Policy on awarding Bursaries for juniors’ subs and indoor training fees

General

1. NMCC is committed to broadening access to its Juniors’ membership, programmes and matches by offering to eligible parents/guardians (the “Parent”) financial support towards the payment of training fees and subscriptions or parts of them. Such support is known as a bursary.

2. A bursary is awarded for/to members of NMCC in the form of the waiver of fees and subscriptions payable and the waiver may cover all or part of the relevant amount.

3. The aims of this Policy are –

a. To provide an opportunity for junior players who satisfy the criteria set out below to take part in NMCC’s activities regardless of Parent income.
b. To ensure that all applications are considered equitably and consistently.
4. The ability to award bursaries is always subject to NMCC having sufficient funds available to it at the time to do so.

Eligibility/Criteria

5. To be eligible for any bursary, the player must usually satisfy the following core criteria –

a. Live in the London Boroughs of Haringey, Islington or Camden.
b. Attend a State School or a Private School where the player’s fees are fully covered by a scholarship or similar.

6. The amount of a bursary shall be decided by NMCC and shall be either -

a. 100% waiver of fees and subscriptions - for juniors on free school meals, families on Universal Credit/Income Support or other equivalent means-tested benefits (listed below), juniors in care including with foster families, refugee/asylum seekers families in the care of local authorities. Other equivalent means-tested benefits include -

• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment & Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Support

b. A reduction of 25%, 50% ,75% of fees and subscriptions - to be decided by the NMCC Bursary Sub-Committee (“Sub-Committee”) having regard to the information supplied by the applicant family in support of its bursary request and such other information as the Sub-Committee considers to be relevant.

7. Whilst all NMCC Juniors, Parents and other members of their families are encouraged to help with the running of the Club without personal benefit, such volunteering shall not be taken into account by the Sub-Committee when making any decision under para 6b.

Process

8. Applications for bursaries should normally be submitted using the then current Application Form available here to NMCC’s EDI Officer, who is currently Sunil Krishnan no later than –

a. in relation to annual membership fees, 30th April in the relevant membership year
b. in relation to Autumn and Winter indoor coaching programmes, 31st November in the relevant year.

9. Any bursaries awarded shall be for the specified membership year or coaching programme only and shall not roll over into future years/programmes.

10. The EDI Officer -

a. will consult with the other members of the Sub-Committee at the time in relation to any application not falling with in para 6a above and then notify the applicant family of the outcome.
b. will endeavour to respond to any application within 21 days.
c. will be entitled to request evidence supporting the application.

11. The Sub-Committee shall comprise the following NMCC officials at the time - the EDI Officer, the Safeguarding Officer and the Juniors’ Co-Ordinator.

12. If the applicant family disputes the Sub-Committee’s decision, it shall be entitled to request NMCC’s Chair to review the outcome stating the family’s reasons in writing. The decision of the Chair shall be final.