Wow, what a year we’ve had. There has been so much going on with Bishops Cannings YFC, it doesn’t seem like we’ve actually had a break. Looking back, it has been a fabulous summer though with so much going on. Read on in this newsletter for a recap.

Yes, finally, it’s here, the 2018/2019 season has officially started. We are most definitely excited to get going and hope you and your children are too. With getting over 200 children registered for the club this season, we have certainly had our hands full. Can’t wait to start seeing all these little ones on the pitch playing their first games. Training schedules for all teams will be available on our website.

There have been a number of changes going on within the club over recent months. We have been working extremely hard to bring you a better, more professional club. Exactly what your children deserve. We still have some way to go so please do bear with us. In this newsletter hopefully you will get an insight as to what has been going on and your questions will be answered. If we miss anything, please do let us know.

Welcome to BC
Due to all the high number of new players that have joined the club for this coming season, we have had to increase the teams we run. As a result, we have massively increased our coaching staff to ensure your children get the time they need from a dedicated coach. So please join us in officially welcoming the following 12 new coaches as they embark on their first season with BC.

James Cooper (U6)
Ben Chamberlain (U7)
Rhys Schell (U7)
Andrew Barker (U7)
Mark Thompson (U7)
Craig Campbell (U7)
Steve Rossiter (U8)
Lee Nott (U9)
Bryan Hobbs (U9)
Gary Watts (U12)
Adam Grey (U12)
Aaron Rowles (U14)

Our committee has had a little bit of a shake up with some new faces coming on board in new positions. So again, please join us in welcoming the following.

Mikey Harford (Chairman)
Mark Stevens (Secretary)
Glen Hickey (Welfare Officer)
Sally Marshall (School Liaison Officer, Kit Manager)
Stuart Clarke (Fixture Secretary)

Thank you all for giving us your time and commitment. We all hope you have a fantastic season ahead. Good luck.

Thank you’s
Without our brilliant players, we wouldn’t have a club. BC players are the best. You make running a club exciting and an enjoyable job. Thank you for choosing us and keep up the good work.

Parents, we know how much time and commitment getting your children here and there for training and matches can be. Thank you so much for your dedication and giving us the opportunity to be a part of your child’s life.

Our social media presence is definitely making waves in the community and certainly leading the way locally in youth football. Many thanks to Dave Moore, Nathan Moffat-Vellenoweth, Phil Hendy and Tom Scott-Kelly for all the time you guys spend on managing this.

Club membership fees
We are a not for profit organisation. This means all the people who run and work for the club do this on a volunteer basis. All money received either through sponsorship or membership fees are ploughed directly in to providing the best for your children, Paul Taylor our Treasurer makes sure of this.

Membership fees will be set at £27 per quarter. Siblings will receive a 50% discount, charged at £13.50 per quarter. Payments will be collected through our brand new online system via direct debit. There are no match day subs or any other costs to worry about. Simply set up the direct debit when the email comes through in the next couple of days and forget about it. If you have any trouble doing this, please let your child’s coach know.

In the spotlight
Toilets at Green Lane. Yes, we now for the first time have both boys and girls toilets at Green Lane. The large black container just to the left of the entrance to the field is where they are. Many thanks goes to Lee Williams and Mikey Harford for making this happen.

The summer saw our first ever Open Day, organised by Tom Scott-Kelly, that was a huge success and has really helped elevate the club to a new platform as well as bring in a number of new children that previously were not playing football.

Dave Moore brought us the Charlie Austin Summer Camp which was another fantastic event organised during the summer. Charlie Austin himself made an appearance and wowed the lucky children who attended.

Some of our players got to take part in a Swindon Town match day experience. For most, this was the first time they had ever stepped foot in to a professional stadium. Walking out of the tunnel to all the parents clapping was definitely a highlight. Everyone loved the day and we’re sure this will be a regular feature in our events calendar.

Club shop is now open
As part of being a club member with BC, your child will be given their very own match kit consisting of a shirt, shorts and socks. In addition to this, we are proud to launch the first in house online club shop in the Devizes area. There is a fantastic new range of quality Nike branded training kit that will be sure to make your children look as good as they feel on the pitch. We’ve got beanies and rain jackets to keep your little ones warm and dry in the winter as well shirts and even our very own BC branded boot bag. If you’ve got an idea for a new product for us, we would love to hear it. Get over and check it out now by clicking on the link below.

http://www.bishopscanningsfc.com/payments

Sponsorship opportunities
The profile of our club has grown massively over the last year and we intend to keep that growth going. We have even started getting enquiries from people outside of Devizes either wanting to join or get involved to help out. With this growth comes opportunity. There are a number of ways that we can take on sponsors to suit all matter of budgets. If you own your own business, or know someone that does and want to be part of a club doing what it can to help its local community, please get in touch. We can send you our sponsorship prospectus.

Committee growth
Your club needs you! The success of our club is down to the people who graciously give up their time to run it. We want to continue the hugely successful growth we’ve seen over the last year but at the same time, raise the quality and experience your children receive. As the saying goes more hands make light work. We’re conscious that the world we live in is a busy one, but if you can spare just a small amount of time here and there we would love to hear from you. Please talk to your child’s coach or email our secretary at bcyfcsecretary@outlook.com.

Club standards
We are passionate about giving your children the best experience possible in grassroots football. This is why we have heavily invested in new equipment for the children. All coaching staff undertake CRB checks, safeguarding and first aid courses. Each team will have an FA Level 1 qualified coach with them and we are already adding to the list of Level 2 qualified coaches already in the club. Good luck to Nathan Moffat-Vellenoweth, Scott Sartin and Tom Scott-Kelly who embark on this 6 month journey. You can rest assured that if you’ve chosen BC for your child, that you will be getting a quality experience for them. Our door is always open should you wish to discuss anything or give us your suggestions on how we can improve further.

Social media
In case you weren’t aware, we use social media and no, we won’t share what we’re having for dinner. Instead you can up to date with everything going on across our many teams. We’ll do our best to bring both you and your children some inspiration, fun and some news. So please do follow and share our sites.

Facebook – www.Facebook.com/ClubBishops
Twitter – www.Twitter.com/ClubBishops

Club app
Stay up to date with what’s going on with the club, view your child’s upcoming fixtures and set their availability. You can even communicate directly with your coach and more by downloading the club app. Links below for both Android and Apple users. Use the same log in details as you would on our website.

Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pitchero.ph&hl=en_GB
Apple - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/pitchero-club/id590231780?mt=8

That’s it for this edition, but please do stay tuned as we will be issuing regular newsletters to make sure everyone is kept up to date with all the exciting things going on with the club. We wish you and your children all the best for the season.

Yours in football,

Bishops Cannings YFC