Wearside Bridge Club AGM
Tuesday 29th July 2025 to start at 6.15 pm at 17 Park Place West
Agenda
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Apologies for absence
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Matters arising from the minutes of the AGM held on 2[nd] July 2024
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Officer’s Reports
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Approval of Accounts
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Membership Fees for 2026-27
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Election of Officers
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Any Other Business.
1
Chairman’s Report 2025
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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.
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Thanks are also due to Rosemary Wallace for her efforts in balancing the club’s accounts. This is a most important and difficult task. The committee had to appoint a new independent examiner (Paul Binding) to verify the Club’s accounts.
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Teaching lessons continue on Tuesday and Friday mornings as well as Thursday evenings and I would encourage all members to advertise these as much as possible. 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.
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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.
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Thanks to Richard Spargo for his unceasing help with many repairs. His continues to be an important and vital contribution.
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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.
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Many thanks to Irene Whitfield for volunteering to help in finding partners.
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June Ainslie, Anne Forster, Ann Urwin, 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.
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Brian Dakers has been working on many matters pertaining to improvements to the Club and his help has been invaluable.
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Of course, there wouldn’t be a club without the members who regularly support us and I hope the Club continues to meet its objectives in the future.
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Finally, Tony Watson is stepping down from the committee and I can only thank him for his enthusiasm and wholehearted contribution over many years. He assures me that he will continue to help in the coming years and I’m sure we are all relieved to hear that.
Allan Davies
2
Secretary’s Report 2025
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 wholeheartedly agree with all he has written and I want to add my appreciation and grateful thanks to all those mentioned in his report. I want to record my thanks to Allan for the contribution in time, energy and experience he gives towards the running of the Club.
Membership, Recruitment and Teaching
Membership has increased gradually in the past year and currently stands at 109 members.
Recruitment of new members is essential for the long-term survival of the Club and another advertisement has been placed on a roundabout in Sunderland. The club has completed teaching the first year of a course for complete beginners and lessons for this group are continuing on Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings. Lessons by Allan Davies are also continuing on Tuesday and Friday mornings. All members are encouraged to spread the word about these various teaching activities, as word of mouth remains one of the most effective advertising methods.
In March, George Farnan and I started lessons on Thursday mornings for members in established pairs who want to continue advancing in their bridge knowledge and skills.
Competitions
All the Club’s trophy competitions were completed last year, along with the Quarterly Pairs and Teams events, and the results for all these competitions are on the Club website. The Wearside Online League organised by Graham Cox returned during the Winter months and was enjoyed by all who took part.
In the latest season of Inter-Club matches, the Club’s two teams generally performed below par, with the A team being relegated from the top Division and the B team finishing in the lower half of Division C.
Wearside players have continued to support the various NEBA competitions throughout the last year, with victory for Graham Cox and Alleyn Erskine in the Swiss Pairs and high finishes achieved by other members in the Chronicle Cup Final and Kempson Vase competitions.
Sophie Morris won a bronze medal as part of England’s Under 16 team in the European Youth Team Championships in July last year and has been selected for the same team to play in the World Youth Team Championships in Italy in July.
3
75[th] Anniversary
The club celebrated its 75[th] Anniversary last year with a week of bridge events coinciding with the EBU’s Bridge It’s A Big Deal week in September to promote the game and raise money for Cancer Research. Over £1000 was raised by the club towards the EBU’s national target of £60,000 (more than twice this amount was actually raised). The week concluded with a dinner and an evening of bridge at the club attended by over 50 members.
Chris Patrick
4
Treasurer’s Report 2025
The club is financially sound at the moment. The independent accountant was Paul Binding and a signed copy of the verified accounts has been obtained. These are shown below and a more detailed financial statement can be obtained at the Club or on the Charity Commission’s website after the AGM.
Rosemary Wallace
5
31.0325 31.QJ24 17.949 16J•g GIftA IIY 1127 li T¢ JJ21 J.449 io 3931 27J ExPEyDlliE Texhing ¢ipemeJ OU11 352 512 3J57 lJ55 Lwi hr 1184 442 n7 2$2 356 5.760 its43 1756 3.402 316 ?&583 24J13
ao Ai JI Mr¢k 2•15 31.0325 To 31.0324 TI Nm FIXED ET$ 1.142 CLIIIEF.%T 135 1• 9Jl8 73.961 C¥th af bnd 73.961 71.122 13519 SJJl• 71257 fREDITOiS 11 11.7521 %ET CL'.ARENT A£T$ 81.767 81.767 744 84.132 71.8 ET 84.132 84.132 71.8 FLThIX5 UrKu¢nLxed f• 12 84.lJ2 71J86 YOTAL 54.lJ2 71J16
NOMINATIONS FOR THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS
TUESDAY 29[th ] JULY 2025 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 2025-26
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
Joan Dawson
Yvonne Thompson
There is a vacancy for a new Committee member with the retirement of Tony Watson and Tracey Miller has been nominated and is available for election.
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 15[th] July 2025).
Any motions or resolutions must be received by the Secretary at least fourteen days before the AGM (the closing date will be 15[th] July 2025)
8
The Club Trustees are:
Graham Cox
Alan Wallace
George Farnan Brian Dakers Christopher Patrick Rosemary Wallace Yvonne Thompson
9
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P4Af4CW PAF 6 Thechwth tyA•l dI41.(th 24 £27.9(4)) of£29J63 12024 £24.433) Or£i1612l4 LIJ2D uKouKof£41.fAYII24. £27.WI¥¢¢k d p(1 J {2024 £16Wk dth d£4.1)23 12024 £4.129) ofDJ21 ())24.. U.449) The ¢4•"bMr ofE29J63 12024" ll4.4131 L4£6259(X124 S5.71. •hl lJMofUJ57Q024.. Lrf£J)MQ024. £1 Allttsofthttth•. Ul.767 # fr¢¢ r49Y% 13
17 P¥k Plx¢ W• 7[ AD• C P P•JKk RL W 12J2025 GF¥ A Wyc fjRCox 12 2025 2 J X124 P FCCA 23 BxDaVie T)v & Wtr SR4 7PZ 14
St¢1 1442Iofth Adjll I lthelOI l Adll¥#l th# • thr ¥r Sed¥Jb 145of X)11 Ad ofthB 2011 Adk. WI 2011 A4* IEw SR4 7PZ J 2025 e5 15
3103.2S 3J.OJ 24 INCOME AND ENTh)WMENIS Tr70M 11636 3.931 1931 T•tsl 29y3 29J63 24.433 29J63 29J63 24.4J3 3327 iyrHER RECOGP41SED GAINS GwmTV41Bwioffix¥J 3527 NET PAoVEm 114 VUP4tkS 161.104 161.IIYJ 71** 71N6 TOTAL FUP4DSCARRiED VORWARD 23LS4 231 71.116 CONTtNUIT4G OPERATI(ThS •6 16
31.0325 31.0324 T( 15122J 151225 170 9Jll Y3,961 170 9Jll 135 71,122 13Jlg 83J19 717 (1,7521 11.767 11.767 70.744 71.116 2319 71.116 12 132 711 TOTAL nJNDS 71J16 17
R¢pA of IFR$ 1021 (¢fftaTre l J. 20191.. R4w 102 'Tr FioaDcJ4 18
31.03.21 31.0324 17.919 165)9 31.03.25 31.03.24 3J21 ijo P4•9 19
IP4VESTMENrs 31.05.25 3103.24 31.03 25 31.03.24 l20 M*¢h 2024 ejo 20
Tth Trf 27.wl 27.W LIPENDITURE ON T¥ JJ27 59 6$9 71 P¥• li 21
T(rt CLoR VALUAllON AI l AFnl X)24 7.952 148 At 31 Mv¢b ) DEPRECIATI(X4 IW2024 keye4r 7.952 5S0 7.951 550 Ai31 Mx<l 1025 YET VALUE Ai31 Mw¢b 21)25 At31 Tht cbty"s protsh.. # 17 Puk Plx¢ Wo Swd#l•l SR2 7HT rn'thtyj w 6 20Y h.
31 2024 1*1.141
31.0325 3l.UJ.24 9JIB 31.03.LS 31.0324 565 sij 1.732 513 •12 22
11 MOVEMErrt ir4 VUPMS Al 1.424 Al 31.OJlS 71N6 14.132 71 232 TOTAL 11[ 71 (29J31 12 Pwij 23
IL RI0VEMET Ir4 Firyt6. 1423 31.0524 J)27 71.816 TOTAL FUNtKS 3J27 71.116 (24.433) 3J27 TOTAL FUNlkS Pwl4 24
31.OJ25 31.ID14 17.919 3J21 4.023 3.449 VDtsd ¢ld¥ 150 109 3931 2796• 352 512 3J57 lJ55 26 252 J56 624 n7 70 316 SJO e15 25
31.tsJ25 31.0324 120 120 P4ie 16 26