Below is your monthly update from the EBU. All previous updates are available on the EBU Updates page.
This poster shows the upcoming EBU events. Please consider adding this to your club/county website and encourage your members to enter online via My EBU.
Updates from the Board
The Board is considering an alternative means of calibrating UMS payments – rather than having three distinct bands for games of different lengths, with sharp cutoffs, we are looking at a flat fee plus a charge of 1p/board. The intent is very much to remain revenue neutral (i.e. no overall increase in what is collected) but to make the charging scheme fairer across clubs which play short and long sessions. There are bound to be some winners and some losers from such a change. Your views would be welcome, please to patrick@ebu.co.uk
Updates from the Competitions Working Group
The Competitions Working Group have agreed the following:
- That what was the December Seniors Congress will henceforth be a Winter Online Midweek Congress.
- To discontinue the January Point-a-Board teams due to lack of support.
- We are investigating options to hold the final of the Tollemache Cup next year in a hotel venue.
- The programme of Online One Day Green Point events has been published through until March 2026. For 2024, the series will run over nine months from April, and after that the annual series will run January to December.
FESTIVAL UPDATE
Bridge - It’s a Big Deal! is a Festival of Bridge to take place in September 2024 in England and Scotland and all bridge clubs, groups and players are invited to do something special to have fun, to make more people aware of our wonderful game and at the same time support the work of our partners Cancer Research UK.
September is months away but now is the time to make your plans and there is a list of suggested activities and resources on the festival pages but please feel free to go off piste with any ideas that you may have. The idea is to enjoy yourself so don’t hold back and be sure to let us know your plans so we can add them to the map of events as Nettleham, the Chorley Monday Club, the Bury Athenaeum Bridge Club and Manchester have already done.
Here is a video from Andrew Robson as an example of the resources that you can find in the event pages and which are there for you to use.
Join us in making Bridge a really big deal this September.
Annual Master Point Certificates
Certificates for members with the highest number of Green, Blue, Local and Total master points per county have been sent to members via email. Certificates have also been sent to members with the most master points per club. Details can be found on the Club Champions master point report.
County Membership Fees 2024/25
The counties have now finalised their county membership fees for the 2024/25 year, see the full membership fee list for EBU and Counites.
Please note, the Clubs Terms of Affiliation have been updated for the 2024/25 year.
Club Subscription and Insurance Renewals
Club Subscription and Club Insurance Renewals are due on the 1st April 2024. We have emailed the renewal information to Secretaries and Treasurers, please check your emails and contact karend@ebu.co.uk if you have a queries or changes.
Bridge Warehouse
The new price list will be available from 2nd April. Unfortunately some of our prices will have to be increased due to increased costs from our suppliers. We held prices for 2023 but now have no choice but to increase them.
We do have an offer for March on Superluxe playing cards just for affiliated clubs. They are £150 for a box of 10 dozen a saving of £15.00 per box. (were £165.00) Use code EBU136. Offer valid until Sunday 24th March.
Visit the Bridge Warehouse website for all the latest offers and newest items in stock.
County TD Course
Entries are coming in steadily for the upcoming County TD Course (18th-19th May 2024 at Yarnfield Park Training and Conference Centre), if you would like to attend, please book in plenty of time to ensure there is enough space.
The course will be run by EBU National Tournament Directors Sarah Amos and Phil Godfrey. The course fee of £245 for residential delegates includes dinner, bed and breakfast at the centre for one night, and a light lunch on Saturday and Sunday, plus course materials. The course is a mixture of table simulations, lectures and written assessment. Further details available on the Advanced TD Training webpage, or contact comps (01296 317203 or comps@ebu.co.uk).
EBED Training Courses
EBED offers the following training courses. For more about these courses visit the EBED website or contact clive@ebedcio.org.uk.
- Club Teacher Training - York - 23rd-24th March - £220
(Booking link Teacher Training York) - Club Teacher Training - North Devon - 6th and 8th April 2024 - £220
(Booking link Teacher Training North Devon) - Club Teacher Training - Stratford Upon Avon - 13th-14th April - £220
(Booking link Teacher Training Stratford) - Online How to run Club Duplicate - 25th-26th April 9.00am to 12.00 - £60
(Booking link Club Duplicate) - Club Tournament Director Training - Whitley Bay - from 28th April - £72 per session
(Booking link Director Training Whitley Bay) - Online EBUScore Training - 2nd May 9.00am to 12.00 - £40
(Booking link EBUScore Training)
All our current dates, including additional online courses are listed on the TD Course Calendar. To book please use the links above or call Lisa on 01296 317217.
Advertise your Congress Online with the EBU
The EBU home page is a great place to promote your next congress or for clubs/counties to publicise there next big events.
Could your event benefit from last minute advertising to bring in extra players? Well the best place to do this is the Home page of the EBU website.
The advert could be live today!
An advert on the Carousel at the top of the EBU home page is as little as £75 per month for CBA’s and Clubs. Want to give your event a boost, contact Danby Advertising on 01603 898678 or email adsales@ebu.co.uk.
Picture Competition
The EBU are looking for new and exciting images to promote the wonderful game of bridge. Can you or your members produce a photograph, painting or drawing that conveys the fun, drama and excitement of the game of bridge?
Please encourage your members to enter this competitions. The artist with the winning picture will win not only honour and prestige (and our gratitude) but also some cash towards their next camera lens, smartphone, or bridge congress!
Further details and how to enter.
Calling clubs and county associations – tell us your news!
We are featuring club and county news in our blog. If you have any news to share please do let us know, preferably with a picture or two to go with it! Contact sam@ebu.co.uk.
Club directory – please update your club details
A reminder for clubs, please check your club details in the Club Directory and submit our online club details form. Please log in to check ALL your clubs details are still correct. More information is available via the help link on the club directory page.
Counties, please also update your county officials' details online, county details form.
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