The Manor Road Gym AGM 2023
Secretary Report (Tanya Saunders)
Another year has passed us by and gosh it seems 2023 passed us by in a blink of an eye, reflecting back on 2023 and the Manor Road Gym as I begin to write my annual report I can feel a warmth in my heart with memories filled with happiness as this is what the manor gym means to me, it is and always has been a very happy place for me, a place for the community to come to and feel a sense of belonging.
2023 was a great year for the Manor and was very warming to see the community coming together to enjoy community activities with lots more groups enjoying the space post covid with a sense of peace happiness and relief that we can all still get on with our everyday lives and knowing that we have somewhere to go and something to do that’s safe affordable and fun, the manor continues to provide this for our community, wether it’s a chilled out session of yoga or a competitive game of basketball or just a place to have a friendly chat and a cuppa everybody is welcome.
The Manor Hall usage is approx 150hrs per week of regular usage and 15hrs per week adhock which covers a wide range of activities which are mostly open to the general public some of which are offered free of charge, these sessions include children, Adults Women and Men member of the ethnic and the LGBT community.
The Manor continues to raise funds for groups that are struggling to afford their hall hire especially if they are a new group just starting out and just need that little kick start to get them going, this approach has proved successful for the groups to become sustainable within their own right, the manor continues to work in partnership with Brighton and Hove Football Foundation where as the Manor Sports club Charity fund the 3g hire and BHFF provide the coaches free of charge so together we can offer the local community free football sessions Monday – Friday 5-6pm free football these sessions are very well attended, this service I feel is vital to our local community keeping the local children/ young Adults off the streets, from this session four of our local young Adults have gone on to become coaches for BHFF and are now coaching the 5-6pm sessions which they one day attended knowing this makes me feel immensely proud as hey this is what its all about right our next generation building stronger happier and healthier communities providing more opportunities and reducing barriers.
The Manor continues to raise funds for other charities including Macmillan, and other cancer charities we hold events throughout the year to support this, we also held our annual community which took place in December
The Manor works in partnership with other organisations in the city these include Brighton & Hove City Council Sports Facilities Team who help us provide this safe affordable Space, The Trust for Developing Communities who carry out their vital Community Work so we can carry out ours, Brighton and Hove Healthy Lifestyles team of whom provide the manor with free/ low cost activities, and lots of information on other health care services within the wider city, Due East our local neighbourhood council of whom helps us with funding for our groups at the manor, East Brighton Trust whom also helps us with funding for the group so
together as a big team of community support workers we will continue to make the Manor Road gym a great Community Space to be enjoyed by all.
Thank you for taking the time to read my report.
Kindest Regards T. Saunders