The Northumberland Club

Summary of the Executive Committee Meeting on

Tuesday 22nd October 2024 at 18:30 in the Brandling Lounge

In attendance: David Breakey [DB], Heather Dean [HD], Ryan Doran [RD], Alison Duncan [AD], Mark Haigh [MH], Chris Lott [CL], Rachael Oswald [RO], Mike Smith [MS] (Chair), Fiona Twaddle [FT]

Also present: Mandy Tulip [MT] (General Manager)

1. Apologies for absence:
Martin Clark [MC]

2. Minutes of the last meeting and matters arising:

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed to be an accurate reflection of the meeting.

Matters arising:

• Windbreaker on court 12:  The plan is to move one of the Pegasus banner up to this space.
• Fire doors: The fire door to the kitchen is on order. The other quote is for the door entering the front lounge. MT to proceed with a door that has a smaller leaf. 
• MH has spoken to the neighbour and informed them that they can trim any overhanging branches. The neighbour seems happy with this.
• Lighting: MT has arranged for some chargeable lights to be hung on the back of courts 1, 2 and 3. Noted that there isn’t an electrical source nearby so they will need to be chargeable or solar powered. Also discussed that the walkway from reception to Hot Pod Yoga is very dark, and areas of the carpark are very dark. MT and Andy to investigate solutions for this.

3. Manager’s report:

MT circulated the general managers’ report and data pack ahead of the meeting. Noted:

• Courses:
  • There are a number of parents who are signing up as members to access the (cheaper) members’ rate, but then cancelling their membership during the course. MT will add to the terms and conditions that the child must be a member for the duration of the course.
  • Tennis courses have sold out and badminton sign up rate is very high. Numbers have improved for Squash sign up.
• Social events: There was an excellent turn out for the Pub Quiz. MT has also included a price for a Burns Night event, tickets would be around £39; agreed to hold this in 2026. AD, FT and MT to think of a different event to be held at the start of 2025 – potentially Chinese New Year.
• Staffing: The staff night was very successful.
• Finances: £12k for rejuvenation of courts 7, 8 and 9 is in tennis costs on the P and L and not capitalised. Debt chasing for the NLTA is now carried out on Xero.
• Gym: The new bike is arriving on Thursday. MT has asked Tracy Dixon about the Skill mill, and the feedback is that it is well used. The leg press machine was £5k, which was higher than budgeted for.
• Carpark: Andy has asked Northumbria Roads to come to the site and provide a quote to improve the drainage. MT is waiting for a quote for the other tarmac work.
• Capital Projects and Planning:
  • MT has had a conversation with the ecologists to ascertain whether we need a full bat survey, given that we have already had partial surveys. The ecologists are going to speak to Natalie Rutter (the council ecologists) to gather their thoughts.
  • MT has obtained a quote from One Electrical to floodlight courts 1, 2 and 3, which will be £42k including VAT. MT has also circulated quotes for resurfacing courts 1, 2 and 3, a like for like surfacing is £58k.
  • There is a preference for resurfacing courts 1, 2 and 3 with artificial red clay; this would leave the club with 6 performance surfaces, with three of these surfaces been in the natural location for grandstand viewing.
  • CL reports that tournament matches that have been played on courts 10, 11 and 12 have been very well received.
  • MT to double check with One Electrical that they can install floodlights after resurfacing has taken place.
  • MT to find out the soonest date at which the court resurfacing could take place.
  • CL is happy with this course of action from the NLTA’s perspective.
• Kitchen and sports hall flooring:
  The proposal is to close the kitchen and bar floors on the 2nd and 3rd January. The floor in the sports hall will be repaired, the lines redone, and a kitchen line added for pickleball. CL is happy that there are no academy sessions on these days.
• Agreed to go ahead with PIR sensors for the toilets, changing rooms, gym, and squash courts 4 and 5.
• Awaiting permission from the council to carry out necessary tree survey work. This will be £3.5k.
• Agreed to go ahead with refreshing the gravel for approx. £900
• MT to obtain a quote for a wheelchair accessible ramp to court 7.

4. Safeguarding:

• A reminder that children under 10 must be collected from a coaching session by a parent or guardian. Children over 10 may leave a session without a parent, if the parent or guardian emails reception with express written permission in good time ahead of the course. 
• MT has sent a reminder to all coaches that there is a policy in place; MT is going to forward this to MS for records.
• MT is sending an email to all parents to remind them of the correct procedures.

5. Finance update:
Finances look good. RO reemphasised the fact that we need to reinvest the cash that we are accumulating. The sinking fund continues to increase.

6. Planning:
MS is going to write to the local councillors to inform them of the delay.

7. Governance:

• We are currently waiting for the NLTA governance changes that will alter our Operating Agreement, but we can go ahead with our own updates to the club’s Governance Policy; this will supersede the current club Bye-Laws and Rules.

• Noted that this is the first year in a while that we haven’t had a Members’ Forum.

8. Annual General Meeting:

There were no resolutions. There are 5 applicants for 4 positions.

9. Any Other Business:

• Dart board: There was a proposal to install a dart board in the back lounge. A majority of the Executive Committee agreed not to install this.
• Membership categories: There is an active group of members who are lobbying for a pickleball membership category. We discussed this at length and the majority of the committee agreed not to create a new category, but we will continue to monitor this.
• Army squash – agreed to cover the cost of courts and foods for the army squash visit. This will take place on 21st February 2025.

10. Date and Time of Next Meeting:

Tuesday 26th November 2024