England Touch Association - Annual Report 2014 England Touch Association - Annual Report 2014 | Page 18

ETA Annual Report

MEMBERSHIP (Review)
The aim of England Touch is to develop the sport & ensure people get the most out of it. In order to do this
effectively there needs to be agreed and maintained rules, standards and principles of operation. With this in
place England Touch can control and administer the game across the country, for the enjoyment of all.
2014 saw a continued increase in participation and growth of affiliated members. The addition of the O2 clubs
and leagues has contributed but, the overall trend remains positive in all areas. General attitudes to affiliation
have changed to recognise it as an important requirement to play Touch in England and to take advantage of the
opportunities to play in events and gain access to insurance along with development resources. We created an
extensive FAQs website section on affiliation, which has assisted in the understanding of membership.

As predicted in 2013, the rise of
players playing in affiliated
leagues has increased by circa
50%, up from 4104 to 6168 in a
little over 12 months. This trend
is expected to increase by
another 150% in the coming 12
months, with more O2Touch
clubs coming on board, as well
as Universities. This is a great
opportunity for England Touch
to develop the sport into areas
it’s not had the opportunity or
resource to do previously.
Moving to membership software ‘WebCollect’ in 2014 to administer and manage our membership payments has
required a lot of initial administration but we are now better placed to collect and manage membership data and
payments as a result. Every ETA member has been inputted into the new system giving a much more visible, live
and updatable structure to membership. There’s an interface for members to update their information directly,
along with the ability to send out group emails. All O2Touch contacts will also be completed by the end of the
calendar year.
This new tool will assist us to invoice early in January for 2015 membership ensuring all clubs and leagues are
covered by affiliation prior to the season starting in earnest. The new system will require minimal input from an
administration point of view, which is a huge step forward.

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England Touch Association