AGM Minutes, Constitution, Treasurers report 2024
Gullane Tennis Club
Tuesday 28th January 20257.30pm The Mallard Hotel Gullane
Minutes
Attendees: Sarah Lang, Adrian Cudby, Clare Tulloch, Andrew Firth, Debbie Spens,
Apologies : Keir Mitchelmore, Caroline Freeman, Annabel Stirling (at community hub meeting), Roddy Barbour, Sheila Low
Welcome to Andrew Firth who joins the committee
Coaching update
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- Beginners/improvers lessons start again for 5 weeks 18th Feb.
- Junior lessons start 17th Feb
- Junior camp Easter holidays
- Superdrills starts 20th Feb Thursdays 11-12
- 2 ladies team training sessions booked 18th & 25th March £5/person/session
Need to keep an eye on size of teenage group and try and create sessions where they can play against adults at socials to bring on their game play
Safeguarding update
nothing to report
Treasurers update
Bank/Building Society - £100, 756 (as @ 28/1/25)
All balances on interest bearing accounts (£500 float left in current account) – rates have dropped slightly due to last reduction in Bank Rate (22/10/24)
Expenditure – biggest expense in last six months -£12,408 for repainting tennis courts (September 24).
New Fridge delivered 14/11/24 (£324).
Upcoming expenses- club house repainting £5,790- inside painted Dec ‘24 (£3,583 paid December). Outside to be painted Spring ’25 (final payment £2,207)
Stevie has put up new shelves in clubhouse in December - £273.50
New contract arranged with SSE Business Energy – Fixed for 2 years
Capital Plan/Maintenance Plan – currently compiling this with Sarah.
Other
Lothian Valuation Joint Board – Wrote to Club 2/12/24, asking for full details of lease between East Lothian Council and the club. Statutory requirement to provide this. Information provided 22/12/24.
Grants etc. – have applied to (1) Proud to Pitch in (Greene King) £2,500 for coaching (beginners/Ageing Well)/and some guest rackets and (2) Aldi Scottish Sports Fund, £2,000 for coaching/guest rackets (Ageing Well).
As at 28/1/25 not heard anything- will chase.
Junior update
Clare Tulloch is happy to stay on as junior convenor for this year but we need a succession plan. Clare to email junior players parents to ask them to become team captains so that they arrange the teams for the u10 and U12 teams & provision of teas. Clare will give them rules and info on how to run tie breaks and enter league results but parents need to help with admin and running the matches of which there are only 4 per age group. Clare in discussion with Longniddry about a joint team but looking at possibility of a joint team with North Berwick for older age group
Team update
Registration using new system & a few changes to rules eg. Sudden death deuce
LTA system updated so team captains can enter results
Matches will be on a Tuesday for ladies 1sts & 2nds, Wednesday for Mens. Juniors probably Saturday/Sunday afternoons. All club members welcome to try out.
Maintenance
Gutter repair and painting outside of clubhouse to happen in March
Sort out ground around table tennis – looking at options
Paint new shelves inside spring – thanks to Stevie for making these for us
Moss kill April
Thanks to Tony Martin & Andrew Firth for supplying and fitting a new battery in the ball machine.
General
Emails – Andrew to get some help from Debs and then answer club emails
Committee recruitment – need to recruit new committee members as Sarah and Clare only allowed on the team for 1 more year.
Sarah to change gate code.
Sarah & Adrian to work on capital and maintenance plan before AGM
Club sessions – all 3 courts to be booked for Thursday socials and Sunday social to become an official session
Balls for club socials & team training – balls are normally left over from official tournaments & league matches but recognise that there are more players and more social sessions so Thursday group to trial using the cardio balls in the shed and try out non pressurised balls and then decision to be made on buying another large box of balls for these sessions.
GVA newsletter entry done by Adrian as Keir away.
Wimbledon ballot – club to email members at relevant time to encourage them to enter.
Keys – member keys to be collected from club by arrangement in the future.
Thanks to Keir for organising Leuchie house mince pie fundraiser
Thanks to Bryan for organising Maggies festive cardio sessions- £140 raised at Robbie Burns cardio.
Dates for Diaries
AGM Tuesday 11th March 8pm– venue to be booked by Sarah & confirmed
AGM reports to be with Sarah by end Feb from all committee members
Spring Fling event – 28th April
Family Fun Day Sunday 27th June pm – fun games & challenges – Sarah to speak to Gannon sports about speed serving machine and racquet trials
GULLANE TENNIS CLUB CONSTITUTION
As at 12th March 2024
1. NAME
The club founded in 1926 and originally known as the “Gullane Tennis and Recreation Ground Association” shall be named the Gullane Tennis Club.
2. OBJECTS
The main purpose of the club is to provide facilities for and to promote participation in the amateur sport of tennis.
3. MEMBERSHIP
a. Membership of the club shall be open to anyone from Gullane and the surrounding areas interested in the sport on application, regardless of sex, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs except as a necessary consequence of the requirements of tennis. The club may have different classes of membership and subscription on a non-discriminatory and fair basis. The club will keep subscriptions at levels that will not pose a significant obstacle to people participating. Age groups shall be determined as in the Club Regulations.
b. Membership fees are to be paid on an annual basis.
c. The Committee may, subject to clauses i-vi below, terminate the membership of any person, or impose any other sanction it determines to be appropriate, in connection with the breach of any condition of membership set out in this rule.
- Subject to the remaining provisions of this rule, the Committee shall have power to refuse membership or expel a Member only for good and sufficient cause, such as conduct or character likely to bring the Club or the Game into disrepute.
- A Member shall not be expelled unless they are given 14 days’ written notice of the meeting of the Committee at which their expulsion shall be considered and written details of the complaint made against them.
- The Member shall be given an opportunity to appear before the Committee to answer complaints made against them. The member must not be expelled unless a majority of the Committee then present vote in favour of their expulsion.
- The Committee may exclude the Member from the Club’s premises until the meeting considering their expulsion has been held. For the avoidance of doubt, the member shall be entitled to attend that meeting for the purpose of making their representations.
- The Member may appeal against the Committee’s decision by notifying the Committee who shall put the matter to the Club’s members in general meeting and decided by a majority vote of members present and voting at such meeting.
- Any person ceasing to be a Member forfeits all right to and claim upon the Club, its property and its funds and they have no right to the return of any part of their subscription.
d. Honorary Membership (either short-term or long-term, on nomination by the Committee) may be granted in accordance with the wishes of the Annual General Meeting, with normal voting powers.
4. MANAGEMENT
a. Management will be by the Committee as appointed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Committee will meet at least four times a year.
b. The Committee shall consist of a Chairperson/President, Treasurer, and maximum of nine other members.
c. A Committee quorum shall consist of four members; two of whom must be office bearers. The Chairperson/President shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberate vote, in the event of a tied vote.
d. Committee members may not normally serve for more than four years including any time in Office.
e. The Committee may fill casual vacancies as they arise and co-opt members for specific purposes. The latter shall have no voting rights on the Committee. Both may remain on the Committee only until the Annual General Meeting, when if eligible, they may elected to the Committee.
f. The Club shall have a Honorary President and Honorary Vice President on nomination by the Committee and as appointed by invitation of the members at the Annual General Meeting. They will have no voting rights.
5. GENERAL MEETINGS
a. Not less than twenty one days notice shall be given of all General Meetings, circulated to all the members and advertised publicly. Items for the agenda must be received by the Secretary at least seven days prior to the meeting.
b. All members of the Club shall have the right to attend and members over fourteen years of age may vote.
c. A quorum shall consist of twelve voting members. The Chairman shall have a vote as at 4c.
d. The Annual General Meeting shall be convened in the Spring:
i. Confirm the minutes of the previous AGM and any subsequent General Meetings
ii. Consider the Annual Reports and Audited Financial Accounts and seek their adoption
iii. Determine Annual Membership fees
iv. Elect office bearers and Committee members for the ensuing year
v. Appoint an auditor
e. The Committee may at any time call an Extraordinary General Meeting, as may members, provided that twelve voting members request it in writing stating the reason.
6. FINANCIAL YEAR
The financial year shall end on 31 December
7. NON-PROFIT MAKING
All surplus income or profits are to be reinvested in the club. No surpluses or assets will be distributed to members or third parties.
8. ALTERATIONS TO CONSTITUTION OR REGULATIONS
a. The constitution of the Club may be altered at the Annual General Meeting or an EGM and passed by two-thirds of the members in attendance eligible to vote, notice of the proposed amendment having been given not less that fourteen days beforehand.
b. The regulations of the Club may be altered by the Committee and ratified at the Annual General Meeting.
8. DISSOLUTION
Upon dissolution of the club any remaining assets shall be given or transferred to another registered CASC, a registered charity or the sport’s governing body for use by them in related community sports.
9. REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION The above revised constitution was adopted on 12 March 2024 with alterations ratified and agreed at the AGM on 12th March 2024.
Gullane Tennis Club AGM 12th March 2024 Treasurer’s Report for the 2023 Season (January – December 2023)
Prepared by Kathy Allan, Club Treasurer Accounts audited by Lindsay Renwick
Overall Financial Position:
Tennis club finances continue to be robust, with funds in all accounts now totalling nearly £106.4K. This is up by 7% (from £99.4K) on last year’s end-of-year total. However, the upward trend has slowed considerably (2022 totals were up by 13% on 2021) and our annual surplus has fallen for the second year in a row, and is down by 37%, from £11.1K to £6.9K. (Last year it fell by a more modest 20%, from £13.9K to £11.1K.) This largely reflects an increase in expenditure on court and clubhouse maintenance – factors which will continue to loom large over the next few years.
Interest rates improved in 2023, giving us a much improved yield on savings and contributing significantly to the small increase in our income, but these are forecast to drop again in late 2024. I am hopeful that our proposed new treasurer will do what I have failed to do over the past year and reinvest club funds into more favourable accounts!
Key points on the overall financial position are as follows:
- Total funds across all bank and savings accounts @ 31/12/23 = £106.4K – an increase of 7% YoY (from £99.4K @ year-end 2022).
- Annual surplus of £6.9K – compared to £11.1K at year-end 2022 (-37%)
- BoS Current account balance = £42.5K @ 31/12/23
- BoS 32-day notice savings account balance = £20.9K @ 31/12/23
- Skipton savings account balance = £43.0K @ 31/12/23.
Income:
Total income for the year was slightly up (by 2%) on last year, with membership income down by 9% and Stripe bookings down by 17%, reflecting the continued slight downturn following the bumper Covid years, when all many of us were allowed to do socially was play tennis! Non-member fees from Roddy’s coaching sessions were up by 26% (thanks Roddy!) whilst the biggest increase in income was a reflection of the increase in bank and savings interest rates.
Key points on income are as follows:
- Total income for 2023 = £19.3K (a 2% increase from £18.8K in 2022)
- Membership income down by 9% (from £16.2K to £14.7K in 2022)
- 17% reduction in Stripe income. Does this reflect a reduction in court bookings/visitors/ guests – or are some members perhaps failing to pay for their guests/allowing visitors to access the courts for free?!
- Bank and savings interest is up 330% from £0.4K to £1.6K!
Expenditure:
Expenditure was significantly up on the previous year (+59%), largely due to the amount spent on plumbing, plus court and clubhouse maintenance. The men’s urinals were old, leaking and have been stripped out; the plumbing overflowed following usage for the East Lothian Open; and the water mains were re-routed to allow for the fitting of a new water meter, as we are now being charged for water usage (previously covered by the Council). We also purchased new nets/fixings, and had the courts cleaned and pressure-washed to remove weeds and moss – never a cheap undertaking! The expenditure figure for the latter was falsely inflated by an outstanding (unsent!) 2022 DOE invoice for almost £2K.
Key points on expenditure as follows:
- Total expenditure for 2023 = £12.3K (up by 59% from £7.7K in 2022)
- Expenditure hike largely explained by significant outlay on plumbing and court/ clubhouse maintenance/refit
- Further significant cost-of-living increases in all utilities bills (gas/electricity/trade waste)
- New charges for water usage (though these are somewhat less terrifying than the first few eye-watering bills we received, thanks to Sarah’s persistence in getting a water meter installed, and thereafter having the bills based on our actual, rather than the water company’s vastly over-inflated estimates of our usage!!!)
- Further increases in payments to ELC, who are now charging us for venue insurance.
Maintenance:
Considerable further court and clubhouse maintenance will be required in 2024, with £10.5K requiring to be spent in the next couple of months for a partial resurface and repainting of the courts. Doing this essential maintenance work now should keep us going for the next 10 years or so until total court replacement becomes necessary. (The courts were last resurfaced in 2011).
The clubhouse is also in need of a substantial upgrade/overhaul, with little prospect of money forthcoming from the Council for this purpose.
The floodlights remain in good working order, with no recent lamp replacement or maintenance required, though this is likely be required some time in 2024 or 2025.
Membership Subscriptions:
Our membership subscriptions have remained unchanged since 2011 (13 years!) and are by far the cheapest in the area (see attached table). Given this – together with the imminent need for further court and clubhouse maintenance/repair, and the need to retain a healthy bank balance for ongoing and future maintenance – the Committee has reluctantly had to consider the need to increase subscriptions for the 2024/25 season.
We propose a staged increase to bring our subs gradually more into line with other clubs, rather than any sudden hike. The following proposed subscriptions therefore represent a modest increase for this year, with a further increase next year or possibly the year after – to be considered/proposed by my successor as Treasurer! The following prices are still highly competitive and represent continued excellent value for money for our members.
Membership Type Current Agreed
Family (2 adults + children under 19) £115.00 £135.00
Adult (age 19 to 59 inclusive) £55.00 £65.00
Concessions (age 60/65* or over/on benefits) £27.50 £35.00
Students (age 19 -22 in FT education) £27.50 £30.00
Junior (Age 8-18) £27.50 £27.50
Youngsters (Age 3-7) £15.00 £15.00
* We also propose to increase Concessions eligibility to age 65 and over, for those turning 60 AFTER 12/03/24 (ie turning 65 after 12/03/29). This would mean that current Concessions members still pay the concessions rate, as they have already qualified for this and it would perhaps be unfair to ask them to revert to the full adult rate in retrospect.
The Committee proposes that floodlights remain free for members’ use for the time being at least, as the Club can still afford this at present. Several other clubs also offer this benefit. The policy will continue to be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
New Treasurer & Thank Yous:
I have enjoyed my time as treasurer, but my 3-year tenure is over and it is time to hand over the reins. I would like to propose Adrian Cudby as my successor – an active club and social member, with lots of experience in finance, so the ideal candidate! Thank you Adrian, for stepping up and agreeing to take on the role.
Finally, I would like to express my thanks to my fellow committee members, past and present, for their support and friendship over the past 3 years – we have made a good team! Grateful thanks are also due to Lindsay Renwick for once again auditing the accounts. A token of appreciation will be presented to Lindsay in due course!
PADEL report
Padel Tennis and Gullane Tennis Club
What is Padel Tennis?
Padel tennis is one of the fastest growing sports in Europe and demand currently outstrips court availability. Played on an enclosed court about a third the size of a tennis court, groups of mixed ages and abilities can play together. Tennis Scotland / the LTA are looking to expand the number of Padel courts in the UK to meet the current, and projected future, demand.
What has happened so far?
Investigations have started into the potential opportunities for Padel courts in East Lothian. These investigations include discussions with Tennis Scotland, the LTA, East Lothian Council, and Craigmillar LTC (who opened a Padel court in 2023).
These discussions and scoping work have proved there is not enough room on the current GTC site to build a Padel court, whilst retaining three tennis courts, the hitting wall, and/or the clubhouse.
Potential venues and potential funding options have been examined, but more work is required before any proposal and financial business case can be made.
What are the options?
The options being considered include building and managing Padel courts (on a site away from the existing GTC site):
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As part of Gullane Tennis Club;
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Via a new, separate, Padel-only tennis club;
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Through a franchise model; and
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Through a joint/co venture with another local club(s).
Whilst a considerable amount of research has been completed, further due diligence is required to fully investigate the options, and consider all of the implications to Gullane Tennis Cub and its members.
What happens next and how can members get involved?
To help us progress this, a working group, reporting to the Committee, is going to be set up to complete the due diligence. If you would like to be part of the working group, or would like more information at this stage, please contact Russell Pinkerton on 07557 909376.
The Working Group’s progress will be presented at future GTC club committee meetings. The committee will discuss and agree any subsequent actions.
Ultimately, if the committee propose to progress an option that requires any changes to the GTC constitution, liabilities, risk profile, or directly impacts club memberships, this proposal will need to be discussed and voted on by GTC members. This discussion and vote will rake place at either the next AGM in 2025, or if Working Group progress allows, an Extraordinary General Meeting later this year. All club members will be invited to this discussion and vote.
Resources: https://www.lta.org.uk/roles-and-venues/padel-development-plan/ https://neograss.co.uk/what-is-padel-tennis-why-popular-uk/ https://everythingpadel.co.uk/what-is-padel-tennis/ https://www.thebandeja.com/franchising-the-future-of-padel-in-the-uk/