AGM 2010

Minutes for AGM 2010
Monday 25th October 2010 at Glenfield Parish Council

Members Present:
Ernie Williams, Chris Phillips, Roger Edwards, Rachel Simonetti, Roy Denny, Simon Ford, Michael Parsons, Daniel Parsons, Steve Edgar, Peter Chick, David Anderson, Irene Marriott, Alison Hardy, Simon Starkey, Dave Toach, Peter Leake, Roger Kelly, Roger Williamson, Ursula Williamson, Graham Watson, Iain Tebbutt, Peter Chick, Alan West, Wendy West, Roger Phillips, Bob Haskins

1 Apologies for absence
John Cooke, Judith Holt, David Toach, Mark Foxwell, Mark Hardy

2 Declaration of membership numbers
With 136 voting units, the number of members required to make the AGM quorate is 10 and thus is meeting was quorate.

3 Approval and signing of minutes of last annual general meeting (27/10/2009)
Minutes of the last AGM meeting approved and signed.

4 Matters arising from those minutes
None

5 Chairman’s Report on past year (edited)

“I am pleased to be able to report yet another full, interesting and exciting year, appropriate in this our 40th year.

Certainly our events calendar has been full. We have organised 58 events in the last year.(the second highest total of any club in the country and more than NOC and DVO in total) These have ranged from the highly successful Level 1 Midlands Championships at Belvoir with 900 competitors, to our Saturday morning events aimed primarily at newcomers to the sport. We had hoped to run jointly with SMOC a Midlands Middle Distance Championships at Irchester. Unfortunately the partnership did not work as we had hoped and rather than put together, at the last minute, a substandard competition, the Fixtures Sub Committee decided with great reluctance to cancel the event.

The Club Championships took on a new format this year as a closed event for club members only. As the reaction has been very positive we shall repeat the format next year. Congratulations overall Club Champions, Roger Phillips and Alison Hardy. Combining our 40th Birthday party with the Championships made for a very enjoyable day. Good orienteering, good food plus almost unbelievable good weather made it a day to remember.

The Summer League continues to attract large numbers. This year produced a very competitive league with the results still in doubt going into the final event. Congratulations to Roger Edwards for another fine win and thanks to Mark Foxwell for another entertaining summer.

We are very dependant on a small group of people in the club who make our events happen. I am not thinking of the event officials but rather the backroom team who work through the year on our events programme, Roy on access, Iain for permissions, Simon for map printing, Roger and Ursula looking after entries and Kevin for results. Thank you all so much for your work.

In 2007 we ran a very successful recruiting event at Ratby. Using a similar format we ran another recruiting event at Ibstock, in support of the Participation Project at Ibstock Community College. Whilst not as successful as the Ratby event, the day did attract enough new people to keep our coaching team fully occupied all day.

At the end of 2009 we were accepted as a BOF Participation Club 2010. This provided support from BOF, raising the profile of the club and allowing us to obtain funding for the training of new club coaches and also provided funding to publicise our pilot Club Night. Following on from the success of the pilot at the beginning of September we started a regular weekly Club Night at Groby. Numbers so far have been very good. To ensure the training centres and club nights are well organised Steve Edgar has been appointed club night co-ordinator.

During the year funding for Grow Projects has also been obtained, it paid for our Parent and Child clubs at Groby, Hinckley and Ibstock.

The Northwest Leicestershire District Council also provided funding for the Ibstock club for 2010/11. The funding was awarded under the Active Together programme so is conditional on recruiting over 16s. This funding has enabled us to map Ibstock Community College, erect a Permanent course and buy equipment. We undertook several recruitment campaigns, e.g. supporting the primary school selection race and our Try Orienteering in September.

In the summer Leicester University asked the club if we assist in encouraging students to participate in the BUSA orienteering championship. The club is now included in the University Sports Directory. To make contact with new students, Roger Edwards and I, together with Pauline Olivant our Regional Development Officer, staffed a stall at the Freshers Fair. A handful of students indicated they would be interested in orienteering. We hope to welcome them to the Groby club night and our events.

The first of our Participation Club coaches were trained during the summer and a further five club members are booked on the East Midlands autumn coaching course.

The Spring and Autumn series events have been repeated and these provide coaching for juniors and for the first time, experienced orienteers. I’m sure those of you who attended Mark Hardy’s sessions will have found it informative and fun.

We have repeated some of our successes and gained several awards. We again put ourselves forward for the BOF Club of the Year Award for our extensive development activity and we were again joint runner-up winning a £200 prize and photograph in FOCUS.

We sought a bursary from the Highcross shopping centre to support our permanent courses. There were over 400 applications and we were one of the10% who were successful. The £1,000 funding has been used to erect a permanent course along the Riverside from West bridge to Watermead North and pay for 5,000 publicity leaflets and distribution boxes. Money was also obtained from British Waterways for a permanent course at Foxton Locks.

Our junior orienteers were given awards at County Hall in May. In September our best senior members were invited to the older person celebration at Loughborough University.

We also have to note the departure of Judith Holt our Coaching Coordinator and Club Mark monitor and we will need to make replacement appointments very shortly.

As the Treasurer will report later our finances are in a good position and we have recorded a surplus for the last financial year despite spending a not inconsiderable amount of money on equipment.

Your Club Committee and its various sub committees have met regularly over the last year and I would like to thank the committee members for their work. It is through their ideas and hard work that we have reached the position of being regarded as one of the most dynamic and progressive clubs in the UK and a club whose activities and work is being held up as model for others to follow.

Ladies and Gentlemen I am therefore pleased to report another successful year for the club with good orienteering, good competition and good company. It has been a pleasure and an honour to be your Chairman in this our 40th year.”

6 Matters arising from Chairman’s Report
None

7 Treasurers report and budget projections for coming year
Copy of Income and Expenditure accounts given out at meeting. The accounts have been signed off by Lewis Sutton.

Income event surplus was £8157. We have received over £4000 in grants and £500 from Leicestershire County Council for sports grant plus coaching money. Income and expenditure are equally high this year. Event equipment brought includes £1100 of SI kit, £600 on locks and £800 on radios. £4000 was spend on equipment in total.

Budget for next year – As discussed in August this year we expect a £52 surplus, but to do so will require an increase event entry fees. Minor event fees will increase from £3.00 to £3.50 for seniors. This will generate and additional £500. EMOA are considering raising their level ‘c’ events from £5.00 to £6.00

Our Financial Examiner has commented that the method of preparation for our accounts are unsustainable and wants us to us a accounts package rather than a spreadsheet as we currently do. To improve transparency I have changed the figures submitted to the August committee by adding £15,000 to event income and £15,000 to event expenditure. Next year’s accounts will show the gross Turnover on events rather than just the event surplus.

LEI are submitting grant applications again. This includes an application to Leicestershire’s Competition Board and to the National Forest for more permanent orienteering courses in North West Leicestershire.
Finally BO is supporting the coaching of 5 more of our members booked onto the UKCC Level 1 and 1 member booked onto the level 2 coaching course in Spring.

8 Matters arising from Treasurers Report
RD thought that the Role of the Treasurer had expanded in recent months and wanted to thank RE for his hard work. Seconded by the Chairman.

EW asked if there is any intention to spend money SI kit next year. RE explained only on replacement kit plus a further printer.

9 Independent Financial Examiners Report
Dawes and Sutton Accountants have recommended that we change the format in how we show our accounts as indicated in Treasurers report above. RE will be using Accountancy Software, which will make our accounts easier to produce.

10 Approval of Accounts
RE moved to approve the accounts with RW seconding with a unanimous agreement from those present

11. Note to changes to the committee standing orders
In Standing Order 1 the following change has been made:

Currently it reads: The committee will, at the first committee meeting after the annual general meeting, elect from within itself members to fulfil the positions required to ensure the efficient organisation of the club and its affairs and to act as custodians of its various assets.

Changed to: The committee will, at the first committee meeting after the annual general meeting, ensure that the roles identified appendix 1, required to ensure the efficient organisation of the club and its affairs and to act as custodians of its various assets are filled by members of the club.

In Appendix 1- Roles and Officials, the following has been added:

Club Night Coordinator:
To co-ordinate the programme for the weekly club night, advising coaches of their sessions and ensuring there is administrative support for the coaching teal each week. Disseminating information to club members regarding programme, location etc in relation to Club Night.

Line Management: Reports to the Development Team Leader and is a member of the Development Sub Committee.

12 Club Membership Fees for coming year 2010-2011
No changes recommended and remain as current 2010-2011 being seniors rate of £6.00, juniors at £3.00 and groups at £10.00 .

13 President’s remarks and election of Chairman
The President remarks that LEI’s visionary ideas are now taken onboard by the sport. For example the role of Club Night Coordinator has now been adopted by BOF.

The new event structure has now been revised to a level structure based in tiers ABC&D. Next year will also see a UK Master’s League.
It is rumoured that the Forestry commission is to put up fees for access to the woods they manage. It is also rumoured that the government is thinking of the privatisation of some of our woodlands.

Finally EW comments on such a good relationship Lei has between its members and committee.

No nominations for Chairman before the AGM and there it was proposed by the President that CP remains as Chairman for another year, with no dissent.

14 (New) Chairman’s address and plans for coming year (edited)

“The next year is very much going to be about sustaining and building on what we have achieved over the last few years. It will also be about dealing with outside pressures, especially economic ones.

The success, so far, of the weekly Club Night at Groby indicates that we will be able to sustain that activity through the winter. The next group of club members who will be undertaking coaching training later this year will ease some of the pressure on our current coaching team and will allow, I hope, for a wider range of activities. For, I think the first time in the history of the club, we have been able to offer regular technical and fitness coaching for adult members. I expect that over the coming months we will be able to expand this element of our activities with a consequently positive knock on effect on our performances.

The Participation Project at Ibstock has got off to a slow start but is growing and it is likely that we will be able to continue the sessions throughout the winter. The long term future of that project does depend on the financial support of North West Leicestershire. A continued growth in numbers would enable that project to continue without any financial subsidy. There remains the challenge of bringing the participants into mainstream orienteering and club membership.

Our continued work in schools again does depend to some extent on the availability of funding but whilst there will be some diminution it will continue to play an important role in our outreach particularly where we already have strong links. e.g. Welbeck College. We have reached the situation with many schools that the work put in over the last 3-4 years means that they do not need as much support. We should therefore continue to see a high level of activity but with a lesser involvement from the club.

We have in the last year made a little progress in the higher education sector. BOF does have funding available for this area and we have had some preliminary conversations with them about the development of orienteering at Loughborough University. I am hopeful that within the next year we will have established some sort of bridge there.
One major task for the year ahead is the renewal of our Club Mark accreditation. Much of the work to be done over the next few months relates to collating the information on work that we have done / are doing and we shall be seeking a member of the club to take on the role of Club Mark Administrator.

With regard to Permanent Orienteering Courses we have recently received a further grant from the National Forest for work in the Whitwick area. We probably have reached the maximum number of courses that we can manage and any further work this year will be directed towards maintenance and publicity.

Our event programme – this will be very much as in previous years with the Summer and Winter Leagues, Autumn and Spring Series plus events that will be part of the EMOA League. Under the new event structure that comes into place on 1st January the EMOA league events will designated as Level C events and will therefore be National Ranking events.

In January we will be hosting the Regional Heat of the Compass Sport Cup and Trophy. This should be the last time for 8 years that we will host this event so it would be nice to have a good turn out. Alison is already recruiting members for the club team.

The second large event of the year is the East Midlands Championships which is being held a Cademan in April. A chance to compete on one of our best areas.

As Roger has already indicated we are going to be under considerable pressure in relation to the cost of events. The Treasurer and I will be asking your Club Committee to sanction at their next meeting in November a rise in Level C entry fees to £6. This will bring us in line with the other EMOA clubs.

BOF is currently negotiating a new national access contract with the Forestry Commission. It is predicted that there will be a large rise in Access Fees and this means that it is unlikely that we will continue to use some our areas on a regular basis.

Some of you will be aware that current Government policy is sell off some of the Forestry Commission holdings to the private sector. What that will do to our ability to access those areas for events is difficult to predict.

Event fees are going to continue to rise quite steeply over the next few years. To some extent this is our own fault as Orienteers, we have failed to get to grips with the changes in our sport. Access fees have been steadily rising year on year. Equipment costs have gone through the roof. An average Sunday morning Colour Coded event will use £10 – 12,000 worth of kit.

We are a very resilient bunch of people – by the nature of our sport we have to be. I have no doubt that the challenges thrown up over the next year or two will be met and as we go into our 41st year have every confidence that we shall be here this time next year saying something along the lines of “well that was a good year”

15 Election of other Principal Officers (Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer)
Bob Haskins re elected as Vice Chairman, Roger Edwards re elected as Treasurer and Rachel Simonetti re elected as Secretary. CP proposed and SF seconded.

16 Election of Committee
Ernie Williams, Roger Williamson, Irene Marriott, John Marriott, Roy Denny, Peter Leake, Graham Watson, Peter Hornsby, Mark Foxwell, Alison Hardy, Daniel Parsons, Kevin Bradley, Andy Portsmouth, Iain Tebbutt and Steve Edgar.
Proposed by CP and SS seconded

17 Election / adoption of Independent Financial examiner
Lewis Sutton will act again, proposed by RE and seconded SF, approved

18 Election of President, Honorary Members
Thank you to RD and IM for organising food for the meeting. Welcome to Mark Sherriff, Peter Hornsby and John Marriott who have just joined the meeting.

EW – Referred to the new 4 tier event structure, especially on how each event tier is to run. Concerns regards the guideline that a level c event must have a grade 3 controller or above preferably from a different club, as it is being realised that there are a limited pool of these controllers. EW fears items such as toilets that are required on all level c events, will drive up event entry fees during a difficult economic period.

UW – asks who to feedback comments regarding the new tier structure and its requirements – CP advised to contact a member of the board such as John Woodall or Mike Forrest the Chairman of the Board & Chairman of National Fixtures Committee.

It was also discussed that health and safety is becoming an even more important factor in our sport. CP expressed the need for recognised standards and would be urging as many members to attend a Health and Safety Course Module as possible. SF expressed concerns that a focus on health and safety and possible need for accreditation may turn people off being officials. CP feels it wont affect us as much as LEI is already well run as a club.

PH -Current event information and rules available on Rules and Guidelines and Appendix on BO website along with update date.

RD – Regards Forestry Commission possibly selling of land. RD believes policy is not to sell off the land we run in, but leaked the idea to the media to see reaction. Picture may not be as bad as being painted as some owners are better to work with than the Forestry Commission.

Daniel – LEI news – shall put it into club shop for members to collect rather than being posted out? This was also in last years AGM. RE said the intention was to deliver in this way but it was not straight forward. LEI news is already on website.

Meeting closed 9.40pm