Whether you’re a cricket club or a rugby club, chances are the winter season is a great time to make a healthy profit behind the bar and watch some sport while you’re at it.
But how can you really make the most of the winter months and boost your club’s revenue?
How can sports clubs earn more money during the festive season?
The winter season is normally a quiet time for summer sports, with pitches often becoming waterlogged or slippery in the cold weather.
That’s not to stop these clubs from having an incredibly successful winter.
One of our customers, Cookley Sports Club, has developed several innovative ways to keep profits warm when the weather worsens. They run a series of events which includes live music and entertainment. And after sports matches, they put food out afterwards to encourage people to stay for a drink (or several).
They have also recently implemented a new outside food server, which is open for breakfast as people walk their dogs on the nearby fields. Clubs are true community venues and identifying new ways to serve the locals is the key to success.
It’s not unusual for sports clubs to run seasonal events such as bonfires or Christmas gatherings too. This not only brings regular members together but encourages new visitors to come along.
Should “winter” sports be a thing of the past?
Of course, winter sports such as football and rugby are right in the middle of their season during the winter months. There’s an ongoing debate about whether grassroots football should be played during the warmer seasons instead. But, ultimately, this could lead to a lack of audience and even player participation as people prioritise other warm-weather activities and spend time with their families over the holidays.
How to maintain your club during the winter
Golf clubs should be particularly mindful to maintain their courses throughout the winter. Check out our previous blog for our top hints and tips!
Despite football and rugby clubs being active over the winter season, it’s still incredibly important to maintain a pitch-perfect club. It’s not possible to completely weather-proof an outdoor pitch but there are steps you can take to protect it.
My stock increases over Christmas – what do I do?
We understand clubs will naturally need a larger amount of stock to see them through Christmas celebrations. This leads to an increase of money held on-site, particularly as there are less opportunities to bank during the festive season.
That’s why we offer a 100% seasonal increase to customers to allow for these changes. If you’re running an additional event that poses additional risks, you’ll need to give your insurer the heads up too – this won’t be automatically included in the seasonal increase.
Don’t forget that club owners and their staff will still need to comply with the cash in transit condition when carrying money to the bank.
Winter precautions you should consider for your club
Take a look at our blog for top tips on preventing slips and trips and the hazards you need to look out for.
Make sure you have recently completed your risk assessments for the winter, and mitigated risks where possible. If you’re not sure what additional risks to look out for during the winter, you should call our expert team for advice.
