OOASC AGM 23rd September 2024 – Minutes
MINUTES OF AGM HELD AT OLD OWEN’S SPORTS GROUND, COOPER’S LANE, EN6 4NF on Monday 23rd September 2024.
Meeting commenced at 7.35 pm with attendees signing in and a brief introduction of each attendee.
1. Tim Lane was appointed Chair for the meeting and Alan Hunter taking the minutes.
In attendance: Alex Barlow, Ian Breeze, Don Day, Derrick Edgerton, Sally Gunning,
Richard Hattrell, Alan Hunter, Tim Lane (Chair), Hannah Nemko, Grace Rowswell,
Ken Rowswell, Andrew Ward.
2. Apologies for absence:
David Bent, Valerie Cross, Adrian Dolling, Gavin Flook, Robin Gupta, William Hamilton-Hinds, Robert Hattrell, Paul Kennedy, Fiona Lane, Dave Lee, Bill Morgan, Malcolm Oakley, Nick Rule, Anwar Sardiwalla, Alec Spencer, Sally Tanner, Vincent Tanner, Derek Webb.
3. Minutes of the AGM held on 7th September 2022:
The Minutes were approved and sign off was proposed by Hannah Nemko and
seconded by Richard Hattrell.
4. Matters arising from the AGM Minutes:
i) The Bar and Function rooms needed a facelift with new flooring and decorations
being completed in 2023.
ii) The derelict Tennis Courts area has been developed to include 2 new Padel Tennis
Courts which was installed in October 2023 and is maintained by Padel Project UK
Ltd. Sally Gunning enquired as to the popularity of the Padel Tennis Courts and
the cost of the project for the Association. Tim Lane explained that the Padel Tennis
Courts are regularly used and the Association did not have to pay anything towards
the cost of the project. He added that there is a Lease agreement for 15 years in
which Padel Project UK will pay the Association a yearly rent (i.e. 1st year £2,000, 2nd
year £5,000, 3rd year £10,000, 4th year £10,500 and thereafter increasing by 5%
annually).
iii) Contract with JLC was extended for another year to 2025 in which re-negotiations
will take place and hopefully for a longer contract period.
5. Chairman’s Report:
Tim Lane gave his report on the OOASC to the meeting as follows:
‘Welcome to you all and thank you for coming.
Over the last two years the Committee has been very active on your behalf maintaining and improving the playing and Clubhouse facilities, to ensure that the Club experience is welcoming, satisfying, and comfortable for you and guests.
New flooring and some decorations were carried out last year to the bar, function rooms and kitchen. Some new furniture and blinds have been provided by the Clarks (JLC) and more recently the heating and cooling system was replaced, to ensure your Clubhouse visits are remembered. Our next project within the Clubhouse is to carry out some electrical work to ensure we comply with current electrical regulations.
As you all will know we embarked on a new collaboration with Padel Project UK to bring a new sport to the Club. The disused tennis courts have been completely transformed into two floodlit Padel Tennis Courts which have been up and running since last October and participation is growing month on month. This venture has provided the Association with a new stream of income over a 15-year period and gave us financial confidence to complete our side of the project, which was to install a new two-lane all-weather cricket net facility, which we hope will also provide a new rental income going forward.
In 2022 the Football Club was successful in obtaining an 80k football foundation grant and along with a 10k ECB grant obtained by the Cricket Club we were able to install a borehole to provide us with free water, saving us 5k on water costs year on year. The next phase of this project is to install a water storage and irrigation system for supply to most of the Ground (We hope to start these works soon). The football foundation grant will also allow us to invest further in our playing surfaces, starting with a grass and soil conditioning programme which will improve our pitch drainage.
Can I please offer our thanks to the Cricket and Football sections, especially Jon Robinson, for all their hard work in securing the grants.
On a broader note, the Association is always looking to improve our Club, so please talk to your Club rep’s or approach any of the Committee members with your ideas.
Lastly, I would like to thank all my colleagues currently on the Committee for their input and support in successfully running the Association, to the Clark family (JLC) who keep us fed and watered and to Ward Amenities who prepare and maintain our Ground to a high standard come rain or shine’.
The meeting thanked Tim Lane for his report and all his work for the OOASC.
6. Financial Report and presentation of accounts:
Richard Hattrell reported and presented the accounts to the meeting with information as follows:
OOASC Accounts for year ended 31st July 2023
i) Subscriptions/Donations increased as a result of the grant for £18,560 received from the Football Foundation. The income arrangement with JLC with regard to Pavilion hire is in effect due to recovery from Covid period.
ii) Ground Materials/Ground Contractors costs reduced as less was spent on the end of Football season repairs. However the Association spent £20,000 on the new Borehole (£30k cost less £10k grant).
iii) Premises repairs included new flooring, kitchen and car park lamp posts.
iv) As at 31st July 2023 the investment was valued at £180,440, the bank balance was £99,439, our total reserves increased to £1,171,408 from £1,134,479 and there was a surplus of £36,929.
The accounts for year ended 31st July 2023 were approved and the proposer for signing off the accounts was Derrick Edgerton and seconder Ken Rowswell.
OOASC Accounts for year ended 31st July 2024
Richard stated that these accounts are only a draft version which has not yet gone to the Accountants.
i) Subscriptions/Donations included a further grant of £18,500 from the Football Foundation. The income arrangement with JLC with regard to Pavilion Hire is still continuing.
ii) Ground Materials/Ground Contractors increased as a result of Ground renovations. The Association also spent £34,234 on the 2 new Cricket Nets alongside the Padel Tennis Courts.
iii) Spending on the premises was reduced after the expenditure in 2023 but did include a new Air Conditioning system (cost £3k).
iv) Legal and Professional costs increased due to the part cost of establishing the Lease with Padel Project UK.
v) Depreciation increases are due to the expenditure on the Borehole and the 2 new Cricket Nets.
vi) As at 31st July 2024 the investment was valued at £196,989, the bank balance was £83,901, our total reserves increased to £1,204,052 from £1,171,408 and there was a surplus of £32,644.
Richard stated that the Association is always looking to improve the financial situation and that we are currently in a good position finance wise and can meet the costs of any jobs that might be needed. He added that we get good rental from the pitches that are fully hired out during the Football & Cricket season and have been helped by receiving funding (Tim Lane added that the Association is very cautious on how we spend money).
The meeting thanked Richard Hattrell for his Financial report and all his work as Treasurer for the OOASC.
7. Retirement of Directors:
Paul Kennedy, Ken Rowswell and Vincent Tanner resigned as a Director of the OOASC. Paul Kennedy and Ken Rowswell were re-elected as Directors by the meeting. Vincent Tanner stated that he did not want to be considered for re-election as a Director due to personal circumstances.
8. Appointment of Directors:
i) Sally Tanner resigned as a Director to the OOASC due to personal circumstances. The remaining Directors Ian Breeze, William Hamilton-Hinds, Richard Hattrell, Paul Kennedy, Tim Lane and Ken Rowswell were re-elected ‘en-bloc’ by the meeting.
ii) No new Directors were proffered for election. As a result of the resignations of 2 Directors, an issue exists that these positions will need to be filled as there is a minimum requirement for 8 Directors to be on the OOASC board. The Association will seek to fill the vacant positions as soon as possible. Hannah Nemko will have a conversation at the School to determine if anyone is interested. Derrick Edgerton added there seems to be a problem of succession and is it possible for the Association to try and develop a succession strategy plan.
9. Election of Officers:
i) The OOASC lost 2 elected ordinary members (i.e. Ayo Abugo and Anna Welsford) due to resignations in 2023 for personal circumstances. Alex Barlow the new Alumni and Fundraising Officer at the School was proposed by Tim Lane and seconded by Alan Hunter and the meeting agreed to her joining the Committee as an Ordinary Member.
ii) Proposal of Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary and Website Administrator by Tim Lane was seconded by Sally Gunning. Proposal of Ground Manager and Zoo Club Secretary by Derrick Edgerton was seconded by Sally Gunning. Proposal of Football Club Representative, Cricket Club Representative and Potters Bar United F.C. Representative by Ian Breeze was seconded by Richard Hattrell. The meeting agreed and confirmed all the Proposals.
The elected Officers for 2024/2025 are as follows:
Chairman – To be elected at the next Committee meeting
Vice Chairman – To be elected at the next Committee meeting
Secretary – Alan Hunter
Treasurer – Richard Hattrell
Membership Secretary – Alan Hunter
Website Administrator – Alan Hunter
Zoo Club Secretary – Alan Hunter
Ground Manager – Tim Lane/Ian Breeze
Football Club Representative – Paul Kennedy
Cricket Club Representative – Robert Hattrell
Potters Bar United F.C. Representative – Malcolm Oakley
Ordinary Members – Alex Barlow, William Hamilton-Hinds, Andrew Ward, Derek Webb
Accountants – Baxter & Company
10. AOB:
OOASC Full Committee Meeting
The next Committee meeting has been scheduled for Monday 21st October 2024, 7.30 pm at the Ground.
Meeting closed at 8.25 pm.
