## **Trustees' Annual Report** **From** : 01/11/24 **To:** 31/10/25 **Charity name:** Brightlingsea Cricket Club **Charity registration number:** 1197631 ## **INTRODUCTION** This year has focused on widening participation, consolidating recent sporting growth, strengthening junior pathways and progressing future investment in the proposed clubhouse development. The trustees thank the many volunteers, sponsors and grant funders who supported the club during the year. Their contribution has helped improve facilities, enhance player experience and make cricket more accessible to the local community. ## **CHARITABLE OBJECTS** Our objectives are to: - Promote community participation in healthy recreation, particularly through cricket. ## **MEMBERSHIP** Senior membership remained broadly stable during the year, while youth membership increased. Membership administration and fee collection remain areas for improvement, particularly within the junior section. The club continues to seek a simplified, centralised membership and payment tracking system across all payment types. ## **ON THE PLAYING FIELD** ## **Senior Cricket** The senior section had a year of development and consolidation following several years of sustained success. A key achievement was the reintroduction of a Saturday Second XI for the first time in 10 years, reflecting the development of younger players and the wider health of playing membership. - **Saturday First XI:** Experienced a more challenging season after four consecutive league titles. Performances varied, but there were strong individual contributions and a notable tied match at Stowmarket. - **Saturday Second XI:** Returned to league cricket and performed creditably in its first season back, finishing fourth. Young players made particularly encouraging contributions across the season. - **Sunday League XI:** Finished a close second after two consecutive league titles. The team continued to prioritise opportunities for younger players and their integration into senior cricket. - **Sunday T30 XI:** Remained central to the progression of younger players from youth to senior cricket, including players from the Disability Section. - **'The Railway' XI:** Continued to provide enjoyable, social but competitive cricket for players of all abilities, including fixtures against other local community sports clubs. - **Senior Indoor League:** Won the Northern Gateway League and reached the County Finals after a successful play-off. The club also entered a largely colts-focused senior indoor team to maintain competitive opportunities for younger players. ## **JUNIOR CRICKET** The club continued to provide a broad range of opportunities for young people across different sections. A priority for future growth is to recruit and develop more coaches and volunteers to support sessions and team management. - **Kwik Cricket:** Numbers grew, particularly among the youngest players aged 5 to 11. Players took part in coaching and local festivals, including events hosted by the club and other local clubs. - **Girls Section:** The club fielded under-11 softball teams and entered teams in girls-only festival activity. Further progress will require a dedicated volunteer lead for organising and coaching. - **Disability Section:** Players continued to develop individually, with representation in county training squads and progression into senior hardball cricket, demonstrating a positive pathway within the club. - **Colts Hardball:** Teams were entered at under-11, under-13 and under-15 age groups in the North Essex Leagues. The under-15 group benefited from the previous season’s experience, and the club’s partnership with IPSCOL helped ensure full teams for fixtures. - **Junior Indoor League:** Under-12 and under-14 teams competed at Northern Gateway, with strong progress shown. The under-12 team qualified for the semi-finals for the first time. ## **PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT** The club continued to support other local sports organisations through access to facilities and contributed to wider community activity, including involvement in the town carnival sports jamboree. The club remains keen to develop partnerships with local clubs and community organisations to share ideas and widen access to sport. The ECB Get Set Weekend again provided essential pre-season volunteer support. Parents, junior players and club members helped complete maintenance tasks that support the long-term quality and sustainability of the club's facilities. The club hopes to build on this volunteer base for the 2026 event. ## **SPONSORSHIP AND FUNDING** Sponsorship and grant funding continued to provide vital support across teams, events and activities. This funding helped provide financial security, support unwaged players and families, replace and purchase cricket equipment, and improve the overall player experience. Match sponsorship for Saturday league fixtures was reintroduced and proved successful. The club also benefited from support for senior teams, Kwik Cricket, colts hardball cricket, the Girls Section and the Disability Section. Grant funding also supported player development awards, equipment replacement and facility improvements such as boundary equipment. ## **CLUBHOUSE DEVELOPMENT** The proposed clubhouse development made slower progress than hoped, following the need to appoint a new architect to the scheme. The project remains at the Building Regulation stage but is moving forward. The planning application timeline is approaching the five-year point, making progress increasingly important. Continued support from club members, volunteers, community partners and grant funders will be required to move the project towards delivery and ensure it benefits both the club and the wider community. ## **FUTURE PLANS** The club’s priorities for the coming year are to strengthen governance and share responsibilities more evenly, develop a more effective membership and payment tracking system, continue the progression of younger players into senior cricket, recruit additional coaches and volunteers, and progress the clubhouse development project. Sustained investment in facilities, inclusive participation and player pathways has supported positive growth across the club. The next stage will be to nurture young players through mentoring and suitable playing opportunities while ensuring the club remains organisationally resilient and sustainable. ## **REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS** |**Charity name**|Brightlingsea Cricket Club| |---|---| |**Other name the charity uses**|| |**Registered charity number**|1197631| |**Charity’s principal address**|Bayard Recreation Ground, Regent Road, Brightlingsea,
Colchester, Essex, CO7 0QT| **----- Start of picture text -----**
Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted if not for Name of person (or body)
whole year entitled to appoint trustee
(if any)
Julia Hunt Chair
Craig Finbow Treasurer
Stacey Plummer Secretary
Richard Hunt
Gordon Collen
Christopher Mann
Kate Dyne
Michael Barrenger
**----- End of picture text -----**
## **DECLARATIONS** The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above. Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees **Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Date** ## **BRIGHTLINGSEA CRICKET CLUB** ## **INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR PERIOD 1/11/2024 to 31/10/2025** |**INCOME**
Bar
Junior Membership
Senior Membership
Junior Training
Junior Match Fees
Senior Training and Match Fees
Sponsorship and Donations
Gift Aid
_Grants Received (Restricted)_
Jack Petchey Foundation
Rotary Club (Brightlingsea)
**Total Income**
_General Carry Forward 23/24_
_Restricted Carry Forward 23/24_
Tendring District Council
Legacy Donation
_Cash in Hand_
**Total Income including C/F and Cash in hand**
**EXPENDITURE**
General Running Costs
Grounds Maintenance
Coach Training and Coaching Equipment
Senior Facilities Hire
Junior Facilities Hire
Food Expenses
Bar Expenses
Sundries
Kitchen
Sponsorship Expenses
_Grants Restricted_
Jack Petchey Foundation
(First Aid Course, rope and stand, equipment,
coaching kit, sight screen slats)
Rotary Club (Brightlingsea)
(Hall and ground rent)
_Restricted Carry Forward 23/24 Expenses_
Tendring District Council
(Architect Fees, Building Control and £13,005 returned)
Legacy Donation
(Architect Fees)
**Total**
**Excess of income over expenditure**
_General Carry Forward 24/25_
_Restricted Carry Forward 24/25_
_Legacy Donation_
Cash in Hand
**Total Carry Forward**
C Finbow
Hon Treasurer
27 January 2026|**2024 - 2025**
£30,750.17
£3,086.08
£2,742.84
£3,325.47
£1,436.23
£2,073.05
£5,311.35
£530.70
£2,800.00
£1,000.00
**£53,055.89**
£40,015.05
£20,000.00
£4,137.00
£141.90
**£117,349.84**
**2024-25**
£6,820.60
£2,029.48
£1,630.02
£3,756.08
£1,716.60
£2,301.94
£14,057.58
£2,822.74
£280.78
£275.00
£2,800.00
£1,000.00
-
£20,000.00
£907.00
**£60,397.82**
**-£7,341.93**
£53,580.12
3230
141.9
£56,952.02| |---|---| CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Roport to tho tru8teo• 8rightlingsea Crfcket Club On accounts for tho yoar onded 31•1 October 2025 Charlty no (If any) 1197631 Sel out on pago8 I report to the trustees on my examlnation of the accounts of the above charity ("th8 Trusf) for the year ended 3111012025 R8sponsibllltle• and ba818 of report As the charfty's trustees, you are responsible for tho preparation of the accounts In acccffdance with the requirements of the Charitie5 Act 2011 ("the Act"). I report In respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under sectton 145 of the 2011 Act arml in carrying out rny examlnatlon, I have followed all the applicable Directions gfven by the Charfty Commission under section 145(5){b> of the Act. Indepondent I have completed my examination. I conflrm that no mat8rial matters have come to my examlnerfs Statement attention In connection wf(h the examination (other than that disclosed below ') which gives me cause to believe that In, any material respect.. "the accounting records were not kept in accordance with sect1￿ 130 of the Charities Act,. or ' accounts dld not 8ccord with the accounting records: or the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concernlng the fomi and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulatlons 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and falr, vlew which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examinauon. I hav8 no concerns and have come across no other matters in connectKJn with the examlnation to which attention should be drawn In this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to b8 reached. ' Please delete the words In the brackets rfthey do not 8ppIy. Date: Slgnod.. 2310612026 Graham Bowler Relevant profossional qualification{6) or body (If any): Address: ACCA (Membership #1157737) 2 Kings Meadow Road Colchester Essex, C011XS IER Oct 2018 ction B Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32. Independent examination of charity accounts". directions and guidance for examiners). ivo here brlof )talls of any >ms that the (aminer ishos to sclose. IER Oct 2018