The Ski Club of Great Britain: Squeezing out the Future

Abstract

The Ski Club of Great Britain is a not-for-profit limited company, with over 30,000 subscription paying members, based in the United Kingdom (UK). It provides the following services: information and advice for snow-sports enthusiasts, tailored holidays and in-resort Ski Club Leaders to help people get the most out of their winter holidays and a wide range of discounts for members. The snow-sports industry in general and the Ski Club as part of that industry have been badly affected by the recession, losing members and as a result having a much reduced income. The membership profile is ageing, with fewer young adults and families joining the Ski Club. If it cannot win back lost members and find ways to attract new younger members, the Ski Club will be haunted by the impact of the recession for years to come. The case study was designed to provide first year undergraduate Business students with the chance to explore a range of issues related to the business environment from the perspective or a not-for-profit organisation, but it could also be used with more experienced strategy and marketing students for group work projects and for accounting students to consider the impact of the governance arrangements on the activities and reporting arrangements of a not-for-profit organisation.