- CQGC REPORT CHARITY COMMISSION 2020/21
Executive Summary
Cotehele Quay Gig Glub was incorporated as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on 24[th] February 2020. The object of the CIO is ‘to promote community participation in healthy recreation by providing facilities to participate in the sport of Cornish Pilot Gig Rowing, both recreationally and competitively’.
Our mission is to enable as many people as possible to access Corish Pilot Gig Rowing at the highest competitive level and to improve the health, fitness and social connection of all members.
Cotehele Quay Gig Club enjoys the most beautiful location thanks to the National Trust, Cotehele Quay on the Cornish Bank 9 miles upstream from the Saltash Bridge. The club has been in operation for 12 years. It currently has a 5 year lease on 2 boatsheds and shared use of an open boatyard.
Before the first Covid-19 pandemic it had a membership of 143 people ranging in age from 11 – 77 from all walks of life. At time of writing this has fallen by 19, substantially less than many other clubs and largely due to the committee taking timely action to enable those in hardship to suspend their membership.
The club is well-known as a friendly, welcoming and inclusive organisation which enables people of all ages to compete as gig rowers and recreational rowers. This has important outcomes for health, well-being and social cohesion as well as the heritage of the sport itself.
The club is governed by the Cornish Pilot Gig Association (CPGA) and enter many competitive events in the Cornish Pilot Gig Association calendar including the World Championships on the Scilly Isles.
Income and expenditure for the period reflects closures due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns which seriously affected sporting activity. For the period 24.02.20 – 31.12.20 income was £14,416.44 and expenditure was £7,737.93. Many members continued to pay their £19 monthly subscriptions to support the club even though there was no activity on offer.
A negotiation with the National Trust for the renewal of the lease to CQGC for Quay facilities was completed in 2020. This resulted in a 5 year lease with standard conditions. The National Trust offered the club two options for the lease rate with annual rent increases, both these options recognised the financial challenges faced by CQGC as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The club gratefully received £538 grant from Sport England Emergency Community Fund to cover the additional expenditure of sanitiser, masks, visors and cloths to enable rowing between lockdowns.
A portable club defibrillator and pelican box were purchased to increase safety for members.
During periods of closure the CQGC committee met fortnightly and used its time to write a draft business plan for the club. A consultation document was drawn up and sent out to members asking them to set down their future wishes and expectations. This was collated and discussed by the committee and crafted into an outline business plan for the period 2021 - 2024.
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Rowing Report
At the start of the year there were 143 club members and 14 juniors with 23 applicants wishing to join CQGC with tasters and an open day arranged in March and April. A list of regattas had been chosen. The club was entering the London Great River Race with two teams.
Early February saw the club performing well in the Winter League. CQGC fielded crews in every category of the Caradon Regatta and great performances ( including a 4 boat-length win by Mens B ) managed to keep us in 2nd place in the league behind Caradon. Sadly the Combined Services Regatta that was scheduled in mid February had to be cancelled because of the storms that were hitting the country.
The club participated in the Three Rivers race. Conditions were more favourable this year, compared to last, and the club surpassed expectations with some strong results: MA 17th equal, MB 29th out of 74; LA 21st, LB 41st out of 77. The competitive crews were training hard, and it was clearly paying off. The wooden gigs, Teylu and Zeus, were sent to the Isles of Scilly for the World Championships and were subsequently retrieved when the first lockdown was announced.
Coronavirus Pandemic
The first lockdown in March resulted in 34 members suspending subscriptions. However it was decided to ask members to keep up their payments unless in hardship to cover the costs of long term expenditures which include National Trust lease £1290 and Insurances £2286.
A weekly newsletter was established to keep club members fully appraised of club business and information.
During this time 7 rowers from CQGC took part in The Gig Rower World Indoor Rowing championships. This was an exciting competition with other gig clubs, sliding seat clubs, indoor specialists, members of the armed forces and fitness junkies from all over the world.
One charity entry was approved for the club into the London Marathon 2021. The London Marathon was cancelled.
Rowing returned on 29th August. In preparation for this the committee Health & Welfare Officer wrote a comprehensive proposal to allow a return to rowing while employing social distancing and appropriate sanitation arrangements. This became the CQGC Covid-19 Rowing Policy & Protection Procedure. It is an excellent document and continues to be in use.
There were around 35 regular attendees for sessions in September included some memorable evening rows in the autumn sun. There were no Competitive Fixtures planned for the future, and the club was notified by the CPGA that the 2021 Scillies World Championships would not be taking place.
Juniors were set to start rowing on Saturday 31st October but this was cancelled due to a directive from central government for a Second National Lockdown.
After just over two months of rowing, the club was once again shut down in November. Rowing restarted on the 5th December and immediately saw Competitive and Recreational members taking to the water whilst continuing to observe CQGC Covid policy.
Another lockdown from 26[th] December saw cessation of all rowing.
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Looking Forward
Introduction of new business systems
CQGC intends to professionalise the management of club business through software packages on offer from Microsoft and Google to Charities. This will overcome current shortcomings in the existing data organisation within the club and creates new opportunities to improve the security of the data and the efficiency of data management. This is ongoing at time of writing.
3 Year Business Plan
A draft plan has been brought together using member’s priorities that will become the forward strategy for the club. It will be developed to match aspiration to resources. Following the AGM, and when new committee positions are filled, this will be progressed and go out to members for ratification and endorsement.
Updating boats and trailers
A schedule of repairs and maintenance is in place to ensure that boats, trailers, life-jackets and other boating equipment complies with current legislation. We anticipate the sale of one of the wooden gigs in order to provide finances for a new gig in 2021 or 2022. This supports our aspiration to be in the top 12 at Scillies World Gig Championships within three years.
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- CQGC Financial Accounts 2020 February 2021
The accounts for 2020 have been checked and verified independently. TSB balance 1st January 2020 £ 6,478.35 TSB balance 31st December 2020 £14,873.43 TSB balance 16th February 2021 £14,685.20
Income for 2020 £19,151.21 Subscriptions £13,189.01 Events £ 1,514.61 (Includes Winter League Regatta) Kit Orders £ 543.00 Fundraising £ 597.63 (Includes Easyfundraising £314.64, Lotti’s Bacon Baps £249). Bonus Ball £ 1,295.96 Other £2,011.00 (Includes Sport Council Grant £538, C of C Boat Loan £250).
Expenditure for 2020 £10,756.13
Equipment £5,214.02 (Includes £1064.62 Life jacket servicing, £400 Repairs to Cream of Cornwall, £840 repairs to Burcombe and Edgecumbe, £550 deposit for new cover for Zeus,£1229.69 Defibrillator and case, £363.97 Cleaning and sanitizing equipment) Administration £3,470.22 (Includes CPGA £200, Clubbuzz £144,Insurances £2,196.94, £444 London Marathon Entrance fee) Mileage £199.60 Kit Orders £252.82 Bonus Ball £728.00 Other £ 199.07
Chris Rogers. Treasurer CQCC.
16th February 2021