SWHC AGM minutes 14th July 2021

Annual General Meeting Of Saffron Walden Hockey Club

8pm Wednesday 14th July, outside SWHC clubhouse

1.Present

Martyn Webb, Vanessa Hill, Dominic Bushnell, David Reynolds, Ellen Bushnell, Matthew Patmore, Mark Taylor, Anthony Colclough, Duncan Campbell, Tom Dibling, Sophie Dibling, Eve Turnbull, Anne Williams, Jackie Webb, Vicky Crowden, Karina Bailey-Watson, Pete Wells, Jenni Goddard, Julia Magness, Kirsty Davies.

1. Apologies

Russell Way, Roger Cameron, Rob Hancox, Sue Bird, Christine Price, Gordon Scott, John Gouldstone, Jo Borgeson.

3.Minutes of the previous AGM

The minutes of the previous AGM we briefly reviewed and accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting (Proposer, Pete Wells; Seconded by Duncan Campbell)

 

4.Matter Arising

None.

5.Chairman’s Report

The Chairman’s report was circulated via email prior to the meeting. There were no comments or questions on the report.

6.Treasurer’s Report

Vanessa Hill provided a verbal report to the AGM to complement the annual accounts that were circulated via email prior to the meeting. The key points included the following points: 

• Income was significantly down for the year because of the impact of covid.  Virtually no match fees were collected because everyone had to drive themselves to matches. Additionally, the club did not charge for summer hockey this season as part of making up for cancelled league matches. 
• Pitch hire costs were reduced by 25% by SwanAstro because of reduced usage. Various other costs were also significantly reduced (e.g. no teas all season). 
• At year end there was a surplus of approximately £10,000, which compares to a typical annual surplus of £5-6K.
• The current balance of the club account stands at approximately £62k. All of this surplus and more will be required for club refurbishment when the second pitch is installed (see below). 

7.Amendment to the constitution

SWHC has applied to England Hockey for Club Mark accreditation to provide greater resilience for club processes in case of any sudden changes in club management. Additionally, it is a necessary step in the club becoming a Talent Academy which will improve the club overall and increase the opportunity to raise money through hosting various events. As part of the updating in club processes an amendment is necessary to the constitution to allow for external auditing if required. The proposed amendment reads: 

10.0 Finances

10.2 The Financial Procedures (as reviewed regularly and updated where necessary) shall apply to all activities of the Club.

The amendment to the constitution was unanimously accepted (Proposer, Vicky Crowden; Seconded by Sophie Dibling). See Appendix 1

8.President’s Report

Martyn Webb gave John Gouldstone’s apologies for not being able to give his report personally, but he was self-isolating because of the risk of covid exposure. Martyn Webb read out John’s report (Appendix 2).

9.Match Fees and Subscriptions

The committee proposed no changes to either match fees or annual subscriptions, except that the discount for a 3rd sibling be abolished for simplicity of management. There were no comments on the proposal.

10.Election of Officers

Amanda Lindsell stepped down as club secretary after several years of holding the post. Martyn Webb thanked her for her long term hard work and dedication in the post. 

Ellen Bushnell was the only candidate to stand for the post. An additional committee post of Safety Officer was created to help Russell Way with the management safety matters within the club. Roger Cameron Stood for the post. All other committee members confirmed they wished to stand again for the post. 

All posts were voted on and all nominees elected (Proposer, Eve Turnbull; Seconded by Duncan Campbell).

The committee consists of:

Chairman:                     Martyn Webb

Vice-Chairman:             Dominic Bushnell

Secretary:                     Ellen Bushnell

Treasurer:                     Vanessa Hill

Men’s Captain:              Ant Colclough

Women’s Captain:         Vanessa Hill

Welfare Officer:            Russell Way

Safety Officer:               Roger Cameron

Junior Coordinator:       Vicky Crowden

Fixtures Secretary:        Matt Patmore

Fundraising Secretary:   David Reynolds

11.SwanCat

Martyn Webb provided an overview of the changes in the management of main pitch and the second pitch when built later in the year. The roles of SwanCat, JFAN and Anglian Learning were explained along with likely changes in the foreseeable future. SWHC is currently in negotiation over the cost of pitch hire, permanent access to the external changing rooms associated with the sports hall and refurbishment of the cricket pavilion to provide a second pair of changing rooms. Progress was being made on all fronts, but it was taking time as many of the individuals involved had changed. 

12.Any Other Business

Several questions were raised about the club:

• The second pitch is due for completion by mid-November
• SwanCat will install new floodlights for the pitch, most likely LED lights that have a longer functional life and are more energy efficient.
• New dugouts will be purchased with money already put aside within the accounts.
• An intra-club event will be held in September before the start of the new season.
• Karina Bailey-Watson thanked Ant Colclough and all those involved in the organisation of the Bailey cup day which was enjoyed by all those attending.

The meeting closed at 8.40pm.