2023-10-31-accounts

2023 COMMODORES REPORT

AGM – 23rd Nov 2023

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My first as Commodore, to what we could call a “normal year”. Allowing us to focus on membership, building and developing the club. I’m proud to say we have done that on so many fronts.

We set out in the year to have a full sailing calendar, increase membership, develop the training programme, build on the fun social sailing, promote the club with an open day, increase the number of socials, improve the club communication, set up a club feedback survey, have a successful fun kids night and week, improve the club facilities and club boats, work closely with our University teams, open the water to other likeminded groups, build links with Yorkshire Water and the local community, re-establish a club catering team, apply for grants, manage the club in an open manner, improve the way we use IT, send out regular newsletters …. As you can see, we have been very busy.

We were very pleased to have received a “Certificate of Commendation” in the Yachts and Yachting Club of the Year awards in February at this year’s Dinghy Show. A fabulous recognition of the effort of the committee and members of the club. We have once again been nominated and asked to enter for the 2024 Club Of The Year award. We have submitted an application that demonstrates the success of the club. The award will be in February at the 2024 Dinghy Show. Fingers crossed, but we’ll have to wait until then to find out how we have done.

The committee bi-weekly Monday evening meetings, continued to happen, I think this been a good interval as we came out of the Covid challenge, it gave some focus to activities, and we were able to deal with any issues straight away rather than wait a month. We have been able to mix these with meetings up at the club to discuss Catering, IT and some strategy chats. It might sound like a challenge, but people dip in and out of them and they have turned into a regular social event. Enjoying something that could be a chore. We’ll revisit the frequency as we progress into this winter and the new year.

We asked the membership for feedback on how the club was being run and how it could improve. The response was very positive, with some confirmation that we were doing good things and with confirmation that there were activities we could do better. We were delighted to receive feedback on improvements in almost all areas. But there are always areas we can improve and we’ll look to do that in the coming years. Thank you to Pete Hallitt who pulled the results together and published a comprehensive picture. We have since republished a Club Development Plan for next year.

The Whatsapp management is still in full swing. Keeping people informed has worked, we have direct contact with our membership, University teams, Yorkshire Water, class associations and the RYA. The open club chat group has had a few challenges this year, with moderation required and we have started an Official group where only the communication team can push messages out. This helps many people who do not want lots and lots of messages but want to keep up with the important things. It is an area that many clubs and sailing associations have increasing challenges, keeping the active 2-way open communication. We will continue to monitor.

The Microsoft Sharepoint site keeps track of all our documents are in one place and it is easier to share information.

The introduction of “Webcollect” has been a huge success and has simplified the management of the club, particularly for membership, training, kids clubs, club boat hire and the related finances. All directly

linked to the club’s website. By introducing Paypal as the main payment method it has made the reconciliation and booking process so much easier. The membership secretary role this year has been on increasing membership numbers, rather than chasing money and continually checking the bank statements. It has also improved the direct communication with the membership, so much easier for sending direct emails and newsletters, for example. It does come with a small price and increase in bank charges but with the size of membership we now have, it is money worth spending.

We have received grants during the year which have been very welcome but also highlights that the club can benefit from more of these. This is an area where we need help from members. Well done to Lawerance Seed who has put a lot of time in with applications. Pleased to say we have won more than we have been turned down for !

Only a few challenges.

We would have loved to be saying we have installed the solar panels, we have the funding, it is on its way, just takes a little longer than hoped to get everything lined up. It doesn’t help when out electricity meter is in a Yorkshire Water building at the foot of the dam wall, nearly half a mile away !

We also bought the cladding to reclad the clubhouse and we are pleased to have made a start with the refurbishment, something that is long overdue and will totally update the external view of the club. Pleased to say that the cladding is environmentally friendly and along with the solar system, will be a big tick towards our green objective.

Completing the discussions with Yorkshire Water to set up a new lease has been challenging. We have now met up with 3 different representatives of YW, all have reassured us that there is no issue with setting up a lease extension, all have taken photo’s of the grounds, the clubhouse etc, but none have come back with a new lease for us to sign.

We continue to have a superb committee, full of proactive people and it’s been fantastic from my point of view to make new friends, have a laugh and at the same time, carry out the clubs activities and make improvements in all aspects of the club.

Sailing Actvites (Vice Commodore Pete Hallit)

A huge thank you to Pete for his work and contribution to everything sailing at the club.

Encouraging people on and off the water, making sure we had rescue boat cover, race officer, publishing results etc.

It has been very pleasing to see a decent turnout of boats throughout the year, very positive to see the kids on the water having fun, whether that be pottering around and or joining in the racing. We do not mind what any member does, you can race, socially sail or just potter around, just come and have a go on the water. It is about having fun in a safe environment.

Boat turnout will be another key focus for next year, back to having an open day, a full race calendar, continuing to encourage people on the water, whether that be to race or social sail, open meetings, and an open Handicap meeting towards the end of the year.

I had a number of conversations with senior RYA team members during the year and the sailing activities we carry out at the club, racing, training, taster sessions, adhoc sailing, kids clubs, kids weeks, RC sailing are all very aligned with the RYA. We were seen in a very positive light, and it was good to talk to the RYA teams about our active sailing membership.

The Pennine RC group has again been very active and always good to welcome new members. A very civil activity of racing, tea and cake followed by more racing. Impressive to see so many races and to hear the banter. We can expect this to keep growing and we will build up quite a fleet.

Membership (Steve Walker/Pete Hallit)

Webcollect has made this role easier to manage and the whole area of communication with membership much more pro-active. To bounce back to membership numbers last seen in 2016 is very positive. I do think that the club facilities can cope with a membership of 250, which should be an achievable number.

It is worth noting that our membership profile looks like this.

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Kids Week / Kids club / Kids sailing (Peter Twomey, Emily Tredoux, Ray Tredoux, Josie, Helen and Colin Dengate, Christne Smith, Donna Kemp, Joss (sorry if I have missed anyone))

Another well organised Kids week/ Kids club / kids sailing year. I keep looking at all the great activities, the food, the organisation and time people put into this area. Personally, I am so pleased that we have such an active team that make all this happen. Well done guys, I know you all also have a great time.

Sailability (Nicholas Perry)

Nicholas took time out to set up an activity under the sailability banner. Those taking part had a great opportunity to enjoy getting out on the water safely. Thank you.

Bosun (Jerry Hannabuss, Cheryl & Martn)

Another part of the club that takes a lot of time and focus to make sure we all have access to safe, reliable equipment and facilities. It is easy to forget and take for granted, that we can open the container doors, jump on the tractor, find the fuel, start a rib, have a few hours driving around, hopefully not too much actual rescue but always being prepared.

A very big thank you to Jerry, who has carried out all work to make sure everything is ready for us all to use.

During the year we replaced the large committee boat with a more practical version, making it easier to launch/retrieve and store onshore.

All the above work takes a lot more time than we might all think, so all we have to do is, put it away from where you found it and try not damage it !

Good news that we were able to purchase 2 additional training/club boats, it is a mix of finding good boats at a price compared with new boats.

Once again, a special mention to Martin and Cheryl who have continued with the role to look after the club boats. It certainly makes a difference having all the club boats available, looking clean and healthy, all lined up smartly, makes the side of the clubhouse look fabulous, just what an organised sailing club should look like. A brilliant job, thank you.

Training Centre (Lawernce Seed, supported by all our qualifed trainers)

A more “normal” year this time, lots of training of members through the courses and we have waiting lists already for next year.

Well done Lawerence for seeing us through the RYA training centre assessments and for keeping us up to speed with what is involved with running a successful centre.

We are pleased to have placed over 30 people through the PB2 and safety boat courses this year, thank you to Dominic Barnes and Ray Tredoux who both passed the PowerBoat instructor courses, which made this happen.

We continue to focus on supporting the membership, to help the club become a safer place. By encouraging PB2 and first aid courses we have delivered that focus. A great benefit to individuals and the club as a whole. We have put in place a discounted course fee for members. We expect this to continue next year.

We introduced a policy of supporting the instructors to qualify and maintain the qualification for PowerBoat, Saftey Boat and First Aid. We introduced a small fee paid to those instructors when a course is carried out at the club, in recognition of this. This policy is available to anyone wishing to qualify as a Powerboat, Safety boat or FirstAid instructor.

Webcollect has made a huge benefit to the course administration. We have been able to book people online, collect and reconcile course fee’s, send out course details, plus a lot more.

House Commitee (Rear Commodore – Ed Corteen, Josie, Steve Spencer, Christne Smith and plenty of club members)

The more I get involved with the club the more I realise that this fabulous group of people keep the club ticking along. Thank you all, very impressed with the time and effort you all put in to make sure we have superb facilities that are clean, tidy, warm, that we are fed and watered. All this doesn’t just appear from nowhere. This team prepare in advance with numerous Tesco orders and then setting up to serve everyone.

We set up a self-serve area for drinks and snacks. This helped make the galley area a safer place by encouraging people away from cookers and the walkway in the galley area.

Thank you to Christine for taking on the catering role when we have had the larger events. Welcome to Pam who has recently joined the team.

We have improved training within the Gally team and provided food hygiene courses to anyone involved.

We will continue to come up with ideas how we can improve food on club days and evenings.

During the year we have installed new garage doors, replaced the external doors to the dry area entrance, installed electrics to the containers, replaced windowpanes, pothole filling, kept the grounds neat and tidy, bought new cladding to replace the existing rotten cladding on the clubhouse, extended

the chain for the pontoon, and the list goes on. Thank you to all members who have helped out with working parties and providing the knowledge and expertise to carry out the work.

Some of the larger projects have stalled due to the Yorkshire Water Lease delays (see below) but we still have a list of projects and ear marked club funds to improve club facilities further and in the near future we aim to

• Complete the solar power installation and aim to break even on our energy usage.

• Replace the clubhouse Soffits and Fascias

• Replace the cladding on the clubhouse

• Remove the 4 containers behind the clubhouse and replace with a building for poor weather training, additional storage, an area where we can work on boats, ribs without being outside in the rain.

All these projects will be funded from existing club funds and exploring grants.

Thank you to Steve Spencer who is standing down from the committee, he has made a big difference to the clubhouse and grounds over the years and has tirelessly chased down quotes and contractors to help carry out the work.

Treasurer (John Hollis )

Many thanks to John, it is great to know that we are in good hands and that we have an excellent helm on the club finances. The webcollect system has helped manage the income and make it easier to reconcile, hopefully making John’s role less time consuming.

Secretary (Ray Evans)

Whatever you want to know about the club Ray has it to hand. As we continue the negotiations with Yorkshire Water to renew the lease it will be good to have both Ray and John as part of the team.

All the club meetings are documented and each week Ray makes sure we haven’t forgotten anything.

Ray is standing down from the committee this year but intends to keep involved with the club. Many thanks Ray for your service to the club which has been for many years. It is very much appreciated.

Club Welfare (Emily Tredoux)

A key role within the club to make sure we have right policies and procedures in place to demonstrate that we have suitable safeguarding for all our members. It has been interesting to watch the RYA safeguarding service develop and put in place some of our suggestions. Thank you for your support and guidance. Helping to keep the club a safe place for all members. Emily is also standing down from the committee but still intends to keep involved. Thank you, Emily, much appreciated.

Just a couple of more areas !

Team Universites.

Great to meet you all, thank you for keeping us in touch with your activities and supporting the club. It has been great to have improved communication via the Webchats. Keep up the good work in using Pennine SC as a base for the university sailing and advertising us across the country.

The club are fully supportive of the environment improvements you wish to include and together we can achieve the gold standard.

It makes me smile when I meet people on Flotilla holidays or from the RYA who were students who sailed from Pennine. All have great memories of the club.

Sea Cadets.

Welcome to the sea Cadets who have joined this year. They have made good use of the water and facilities on a Saturday, as well as joining in with other club activities. Welcome onboard.

Clife House.

Welcome this year to the Cliffe House team, we are delighted to support Matt and his team as they provide outdoor activities to young people. 210 young people have had the opportunity to engage in Paddlesport at the club and provided once in a lifetime opportunity for many. A fabulous use of club facilities.

Overall

I have taken the decision to stand down as Commodore this time after 3 very different years. Thank you everyone for your support over that time. There have been several people who have kept in direct contact with me, helped me with some of the challenges you face when running a club with over 200 members.

What is highlighted, is that we have a sailing community, where we have room for sailing and non-sailing activities within the club. Everyone comes and joins a club for different reasons, and it is being able to fulfil the member’s needs, to make the most out of their valuable social time.

As with any club, not everything runs smoothly all the time and the support provided to me, as we have managed those situations, has been invaluable.

On a positive note, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and I give my full support to Peter. I have put myself forward for the Club Secretary role as I think the lessons, I have learnt over the past 3 years, will support the club going forward, plus there are plans I’d still like to see through.

On a personal point, thank you to everyone who has sent me messages of support and those members that picked me up, pointed me in the right direction, when I got myself in a pickle.

If there is anyone, I have missed out then please accept my apology, you will certainly have played a huge part in the club. Make sure you tell me, as I’d not like to repeat the mistake next time. Thank you.

By working together, we have done so much over the past 3 years, the club is in a great place, keep your fingers crossed with the club of the year awards.

All the best

Steve

Steve Walker Commodore - Pennine SC

Pennine Sailing Club

Accounts for the period 1 November 2022 - 31 October 2023

Income Membership Income Group subscriptons Subscriptons Berths Winter Subscriptons Total Variable Income Interest Members Insurance Kids Week Kids@pen9 Training Open Meetngs Boat Hire Donatons Defb Fund Grants Clothing Insurance claims Gif aid income Miscellaneous Total Total Income Expenditure Fixed Expenditure Lease Gas Electric Telephone Cleaning Club Insurance Rates (Water and Council) Members' Handbook Bar Licence Total Variable Expenditure House Consumables Bank Charges Annual Prizes & Trophy Repair	2021/22
	1,518 11,326 1,100 0
	13,943 0 185 2,185 1,374 6,090 3,058 211 3,480 0 2,667 0 (1,766) 0 77
	17,560
	31,503
	1,310 63 1,489 320 3,416 3,169 861 0 70
	10,697 424 49 0

Rescue & Race Management Boat Fuel Club Boats RYA Subs Engine Service Commitee/Support Boats Dinghy Park & site management House Repairs & Renewals Training Sailing Equipment Miscellaneous Total Total Fixed/Variable Expenditure Capital Expenditure Site Development House Development Sailing Development Total Total Expenditure Surplus/(Deficit) of Cash Total Cash at end of Period Cash in hand Virgin Money Bank Current Account Virgin Money Deposit Account 3.75% Floats Cash Balances Accrual lease for 6 months Grants Received not Spent Reserves available for the club	464 2,396 1,496 495 2,132 1,105 0 10,087 2,156 217 5
	21,024
	31,721
	546 4,992 4,235
	9,773
	41,493
	(9,990)
	40,544
	0 41,344 0 410 41,754 (1,210) 40,544

Auditors Report

We have examined the Income and Expenditure Account which is in agreement with the book of accounts, and have obtained all the information and explanations which we consider necessary for the Audit.

In our opinion, these Accounts show a true and fair view of the club's Income and Expenditure for the year ending 31 October 2023 in stating an excess of expenditure over income of £1,127

Lawrence Seed Honary Auditor

Craig Raistrick Honary Auditor