Considering that there are no games at the moment, this has been a really busy time for all at Barrow Raiders.

We are now considering ways to release some of our support staff from the furlough scheme. With the gradual easing of lockdown, it won’t be far away when our community team resume and carry on their award-winning work.

We had so many plans in place that included summer camps, teaching rugby league in schools, walking and running groups and helping those members of the community with learning difficulties.

We hope to pick these back up soon, but obviously will need to be inventive with social distancing.

We also plan to help all the local rugby league clubs if possible. We understand that a strong local amateur game translates into a strong Barrow Raiders. It is no surprise that so many Super League players originate from Wigan and Hull, where the game is particularly strong.

I know there are a lot of great, hard working people associated with all the clubs and I’d love a sprinkling to join the board at Barrow Raiders, but there still might be some benefit of sharing our business plan and seeing how it could be adapted to help grow participation and help with solvency.

My vision is that all the best local players see Barrow Raiders as their route to the professional game and hopefully we can quickly move up the divisions to be challenging for promotion to the Super League.

Clearly that is some lofty ambition, but our counterparts at Holker Street have shown what can be achieved and I can assure you every single person connected to the club is working so hard. I am sure we put some other clubs at our level to shame.

As has been publicised, nothing concrete came out of last week’s RFL meeting of lower league clubs. I am afraid to say that I think there is a lack of appetite to resume from some clubs.

We have all been asked to enter our thoughts in a survey, but the clock is ticking on the chances of having a meaningful season.

Barrow Raiders made their thoughts known in the meeting; we want the season to resume. Ideally, we would like a fixture list that all stakeholders can buy in to so that we have light at the end of the tunnel.

Once we have a date for resumption, we should lobby hard for a return of socially distanced crowds but with the contingency plan of playing behind closed doors.

The last four words of the previous paragraph is the stumbling block. There are several clubs that will not entertain playing behind closed doors.

We don’t know their business models but clearly, they feel that it will be a financial disaster for them with their whole existence in jeopardy.

The RFL do not want to lose any clubs as one of their priorities so we are left with frustration from those clubs who have handled their finances well and want to resume.