Key Objectives

KEY OBJECTIVES  2008 – 2010

1. To provide increased practical assistance to our members, ie local councils and clubs, particularly in the areas of maintenance and safety.  This will require the role of the Field Officer (appointed 2007) to be developed.  The issues raised by the judges in the Best Kept Playing Field Competition will provide a good starting point for this exercise.

2. To build upon the success of the Best Kept Playing Field Competition by increasing the number of entries to 150 by 2010 and by using this well established annual event as a means of raising overall standards.

3. To encourage greater use of playing fields.  In 2007 a very successful cricket scheme was launched in the Dunmow area.  Our target is to promote a new scheme each year in a different part of the county.

4. To use the Small Grants Fund to encourage councils and clubs to improve the quality and variety of their facilities.  The grant we can offer is small but is intended in the majority of cases to kick-start the process.  The value of the scheme is frequently in the advice and direction offered by EPF, with its contacts and experience.  The target is to promote 4 or 5 projects each year.

5. To increase membership by 20% each year.  Our membership overall has increased, but the percentage of Essex Parish and Town councils who are members remains disappointingly low.  It is also essential that we recruit more individual members and most importantly, younger members.

6. To continue to run training seminars focused upon safety, ground maintenance and preservation, and in general to enhance training opportunities for officers, members and volunteers.

7. To improve our website so it can be used to promote our activities and offer an improved service to our members.

8. Finally, and crucially, to establish channels through which regular funding can be obtained.