Dear County Chairs

We wrote to you three weeks ago asking for feedback as we developed a set of Vision, Mission and Values Statements. A first draft of these is now ready, viz

MISSION: ”The EBU exists to represent the interests of English bridge players internationally, and to ensure that the needs of bridge players at different levels and of bridge clubs of all types, as well as the needs of those learning the game, are adequately addressed throughout England”

VISION: ”Bridge is recognised as the best mindsport and the most popular indoor pastime in England.”

VALUES: ”We will achieve our vision in a collaborative way with players, volunteers, employees and partners, based on the principles of inclusivity, transparency and mutual respect.”

The next stage is a consultation with players and with clubs about their priorities, uncovering which aspects of the declared mission are important for them and which are less so. We can then focus our energies in the right direction.

Being closer to the parties involved, we believe that the County Bridge Associations will be able to have a more welcoming and fulsome discussion than EBU-central could. Therefore, noting that they too have a role in the provision of services to the bridge community, we would like to ask the County Bridge Associations to take the lead in that research.

We have no rules about how the feedback is sought or indeed how is it structured, but offer the following categorisation of existing EBU services (to players, to clubs and counties, and to the country) as an aide-memoire for discussion.

1.    Support for recruiting, teaching and the development of bridge players.
2.    Running a variety of competitions for English bridge players.
3.    Communications about bridge for player members (magazine & diary & website).
4.    National grading schemes (Master Points and NGS).
5.    Provision of regulations for competitions in England.
6.    Support to the interpretation of the Laws in England, TD services.
7.    Disciplinary processes and dispute resolution.
8.    Advice and support to affiliated bridge clubs on club management.
9.    Promoting the game of bridge as a healthy and sociable pastime.
10.    Representing English bridge players in BGB/EBL/WBF and in the development of the Laws.
11.    Managing international representation.

We will accept feedback in any form of which the least structured is email to patrick@gcba.org.uk, but more organised will be a topic heading against each of the above categories (and any new ones which emerge) in the EBU Forum for County Discussion.

We are organising an online meeting for all CBA Chairs (or their representatives) on Wednesday 2nd September (with a 14:00 start) at which to discuss feedback from this research, and other aspects of the future of the game of bridge in England. 

Kind Regards

Sam

Samantha Kelly
Communications Officer
English Bridge Union
01296 317215