As the eagle eyed might have already spotted, we've got a new department! The new technology department will oversee all things tech within QuidditchUK, maintaining and improving our existing infrastructure and exploring how it might be expanded going forward.

This will be headed up by none other than Dec Ramsay, our current technology officer. Dec has been with QUK for over two years now, originally joining as a contractor in December 2019 to work on our website. Over time that transitioned into a permanent volunteer role, with Dec working continuously to better our website with new features and refinements. Dec's hard work here was recognised as media department champion in our 2022 awards.

Creating a new department came through reflecting on QuidditchUK's increasing use of home-grown software solutions behind the scenes. Over the last year we've launched the new scouting programme, membership interface, and Quidditch Scheduler integration. All these are powered by systems built by Dec specifically for QUK. Going forward it'll be advantageous if we can have multiple people working on these to improve our tools and further what we can achieve.

One such new feature is website notifications! If you're logged into the QUK website you'll notice a little bell in the top right corner; this is where you can find all your notifications from us.

We've had feedback from members that not everyone is aware of key dates, such as when transfer windows open and close. At the moment club leadership funnel this information from QUK to members, but during busy periods this can mean important dates are easily missed. Going forward all members will be made aware of this directly through the notifications panel.

The feature has only just launched so for now only covers the transfer window, but we've plans to extend this to cover fixture deadlines, scouting windows, and more! If you have any issues you can open an issue on GitHub or email tech.

Do you know how to code and want to use those skills to help quidditch? Are you interesting in developing the systems which power QUK?  Itching to fix that website bug that's been driving you bananas? Join the technology department!

We're looking for several Technology Officer to join Dec in the new department; if you're interested, just fill out the form below. If you want to take a peak behind the curtains beforehand check out our Github. You can also email Dec if you've any questions about the role.

Dec Ramsay heads new Technology Department

We have been amazed and delighted with the resurgence of quidditch that we have seen post-covid. We have been lucky enough to see some amazing achievements over the last year, including:

Two incredible finals in our very first separate university and community leagues

The first British EQC Division 1 winner in eight years - shout out to Werewolves of London!

A British EQC Division 2 medallist - another shout out to Southsea Quidditch!

... along with so many other amazing achievements, like sponsorship with Comic Con for our BQC livestream, and several new teams starting up in the last few months! This means that there are lots of exciting new projects that we need volunteers for. In order for us to deliver the highest quality events and club services that we know we can, we need some fresh blood to help us be the best we can be. A few of our long-standing senior volunteers are moving on for different reasons you can find below, and these posts will need filling so we can continue to deliver all of our projects and events.

While volunteers in every position are incredibly important, we’re particularly looking for people to step into some leadership roles. These roles are exciting opportunities to learn new skills, get leadership experience early in your career, and make the biggest difference to quidditch as it’s played in the UK!

The following roles are open for applications:

All of these roles are currently filled and have someone performing these duties, but these volunteers are approaching the end of their tenure and we’d love to see some new faces come on board. Fun fact: five members of EMT have been in post for more than two years! And just one member of EMT is from a university team (kudos to Beck Throup!). We'd love to see more volunteers from university teams, as this is a key way of making your voice heard at a high level and making sure that our decisions support all our members.

Anyone with a passion for quidditch and who is ready to learn in their new role! As university members are underrepresented in leadership roles at QuidditchUK, we’d especially love to hear from university members with leadership experience at a club level - as captain, president, coach, or treasurer! However, we consider all applications and experience, so don’t be afraid to apply if you’ve held a different role or you have experience outside of quidditch that would be helpful.

You don’t need years and years of experience to apply! Here are some examples of the experience that current volunteers had before taking on a leadership role:

Josh Fogg (current President, four-year tenure) - four months as an Operations Assistant and one year as President of MUQC 

Abby Whiteley (current Vice President) - one year of captaincy at OUQC and some media volunteering with QuidditchUK and Quidditch Post

Beck Throup (current Media Director) - one year on Bristol committee as Social Media Officer

If you’d like to submit an application, you can fill out our volunteering form below and let us know which role you’re interested in! You can also look here to see further information about the roles we have available. Some roles will be released in the next week or two, so do check back if you don’t see the role you’re interested in. We don’t require a CV - just a short statement of interest outlining why you're interested, and wee'll follow up with an invitation to interview.

If you’d like to know more about what the roles entail, you can get in touch with the current volunteers to find out more. You can find their details below - we're looking forward to hearing from you!

I’m curious - how can I apply or find out more?

Vice President - Abby Whiteley (Oxford Mammoths Quidditch Club), vicepresident@quidditchuk.org

Abby is stepping down from Vice President as she’s been on EMT for three years and she’s looking forward to new volunteering opportunities, including mentoring young people in schools.

Volunteers Director - Meredith Whiting (Oxford Mammoths Quidditch Club), volunteers@quidditchuk.org 

Volunteers Director is vacant because our previous Director, Josh Fogg, was promoted to President! Meredith currently sits here as Assistant Director, but we'd love to see a new face join the team.

Operations Director - Tom Hutton (Phoenix Quidditch Club), operations@quidditchuk.org 

Tom has stepped down from Operations Director as he will be moving to Thailand in the next few months!

Events Director - Omar Coakley (Oxford Mammoths Quidditch Club), events@quidditchuk.org 

Omar is stepping down from Events Director as he is starting a new job which requires lots of travel, which means he’ll need all his energy for getting around the country!

Assistant Media Director - Beck Throup (Bristol Quidditch Club), media@quidditchuk.org 

This role has been vacant for some time; it’s an amazing opportunity to shape our media output at a senior level, and work under the guidance of a Director.

Opportunities to Volunteer with QuidditchUK

QuidditchUK are excited and proud to announce that Josh Fogg will be taking on the mantle of President. After a long and difficult search, we’re pleased to say we’ve found the perfect person for the role.

Over an illustrious quidditch career so far, Fogg states how proud they are of their previous presidency at Manchester Universities Quidditch Club and being part of the biggest recruitment year has ever seen as this gave the club the ability to establish a second team. During their time with QUK so far, they have reformed the way QUK report finances, leading to more transparent expenditure. Most recently, Josh led on the 21/22 member survey, providing an insightful snapshot into the community that we all love. 

Their quidditch prowess also extends beyond volunteering and onto the pitch, including a 1st place team at Valentines cup 2020 and a 4th place spot at EQT with Olympians the same year! 

With years of quidditch and volunteering experience under their belt, Josh is now on their third Executive Team role, this time in the Presidential department. This role follows their successful run as Operations Director from 2018 to 2020, as well as their more recent position as Volunteers Director since July 2020.

The Executive Team are also thrilled to have Josh on board as President, and can’t wait to see where the sport goes under their leadership. 

Josh went on to say “I wouldn't be me if I didn't also plug recruitment! Do check out our volunteer openings page, we've roles for any commitment level or area of interest. If you've ideas for the betterment of the sport, be the change you want to see!"

So, do be sure to check out the volunteer opportunities and fill out the form at the bottom of the page if any of those are of interest to you! 

Wishing the best of luck and the heartiest congratulations to Josh Fogg, our newest QUK President! 

Josh Fogg appointed as QUK President

In December last year, Quidditch UK saw the Expansion and Teams departments merge into one shiny new Clubs department, meaning there's now a single dedicated contact for all club related support. So far, they’ve organised of the winter transfer window, as well as seen some new clubs start sprouting across the country. Now, we are pleased to announce that the new Clubs Director will be none other than our former secretary, Chloe Durkin! 

The former Bangor player has been with QUK as secretary since 2020, and while she’s been invaluable to the Presidential department, we’re sure she’s happy to finally have those sweet EMT voting powers. At the helm of a brand new department, Chloe intends to focus on university teams, and the newer teams appearing across the community.

We’re confident that Chloe’s going to do a wonderful job in the brand new position, and look forward to seeing where she takes the department! 

Chloe's new appointment as Clubs Director leaves the role of Secretary open for applications. This role sits within the Presidential Department along with the role of President, which is also still open. If either of these roles are of interest to you, please get in touch via the volunteering form below, or find out more about all of our volunteering opportunities.

Chloe Durkin to lead new Clubs Department

Presidential

Clubs

Events

Gameplay

Media

Operations

Volunteers

National Teams

We're trialling this idea to help players get a better understanding of what UK quidditch's national governing body (that's us!) do month-to-month. These are intended to be more formal than our newsletter, serving as a monthly digest of our weekly executive minutes. Like this idea? Hate it? Thoroughly ambivalent? Let us know!

QUK's February 2022 Update

We are incredibly excited to announce that from May 2022, the role of QuidditchUK President will no longer be a volunteer role.

After consulting with financial and legal professionals, and making careful considerations of our own financial position, the Executive Management Team has unanimously decided that the next President will be a part-time paid position at a gross rate of £5,000.00 per annum.

QuidditchUK President Will Now Be a Paid Role

QuidditchUK has recognised that the role of President is no longer viable as a volunteer position, and the requirements of the role demand that of an experienced professional who can dedicate regular time and attention to it. In order for QuidditchUK to continue to grow it requires leadership who can give it the time commitment that it needs, we have allocated this fund to ensure dedicated resource and attention to the future of this sport.

In addition to their Executive Management responsibilities, the President will be expected to -

Chair weekly meetings with QuidditchUK leadership.

Seek out, develop, and maintain key partnerships with external vendors.

Set and execute both short and long term plans and goals for the sport.

Develop new income streams for the organisation outside membership and event revenues.

Develop new programmes and projects for QuidditchUK to encourage and stimulate growth at all levels.

Recruit high level department directors to manage specific aspects of QuidditchUK.

Manage project based departments such as Youth and National Teams.

Represent QuidditchUK to national and international parties external to the sport.

Attend International Quidditch Association, and Quidditch Europe; representing the interests of QuidditchUK globally.

Maintain the legal, financial, and logistical commitments of QuidditchUK Limited, including tax and submitting company statements.

The President will be paid £5,000 (gross) per year, in monthly instalments, based on an expected schedule of 10-12 hours per week.

Rather than being a regular employee of QuidditchUK, the President will instead be paid as a company director of the organisation. The main difference being related to the tax, pension, and national insurance elements. This will be explained and discussed through with prospective applicants.

The President will continue to operate as the head of the organisation, and still be held accountable by the Executive Management Team and member club Captains via the QuidditchUK Constitution. The consititution and company articles will also be updated to reflect and reinforce this change.

Applications for the President will remain open until Sunday, March 6th.

Why have you decided to pay the President?

As QuidditchUK and quidditch continues to grow, so do the responsibilities and requirements of the organisation, and so do the roles and requirements of the President. The role is no longer suitable to a younger student or graduate fitting the jobs around their existing commitments.

While searching for a success in the President, Matt and Abby have found capable or willing people who simply do not have the time. But by introducing this financial element, it does give incentive and space for someone to make room for the role instead of fitting it around existing commitments.

While the offered amount isn't nearly enough for someone to take on the role full time, it does give realistic flexibility for an experienced professional to commit 10-15 hours a week purely to QuidditchUK. Paying the President also allows them to focus on jobs outside of managing the sport, such as forming new partnerships, developing programmes, or directly traveling and outreaching to new or struggling clubs across the UK.

How are you able to afford to pay the President?
QuidditchUK have calculated the required costs, including any relevant tax and pension factors, associated with paying the role and built our 2022/2023 budget based on this being a fixed feature of the budget. We are are treating this the same way we treat any of our other fixed costs; such as our monthly insurance, storage, or digital retainer fees.

It is important to us that we were able to afford this based on the existing financial figures situation of QuidditchUK, rather than prospective income streams. Therefore the figures used to reach this conclusion are based on a robust review of our exisiting membership and event income streams, and not prospective growth figures. We do not intend to change the format of our events or competitions to make this a reality, and QuidditchUK are confident based on this season that we can comfortably afford to do this next season based on the data.

Are my fees increasing to pay the President?

Clubs and individuals may see a slight (<£3) increase in their membership fees for next season but we are currently finalising the budget before committing to any increases. We are acutely aware clubs are still suffering post-covid, and we want to avoid introducing further financial barriers to members joining our sport if we can.

We do not intend to increase our tournament fees at all, but we are still finalising this aspect of our budget.

I think that £5,000 is too much/too little to pay the President

£5,000 is what we believe to be a fair figure for the time commitments we would expect the President to undertake, while being affordable to QuidditchUK and our members.

Based on a 10-12 hour work week it sets the rate at the current UK living wage (£9.50 p/h) while giving enough scope in terms of time to commit real attention to QuidditchUK.

To pay less than this would deincentivise potential applicants to the role, as it does not supplement their existing income enough.
To pay more than this, or to pay an additional person, would obviously grow the sport further - but we do not have the revenue streams at this stage to afford this, and we would have to significantly increase fees which we do not want to do.

Is QuidditchUK reducing programmes or funding to pay for this?

On the contrary, calculating the budgets towards paying the President has also allowed to us to allocate exact amounts towards expansion programmes, volunteer reimbursements, new projects, and emergency funding.

Members and volunteers shouldn't see any reduction in resource availability and more specifics surrounding this will be announced shortly once budgets have been finalised.

Isn't the current President already being paid?

Matt (current President) is not being paid for his time, nor has any other President or executive leadership member of QuidditchUK.

The employment aspect of the role will come into place with the new President from May 2022.

Executive News

Dec Ramsay heads new Technology Department

Opportunities to Volunteer with QuidditchUK

Josh Fogg appointed as QUK President

Chloe Durkin to lead new Clubs Department

QUK's February 2022 Update

QuidditchUK President Role to Become Paid Position