This from Volunteers Coordinator Ken Kinnersley:
Hereford FC
Volunteers Bulletin
No 8
From: Ken Kinnersley 29
May 2015
Operations Director
Dear Volunteer,
Please note - Bulletin No 8 is
addressed to all volunteers including general duties, committed, trade and
others. - not all addressees will have
received all previous Bulletins.
Update on Edgar Street
We are sure everyone will be
well aware that we have our first game at Edgar Street on Sat 11 Jul 15. You
may not be aware that the game is only 30 working days away - possibly less
depending on how long it takes to get this email sent out to everyone involved.
We already have contractors
working, and planned to be starting here in a few days. Their task will be to
resolve the many and expensive repairs to the stadium that have been neglected
over the years. These are works it is not possible for volunteers to undertake
and are in addition to the works for which Herefordshire Council accepted
financial responsibility.
Thus, following receipt of the
Structural Engineers report and recommendations he has made the Hereford FC
Board have decided that these, largely safety related works, must now be
carried out in the interests of the safety of our fans. The decision to commit
to the overall expenditure totalling in excess of £120,000 was made all the
more complex as the expenditure had to be viewed against the backdrop of the
limited 5 year lease.
The bulk of the work – the
majority of which simply has to be carried out if we are to secure a ground
safety certificate - comprises of:
1 Structural safety improvements to various parts of all three
stands in line with the Structural
Engineers recommendations.
2 Completely new emergency lighting system must be installed in
all stands to comply with legislation to
allow us to secure a safety certificate.
3 Welding repairs and additional barriers in stands and
entrance / exits to comply with
recommendations made by the Structural Engineer.
4 Re-cladding the entire length of the rear of the Meadow End
to facilitate removal of fragile and
damaged sheeting and replace with serviceable protection.
5 Concrete repairs to various parts of the three stands as
advised by the Structural Engineer to
eliminate trip and safety hazards also to facilitate provision of the safety certificate.
6 Renewal and repair of emergency exit doors, again as advised
by the Structural Engineer and to
ensure compliance with fire safety regulations.
7 Facelift for all the social areas including Radfords and
Addisions to improve and enhance the
spectator experience.
It is worth pointing out that
the £120,000+ quoted does not reflect the true market value of the work that
has been and will be undertaken. Thanks to the generosity of a number of
contractors who, fortunately, are also Bulls fans, their charges have been significantly
discounted which yet again, demonstrates the level of support and good will
that is being shown towards Hereford FC.
Volunteers Update
Thanks to the fantastic effort
and work ethic of the regular team of Hereford FC volunteers who have so far
donated over 400 hundred hours of labour there are many parts of the stadium
that are now in a much tidier and cleaner state than has been the case for very
many years.
The sheer amount of rubbish
awaiting removal from the stadium is quite incredible. Apart from the final
clean of the stands and seats prior to 11 Jul, the worst of the
"dirty" work is now coming to an end. The next stage will be
preparation and painting both inside and outside the stadium, of items such as
barriers, walls, doors and window frames and other bits that don't move!
So, we will be calling on your services again in the near future please
keep an eye of your in-box!
It is also the intention to
arrange an informal meeting for those who added their name to the
"committed volunteers" list - that is to say those of you who who are
willing to work as unpaid volunteers on match days, including fulfilling
important roles such as programme sellers, turnstile operators and stewards.
The meeting will be within the next couple of weeks and will be followed by one
or possibly two truncated practise "match days" but obviously without
the football or the fans! We urge everyone to make the maximum effort to attend
and we are sure you will appreciate the importance of this type of preparation.
The match day "dry
run" will start with reporting pre match, run through the normal match day
scenario to closing down and booking out. Hopefully, it will highlight areas we
have not yet thought about, identify where keys or equipment is missing, and
demonstrate where we need extra volunteer help.
Incidentally, there is still
time for those who wish to join the committed list by emailing volunteers@herefordfc.co.uk and we are always delighted
to accept new recruits, aged 17 or over, into of team of volunteers.
We also need to find more
volunteers willing to assist in the "sweep-up" of the stands
immediately after every match and also for general cleaning duties around the
stadium so we would be pleased to hear from anyone else willing to join the
team and help with these vitally important tasks. Important because it is work
that has to be done, it is within the capability of almost everyone to do it
yet it would be a considerable financial burden on Hereford FC if we have to
pay to have the job done.
It is also hoped that with the
emphasis on sustainability all fans will contribute to the cause. You can
easily do so by very simple actions such as not dropping litter either inside
or outside the stadium - not least because it is other fans who have to pick it
up! Also, if you see a bit of rubbish please pick it up and dispose of
correctly.
In closing, an apology – as it
has been brought to our attention that some fans may have been in contact to
offer their services as a volunteer but not received a reply. Where this has
occurred we offer sincere apologies. All fans can be assured that we have never
deliberately failed to respond to any of your generous offers to volunteer. We
very much regret if any failure on our part has caused distress or given the
wrong impression of the value we place on those who volunteer. In the
event this has or does happen in future do please contact us again and let us
know in order that we can rectify any human or technical error that may have
resulted in our failure. Hopefully, the excellent relations Hereford FC have
developed with fans through the excellent work of Chris Ammonds will be
evidence of the emphasis we place on our relationship with Bulls fans.
We will be issuing a further
Bulletin in a few days time with regard to the next work party and the first
meeting - so please keep an eye on your email in-box!