Running a community cricket club takes dedication, organisation, and often a lot of spreadsheet management. For Palmers Cricket Club in Hove, that was certainly the case.
With around 100 paying members and five active teams, the club depends on volunteers to keep everything running smoothly. But when it came to managing finances, the process was anything but smooth.
“We were doing everything manually,” explains Olly Lloyd-Hooker, one of the club’s committee members responsible for operations and memberships. “We had spreadsheets, bank records, and bits of information everywhere. It was really clunky.”
Tracking match fees, indoor net payments, and outstanding debts required constant cross-checking. Unsurprisingly, things sometimes slipped through the cracks. Chasing payments became a regular and time-consuming task, and the club wasn’t always collecting everything it was owed.
That all changed when Palmers CC introduced Slate.
“It genuinely changed overnight for the better,” says Olly. “Everything became streamlined into one simple app.”
Today, Slate handles the club’s match fees, indoor training payments, and outstanding balances, while membership subscriptions are managed separately. This hybrid approach works perfectly for the club’s needs, allowing them to focus Slate where it delivers the most value: frequent, smaller transactions.
The results were immediate.
“We’re definitely reconciling money much quicker than before – that was one of the first things we noticed.”
By automating payments and providing clear visibility over who has paid, Slate has eliminated much of the uncertainty that previously existed. Volunteers no longer need to spend hours chasing players or reconciling accounts.
“There’s very little admin now,” Olly explains. “Slate’s automated reminders manage a lot of the comms for us”
Players have also embraced the change, particularly the ease of direct debit payments.
“It’s really straightforward to set up, and players like that it just happens in the background.”
Managing the club’s members has become equally simple. New players can be added quickly via email, and juniors can be moved into senior teams with minimal effort.
“That’s pretty much the only admin we have to do – it’s all very straightforward.”
Another key advantage for Palmers CC is Slate’s pricing model. With no joining fee or monthly subscription, the club avoids unnecessary costs, especially during the off-season.
“There’s no cost when we’re not playing cricket, which makes a big difference for a club like ours.”
Combined with the fact that all members are now fully onboarded, Slate has become an integral part of how the club operates.
“We’re very happy with it. It works for us, and there’s no real reason to change.”
For Palmers Cricket Club, the biggest benefit is clear: less time spent managing money, and more time focused on cricket. “The speed and efficiency are the key things,” says Olly. “Slate just does exactly what we need it to do.”. Palmers CC is affiliated to the Sussex Cricket League.
