On and off the football field, Na Fianna made great progress in 2010. The Blues brought the O’Neill Cup back to the town for the first time in twenty years and gave great representation to club and county in the Ulster Club championship, just falling short at the semi final stage. The youth structure of both boys and girls is vibrant with teams of children from Under 6’s to Under 18’s being coached by Na Fianna coaches on a weekly basis. In addition, we have formed strong links within the local schools and intend to consolidate these. Na Fianna is finding its way back into the heart of the community. Our membership has grown, and is getting stronger. Financially, our club has turned a corner. With the unwavering support of our loyal band of followers behind us, we have strengthened and consolidated. We have steered the ship through the rough waters of the recession better than most thanks to the generosity of our membership, our sponsors and our supporters.
Back in 2009, we wrote to you and outlined our vision of the future. And you, the membership and extended family of Na Fianna responded in the most positive way imaginable. With your financial support through 2009 and 2010 in the form of the monthly redevelopment draw, we have started to realise our vision. Our magnificent new stand has been erected. A temporary toilet block has been procured for the comfort of our supporters. This is a great achievement for the club, made all the more impressive given the current financial problems we have all endured recently. For that, you have our thanks. But there is so much more we want to achieve. And with your help, our vision can be realised.
A vision of the future...
What are we hoping to achieve? Quite simply we want to transform Fr Peter Campbell Park, which in truth has been neglected for much too long. We want our players, young and old, boys and girls, to be able to train and play in the best facilities possible so as to provide the best opportunities for success. By success we don’t necessarily mean just trophies and medals. Success for us is about giving our young people something positive to do with their lives, to stay fit and healthy, to learn discipline and teamwork, and to keep them away from negative influences. We want to ensure the health & safety and comfort of all who use our ground, players, members, supporters and visitors now and into the future. To realise this vision, we have set out a number of projects we want to achieve in the short, medium and long term:
· A covered stand to provide comfort and protection for all supporters, home and away, from the elements, as well as re-covering of the steps within the stand for Health & Safety Purposes.
· A toilet facility to provide comfort for supporters on match days, supplementing the main toilets in the club
· Re-screeding of the remainder of terraced steps on the stand side of the field for Health & Safety purposes, as well as removal of the concrete slope to be replaced by new terracing and crowd barriers
· Removal of the existing chain link wire and concrete posts around the perimeter of the playing field to be replaced by new spectator fencing and player dug outs to protect the Health & Safety of the players as well as enhancing the viewing quality for spectators
· Installation of a gym facility for adult players within the existing club rooms to improve player fitness and overall performance.
· Removal of bank behind the goals at the old clubhouse end of the field, and replacement with a multi use games area, for use for all players training/coaching and for possible use by the members and community at large
There are some longer term projects which the club are considering taking on but we feel that the projects outlined above are the more high priority projects, both in terms of need and in terms of what we feel we can achieve in the short / medium term - WITH YOUR SUPPORT.
Our experience over the past few years has taught us that grant aid from government bodies is difficult to come by, and being made all the more difficult by the current austerity measures being put in place by governments. While we will continue our efforts to explore every avenue possible for grant aid towards our redevelopment scheme, as the man says, sometimes if you want a thing done, you just have to do it yourself. This is your club. This is your ground. The future is yours to shape. The time to act is now.
So what is Clann Fianna?
Clann Fianna is about bringing together Fianna people who share a vision for the future of Oileán an Ghuail Na Fianna. We believe this is important because this is our club, it is the hub of our community, and it is a part of each and every one of us. We believe that Na Fianna is a hugely positive and important contributor to life and well-being in our community. And we believe that we must look forward now and prepare for the challenges ahead.
In recent years, we have used the monthly draw as our primary vehicle for raising funds for the redevelopment of Fr Peter Campbell Park. However, given the scale and cost of the work that has been done in the past couple of years, and the extent of work that is still to be done, we believe that a long term funding strategy is needed. Clann Fianna is an attempt to get back to the very values that the GAA was founded on, volunteerism, and people giving with no expectation of reward. Clann Fianna is for people who believe in what we are trying to achieve and is for people who care about our club and who want to contribute towards its long term success.
How does Clann Fianna work?
Clann Fianna is what is known as a “planned giving scheme”. Essentially, people who want to share in our vision agree to contribute a set amount each month (preferably by direct debit or standing order). The amount of your contribution is entirely up to you, be it £20, £15, £10 or whatever you can spare. It’s entirely up to you. There is no set time limit on the scheme in that it does not run for a specific period. Your generosity will continue to benefit the club for as long as you see fit. What is more, if times get too tight, you can simply withdraw from the scheme at any time by instructing your bank to stop the standing order. Committee members will be on hand at all times to help and advise you.
We appreciate that this won’t suit everybody, and we will be more than willing to talk with people who would like to contribute but can’t do so on a regular basis.
One of the major benefits of a planned giving scheme is that the club can register to claim tax relief on your monthly donations. This means that your donations will mean even more to the club than simply the amount you donate. This is achieved by the club registering under the Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) scheme. By doing this, the club, with your permission, are able to claim another 24p in every £1 you give us as gift aid. In addition, you may also be able to claim tax relief on your donations. These are two amazing benefits that we would love to take advantage of.
What will you get in return?
Clann Fianna is about ensuring the future of our club. It is not about paying out monthly prizes or giving free entry to our home games. Clann Fianna is about giving back in the collective sense, in the short, medium and long term. The most we can offer you in return for your generosity is the knowledge that you are helping to safeguard the future of our club for all our young people, you are helping to drive change in our community, you are making a lasting difference to our club, you are helping to shape our future together. And we think that is something special in itself.
We will arrange for a special newsletter to be developed and sent to you twice a year to update you on progress with our plans as well as giving you regular financial updates on the scheme.
Cherish the past.
Enjoy the present.
Prepare for the future.