Minutes of Dersingham Tennis Club AGM 20 March 2025, The Feathers, Dersingham

Present: Hilary Clark (Secretary), David Collingham, Judy Collingham (Chair), David Rogers, Jes Russell (Treasurer), Rosie Russell (Welfare Officer), Debbie Sheils.
Apologies: Milika Buurman, Judy Cuttell, Anne Davis, Jeff Edmondson, Ann Grimes, Mike Grimes, Paul Jarvis, Louise Medhurst, Steve Tuppin.

• Minutes: the minutes of the last AGM were agreed. 
• Treasurer’s Report: the club has a healthy balance of £6,495.38 as of now despite  a lot of work being done in the last year (repairs to the court surface, cleaning and painting, new LED bulbs for the floodlights). This was achieved thanks to a number of grants (well done to Judy) and a lot of hard work from treasurer and chair after time-consuming issues with the bank. 
• Chair’s report:

1. Membership – always need for members. Hopeful that the new pavilion will help to attract more people.
2. Courts – held up well though there are some issues on court 2 which will be reviewed with Gary Crook in the coming months. Chair will liaise with Debbie Sheils to try to have work done away from matches. Seen as essential to maintain the courts to their current high standard.
3. Pavilion – Judy and David Collingham are trustees of the newly-formed Dersingham Sports Ground Association, set up to deliver and run the new pavilion. Slow but steady progress. Meeting agreed to donate 50% of the money raised from the forthcoming quiz to the pavilion fund to show our support. 
4. Craft Fair 13 April – tennis club will run a café providing bacon butties and cakes – profits to the club. Volunteers to help on the day, donate cakes requested.
5. Quiz night – 4 April. 12 tables already booked, room for a few more.
6. Thanks to all who help run the club.  Our new Treasurer worked overtime to resolve some bank issues on top of other responsibilities.  And also, especially, to our long serving Secretary, who after many years of tireless service, has decided to stand down from the role at the end of this year, 31 March.  Thanks also to the ongoing support of the welfare officer and the team captains. 

• Match organiser’s report: the Men’s A team (captain Steve Tuppin) finished 2nd and the Ladies’ A (Debbie Sheils) 3rd in their respective divisions; Mixed A were also 3rd and Mixed B (Anne Davis) bottom. This year there will also be a Mens’ B team run by Paul Bryan. 
• Election of officers: Chair, treasurer and welfare officer duly re-elected. Hilary stood down as Secretary and David Rogers was nominated and elected in her place. Hilary will stay on as an account signatory until David gets accepted by the bank.
• Membership: the meeting agreed that membership should stay at the same rates given there are currently no plants to increase our contribution to the Sports Ground Association.
• Safeguarding : new Secretary will need to do the online safeguarding for committee members. Club noticeboard on the court will be checked and updated where necessary.
• AOB:

1. Coach and Horses – Judy has had discussions with the pub re them being a keyholder for non-members. They are willing in principle; it was suggested they could become a member so they could easily check on availability and make bookings. There was also some discussion about them paying a stipend of some sort to allow their residents to use the courts for free, Judy will pursue.
2. LTA Youth Starter offer – for £4.99 racket, balls and LTA membership. Would be good alongside some junior coaching – both Massingham and West Norfolk are now doing youth coaching – David R and Rosie will investigate whether either coach has any capacity or interest in doing the same at Dersingham.  
3. Ball machine – this will be moved back into the pavilion after Easter. Some concerns expressed given the damage last year but it needs to be available for members to use.
4. Non-member fees- reminder to all (including coaching) about non-members needing to pay their fees. Judy will check what arrangement Gerry Bird has when coaching non-members.