Philip Coombs Clubs Forum August 2012 Y ACHTING VICTORIA PARTICIPATION WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR CLUBS ?

YA National Participation Program Discover Sailing Sailability Tackers

YV Participation Program Development of State Participation Plan Participation committee Roll out of plan modules

Participation Plan A plan for the development of participation within member clubs which leads to increasing membership. Definition of participation, “ To take part in an event or activity “

Participation Plan Objectives Scope to cover, – New prospective members – Retention of existing members To develop and implement an integrated plan for the activities of YV an its member clubs. Present cohesive plan to both public and government. Increase participation levels in clubs which leads to increased membership through new membership and higher membership retention. Develop, lodge and lobby for significant funding proposals to state government to support unfunded participation plan programs. To fully integrate with National participation program

Key elements of Plan Development of plan with club involvement and support. Include funding proposals to government. Already have state and federal funding for parts of the plan. Progressive development of individual programs. Clubs can take on one or all programs on offer. Will include marketing and education to clubs. Requires integration with YV and clubs strategic Plans Must include internal and external promotion program. Specific programs

Specific Priority Programs Discover sailing Tackers Youth Sailability Girls/Womens program Volunteer development Membership

Other programs/activities Coaching Social sailing i.e Twilight Recreational sailing / boating ( rallies, cruising in company, destination events ) Facilities development Green fleet Racing/competition (club, state, national, world events) Social program

Programs currently being rolled out Tackers. Discover Sailing Womens / Girls program Sailability Progress of these will be reported on separately.

Participation committee Has representation from 6 clubs Designed and Commenced survey process. Developing new programs, currently under development, – Membership – Youth – Volunteerism

Youth Program Youth participation and membership levels and growth is one of the biggest issues we have which must be rectified for the future of our clubs and the sport. Program to have the following components, – High performance program such as Youth Development squad – Regular racing program at clubs – Schools program into curriculums – Schools team racing – Gybers ( new ) youth participation program – Green fleet development – Integration with class programs

What is “Gybers”? Participation program for Youth aged 15 to 19 year olds Club owned or managed fleets, choice of boats at club discretion To be program focused not boat i.e same program no matter what boats used Structured program to be developed by Yachting Victoria and run by clubs.

Gybers Concept Program Specific programs for girls, boys and mixed. Proposed concept to include, – 6 to 8 week blocks – Fee based on blocks ( user pays -member / non member pricing ) – Multiple race formats ( Fleet, match, teams ) – Program to have high fun focus,structured activities and social element. – Program to include team and social activities not just sailing – Coaching may be optional element for certain clubs

Volunteer Development Program Sourcing non members to become volunteer members. Looking after volunteers. Importance of volunteers Strategies to effectively manage volunteers Sourcing volunteers from existing membership base

Membership Program Developed with specific objective to assist clubs to increase membership. Key strategy to increase retention rates Develop strategies for clubs to grow membership from participation programs.

Measuring Participation Definition “ no of people involved in an event per day “ Stage one initial measurement assessment has been started and will be concluded over next few months. Analysis of the data collected. Presentation of report on findings and recommended actions for YV and Clubs Must be used by clubs for benchmarking

What clubs can do? Support and provide input into the ongoing development of the plan. Complete participation survey. Pro active take up of programs relevant to their club and inclusion into club plans. Remember participation is the lifeblood of your club.

Where to from here/Action Plan ? Completion of Participation survey Interface with National Program. Committee to develop new programs, – Membership – Youth – Volunteerism Specific program implementation, – Womens Program. – Discover sailing. Discover Sailing Day Discover sailing week in conjunction with Sail Melbourne – Tackers State government funding submission when needs identified.

Participation summary As custodians of the sport and clubs we have joint responsibility a ) Recognize significant role clubs pay in society(social responsibility). b) We are also Custodians of sport for our juniors, youth and adults today and for future generations. How do we do this? 1.Create sustainable healthy vibrant clubs. 2.Ensure development and implementation of programs to grow participation and membership. 3.Provide leadership and pathways for the sport. 4.Recognize sporting success is also key component “This is our joint challenge”