Those of you who attended the AGM in May will have already heard about how Heath is one of just a few grassroots rugby clubs in the country that has managed to run a breakeven operating budget over the last few years. Alongside this success we have built a considerable Clubhouse Fund as a result of member-supported fund raising events and activities and generous sponsor donations from local businesses such as Kalimex, Pets Corner and Adelphi.

Together these businesses have set the corporate social responsibility standard that we hope others will want to follow in supporting the future health and wellbeing of Mid Sussex residents with the building of a new multi-sports facility at Whitemans Green

2019/20
Unfortunately, dark clouds loomed over the second half of the 2019/20 season. Firstly, the winter weather put an end to rugby on both Whitemans Green and Beech Farm Field, with match cancellations impacting the rugby on the pitch and the takings at the bar/lunches in the Clubhouse.

Despite the weather, the Club continued its close relationship with Warden Park to ensure training continued, albeit at considerable additional cost to the Club. We were also extremely grateful to our close Sussex rivals, Horsham RFC, who helped facilitate a number of our LSE2 games on their pitches. At times, the visiting Heath supporters outnumbered the home-game support and it seems their bar manager appreciated the deep pockets and dry throats of the fantastic travelling Heath support.

Just as the light at the end of the tunnel from the winter weather was appearing, it was rapidly snuffed out by COVID-19. A grant of £10,000 from MSDC, furloughing all employed staff and minimising all utility spend, still left the Club with zero income for the much-missed end of season activities, particularly with the 1st XV securing LSE2 league-winning promotion to London 1 South.

Despite this unexpected gloomy end to the season, the Club is in a strong position to move forward with minis, juniors, colts and senior squads eager to get back on the pitch and the 1st XV campaign in London 1 South scheduled to start against local rivals Horsham (at a date yet TBC).

2020/21
Next season Club stalwarts Sam Drage and Chris Neill will captain the 1st XV and RAMS respectively.

Our first-class coaching team of Ross Chisholm, Jim Taylor and Martin "Tags" MacTaggart, together with Team Manager Glen Jones, has already got the senior squad back to rugby with strict COVID-19 protocols in place to ensure we operate in line with RFU Roadmap. Mid Sussex District Council has borrowed our approach to show other local sports clubs how to implement the necessary new protocols, using the club as an example of best practice in the county.

Over 40 players have been to “pre-season” training and we are working to attract more senior players to join our fantastic squad with a series of online videos showing what makes Heath Heath. The Colts have returned with a large squad of over 50 players looking to run two squads during the season. The Under 16s and Under 13s are also back in training, successfully implementing the protocols adopted by the seniors

Anticipating a return to competitive rugby at some point during the season, and to help battle another wet winter for the pitches at Whitemans Green and BFF, the Club has invested in a second-hand Verti-Drain funded by the HHRFC Lotto. Considerable investment has been made in maintaining the pitches during the off-season and we believe this will prove to be a shrewd move, enabling rugby to be played on home pitches whatever the elements have in store during the winter months.

The Club has also invested in a large capacity minibus (in glorious Heath red). We previously hired team transport from Heritage, but they ceased trading in late 2019 and with costs of hire increasing and the 1st XV having to travel to London and the RAMS likely to be going as far as Rye, the minibus will pay for itself within one season. The further advantage is that the Colts, juniors and mini age groups will be able to use the bus for away tournaments. When not in use by the Club, we plan to make it available to the team at Fairfax Building Young Futures - contributing to the health of the local youth community in other ways.

The New Clubhouse
Our drive for the new Clubhouse at Whitemans Green continues and we believe the health impact of COVID-19 places even more impetus on the need for a new multi-sports facility in Mid Sussex. With Fairfax as Main Club Sponsor and offering to contribute 20% to the overall costs of the new build, we are determined not to lose this once in a lifetime opportunity and have enlisted the full support of our local MP and newly-elected HHRFC President Mims Davies to help us explore all avenues for funding so we can start building as soon as possible.

To this end, HM Revenue & Customs ("HMRC") have afforded the club two very important tax breaks - CASC status and Social Investment Tax Relief ("SITR").
• CASC status is quasi charitable status, which means any voluntary donations by individuals qualify for Gift Aid. This means the Club can recover 25% extra from HMRC at no cost to the donor and if the donor is either a 40% or 45% taxpayer, there are additional personal tax rebates. For corporate entities, CASC status allows donations and sponsorship to qualify for Corporation Tax relief.
• SITR is a special relief which, when used with Gift Aid, can maximise available tax breaks to help fund the new Clubhouse build. Used together, this can provide HHRFC with up to 250% of the original donation. This scheme is likely to end in 2021 so it is important that anyone interested in taking advantage of SITR for the Club does so during the current tax year.

How can you help?
There are plenty of opportunities to help the Club reach its goal:

1. Sign-up to the independent HHRFC Lotto. For just £10 per month you can win your full year's subscription in just one month, plus there are major cash prizes drawn at Christmas and Easter. Sign up HERE

2. Buy a brick and have your name/family's contribution recognised virtually NOW and physically for years to come. A Brick costs from just £500 and can be inscribed with a specified number of characters of your choice. This new initiative is being launched at the end of August alongside membership renewal this year so please get involved and be one of the first to see your name inscribed on the HHRFC Clubhouse VIRTUAL wall.

3. If you know any corporate sponsors, community funds, local incentives or philanthropic individuals willing to get involved, please get in touch at rugby@hhrfc.co.uk
There are many different sponsorship opportunities available depending on budget and requirements and HHRFC is flexible in helping companies and organisations get the most out of our partnership.

4. Come and support Heath when rugby returns and before then drop by one evening when the senior squad is training and enjoy a socially distanced drink on the Clubhouse decking.

As always, we are eternally grateful to the red-and-black army of volunteers who turn-up week-in week-out - the coaches, team admins, first aiders, waste sorters, meter readers, tidy-uppers - without who we would not be the Club we are today.

Please keep supporting Heath in any way you can.