Dear parent,

Welcome to the first club newsletter of 2009.

On the field, we haven't had a lot to report in the last few weeks because of some extremely English weather.

Off it, there's a fair bit going on - and I need your help.

I worked out the other day that the average team manager puts in at least 200 hours a year for this club.

Many give up even more of their time because they run - or help to run - two teams.

And they don't get paid for any of it.

Now I'm looking for a few people with some time on their hands.  But it won't be anything like 200 hours a year.

In fact, it could be less than 20 in some cases.

To begin with, we need help with this year's tournament, which is on June 27 and 28.

Last year's event made a profit of £3,400 and allowed us to strengthen friendships with clubs across Wiltshire and Bath.

It was a great event that made me feel proud to be associated with the club and with youth football.

But it doesn't happen by chance.

We're about to start planning this year's event now and there's one particular piece of help we need.

The committee member who has co-ordinated the catering at the tournament for several years quite rightly wants a break.

She'll be around to advise, but I really need someone to take charge of the ordering and collecting, and to keep an eye on proceedings on the weekend itself.

We're also - as I suggested in a newsletter last year - going to need some new blood on the committee next season.

We'll be in touch nearer to the AGM with a detailed list of posts available, but we are particularly looking for someone to take over as treasurer.

There's no point pretending it's a laugh-a-minute role - but without it, we'd be sunk.

Again, there's plenty of experience to draw on here, and if someone expressed interest now, they could shadow our existing treasurer Emma for the next few months just to see what's involved.

If you can help with either of the above roles, or have any interest in becoming a committee member, please, please get in touch.

We have a meeting to discuss the tournament on February 11, and it would be great to be able to cross catering off our list of things to worry about.

Please email me here.

IN OTHER NEWS

We should be improving the parking area at Castle Combe in the next couple of months, with a new surface and a bund to separate cars from the pitches.

We will also be looking at what we can afford to do to improve the existing changing rooms.

Thanks to all of you who have contacted me or our vice-chairman Jon to put us in touch with architects or contractors.

On a different subject, we should soon be able to offer a new CCCFC rain jacket with reversible fleece through a shop in the town centre.

There should be more news on this via your managers in the next few weeks.

That's all for now, but please remember those hundreds of hours put in by others - and have a think about whether you can spare just a few of your own.

Thanks and all the best

PAUL WILTSHIRE
Chairman, CCCFC