The cancellation of football during this terrible crisis seems like a small thing when an increasing number of people are dying daily from coronavirus.
But while this is undoubtedly true, our sport’s ongoing absence is a massive financial challenge to all football clubs, and St Mirren are no exception.
Your board has had to consider what action to take, and quickly, to protect our long-term future and very existence – and we had two immediate aims.
Firstly, our responsibility as an employer to players, management, and staff. We don’t want our people to have to worry about their income at a time of many other family concerns.
Secondly protecting the clubs ability to live within our means and keeping us debt-free, a position we are currently in due to the prudence and commitment of successive boards.
The challenge is that nobody knows when football will resume and when St Mirren will again have an income from that source. As things stand we don’t even know if this season will be completed or when next season will begin.
Taking all of this into account, and to make sure none of our staff is left financially worse off, we have decided to make immediate use of the UK Government’s Job Retention Scheme.
This will include all our playing and non-playing staff, with the exception of a core group who are required for the continued running of the club.
The Job Retention Scheme pays our staff who are furloughed 80% of their gross salary up to a maximum of £2500, but we are committed to ensuring we will make up any difference to their usual pay level. This applies to all members of staff.
Your board will continue to monitor what is a very fluid emergency situation within Scotland & the UK and will keep you updated as matters progress.
Season tickets
While we appreciate that many of our supporters will not be in a position to commit to buying a season ticket at this time we have had numerous calls and emails from people asking how they can help financially.
Rather than asking people to donate money to the club we felt that the best way to allow fans to help would be to put season tickets on sale earlier than usual.
As of Monday 13th April, they will be on sale online and by phone. More information will follow during the course of this week.
Street Stuff
Community Engagement
We are still engaging with young people in the community via the following social media sites:
Facebook page: StreetStuff
Twitter: @SMFCStreetStuff
Instagram: @smfcstreetstuff
YouTube: streetstuff1877
Tik Tok: @streetstuff_1877
Weekly schedule
A weekly activity schedule is posted on Street Stuff social media sites
We have set up gaming accounts in a way that the young people can make contact and engage in online activities as well as have friendly conversation with our staff.
Schools
Our Street Stuff staff are involved in the delivery of activities at pre-five centres, primary & secondary schools during Easter school holidays to allow essential workers with children to work.
Supporters can still get in touch with the club via email.
General Enquiries – info@stmirren.com
Ticket Office – tickets@stmirren.com
Fans who wish to purchase anything from the club shop can still do so online.
All orders will be processed and posted as quickly as possible, however, as you will all be aware the guidelines for what can be delivered changes on a daily basis. If you have any queries please email the shop on shop@stmirrendirect.co.uk.
The commercial department will remain open and supporters and sponsors wishing to make contact are advised to do so by email commercial@stmirren.com.
St Mirren Charitable Foundation update.
- All of our educational content for groups like Buds In Bootcamp & FFIT are now delivered via social media and WhatsApp in short filmed segments. We are also now asking all groups to download zoom and will commence educational seminars via this method from next week.
- All of our workouts are now being filmed and placed on our You Tube channel for Buds & FFIT as well as WhatsApp and our other social media platforms.
- We are delivering daily challenges, competitions, football coaching sessions, educational projects and general engagement content daily for children via You Tube, WhatsApp and all of our social media platforms.
- We have 10 WhatsApp groups where we are providing positive, motivational content with daily tips and advice on mental wellbeing and nutrition.
- We are 'Checking in' directly on a one to one basis with all of our group participants twice weekly.
- We are securing new food partners on a daily basis from Tesco, Morrisons & Asda to Manorview Leisure and Starbucks, we will continue to recruit more.
- We are collecting food from our food partners and distributing via our community partners Star Project, Renfrewshire Foodbank and Salvation Army.
- We are now collecting donations of food parcels and essential items from outside of local residents’ homes, these food items are then taken to Star Project and Renfrewshire Foodbank.
- We are recruiting and managing volunteer drivers to work on behalf of our partners at Star Project and Renfrewshire Foodbank in delivering essential food parcels throughout the community. You can contact us through the usual channels.
Instagram – smfc_charitablefoundation
Twitter - @SMFC_CF
Facebook – St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation
Contact - gayle.brannigan@stmirren.com
The board would like to thank all Street Stuff and St Mirren Charitable Foundation staff, club staff and players and our many volunteers for going above and beyond the call of duty in doing everything they can to support our local community. Many of these people have put themselves in harms way for the greater good. You have our utmost respect and thanks.
Our message to every member of the St Mirren family is stay at home, stay safe and let’s all hope we are back watching our team play in the not too distant future.
