2024-03-31-accounts

Wearside Bridge Club AGM

Tuesday 2nd July 2024 to start at 6.15 pm at 17 Park Place West

Agenda

• Apologies for absence

• Matters arising from the minutes of the AGM held on 4[th] July 2023

• Officer’s Reports

• Approval of Accounts

• Appointment of Auditor.

• Membership Fees for 2024-25

• Election of Officers

• Any Other Business.

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Chairman’s Report 2024

• A massive thank you is to be extended to Chris Patrick for all the time spent and enthusiasm shown in his role as Secretary. He has kept members informed about all matters pertaining to the Club and has carried out his duties and more with great credit.

• Thanks are also due to Rosemary Wallace for her efforts in balancing the club’s accounts. This is a most important and difficult task.

• Teaching lessons continue on Tuesday and Friday mornings and I would encourage all members to advertise these as much as possible.

• New lessons (on Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings) have started and encouraging numbers are attending. A lot of hard work and effort has been put into the preparation for these lessons and I’m sure all members would like to thank Rosemary Wallace, Alan Wallace, Chris Patrick and Tony Watson for volunteering to carry out these teaching roles.

• Graham Cox has been extremely helpful with many aspects of the Club. His presentations on various aspects of bridge bidding are well attended and very informative. As well as hosting the Friday afternoon bridge sessions he organises the Inter Club Teams and represents the Club on the NEBA committee. Let us not forget the running of the Thursday online bridge as well as organising the Online Bridge League.

• Thanks to Richard Spargo for his unceasing help with many repairs. His continues to be an important and vital contribution.

• Thanks to all the Directors: Graham Cox, Richard Spargo, Phil Leaf, George Farnan, Tony Watson and Alan Wallace.as well as those members who regularly deal the boards. Without them there would be no bridge.

• Many thanks to Irene Whitfield for volunteering to help in finding partners.

• June Ainslie, Anne Forster, Ann Urwin, Di Everitt and Norma Robinson have made sure the Club is kept clean and tidy as well as supplying us with milk and (too many) biscuits. Anne organised a memorable Christmas party with some great moments. Thanks also to Michael Wainwright for all his bartending work on Club evenings.

• Brian Dakers has been working hard and liaising with the Council on many matters pertaining to improvements to the Club.

• Monday Teams is working well (thanks to George Farnan and Chris Patrick) and it’s nice to see new names on the Honours boards.

• Tim Baelz has organised a notice board for photographs and I’m sure this will record many happy memories.

• We have also introduced Thursday afternoon bridge as an extra club session.

• I would like to thank our retiring committee members, Anne Forster and Norma Robinson, for their contributions down the years and welcome our new committee members, Joan Dawson and Yvonne Thompson.

Allan Davies

Secretary’s Report 2024

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Acknowledgements and Thank Yous

In his report Allan has acknowledged the enormous contributions from many members to the various aspects of the Club’s activities. I whole heartedly agree with all he has written and I want to record my appreciation and grateful thanks to all those mentioned in his report. As Chairman, Allan himself devotes a huge amount of his time, energy and experience to the Club and his commitment to promoting and serving the best interests of the Club is very clear. I’m especially grateful for his help and guidance in my first year as Secretary.

Membership, Recruitment and Teaching

The membership currently stands at 101 members.

Recruitment of new members is essential for the long-term survival of the Club and earlier this year an advertisement was placed on a roundabout in central Sunderland and an updated advertising leaflet was distributed in various localities in and around Sunderland (supermarkets, community and sports centres, golf clubs, community libraries). Rosemary and Alan Wallace attended an EBU training course for bridge teachers in March. Since April, more than 20 beginners are attending lessons at the Club on Tuesday mornings or Thursday evenings. Teaching lessons by Allan Davies are also continuing on Tuesday and Friday mornings and all members are encouraged to advertise these. Word of mouth remains an effective advertising method.

For existing members, Graham Cox has given excellent presentations to members on aspects of bidding and play in recent months.

Competitions

All the Club’s trophy competitions were completed last year along with the Quarterly Pairs and Teams events. The Wearside Online League organised by Graham Cox returned during the Winter months. Results for all these competitions are on the Club website.

In the latest season of Inter-Club matches, both Club teams performed well. The A team won their division, thereby returning to the top division for next season, and the B team led their division for much of the season. Many thanks to all the members who played in the matches.

Wearside players have performed well in various NEBA competitions, with top 3 finishes achieved in the Chronicle Cup Final and Kempson Vase competitions.

Sophie Morris has been selected for England’s Under 16 team for the European Youth Team Championships being played in Poland from July 9-12[th] .

75[th] Anniversary

Members will know that this year marks the 75[th] anniversary of the Club’s formation in 1949. This is being celebrated by a group of members attending a bridge weekend in Lytham St Annes in July, and an event in the Club on Saturday September 14[th] . It is hoped that as many members as possible will attend the latter event.

Chris Patrick

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Rosemary Wallace

Treasurer’s Report 2024

The club is financially sound at the moment. The auditor was David Manley and a signed copy of the audited accounts has been obtained. The audited accounts are shown below.

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WEARSIDE BRIDGE CLUB INCOME & EXPENDITURE AccouNr 31 MARCH 2024 Sithcrf 2127 T&S18 MO￿ TeachiryJ (Netll Ch•rity Ets. Enty Fees, Ckns Fotrs Bar 8ank18LMldng S￿l8Y ktsr86t TwBknr)m CamtwiOJ8 & Cojrt C￿r-HMRc 49) 205 35 SuTr Wirtua al 23373 Repas'rn & Renwls . Promy 1387 733 2117 2184 28 EleC￿e1￿ & Gas Waler.GNwThJ Rent. COU￿11 Ir¢ttl Q8anir#J. G¥dÈnir T46￿8 {￿ttl Imurarr Printir¥J, St8IKxw. AthrytiSiF A￿lit Fe8S Lryal Feeg CoMpet￿lor EBUINEBA SLthcriN•Jis 3402 r27 1209 3142 783 1138 43 120 120 931 5707 57 ErwJa¥iThJ 442 70 707 316 Bar Suppli05 Bank ch￿ (Surn ￿) Te￿hIr￿a S￿XIrl¢s ndrknr•

WEARSIDE BRtDGE CLUB BALANCE SHF.KT AS AT 31 MARCH 2024 Flxtyres& Ildn Fixiurg$ & A$ At 1$t W 1995 1142 7952 1142 7952 1142 1142 Dep￿Cllon Wiitten Vak FIX￿ Assots 1142 1142 Prepayments Deblors Stock Cash & 135 71257 67516 AccnJ81s Sundry (Xethtt 513 AS AT 1st APRL ReJustmtrl lo Acc￿rt A(hJ SurFAus I ICÈfjcFiI e8212 147 l tF bcs 011￿ Wea￿ld8 BW a￿) Jr th8 yeor 31st March 2024 aryl in my c¢inicn, ts al>x Sheet aNJ thg ExFenditurg Accojnt a tTue ard lair dtho ¥tsl• akn Cl&) at that date.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND NOMINATIONS FOR THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS

TUESDAY 2[nd] JULY 2024 at 6.15 pm

The officers of the club are: Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. The club Chairperson must retire after three years in office whilst other club officers retire annually but are available for re-election.

Club Ofcers 2024-2025

Chairman Allan Davies

Secretary Christopher Patrick

Treasurer Rosemary Wallace

Other trustees (also known as the Commitee)

These need to be re-elected:

Graham Cox – club captain

Brian Dakers

George Farnan

Alan Wallace

Tony Watson

The following committee members were co-opted in 2024 and are available for election:

Joan Dawson

Yvonne Thompson

Nominations for any posts must be proposed and seconded in writing by members. The nominee must have agreed to the proposal.

All nominations must be received by the Secretary at least fourteen days before the AGM (the closing date will be 18[th] June 2024).

Any motions or resolutions must be received by the Secretary at least fourteen days before the AGM (the closing date will be 18[th] June 2024)

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The Club Trustees are:

Graham Cox Allan Davies George Farnan Anne Forster Christopher Patrick Rosemary Wallace Tony Watson

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