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Cherwell Gymnastics Club business plan
Cherwell Gymnastics Club has outgrown its venue. With a waiting list almost twice as long
as the number of spaces in the club, action needs to be taken if children and young people
in Oxford City are to get access to this popular sport.
Opportunity:
Court Place Farm changing room redevelopment in partnership with Oxford City Council
Oxford City Council (OCC) have funding to refurbish the old changing rooms at Court Place
Farm in Marston. Cherwell Gymnastics Club (CGC) are putting forward a proposal to rent
these facilities and provide gymnastics provision for the benefit of the local community. OCC
will make the building good, including re-roofing, with an estimated start date for work of
April 2014. CGC will pay rent and cover the utilities bills. CGC will fully equip and maintain
the gymnasium internally.
Contents:
1.0 Executive summary
1.1 Keys to success
1.2 Our mission
1.3 Five year objectives
1.4 Key aims
2.0 Club summary
2.1 Start up summary
3.0 Services
4.0 Market Analysis and segmentation
5.0 Strategy and implementation summary
6.0 Management summary
6.1 Staffing plan
7.0 Financial plan
7.1 Current position
7.2 Business plan
7.3 Start-up funding
7.4 Important assumptions
7.4 Projected profit and loss
7.5 Potential growth
Conclusion and acknowledgements
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1.0 Executive summary
Cherwell Gymnastics Club (CGC) is a club with over thirty years of serving the community of
Oxford. In its history the club has offered low cost gymnastics classes for children from as
young as three to teenagers and young adults. Our staff are voluntary and the club now has
over twenty coaches. The club has outgrown its school-based roots and the waiting list is
now twice as big as the number of children we can offer places to. Due to size restrictions
CGC can only offer women’s gymnastics and basic recreational gymnastics.
A move to a full-time gymnasium will enable the club to offer the gymnastics experience to
more youngsters in Oxford City. CGC will continue to offer a community-based, participation
focused club, run in the main by volunteers. The club hopes to increase its capacity while
retaining its friendly, volunteer-led and child-centred approach.
1.1 Keys to success
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A thirty year history and reputation for high quality teaching
Competitive pricing
Experienced coaching and management team
Good relationships with users
Strong community ties and partnership work
Strong link to Oxfordshire Amateur Gymnastics Association and British Gymnastics
(BG)
Good location with public transport links, ample parking and cycle racks
Providing a multi-use environment for users - refreshments, homework room,
changing rooms etc.
1.2 Our mission
To move CGC to bigger and better-equipped facilities in order to provide a friendly,
community-based sports club, which would focus on improving access to gymnastics for the
population of Oxford City. The club offers an environment where children and young adults
can learn how to co-ordinate and strengthen their bodies, make friends from other schools
and become part of a team. Our purpose in moving to a new facility is to offer these fantastic
and formative experiences to more children in Oxford, including more specialised classes for
boys and for people with disabilities.
1.3 Five year objectives
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Increase capacity of the club from 120 participants to 250 members.
Reduce waiting list to a maximum one term wait (from a 3-4 year wait)
Set up specific boys’ classes
Set up a class for people with disabilities
Improve facilities and training opportunities for 10-20 elite performers
Offer training opportunities to a growing team of coaches.
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1.4 Key aims
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To reduce waiting lists and provide facilities for more young gymnasts:
A move to new premises will allow an increased number of classes to be run so that
waiting lists would be reduced.
To provide a wide range of gymnastics classes and opportunities:
A new premises would provide the ability to run a more varied programme as well as
providing facilities at weekends, during the school day, and in school holidays.
Develop coaches to higher levels:
The club would aim to further develop its coaching staff with perhaps some paid staff
as skill levels and commitment increases
Create a sustainable future:
Through
strong partnerships with Oxford City Council and the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership
the club would develop and deliver robust business plans which support the current
management structure
Develop new young talent in the world of gymnastics:
Through increased coaching levels and a provision of better equipment the club aims
to develop elite gymnasts, judges and coaches
Raise the standards and increase volunteer participation:
Increasing opportunities for volunteers to get involved in both sports management
and coaching
Support youth development and sports development initiatives to sustain and
develop sport within the City.
2.0 Club Summary
CGC is a not-for-profit community sports club, working towards registration as a Community
Amateur Sports Club (CASC). The club is based in Summertown and is the only dedicated
gymnastics club in Oxford City. The club is run by volunteers. The majority of gymnasts take
part for recreational reasons once a week for 1-2 hours and are 5-15 years old. Some
children train longer hours in order to compete at the sport. Our waiting list holds nearly 400
children, with an average wait of 3-4 years for a place in a recreational class. The youngest
on the waiting list is just six weeks old.
2.1 Start up summary
CGC already has the basic equipment for gymnastics and a team of trained coaches, along
with regular users of the club and a long waiting list. The main costs of moving to a new
facility would be upgrading equipment and renovation work.
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3.0 Services
CGC in new premises would offer the following services:
Beginner recreational classes: one hour classes for 5-8 year olds to encourage children to
use their bodies and to gain confidence with different movements and environments. These
classes would include specific boys’ groups so that they could use the equipment better
suited to men’s gymnastics. The price for these sessions would be £6 a session (roughly
£66 for an 11 week term) plus BG membership once a year.
Advanced recreational classes: one and a half hour classes for 7-16 year olds to further
develop strength, balance, flexibility and co-ordination. The classes are slightly longer, giving
more time to learn harder moves. The price for these sessions would be £8 a session
(roughly £88 for an 11 week term) plus BG membership once a year.
Gymnastics for people with disabilities: by year two we would aim to run a weekly drop in
session for children with disabilities. This would involve the basics of gymnastics and
movement in a safe and stimulating environment. Prices to be arranged.
Women’s squad gymnastics: basic elite gymnastics for 10-20 girls. The girls would train
2-4 times a week for 2-3 hours a session. This will be to help them prepare for County and
Regional competitions. The price for the squad sessions would be variable depending on
amount of training.
Pre-school gymnastics: this popular activity would be brought in during the first year of
running the club in the new facility. More staff training would be needed for this development.
4.0 Market Analysis and segmentation
Gymnastics has been a popular sport in the UK for many decades, especially among young
girls. Sport England track membership of sports clubs in their active people surveys. From
2008 to 2011 there was a statistically significant growth in membership of gymnastics clubs
and participation in gymnastics, one of only two sports to show this positive change.
There is no gymnastics club in Oxford City, but a great demand for gymnastics - as shown
by our waiting list. In fact nearly every club in Oxfordshire has a waiting list or is nearing
capacity. In recent years Abingdon gymnastics club (AGC) has moved to full time facilities in
Berinsfield, but this has not reduced the demand at our club, as busy parents do not want to
travel too far, especially at rush hour, unless their child is an elite performer.
5.0 Strategy and implementation summary
At present if we move to a new facility we can expect to start with a base of 120 participants
a week and a strong, committed following of coaches, parents and gymnasts. Our aim is to
become a participation-focused club with a small wing for competitive gymnastics. With this
aim in mind we will begin by increasing the number of classes we run for recreational level
gymnasts. With our long waiting list we should be able to achieve our target of increasing
usage to 250 participants a week without the need of marketing or advertising. It will be
through training extra coaches and paying for full time coaches that we will be able to further
grow the club to provide more sessions and other initiatives such as schools’ gymnastics
and birthday parties etc.
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6.0 Management summary
Cherwell GC has a committee of coaches, parents and older gymnasts who make the
decisions about the running of the club. The club is a community club and therefore all
equipment etc will belong to the club, and ultimately the community rather than to an
individual.
6.1 Staffing plan
The majority of coaches will be volunteers who give 1-3 hours a week to help run the club. In
return the club will pay their insurance (through their BG membership), and pay for training
and CRB checks. As the club grows there will be more need for some paid coaches and
administrators. We anticipate that this will kick in towards the end of the second year in a full
time facility with 1-2 paid coaches, and a part-time receptionist/manager. The average local
salary of coaches would be £16-22,000 for a full-time member of staff, giving an estimated
cost of £24,600 per full-time member of coaching staff.
7.0 Financial plan
7.1 Current position
The club currently has £15,000 in the account. This has been saved to upgrade our tumble
track. Any money accrued in the account before a move to a facility will be used to upgrade
equipment and pay for coach training.
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7.2 Business Plan
Cherwell Gymnastics Club - Business Plan
Y0
Weekly numbers
Membership
Beginner recreational classes
Advanced Recreational classes
Gymnastics for people with a disability
Woman's squad gymnastics
Pre-school Gymnastics
£6.0
£8.0
£5.0
£8.0
£5.0
£ Yearly income - assuming 3 term years of 11 weeks
Beginner recreational classes
Advanced Recreational classes
Gymnastics for people with a disability
Woman's squad gymnastics
Pre-school Gymnastics
Total
Expenditure
Facilities
Coaches Expenses
Coaches Fees/Salary
Receptionist
Courses
CRB
Equipment
BG Membership
Clothing
Charges
Insurance
Miscellaneous
Bottom line
Total profit/loss
Y2
14/15
Y3
15/16
Y4
16/17
Y5
17/18
Price (£)
55
40
12
Total
Income
Term Fee
Competition Entry
Clothing
Courses
Tasters
CRB
Equipment
Miscellaneous
Open Day
Donations
Grants
Y1
13/14
65
45
10
14
10
144
80
50
12
16
15
173
100
65
14
18
20
217
120
75
15
20
20
250
12,870
11,880
1,650
3,696
1,650
31,746
£
15,840
13,200
1,980
4,224
2,475
37,719
£
19,800
17,160
2,310
4,752
3,300
47,322
£
23,760
19,800
2,475
5,280
3,300
54,615
0
107
0
0
0
0
0
0
£
10,890
10,560
0
3,168
0
24,618
23,638
193
1,480
100
321
10
326
410
172
530
0
27,180
24,618
199
1,524
103
331
10
336
422
177
546
0
28,266
31,746
205
1,570
106
341
11
346
435
182
562
0
35,504
37,719
211
1,617
109
351
11
356
448
188
579
0
41,589
47,322
217
1,666
113
361
11
367
461
194
597
0
51,309
54,615
224
1,716
116
372
12
378
475
199
614
0
58,721
6,285
4,317
799
80
2,827
4,349
1,621
179
221
1,580
22,258
6,474
4,447
0
0
823
82
2,912
4,479
1,670
184
228
1,627
22,926
6,668
4,580
0
0
848
85
2,999
4,614
1,720
190
234
1,676
23,614
6,868
4,717
22,000
9,000
873
87
3,089
4,752
1,771
196
241
1,727
55,322
7,074
4,859
22,660
9,270
899
90
3,182
4,895
1,824
201
249
1,778
56,982
7,286
5,005
23,340
9,548
926
93
3,277
5,042
1,879
208
256
1,832
58,691
£4,922.00
£5,340.52
£11,890.20
-£13,732.48
-£5,673.02
£30.13
£
£
£2,777.34
Year zero is based on our accounts for the 2012-13. Year one is based on existing numbers
in the club.
7.3 Start-up funding
As gymnasts pay term fees in advance this will give some cash in advance of a move. The
club bank account will need to have an overdraft facility in case of cash flow issues to begin
with. We have a small amount of club savings (£15,000) which we have been putting aside
towards the set-up costs of the venture, and updating equipment.
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7.4 Important assumptions
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Existing coaches will continue to volunteer and may even increase their commitment.
Children already with the club will move with us to new premises and the people on
the waiting list will still be interested in participating in gymnastics.
Affordable rent and bills (2-8k including bills)
Ability to fund the purchase and upkeep of suitable equipment
Demand will continue and no new clubs will be set up in a similar area.
Annual inflation of 3%
New facility is developed and opened during 2014-15.
7.5 Projected profit and loss
According to our growth model as laid out in our financial plan, the club would make a steady
profit for the year before moving (2013-14), the year of the move (2014-15) and the first full
year in the facility (2015-16). This would enable us to absorb the losses of initially employing
a full-time coach in year three. Our forecasts show growth of numbers in the club and a
small profit of £2777 by the end of year five.
Any increased profit would be used to bring forward the employment of a full-time member of
staff, increase staffing levels and upgrade and maintain equipment.
7.6 Potential growth
Many gymnastics clubs have up to 600 users a week, and although Oxford is not a big City
there is potential for growth of the club. The nearest facility-based clubs are in Berinsfield,
Banbury and Aylesbury, and with a very busy rush hour around Oxford people are constantly
looking for the closest venue. Oxford University also has a gymnastics club with no facility
within Oxford city and so would be interested in using an Oxford venue.
Conclusion
With the high profile that the Olympics and other events are giving to Gymnastics the club is
aware of the emphasised need to ensure that waiting lists are kept to a minimum and
facilities are developed to deliver tomorrow's champions. There has never been a better time
to promote sport in the aftermath to 2012 and we would hope that through solid work and
partnerships that there will be structures in place for the club to continue to develop
opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in gymnastics and associated
activities, undertake a physical activity, try something for the first time and improve their
health and well-being.
For more information: www.cherwellgym.co.uk
Hazel Walsh: fieldhazel@hotmail.com 01865 310522
Sarah Fry: frysarah@hotmail.co.uk 01993 774775
With particular thanks to our steering group member Simon Kearey from Oxfordshire County
Council and Oxfordshire Sports Partnership board for his help with the planning.