The Mote Squash Club
Willow Way • Maidstone, Kent • ME15 7RN
Tel: 01622 676 977
Chair’s Report
September 2024
Introduction
As usual before the AGM I set out below the Committee’s report for the year ending 30/9/24.
I’m delighted to say every existing committee member has said they are prepared to stay in place. There have been a couple of changes during the year, Luke Penna has stepped in as Treasurer and Matt Baker as Secretary, replacing Neil Reading and Alastair Hill respectively. Neil is staying on the committee and will be continuing with many of his existing responsibilities, such as payroll, supplier payments and banking. Welcome Luke and Matt. Jason has continued with his maintenance work, I’m sure he would welcome offers of assistance since we very sadly lost Owen Styles early this year.
An invitation to members to join the committee has been made, any nominations will be voted on at the AGM.
Sponsorship has been strong this year. I have thanked Clive Franklin, Jason Goodayle, Steve Lowe and Steve Wentzell before in my newsletters, but it can’t be stressed strongly enough how valuable these sponsorships are. If anybody would like to give something to the club in sponsorship please grab me at the club sometime.
Again this year we have been helped by our volunteers outside the committee, including John Burbridge and Matt Baker for maintaining the internal leagues, Joe Wheatley for assisting with bar and catering, Chris Cox for Health and Safety and Simon Muir for acting as consultant on the year end accounts.
Finance
It feels as if the best way to describe the club’s financial health is to say it is ticking along. Month on month and year on year we are maintaining a more or less unchanged position. Everyone will have noticed the bar is not as busy as in previous years and courts have been quiet of late. Hopefully (and as usual) the club will get busier as Autumn draws in. Luke will be happy to take any questions on year end numbers (31/3/24) from members at the AGM.
There are a couple of potential issues I need to make you aware of;
1. We have a very advantageous long term deal on energy pricing that is soon to end, gas in November this year and electricity in February next year. Market pricing is much higher going forward and we have been monitoring prices trying to judge the right time to agree a new fixed price contract. Despite some reductions since peak in February, it looks like gas will cost some 60% more (around £2,000 PA). Fortunately, electricity prices have not surged in the same way.
2. We have reached the end of the Carlsberg contract for the supply of beer and other drinks. We hope to renew largely as is, with some small changes to stock items. I mentioned in an earlier note that we were moving to Porretti lager and Shipyard ale in place of Estrella and Hobgoblin (both should be available for the AGM, half price from the meeting start time). We shall also swap some of the bottled beers and wines, to refresh the bar offering. The fly in the ointment is the reduction in sales we have seen since we reopened after Covid, which may have consequences for the terms we are able to secure for renewal.
I will let you know how these things develop.
The move on court 4 to hour long bookings is simply the existing price pro rated. The change is effective 16th September. Please do let any committee member have your feedback on the change.
Membership
At August month end membership stood at 184 in total, comprising 79 peak, 27 junior, 26 off peak, 23 family, 16 senior and 11 honorary. These numbers are very slightly up on last year (at the same time we had around 170 in total). Subscriptions have amounted to £20,000.
The committee is recommending no change to membership categories or prices this year. As per last year we are asking for payment to be made during October. A £25 late payment fee will apply to renewals after this date.
After some struggles Annabel has been able to source new membership cards, I hope you have all now got working cards in your own names.
I’d like to extend a warm welcome to our new members this year and hope you are enjoying squash and racketball at the club. Don’t forget entering the box leagues is a good way to meet new players.
Social
Thanks to Russ Mason and his team behind the bar for keeping things in order throughout the year. Russ presents a welcoming face to our members and visitors alike.
The quiz last October was well attended and chaperoned by our new quizmaster Steve Wentzell and his helpers. Steve is happy to continue in the role and don’t forget the next evening is 12th October. A notice will be posted on the board once the BBQ is complete. We hope to increase the number of quizzes next year as they are always popular.
We have the cricket match and BBQ Sunday 8th September. As I write this the weather looks like it may intervene but we keep our fingers crossed. The BBQ starts at the end of play at around 3.00pm. It may be wise to bring a chair if the ground is a little damp.
The Barn Door Challenge went well earlier this year, with a good entry and a good catch up in the bar afterwards. Thanks to Matt and Russ for organising.
Club Captain
A strong field entered the PSA tournament this year, with entertaining matches over the weekend. Thanks to Nick Peal for putting in an extended shift on marking duties.
We decided to run a graded tournament alongside the PSA this year, which added some extra buzz around the club, especially on Friday night when the July weather allowed us to enjoy the balcony long after the squash finished.
Overall, though, spectator attendance was a bit on the low side, particularly on Sunday. We have the opportunity to run the event again next year and hope the members support the idea. Please do let us have your thoughts at the AGM or in conversation with a committee member.
The graded event in January was well supported as ever, timing is clearly good, with competitors keen to shake off the excesses of the festive period.
The 2023 Club Championships was eventually concluded in spring this year. Congratulations to Mark Steeden with a clean sweep of prizes. The 2024 competition is well underway and will be concluded before year end. The main squash final and presentation evening will be on a Friday evening to be decided.
A bit of a year in 2 halves for the teams this time around. The first team were runners up in the Cornwallis Cup but finished 10th in league division 1 during the winter. The seconds finished 7th in division 3.
In the summer competition the firsts have a 100% record after 10 matches and have 3 games in hand on their rivals. The seconds are in the runner up position at present but with 2 games in hand. Good luck Mark and team and Luke and team during the run up to the season ending.
Do let Jason know if you are interested in team squash during the winter.
Juniors
junior sessions continue on Saturday mornings and Thursday evenings run by Ben and assisted throughout the year by Lottie Hill (who will be shortly going off to uni) and now Luke Mount who has just returned.
This year awards were given to junior player of the year - Gethin Carlisle and most improved player - Greg Bowles.
The 2024 Mote junior closed will be held in October.
We had 2 teams play in the Kent junior leagues and we will enter both teams again when it starts in October.
The Mote will be hosting the Kent Junior Closed over the weekend of 21/22 September.
Several juniors have joined the Box leagues and we hope to see a couple of juniors break into the men’s teams soon.
Redevelopment
Some of you may recall my positive feelings about their finally being some real progress on the redevelopment of the ground, comprising demolition of our existing premises and 4 new courts being included in the redevelopment of the cricket pavilion. As late as January this year project plans were drawn up that anticipated we would have a new home in mid 2025.
Sadly, no real progress has been made this year. A funding gap remains the big issue.
I hope to have an update before the AGM and will let you know if any progress has been made.
Steve Hazzard
Chair
6th September 2024
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