EBU Board Update 1st July 2021

Sent 1st July 2021 via email

Update from the EBU Board

Dear County Chairs and Secretaries,

Following the County Chairs meeting in May, we wanted to update you on progress and to seek your help.

There are a number of topics covered in the note below. We felt it was better to send you one message than several. As a consequence, you may need to take more care than usual to ensure that the correct consideration is given to each topic.    
 
One Perspective on Running Limited Ability Events - e.g. Nine-High or Five-High 
 
We discussed how best to generate and retain interest in these events at the County Chairs meeting. Since then Gayle has talked with a few others who run such events and has the following key tips.
 
Please tell Gayle (gaylewebb@blueyonder.co.uk) if you have found anything else to be helpful in running these events and we will share them.
 
The Yorkshire Teaching Initiative
 
You asked for more information about this initiative and guidance on how it could be adopted elsewhere.  

Here is some key information.

Non-Affiliated Clubs
 
Gayle is working with a few counties to discuss how best to involve non-affiliated clubs and how best to encourage them to become affiliated. Gayle is also discussing this with the clubs that have become affiliated during the pandemic. Expect to hear more shortly.

Communications
 
Gayle and Patrick have been working with a number of clubs and counties in understanding how to improve communications between us all. 

Kay Carter will be writing to you shortly to ensure that we have correct information about your county contacts.  She will ask for a bit more information than usual as we are hoping to add additional fields, for example, social media accounts.  

Social Media

Cath Fox is beginning to think about social media. Cath (cathfox@btinternet.com) would like to understand what you have done locally and what you have found to be successful. We can build on this and share information. 

It would be useful if you have any willing photographers or graphic designers who would be willing to share some of their work in exchange for copyright recognition. We are hoping to build a database of Bridge Pictures we can all share.

And a plea to share your social media accounts (see above) even if you have not used them for a while.

We are planning a big social media campaign starting in August/September. The more engagement we can get the better. Cath will shortly be sending out a list of theme based campaigns and any content you can provide to support each campaign would be gratefully received.

More details to follow. 

Articles and Contacts with The Press

We are working on a series of template articles that can be used to promote Bridge in your area. We hope to link these into the social media campaign. Here is an example template article – with two Chelmsford (here and here) and one Warminster version created from the template.
 
We need some authors. If you know of anyone who might be able to help please write to Cath (cathfox@btinternet.com)
 
We are building a database of press agencies and local newspapers to promote the notion of publicising these and other articles from time to time and to have a bridge column. Should you know of anyone with good contacts with press agencies or local newspapers please inform Cath (cathfox@btinternet.com).  
 
Should you know of anyone who would like to be involved in this initiative either in organisation or as an author of bridge columns, either occasional or regular, or know of a suitable set of articles that could be reused please contact Cath (cathfox@btinternet.com).
 
Leaflets
 
The EBU already has a leaflet that can be reused. It can be found here.
 
Have you found this useful? Do you have your own?  What are the key things that need to be added or changed?  Please tell Gayle (gaylewebb@blueyonder.co.uk
 
General Help
 
If you know of anyone who can spare time working on these or other initiatives to promote the game, please inform Kay (kay.preddy@ntlworld.com).
 
Competitions 

The EBU has been thinking about Competitions and has put together some Principles and the Background that has helped guide those principles in these papers.

If you have any thoughts and feedback on these could you send them to Rob Lawy (R.lawy@exeter.ac.uk)

During the pandemic many Counties have, very helpfully, increased the number of events that they organise. This has enabled many players to continue to play bridge during the pandemic.  

However, some players may be attracted to play in County events rather than equivalent clubs events since County run events offer double the master points of those organised by clubs. The EBU is planning to consult with you in July on the approach that should be adopted once we return to face-to-face bridge.  
  

Please feel free to share this email with your clubs.
 
Cath, Gayle, Ron and Kay
 
(Cath Fox, Gayle Webb, Ron Millet and Kay Preddy)

EBU Board Members