Sports clubs are also very concerned about rising energy prices. For example, although the Town Hall provides employment subsidies every year to those in Pardubice, the amount certainly does not cover the increased costs. At the same time, there are not many possible solutions, clubs can increase membership fees or reduce the number of training lessons – the topic of the next part of the series is on the fight against high energy prices.
Sports clubs, which often have very limited budgets and are unable to make ends meet from current membership contributions, also have to deal with increased energy Photo: Tomas Adamec
“We actually had to slightly increase the membership fee this half year. When we tried to calculate the estimate, we came up with a 30% increase, maybe forty already,” says Ondřej Charvát of Pardubice Karate Club. Without the increase, they will not have a chance to pay the utilities, and they expect a rent increase from September.
Hear a report on the impact of the energy crisis on sports clubs in Pardubice
Most clubs deal with a similar situation. The problem is that no one knows at the moment how far energies can grow and it is impossible to plan ahead.
“Calculations are another complex topic. Energy changes from week to week, changes come unplanned and clubs cannot plan for this,” explains sports park director Pavel Stara. According to him, the only solution to saving the clubs is subsidies from the municipalities and the state.
However, Pardubice City Hall will not increase the current contribution, as athletes are not the only ones who need help. “If the state or city does not help us fund it, there is a risk that the higher prices will be reflected in the membership fee. But the parents are under pressure for other costs as well, so they shouldn’t pay for the rings at all,” concludes Stara.
Scharvat says they cannot increase contributions indefinitely, because families also have other costs: “The question is what happens next. I think the smaller clubs will have big problems with it. It’s a big threat to the sport in the future.”
The Sokolov family also has problems
Pardubice Sokolové is having problems heating all the gyms in the big building. “We have been asking suppliers for several months now to set the price, but we were refused due to the scale of the volume,” explains Sokol’s deputy mayor, Phet Drasar.
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They have to pay a different amount higher each month for energy. Thus, they had to increase subscriptions and rent gyms to other interested parties. They can also limit the number of training sessions or shorten the hour-long lessons to 45 minutes.
According to the deputy mayor, there is little room for optimism: “From our experience, it appears that after HIV infection it was possible to return children and exercisers to exercise.”
In addition to the city’s support, sports clubs have had the opportunity to apply for an operation and maintenance subsidy from the National Sports Agency. Reception of applications there ended on August 31, and a total of 385 million kroner was available.
