on their feet again as quickly as possible. While we have always focused strongly on veterans following their service, we are now also increasingly focusing on how we can better serve our current serving veteran personnel. Covid-19 has placed unique stress on many as it’s seen personnel deployed to MIQ facilities around the country, which has meant extra time away from loved ones and more disruption to family life. Many have also obviously faced emotionally tense and stressful situations assisting people in the MIQ facilities who in turn are also experiencing unique stress in managed isolation. The RSA is focusing on engaging more with our current veteran personnel to see how we can best assist the challenges they encounter today and we are putting aside specific financial suppor t to help alleviate some of the pressures being faced. With Christmas approaching Covid-19 will no doubt mean it is not business as usual. For example this year our Christmas parcels destined for those serving overseas will be packed in more controlled conditions. These packages make a huge difference and help to show our appreciation in a tangible way for the huge sacrifices and difference our personnel are making to keep Kiwis safe and make the world a better place. This Christmas things may not be the same due to the pandemic but we hope with the commitment we are all giving to eradicate Covid-19 we will return to a more normal life in 2022, whatever that new normal may look like.