Dear NSC Parent,

This is the second in my series of emails that can broadly be grouped under the heading, “How to support your swimming club”.

While I’m quite sure that everyone is thinking hard about how you can contribute to the operations of the club per my last message about committee and committee-adjacent roles, if the idea of having yet another job on your plate is exhausting and unfathomable, fear not, because there is another way!

As you may be aware, the past few years have been very difficult for the Club operationally and financially. In short, we ran down our cash reserves and lent heavily of Council benefactors to keep the club afloat.

While our club numbers are growing steadily, we really need to focus on our financial liquidity so that we can support our swimmers in a host of ways. Think specialist input into things like injury prevention, nutrition, psychology, strength and conditioning etc. Team building and fun activities like trips to regional comps, swim camps, social events. Education, life skills and leadership development training. Buying “stuff” like trophies, ribbons, timekeeping equipment etc. And much more. There are lots of ways we can help our swimmers thrive with a bigger bank balance.

Now, you might be thinking, what happens to my fortnightly subs to Clublinks? And what happens to my Swimming Victoria membership fees?

The former is entirely exhausted – and in fact doesn’t currently cover – our coaching costs. We are very fortunate NOT to have to pay for lane hire and NARC because of Darebin Council’s continued support for the club. The later is used to keep Swimming Victoria going – running State comps, providing advice, leadership and support to swimming clubs across Victoria, and our insurances.

And so, I come to my ASK of you.

If you own, work for, are friends with, or have a vague connection to a local business owner who could support the Club, please take a look at the attached Club Sponsorship doc, share it widely, and reach out to me (or anyone on the committee) or put the business owner in touch with me.

Thank you.

Crispin Butteriss
Club President