WESTON SUPER MARE PILOT GIG CLUB CIO CHARITY NUMBER 1198444
Annual Report and Accounts for the Period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Weston Super Mare Pilot Gig Club Trustees Annual Report for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
Summary
The Weston super Mare Pilot Gig Club, CIO (WSMPGC), provides the local community with opportunities, equipment, training, and ongoing support to participate in gig rowing for recreation, competition and health benefits.
The club remains volunteer-run, with operations overseen by a general committee made up of Trustees and full club members appointed to specific roles. This year, the committee has experienced a reduction in numbers due to personal and work commitments which has increased the workload for those remaining. As a result, the club is making continuous efforts to attract more volunteers.
Now entering its third year, the club has enjoyed smoother operations, largely due to the continued partnership with Weston Bay Yacht Club. This relationship provides members with welfare facilities, social spaces, and essential water access. The club has secured a new mooring for “Eventide”, its fibreglass training gig, while “Weston Spirit”, its racing gig is now stored in a shipping container boathouse further along the beach. Both boats have seen significant use, particularly during the winter months, as members prepared for the Cornish Pilot Gig World Championship scheduled for May 2025. Despite this, recruiting and preparing new volunteers— especially those willing to organise and cox rowing sessions—remains an ongoing challenge.
Governance
The Trustees convened an Annual General Meeting (AGM) in February 2025. The six trustees reappointed / appointed in September 2023, continue to serve. Each Trustee contributes essential skills and experience to the management of the charity and the advancement of the club’s mission. The Trustees are supported by an operational committee.
Committee Members
WSMPGC is constituted as a membership CIO with a membership committee. Each committee member is responsible for a particular task to help run the club. Meetings are held either in person or via Zoom. Trustees attend these meetings to provide input and to ensure the club’s purpose and legal obligations are met. While committee meetings can take place without trustees, resolutions cannot be proposed or passed unless a quorate number of trustees are present. Sometimes, committee roles may remain unfilled due to members being unable to meet the demands of the role because of time pressures, work, or family commitments. In such cases,
trustees do their best to fill these roles. There is always a need for members to volunteer for these positions. The pace of the club’s development depends largely on the number of committee members and trustees available.
Competitive Rowing
Ownership of a wooden gig has enabled the club to join the Cornish Pilot Gig Association (CPGA), the governing body for pilot gig rowing. The British Rowing Association continues to offer guidance on fixed seat rowing. Many club members have taken part in local competitions, which has sparked interest among more experienced rowers in developing the club’s competitive activities further. Plans now include attending regattas at other clubs as well as hosting club-run regattas. With the CPGA-compliant gig “Weston Spirit,” the club is well positioned to organise its own regattas, raising the club’s profile and fostering community pride in maritime sports. Initially, the club will collaborate with local clubs to build the skills needed to add events to the CPGA calendar. Several members have developed the expertise and ambition necessary to compete at the 2025 World Championships.
Community Engagement
During 2023-24, the club launched a project aimed at individuals aged 55 and over, offering weekday daytime rowing sessions when tides permitted. Although the project started later than planned, it continues into 2025. A group of volunteers was trained to operate these sessions and remains dedicated to supporting the club. The goal was to establish regular daytime rowing for those over 55, and as hoped, several participants have since become full members. Additionally, interest from shift workers has meant that daytime rowing sessions are now open to all age groups.
Challenges
The club’s continued growth remains dependent on having enough experienced coxswains. However, encouraging members to become coxswains is challenging, as most prefer to focus on improving their rowing skills. To address this, the club has implemented a three-tier training programme: Novice Coxswain, Club Coxswain, and Coach Coxswain. The club remains committed to supporting and funding members who wish to gain qualifications through external training providers.
Future Development Planning
Activity Development
The CPGA has indicated that all clubs should aim to develop a youth section. WSMPGC has begun discussions with Broad Oak Academy, a local secondary school, with the intention of establishing a youth section. However, this initiative will require additional trained volunteers and child protection measures, and currently, the club does not have enough coxswains or volunteer capacity to move forward. The committee has therefore prioritised the recruitment of more adult members and the training of additional coxswains before advancing with the youth section. The club remains open to collaborating with local youth teams and organisations, provided the necessary skills, qualifications, and insurance are in place.
Membership is gradually increasing, although there is a drop-off in numbers, particularly during the winter. The winter season provides an opportunity to hold shore-based training sessions, especially for coxswains, as well as sessions on rowing machines. A local gymnasium has offered the club use of its equipment for this purpose.
Weston Super Mare Pilot Gig Club
Receipts and payments for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
| Receipts Events Self Funded Fundraising & Donations Gift Aid Membership Projects – 55+ Total Payments Boats - Equipment & maintenance Shore - Equipment & maintenance Events Self Funded Insurance Mileage & expenses Permits, licences & membership Promotions & events Total Payments Net Profit Receipts Designated Sports England Grant Quartet Foundation Grant Total Payments Designated Sports England Grant •Safety kit •RYA Radio Course •RYA Powerboat level 2 Sub total Quartet Foundation Grant •Electric Motor Sub total Total Balance Designated |
2024/25 £ 249 1,087 1,146 3,752 77 6,311 1,519 1,067 249 1,050 71 369 362 4,687 1,624 6,500 5,000 11,500 49 2,030 1,701 3,780 4,800 4,800 8,580 2,920 |
|---|---|
Weston Super Mare Pilot Gig Club
Statement of Assets and Liabilities for the period ending 31 March 2025
£ £ Assets (insurance purposes) Eventide 11,850 Weston Spirit 10,000 Gig road trailer 2,000 2x sets oars 3,000 Gig cover 500 ------------------------ 27,350 Bank Balance at 31 March 2025 6,899 Total Assets 34,249 Liabilities 0 -----------------------34,249
Weston Super Mare Pilot Gig Club
Notes in relation to the accounts
Given that our annual turnover is less than £25,000 there is no requirement to have these accounts independently examined.
Income
Most of the income for the year has come from membership fees. Donations in the year have been received from Yeo Valley and Weston Super Mare Lions Club. The Club receives monthly donations from North Somerset Community Lottery.
The club is registered for Gift Aid.
Expenditure
The majority of spend during the year has been on maintenance of the gigs and servicing the trailer. New seat pads were also bought for Weston Spirit.
The attached Annual Report and Accounts, have been approved by Club Trustees
Mr G Lane Trustee
For and on behalf of the Trustees
Date 6 November 2025
W-S-M ThE SPORT