**CLEVEDON PILOT GIG CLUB MINUTES OF CHARITY TRUSTEES MEETING 25[th] September 2022 via Video Link 1. Present:** Andrew Brown (AB) Club Chair/Trustee: Kevin Fry (KF) ; Gary Jones (GJ); Denise Jones (DJ); Richard James Club Secretary/Trustee (RJ); **2.** The Meeting was called to review and comment upon the Club’s activities in the year since the last Trustees’ Meeting (5[th] October 2021), to prepare the annual report for submission to the Charity Commission by 30[th] October 2022. **3. Review of period since October 2021** Previous Trustees Hilary Marshall and Cath Thomas-Fricker stepped down following completion of their three-year term and were replaced by Gary Jones and Denise Jones at the Club AGM in January. The Club and Membership is in a period of consolidation following the disruption as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic during 2020 and 2021, very much in common with other Clubs. The Pilot Gig World Championships were held at St. Mary’s in the Scilly Isles in April, having had to be cancelled in 2020 and 21, but the normal Regatta season has continued to be disrupted for a variety of reasons this year. We are hoping that 2023 will see a return to a very much more normal pattern. Annual maintenance of Gigs and equipment has been carried out without the need of any major expenditure. With the continued growth of the Sport, the Cornish Pilot Gig Association is keen to promote more Regional Groupings with a view to introducing inter-County competition. The aim is to grow interest in competitive rowing whilst helping to reduce often unnecessary long distance travel to the annual programme of Regatta events. **4. Membership** There has been a larger than usual turnover in Membership, although as in previous years losses have been more than offset by new recruits. Hopefully with the resumption of regular rowing opportunities they will gain the necessary experience and confidence to allow the Club to build and progress further in the coming year. However, a primary target remains in attracting Junior members, again a problem not peculiar to rowing but shared with many other Sports. **5. Committee and Volunteers** As 2021, the Committee personnel have remained virtually unchanged which has again helped steer the Club through an extremely difficult period. **6. Finance** Following renewal of Club Memberships due on 1[st] September, the Club currently has a Bank balance of £16,000, with no major current commitments. **7. Community** In the Report of October 2021, the Club confirmed the award of £20,000 in July via a Government initiative for Coastal Communities as a 50% contribution towards the erection of a new permanent Gig Storage building and administered via North Somerset Council. This was subject to finding a suitable site, but with the assistance of NS Council a site was identified in November 2021 on part of a Council-owned Sports Field and offered to the Club initially on the basis of a 30year Lease at peppercorn rent of £1 p.a. Planning permission was applied for and obtained, with the intention of commencing construction in Spring 2022 with completion during August/September. However, a series of technical issues within NS Council, mainly relating to satisfactory soil tests in view of the environmental history of the site, have resulted in ongoing delays. At the time of this Report we are still unable to proceed as planned, progress completely in the hands of the Council. A condition of the Funding award is that the project should be completed by March 2023, but the Council have agreed that, as the delays have been solely created by themselves, then the deadline will not apply. In the meantime the Club is pursuing a variety of Fundraising initiatives via the Committee and Membership to raise the balance of £20,000 required to complete the project. ## **8. Review of 5-Year Plan Permanent Base** As detailed in **(7)** above. ## **Repaired or Permanent Slipway** As detailed in the 2021 Report, a separate group also received an award of funding similar to our own **(as 7 above)** to investigate and ensure the future ownership of the Town’s slipway and pursue a programme of repairs. However the group had to abandon their plans due to legal issues regarding ownership and liability (the slipway has no recorded ownership) Their funding has been returned to the Local Authority which has agreed to carry out a series of repairs without acknowledging any responsibility for ownership. ## **World Championship Rankings** With the resumption of the World Championships in April 2022, the Club generally achieved mid-table status but with many novice rowers to this event. The focus is now on 2023 with the hope that the Club crews will have gained more experience after the sever disruptions of the past two to three years. ## **School Links/Junior Section** Plans are in place for an Indoor Regatta event involving Clevedon School for early 2023. Subject to interest in and success of this, the proposal is that the Club should promote the Sport to other Schools in the area. Generally, the lack of Junior rowers throughout the Sport is a problem being addressed by the Governing Body, the Cornish Pilot Gig Association. ## **Regular Social Rowing** The Club remains committed to promoting Social rowing purely for fitness and enjoyment during weekdays to cater for those members who may not wish to be involved in competitive racing and to ensure full use of the gigs and equipment. With the option of rowing either from Clevedon or in Bristol Harbour, this can also involve invitations to neighbouring Clubs. ## **9. Club Trustees 10. Trustees’ Comments** Andrew Brown will shortly complete a three-year term and a replacement will be sought for election at the Club AGM in January 2023. No specific comments to add to above. **11. The Trustees** are fully agreed that Clevedon Pilot Gig Club continues to meet the aims and requirements of its Charitable status. Fortunately, Membership remains stable and there is more than sufficient interest year-on-year from potential new members to replace those who depart for various reasons. The Club continues to work hard to attract and retain younger members, particularly under 20. **12. The Trustees** agreed a further meeting in approximately six months. Richard James Secretary/Trustee **Clevedon Pilot Gig Club** 25 September 2022 CLEVEDON PILOT GIG CLUB Income and Expenditure ACc￿nt for perlod isl January 2021 to 31st December 2021 Income {£) Expenditure (£1 Balan￿ at bank blf 10269.15 MembershipSUbs/Donat￿rG Ioscomp Refund Regatta Re￿[pts GrftAid Clothing Receipts EqLtipmentsa￿s Ergs Miscellaneous 12615.tri 410.(L) lll3.89 403.25 Rents Insurantes CPGAAnnualFees Regattaexpenses Loan Repayment NewEquipment -.mis￿113r1eous Maintenance 1970.04 1402.60 200.00 120.00 2000.00 2921.61 325.(H) 2921.25 TOTALS 15481.53 11860.50 Balan￿ bank clf 13890.18 25750.68 Notes l. The Clubs assets as at 31st December 2021 are 5 gig5 (Watch and Pray, Blackbird, Churngold, Finzel and Ladye Bayl together with a flash boat The club also has 9 sets of Oars and 3 main Trailers. . 2. The club has clothing stock to the value of £50 yet to be sold. 3. The club has an interest free loan with Churngold Construction Ltd for the Metsl Container provided at Clevedon School. The club owes £2.000 asat 31.12.21 and will repay later in 2022 Signed M A Club Treasur rown SiEned Mrs D Giddens MAAT Independent Examiner