Epsom & Ewell Harriers
Registered Charity Number 1187959
Trustees of the CIO are:
David Clarke (Chairman)
Iwona Moore (Treasurer)
David Howell (Secretary)
Diana Norman (Coaching Secretary)
David Blunt (Membership Secretary) Vanda Caulfield (Facilities Secretary)
Trustees Report for the year to November 2021
Like the previous year, the 12 months to November 2021 has operated under the shadow of COVID 19. Normal activities were at times completely brought to a standstill; at best they were significantly moderated. The pandemic has had a significant effect on the club’s income and expenditure.
Athletics Activities, Achievements and Public Benefit
Autumn 2020 was optimistic as we began to come out of the lockdown that had begun in March. But, quite properly, guidance from Government and our National Governing Body was extremely cautious. In early autumn licenses were not available for cross country and only in restricted circumstances for road races. Even then many venue owners were unwilling to allow events to take place and traditional activities were at a standstill. Much work and planning went into guidance for “COVID safe” organisation of events consistent with current government guidelines. But before any of these could take place we again went into full lockdown in mid-December. A cross country event hosted by The Harriers a week before Christmas would have been the first of the season but had to be cancelled at 18 hours notice.
COVID had a double effect on our objectives to develop athletics amongst the local community. For social distancing and other COVID considerations all facilities had to be closed. And with little competition taking place anyway, the incentive to engage in regular training was reduced.
Despite this many of our members continued to maintain their skills and fitness levels by working alone, with remote guidance from coaches, or in small socially distanced outdoor groups.
COVID restrictions were relaxed in a stepwise fashion through late spring 2021 and into the summer. Regular training sessions at the track gradually became re-instated albeit with significant restrictions on numbers to allow social distancing.
We engaged with local schools to facilitate athletics training, competition and sports days, introducing many young people to athletics from the community.
Competitive events gradually began to reappear. But in effect the summer ‘season’ started late and then became compressed in August and September with a number of delayed events overlapping each other. It was not a normal season. The number of events was reduced, and the format was usually modified. Participation levels were lower than normal.
Nevertheless, the Harriers thrived at least as well as most others and had some notable performances. We organised a new club relay event in midsummer that was a great success. It was open to teams from other local clubs but also informal teams from the community. It enhanced our reputation as an event provider and made a good contribution to our funds.
At the start of the autumn 2021 endurance season things are looking more optimistic and may be getting closer to pre-COVID levels of activity. The Harriers made an excellent showing in most categories at the first round of Surrey league in October. Indeed the club again put on a good show as host of the Men’s match on Epsom Downs. And a few weeks later Harriers hosted the first Downs league for 2 years at the same venue. Participation in some categories reached unprecedented levels.
Club members continue to use their experience to help others organise events. Through Summer 2021 we provided equipment and support for a number of local schools and youth groups using the athletics track. In the autumn we have helped with a number of cross-country events for local schools.
At the home base we are beginning to find a problem of almost having more youngsters wishing to take part than we can manage. We do need more volunteers to develop as coaches.
So the state of play at November 2021 is one of some optimism as activities seem to be getting back to what we were used to before the pandemic. But nothing is certain. Currently medical data suggest COVID infections again on the rise. But set against that is the fact that very large numbers of people are vaccinated. Which way things will turn is impossible to predict. We can only do our best to try to pursue our activities, but at the same time acting responsibly and following all guidance from Government and our National Governing Body.
Management of the Charity
Our club is set up as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, Registered 13 Feb 2020, Governed by Constitution with Trustees elected from membership.
Our objects are the promotion of community participation in healthy recreation for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Borough of Epsom & Ewell and the surrounding areas, by the provision of facilities for athletics, to include track and field, road running and cross country running.
In meeting those objectives, the Ethos includes:
- Our Club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its operations, activities, and development. In doing so, the Club acknowledges and adopts the following Sport England definition of sports equity:
Sports equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognising inequalities and taking steps to address them. It is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.
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Our Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and shall treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality, or social/economic status.
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Our Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment, and abuse.
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All members of the Club have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.
Management and development of the Club in line with our aims for this year has been made both easier and more difficult during COVID. Easier because the enforced suspension of all activities for long periods has meant that there is simply less to manage. Nevertheless, the coaching team maintained contact with their athletes, providing remote advice and direction to maintain fitness and skills levels. In some cases, they were able to meet up in small groups, outdoors, and with social distancing.
Inevitably many members drifted away and failed to renew membership. This was hardly surprising as we were unable to provide the usual support, facilities, and athletic competition. In the year to March 2021 membership subscriptions fell by about 33% and many other income streams by an even greater amount. Total income fell to about 45% of the previous year.
At the same time running costs were also seriously reduced. So, the overall effect was easily manageable within our reserves.
The one item still to be resolved is the lease and licence fees payable to Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (EEBC) for use of facilities. Our contention is that these were not applicable at times when the facilities were not available. Nevertheless, EEBC continued to issue invoices. We believe that this will be resolved in our favour but until we have formal confirmation our accounts show a liability for the full annual sum of £18,000. Resulting in a deficit of just over £7k in the year. We believe that our liability for the short period when the facilities were available is £2k rather than £18k which will reverse the deficit to a surplus of over £8k. We have again contacted EEBC asking for urgent resolution to this matter. But either way, the deficit can easily be absorbed by the healthy reserves.
Volunteers
We would like to thank all our volunteers whose contributions are wide ranging and hugely valued .
Future Plans
Since the end of the 2020/21 accounting year COVID restrictions began to lift and management of the Charity has started to return to normal. Finances aside, the club is working closely with EEBC to ensure that the track facilities are suitable for training in the immediate term and will be suitable for competition in the 2022 season. The club was able to help EEBC’s maintenance costs with a grant of £5k from the sport’s National Governing Body.
We will work with EEBC to assist and facilitate athletics training and competition for our local schools, introducing new young people into athletics. We have already planned events into 2022 to encourage the community to participate and local running clubs to engage in athletics and competition both at the track facility and in our local parks.
In short, we have had the same experience as many other organisations. Activities almost brought to a standstill by the COVID pandemic. But now starting to return to something like normal.
David Clarke CBE
Chairman November 2021
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021
| INCOME | INCOME | INCOME | EXPENDITURE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2020 | Change | 2019 | 2020 | Change | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| £14,811.03 | Subscriptions | £9,962.35 | -33% | £18,000.00 | Track hire - Ewell Court | £18,000.00 | 0% |
| £18,846.20 | Gate receipts | £9,036.23 | -52% | £6,000.00 | Depreciation | £6,000.00 | 0% |
| £2,050.00 | Donations | £976.00 | -52% | £2,490.00 | England Athletics registration | £1,035.00 | -58% |
| £165.00 | Miscellaneous | £100.00 | -39% | £2,109.00 | Miscellaneous | £920.65 | -56% |
| £62.30 | Bank interest less tax | £41.80 | -33% | £410.80 | Insurance | £413.30 | 1% |
| £7,218.80 | Refreshments | £1,775.00 | Trainingcourses | £410.00 | -77% | ||
| £365.00 | Competition income | £4,487.30 | Competition expenses | £350.18 | -92% | ||
| £1,315.00 | Fast5 | £2,731.97 | Refreshment | £325.83 | -88% | ||
| £200.00 | Coach | £54.00 | Administration | £37.60 | -30% | ||
| £239.00 | Hostingevents | £401.00 | Affilliation fees | ||||
| £657.90 | Circuit traininghire | ||||||
| £138.01 | Awards/engraving | ||||||
| £441.29 | Track maintenance | ||||||
| £722.12 | Hostingevents | ||||||
| £480.83 | Fast5 | ||||||
| **£45,272.33 ** | TOTAL INCOME | £20,116.38 | -56% | **£40,899.22 ** | TOTAL EXPENSES | £27,492.56 | -33% |
| Excess of expenditures over income |
£7,376.18 | £4,373.11 | Excess of income over expenditures |
||||
| £45,272.33 | £27,492.56 | £45,272.33 | £27,492.56 |
BALANCE SHEETS AS AT 31 MARCH 2021
| ASSETS | LIABILITIES | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| £2,068.29 | Kit b/f | £6,384.39 | £83,185.85 | Accmulated Funds b/f | £87,558.96 | ||
| £5,417.10 | Add Purchases | £869.40 | £4,373.11 | Less Exess Expenditure over Income |
-£7,376.18 | ||
| -£1,101.00 | Less sales | -£923.00 | £80,182.78 | ||||
| Total kit value | £6,330.79 | ||||||
| £13,499.08 | Track Equipment b/f | £8,888.61 | £977.85 | Nat tax | £988.30 | ||
| £1,389.53 | Additions inyear | Rent due to EE BC | £18,000.00 | ||||
| -£6,000.00 | Less depreciation | -£6,000.00 | £18,988.30 | ||||
| Total equipment value | £2,888.61 | ||||||
| £4,665.75 | Pettycash/stock | £574.94 | |||||
| £63,598.06 | Bank Accounts | £84,376.74 | |||||
| £5,000.00 | National Savings | £5,000.00 | |||||
| Total cash | £89,951.68 | ||||||
| £88,536.81 | Total | £99,171.08 | £88,536.81 | Total | £99,171.08 |
Iwona Moore 21 October 2021 Hon Treasurer
I confirm that the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2020 set out above are in accordance with the books, records and explanation given by officials of Epsom and Ewell Harriers
Alan Bates 21 October 2021 Hon Auditor