In the latest edition of Seaxe News, Marilyn Smith, Chair of Middlesex's Membership Committee provided an update on what her Committee has been focussing on over the last twelve months.
The Middlesex Board has a number of Sub Committees working to it. Membership Committee (MemCom) is one of them. On this Committee are three Directors elected by the membership, the Chair and Treasurer of the Club, The Chief Executive, and the Directors of Operations, Communications and Participation.
Towards the end of last year it expanded to include a representative of Seaxe Club (Glen Birkwood) and a member of the Members' Communication Group (Martin Hadland), to broaden the direct input of members on to the Committee
The Committee is a place to discuss ideas and set strategy for all issues concerning the members of the club. It provides support and ideas to the leadership teams of the Directors of Operations, Communications and Participations. The main focus is to develop and expand the membership, in diversity as well as numbers, and to provide events that give value for the Club's many members.
The Committee meets eight times a year, and also has focus groups and informal meetings and conversations to continue discussions on an ongoing basis.
In 2020, when Covid came and at first no cricket was played, then it was played behind closed doors, the main emphasis was on retaining membership when there was no live cricket to watch, and a package of loyalty benefits for members was brought in.
2021 started with a members' focus group, to get feedback on what members felt. This desire to interact with members developed throughout the year, leading to the Club putting out a number of surveys through Fly Research, a specialist market research company run by Greg Ward, one of our loyal long-standing members - a service he provides at no charge to the Club. Our thanks go to Greg for all his hard work and commitment, and it allows us to ask questions of the membership at different stages of the season to give us the feedback and insight we need. This feedback from members, both as part of a focus group, from ongoing conversations at events, to discussions with members groups, has enabled the Operations team to widen the offer of events and have a direction to aim for to increase member satisfaction.
Bringing representatives of Seaxe Club and Members' Communication Group (MCG) into the Committee has widened the feedback and discussion around how members feel, and what they would like. There are ongoing discussions with MCC on the shop, retail offer, dress code in the Middlesex Room and the amount of Middlesex CCC promotional material and branding that we can have around Lords, all of which have been brought to the Committee through the Seaxe Club and MCG.
Another theme that continued throughout the year was getting as many members as possible to have access to matches. Both by being able to attend in person, but also to develop our live streaming service so members can watch a quality cricket broadcast whilst at home. The surveys that have been undertaken for us by Fly Research have clearly shown that members prefer matches to be played at Lords, so the team have done all they can to maximise the playing time at Lords, and have been able to produce the survey results as evidence to MCC, in their negotiations.
Work on developing new members and new membership offers took a back seat whilst the team concentrated on getting the best offer for existing members available under extremely difficult Covid restrictions. However, these will come to the fore during 2022. A new-look junior membership offering was introduced this year, with new categories now available, and membership free to all under 8’s.
Key matters to be developed in 2022 include :
The Membership Committee exists to develop and support the membership. To do this, we need input from the members. Having representatives from Seaxe Club and MCG on the Committee helps to bring members views forward, and the results of the surveys carried out by Fly Research have resulted in a large proposition of the membership putting their views forward.
If anyone has any comment to make, ideas that they want to be discussed, please either put through them through the Seaxe Committee or Members' Communication Group, or use the email address that has been set up specifically to serve the membership: memcom@middlesexccc.com
For any general membership enquiries please continue to email membership@middlesexccc.com
MARILYN SMITH - MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR
Our thanks go the Seaxe Club for including this article and update from Marilyn in their latest edition of Seaxe News.
If you're not a member of the Seaxe Club yet, then why not give it some thought - he following information tells you all you'll need to know about our Club within a Club!
ABOUT THE SEAXE CLUB
Formed in 1968, the Seaxe Club is a club within a club, and welcomes all Middlesex members to join. It offers a fun and social environment, where Middlesex members can meet and get together with fellow members to enjoy the game we all love.
Membership costs just £12.50 per year for adults and just £5 for under 16's and it plays a big part in supporting the county club at all levels.
The club raises money and awareness of Middlesex cricket through membership subscriptions, a lottery scheme, a Seaxe Club members' hospitality box at Middlesex County Championship matches at Lord's and through a packed calendar of special Seaxe Club members' social events across the year.
Members of the Seaxe Club enjoy a fantastic list of benefits, including:
*Subject to separate charge
For further information on joining the Seaxe Club, please contact: Barbara Buxton at buxtonb@hotmail.com