Financial Hardship Policy

Mar 20
3 min read

Financial Hardship Policy - Weekly Social Basketball

Purpose

To ensure that financial barriers do not prevent members of the LGBTQIA+ community from participating in Spectres Weekly Social Basketball.

This policy allows the club to offer limited, structured fee relief to members experiencing financial hardship, while maintaining fairness, sustainability, and accountability.

Why now?

Weekly Social Basketball is designed to be accessible and community-driven. However, even modest session fees can be a barrier for members experiencing financial stress.

As participation grows, the club requires a clear, transparent framework to:

Support members in need
Prevent misuse of hardship provisions
Maintain fairness to fee-paying participants
Protect club sustainability

This policy ensures support is compassionate, structured, and consistently applied.

Key Points

Eligibility

Financial hardship support is available to members experiencing temporary or ongoing financial difficulty.

Qualifying circumstances may include, but are not limited to:

Loss of employment or reduced work hours
Studying full-time with limited income
Unexpected medical expenses
Housing insecurity or unstable living arrangements
Significant caring responsibilities
Reliance on government income support

Applicants do not need to disclose deeply personal details. However, they must provide a brief explanation of their circumstances and confirm that they are currently unable to reasonably afford session fees.

The committee may request reasonable supporting information where appropriate. This could include:

Confirmation of student status
Evidence of receiving government support
A brief written statement outlining current financial situation

The burden of proof is intentionally light but must demonstrate need. This policy operates on trust, but not assumption.

What Is Available

Approved applicants may receive:

Up to 10 free Weekly Social Basketball sessions per approved application period.

Free sessions apply only to Spectres Weekly Social Basketball and do not extend to competitions, uniforms, or other programs.

Attendance Requirement

Recipients of hardship sessions are expected to:

Register as usual for sessions using a discount code specific to them
Notify organisers if they cannot attend

If a recipient repeatedly no-shows without notice, the committee may:

Revoke the remaining free sessions
Require a new application before further support is granted

Hardship support is intended to remove financial barriers, not hold places that others could use.

Application Limits

Members may apply for hardship support up to four times per calendar year.

Each approved application may grant up to 10 free sessions.

Repeat applications may require additional explanation to confirm continued need.

The committee reserves discretion to decline applications where hardship criteria are not reasonably met.

Confidentiality

All hardship applications will be treated confidentially.

Only relevant Executive Committee members will review applications. The relevant members are:

President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Ordinary Committee Members

Details of an applicant’s circumstances will not be shared publicly or with other members.

Each application will only need two executive members to approve them. Where possible and practical, the candidate may choose which.

Committee Discretion

The Executive Committee retains authority to:

Approve, decline, or modify hardship applications
Adjust the number of sessions granted
Suspend or amend the policy if financial sustainability is impacted

Decisions will aim to balance compassion with fairness to the broader membership.

Benefits

Removes financial barriers for members who need support.
Strengthens inclusion and accessibility within the LGBTQIA+ community.
Provides a clear and consistent framework for hardship support.
Protects session sustainability and fairness for fee-paying participants.
Encourages accountability through structured limits and attendance expectations.