Woodford is an excellent example of a rugby club benefiting hugely from registering as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC). Founded in 1924, they now have 550 members and 250 below the age of 20. They run five senior teams and mini and youth sides at every age group. But having built a new clubhouse in 1994, which cost £400,000, financed through the membership, grants from the Sports Council and bank loans, they hit trouble.

Various ventures designed to cover the £20,000 loan repayments and interest payments failed, leaving them with a major debt of £200,000. Initially, the club was saved by a generous benefactor, but in 2002 he had to bow out. Survival became a real problem.

The extension of Gift Aid to Community Amateur Sports Clubs was seen as a major opportunity and registration was easy, as the club’s constitution already met the registration requirements. Woodford were registered on 19th September 200,2 less than two weeks after applying. They were even able to claim Gift Aid on a £30,000 donation received after April 2002, but before the application.

The club called a special meeting to explain their perilous position and the urgent need to raise £200,000 and explained the benefits of being a registered CASC to members. For every £1 donated to the club, the club now receives an extra 28.2p courtesy of the tax man and the person giving the money also benefits, with a 40% tax payer receiving an 18% contribution in their next tax return.

Woodford members were encouraged to support the campaign for survival, by making one-off donations or regular donations paid by standing order.

The scheme has had a dramatic impact. In six months they have raised £113,000 in one-off donations and a claim, which was easy to make, has been sent to Scotland for processing. This is double the largest application received by them to date. Some £27,500 of regular donations by standing orders mean that over the next five years they will have an annual income of £7,000 including Gift Aid. With the promises that they have and donations in the pipeline, they will achieve their £200,000 objective, including £45,000 of Gift Aid. This means Woodford will survive to celebrate 80 years by becoming debt free.

Says David Shephard, “It is simple to administer. All the members of the Inland Revenue are genuinely interested and helpful in dealing with queries and providing solutions. From April 2004 all registered members will be entitled to 80% mandatory rates relief. Gift aid is now a fundamental consideration in our approach to all future fund raising. I would thoroughly recommend it to other rugby clubs.”