Kelvedon Hatch Junior Football Club

Grounds: Kelvedon Hatch Village Hall, School Road, Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, Essex CM15 0DL Larkins Playing Fields, 324-330 Ongar Road (opposite BP garage), Brentwood, Essex CM15 9JB Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker, Kelvedon Hatch, Ongar Road, Brentwood, Essex CM15 0LA Kelvedon Hatch Community Primary School, School Road, Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, Essex CM15 0DH

Facilities and Equipment Charter

Background

The club has limited resources and access to facilities and equipment so it is vital we use these resources in the most effective way possible. In purchasing, allocating and utilising facilities and equipment the club will be mindful of safety, cost, age appropriateness, skill level of players and the club’s overall footballing ethos and Constitution.

Decisions relating to the allocation of facilities and equipment should be fair and equitable. We follow specific, agreed, guidelines to ensure the process is transparent and based on the best outcome for the players and the club as a whole.

We will need to consistently merge teams as they go through the age groups from 5v5 to 7v7 to 9v9 to 11v11 formats so teams within an age group should work together to operate as a group and share the same playing and training facilities and equipment where possible and adopt a uniform approach to playing style and coaching. We are a club, not a collection of teams.

The Facilities Manager and Equipment Manager will report to the Management Committee and make all decisions relating to the allocation and use of facilities and equipment respectively.

Playing Facilities

The club has use of a number of grounds and has an evolving need for pitches of various sizes to be available (e.g. 5v5, 7v7, 9v9, 11v11). We must ensure that each team has access to a safe, appropriately sized pitch and we need to protect the condition of each pitch by taking action (including postponing individual matches) when appropriate to do so.

The Facilities Manager will take into account the following criteria when contracting and allocating pitches:

1. Safety - Pitches must be safe to play on.

2. Size – A Pitch must be of the appropriate size for the team using it.

3. Cost – Pitch use must be planned for the season and grounds contracted must be within the budget agreed by the Management Committee.

4. Surface Durability – Players of different ages inflict varying degrees of damage on pitches. It may be necessary to allocate less durable pitches to younger teams or to swap pitches between older and younger teams during a season to allow damaged pitches the best chance of repair.

Affiliated to Essex County Football Association

Kelvedon Hatch Junior Football Club

5. Pitch quality, size and characteristics - We encourage a high quality passing game especially at the elite and high levels. Regard should be given to the ability of players to make the best use of the best surfaces when allocating pitches. Regard should also be given to the importance of the match being played.

In general, the following will apply when considering the quality of surface: - a) Priority of matches will be in order of Cup, League, Friendly, Training. b) Priority will be given to age groups from oldest to youngest c) Priority of teams within an age group will be given in order of A, B, C, D, E etc.

Because of the constant merging of teams from 5v5 to 7v7 to 9v9 to 11v11, in general, it is desirable that A and B teams play on the same pitch during the season to ensure players moving between teams are familiar with the size and characteristics of their normal home pitch. The A and B team managers should decide prior to the start of the season which pitch they require to suit their footballing approach and the A team manger should request this pitch from the Facilities and Equipment Manager who will endeavour to provide it. C and D team managers should do likewise.

Cup matches should always be played on the best possible surface available unless the manager requests otherwise.

6. Convenience and Preference - Pitches should always be allocated based on the above principles and for the good of the club and players as a whole. Once the above criteria have been taken into account, the Facilities Manager may consider individual manager’s preferences and requests, but only when the above criteria have been followed.

Decisions are made based on the above principles but individual issues will be considered and pitch allocation is fluid – i.e. pitch allocation may be changed during the season based on individual pitch wear, progression in leagues, County & League Cups, or for other reasons at the discretion of the Facilities Manager who will also have the final say on whether games are played or postponed due to adverse weather. Please be prepared to play on different pitches throughout the season.

For reasons of safety, cost and effective facility management, managers must not arrange to play at venues other then those approved by the Facilities Manager.

Training Facilities

The club may have to use a number of venues for training. At some times during the year teams will be able to train for free on public land and at other times we will have to pay for floodlit, all weather facilities. Facilities may have varying costs, be available on limited days and have varying standards of surface and overall facilities. To ensure that we achieve the best overall result for the club the following criteria will be followed in allocating training facilities:

1. Safety – Older boys should generally have access to the surfaces that provide the best grip and stability. For example, Beckets Key surface is not preferable for older players but is perfectly

Affiliated to Essex County Football Association

Kelvedon Hatch Junior Football Club

adequate for younger age groups. 2. Size – A training area appropriate for the age group should be secured. To be clear, the training area does not have to be a full size pitch and does not need to have access to goal posts. 3. Cost – Only training facilities approved by the Facilities Manager are to be used. By managing our facilities centrally we can negotiate better pricing and time slots. 4. Time – Training should be held at an appropriate time for the age of the player. Generally, the younger the children, the earlier they should train. Primary school children should not normally finish training any later than 7.30pm, preferably earlier, and older children no later than 8.30pm. 5. Geographic Location – Our Club is based in Kelvedon Hatch, and training should normally be based in the Brentwood or Shenfield area. 6. Teams of the same age should train together – Wherever possible, teams of the same age should train at the same venue and time so that coaches can ensure that the football ethos and development of all children across the age group is consistent and training in match situations is possible. Familiarity with players in other teams will help children when teams are merged or players move between teams. Coaches can share resources and cover for each other where required. 7. Convenience & preference – Once the above criteria are satisfied, we should try to arrange training at times that are as convenient as possible for parents and children taking into account regular school clubs etc. This will minimise the number of children absent from training.

Equipment & Kit

All kit must be purchased through the Equipment Manager. This ensures that all equipment and kit meets the safety, cost and effectiveness criteria laid down by the club. It allows us to negotiate prices for buying in bulk and allows for standard equipment to be easily shared between teams.

All kit and equipment remains the property of the club and is available for use by any team.

A stocktake of all kit and equipment should be made at the end of each year so the club can redistribute existing kit and equipment equitably and budget for spend required to replace old or damaged items prior to start of the following season.

The Equipment Manager will negotiate the best solution available taking into account:

1. Safety 2. Age appropriateness 3. Cost 4. Quality & durability 5. Suitability and effectiveness to deliver the club’s football ethos and goals

All kit and equipment must be ordered using the form available on the website and must be approved by the Equipment Manager in line with the budget agreed by the Management Committee. This central buying approach through the Equipment Manager applies whether the Kit and Equipment is sponsored by a parent or company or not.

Affiliated to Essex County Football Association