If you work for the Civil Service, armed forces, or a whole range of public sector organisations, then you may be able to join the CSSC, and get access to discounted sports and leisure activities.
I joined the CSSC last month, primarily because one of its perks is free entry to all Cadw properties which would come in useful in Wales. Free entry is also available to properties run by English Heritage, Historic Scotland, National Trust for Scotland and Kew Gardens. And, in many cases, the free entry doesn’t just apply to you, but any kids as well and sometimes even an accompanying adult.
Trips and shows
However, it’s worth digging further into the CSSC’s membership offering, as there are other discounts available. I’m guessing the CSSC books group tickets for various shows and trips to then sell onto its members at a discount. For example, there were tickets for Operation Mincemeat (which we saw in Bradford in April) at the Leeds Grand Theatre for around £30 for members, compared to over £50 at the regular price. As well as saving money, you get to sit on a row with other public sector and civil service workers in your area, so it’s a good way of networking across organisations and industries.
Other trips include a ‘mini-cruise’ to Amsterdam or Rotterdam (like the ‘mini-cruise’ we took to Bruges in 2014) where 80 places were pre-booked for members of CSSC and offered at a big discount. However, it’s worth noting that these all sold out months in advance, and so it’s worth checking regularly to see what comes up. You can sign up for updates on new offers in your region – being as we are in the Pennines, I’ve signed up for both the Yorkshire & North East region, and the North West.
For other leisure activities and days out, CSSC can offer discount codes when booking online – you don’t always need to book to be part of a group.
Sport, Health and Wellbeing
CSSC tends not to use its full name anymore, but sports are a large part of their offering. All members get access to an app called CSSC Life that is supposed to help with your wellbeing – I haven’t tried it as yet as I’m currently using Fitbit and Google Health already. And the whole recovering from two broken arms and seizures thing.
CSSC also offers discounted rates on membership for several gym brands, such as Everlast, Puregym and Better. There are also various sports events that you can sign up for.
Everyday savings
CSSC offers discounted gift cards, for use at a wide range of shops including the major supermarkets. You pay the standard price for the gift card, but then a percentage is held back (typically 3-4%) which you can put towards future gift card purchases, or can withdraw into your bank account. I already get a similar perk through work, so I haven’t tried this myself.
There are also regular competitions and giveaways that you can enter.
Membership of CSSC costs £6 per month (so £72 per year), and they reckon that members can save up to £300 per year. Everything is done through the web site or CSSC’s apps, so there’s no physical membership card – instead, you get a barcode that you can add to Apple or Google Wallet. Indeed, I haven’t had anything through the post – everything has been by email. Based on our recent trip to Wales, I’, pretty sure I’ll get a good return on investment, but we’ll see. If you work in the civil service, public sector (including the NHS) or armed forces, or are retired from an occupation in those sectors, then joining CSSC may well be worth your while.
