Special General Meeting

Proposed Changes to the Training Subsidy Policy

At the last Annual General Meeting, the incoming Committee was asked to review the Training & Subsidy Briefing and consider if any changes need to be put forward. The following sections detail amendments proposed for Membership review and vote with regards to the briefing.

Purpose and Background:
On 29 June 2017, a group of leaders and coaches conducted an initial review and proposed the following changes to the training subsidies. The meeting was attended by 10 active coaches and leaders who presented their proposal to the Committee. The Committee reviewed this proposal and agreed to present the changes to membership for approval at a Special General Meeting.

The current subsidies are 20% for Safety & Rescue and River Leading training and 80% for any Coaching qualifications.  All subsidies were originally 40%.  The Safety & Rescue and River Leading subsidies were reduced to 20% in May 2016 when the Committee was asked to find cost saving measures. The Coaching subsidies were raised from 40% to 80% to encourage more members to obtain coaching qualifications as the numbers in the club were very low and we were at risk of not being able to run current courses we provide.  To be able to run the Introduction to White Water courses the club requires coaches to be a minimum qualification of “Level 2 with Moderate Water Endorsement”. At the time of the change there were four members with this qualification and currently we have five members.

Continuous Personal Development (CPD) is included in coaching subsidy. First aid renewals are paid at 20% even if they are required to maintain coaching qualifications

Proposed Changes

The proposed changes were suggested as a package. Changes are to increase subsidies in some areas and to reduce or remove subsidies in others to provide a balance of costs to the club and provide focus for the greater benefit of the club membership.

1) Propose to change subsidy percentages for Safety & Rescue and River Leading training from 20% to 40%

Justification: Cost saving measures are no longer required for the club therefore returning the subsidy to 40% seems reasonable and would encourage more members to get this training which benefits the club membership. It was strongly felt by the group that it was important for all members that participate on river trips to have the skills and knowledge provided in this set of training and the subsidies help make this affordable. Participation in this training has been very low over the past year or so.

2) Propose to change subsidy percentages for Coaching training and qualifications from 80% to 60%

Justification: The coaches and leaders of the club felt that 80% was a little too much for coaching qualification and a reduced amount would be fairer but would still help to encourage members to be coaches. There is still a strong need for qualified coaches in the club, but there was a feeling that people who decided to become coaches generally wanted to do so anyway. Being able to be paid in advance was considered a high priority option (see below)

3) Propose to move L3 Coaching awards out of scope for Coaching training and qualification subsidy

Justification: L3 is a more of a mentoring role and long term paddler development role. The club is not a training provider. The group considered that subsidizing coaching to the level that the club required to run the Introduction to White Water courses was sufficient to develop paddlers in the membership on river trips as well as 1-3 star awards.  Anything above this was on the path of professional development path. There have been zero subsidies paid for this and we currently have two members with the old style qualification.

4) Propose to move L4 Coaching awards out of scope for Coaching training and qualification subsidy

Justification: L4 and L5 are professional awards. Both were considered not necessary for the membership of the club and should be funded by the member as they are likely to be paid for coaching from these awards.

5) Propose to move L5 Coaching awards out of scope for Coaching training and qualification subsidy

Justification: L4 and L5 are professional awards. Both were considered not necessary for the membership of the club and should be funded by the member as they are likely to be paid for coaching from these awards

6) Propose for the old British Canoeing 4* and 5* Leaders qualifications to be removed and replaced with the new equivalent leader course references within the Safety & Rescue and River Leading training subsidy

Justification: Out of date references as the awards have changed.

7) Propose to allow Coaching training and qualification subsidies to be paid in advance, subject to Committee’s approval to ensure coaching opportunities are accessible to all members regardless of financial position

Members should be able apply to the committee for a subsidy to be paid in advance of attending the course. The requests are to be reviewed on each occasion with a decision made at the committee’s discretion. Evidence of booking and payment is to be provided and consideration given to the applicant’s circumstances, i.e. whether they are active member, whether intend or have provided coaching to the membership, concession membership, etc.

Justification: This option ensures coaching opportunities are accessible to all members regardless of their financial position.  Coaching course are often very expensive (£250-300) and have to be paid well in advance to secure a place and for the course to be run.

The number of coaching subsidy requests historically has been low, with 1-2 requests received per year in the last 3 years. It is also deemed that the probability of a member not attending a course is usually low, as a lot of preparation is required to obtain a coaching award and so it is unlikely a member would not attend the course and default.  Common reasons for not attending a course are typically due to the course being cancelled and rescheduled. Members have previously cited high upfront costs as a reason for not pursuing coaching training and qualifications. This option was viewed as important for prospective coaches.

Proxy – If you can’t attend the SGM in person

If you cannot make it on the night, the club’s constitution allows for proxy votes. This means picking someone to vote on your behalf. This is not the same as a ‘postal’ or written vote in absentia. A proxy vote means that a member is entitled to appoint another member as his / her proxy to vote instead of him / her. The proxy voter will take your place on the evening in the event of a vote i.e. they will cast their own vote and a vote on your behalf. The instrument of proxy must be in writing and emailed to Olga by 20:00 on Sunday, 17th September