Minutes for the Shepshed Running Club Annual General Meeting At The Black Swan Public House, Loughborough Road, 13th February 2024
Present
David Bottomley (Chairman), David Hattersley (Secretary and Memberships), Bob Haskins (Treasurer), April Clough (Female Captain XC), Stacy King (Female Captain LRRL) , Jonathon Wortley (Male Captain XC), Gary Sawle (Kit), George Clarke (Shepshed 7 Race Director), Richard Bibb, Rachel Muddimer (Press Officer)
Craig Stinchcombe, Helen Stinchcombe, Phil Higgs, Rachel Cornes, Daniel Cooke, Tracey Brooks, Lynn Persse, Jake Smith, Ian Garret, Mike Brettle, Kal Kit Siu, Laurie Fluck,
Welcome.
The Chairman opened the meeting at 20:43 13th February 2024 and welcomed everyone to the meeting. It was decided that there were enough members to hold the AGM.
Apologies
The Chairman stated that Paul Wooldridge (Male Captain LRRL) and Sharon Elliot
offered there apologies.
Minutes of 2023 AGM (click to access)
Last year’s minutes were presented to the meeting. It was pointed out that they had been available on the clubs Website for a year. The minutes of the 2023 AGM were agreed to be a true record.
David Hattersley stated this year’s minutes would be available in approximately three to four weeks due to work and holidays.
Reports
A: The Chairman
David Bottomley stated the following:
This is now my second year of being chairman, so if there was a honeymoon, it’s over and I am looking forward to an early release for good behaviour.
But seriously, I have enjoyed it, and whilst there have been a few challenges along the way, these are more than outweighed by the spirit, commitment, humour and mutual support within the club.
40th Anniversary
The highlight of 2023 – amongst many highlights – was our celebration of our 40th anniversary – amazing work by the team of Stacy, Helen and Ellie (and Sharon). Full report to follow !
Creating a Thriller video in St Botolph’s graveyard, accompanies by Anita, Sarah, Paul and Steve was a life-long ambition fulfilled.
Races
The club captains reports detail our support and success for the LRRL and Cross-country races, although these are just the top of our running iceberg.
Manty of us have taken part in races of all distances and many locations through the last 12 months, from park runs to marathons.
And every day, if we look on Strava, we see dozens of people running. Great to see all the kudos and positive comments being shared around. We don’t just run – we are a community of runners – rain or shine.
New members
It has been great to welcome new runners, especially some younger ones – although quite a few have tried us and not returned, which we need to reflect on. We have also attracted some very fast runners, which all bodes well for our league and XC performances and positions this year.
Club nights & Socials.
Tuesday and Thursday Club nights have been particularly well supported – sometimes the hut has been almost too full to move.
We have tried to have ensure that we have 4 regular groups on Thursdays, as we advertise on our website, but this has been a challenge. Thanks to all of those who step up to lead the groups on a regular or occasional basis. It is important that there is a group for everyone, particularly those who have recently joined us and are still finding their feet – and legs.
As I’ve said before, it is discouraging to be at the back of a group, or feeling you are slowing it down, particularly if it is going faster than advertised. Please all look around and take your turn at the back.
Away runs and Sunday socials have been intermittently organised and supported – similar to the previous year reported last year. More on this under AOB.
Huge thanks to Lynn for setting up and leading the Return to Running group, which has been a fantastic success, and has brought a number of people back to running with us and helped them all improve their fitness..
We produced guidelines for running in groups – to ensure nobody is left behind, and that everyone is safe. These are normally followed, but we could be better ! (and I know I sound like a dad / grandad)
It would be helpful to have someone – or a small group – prepared to co-ordinate training across club nights and away runs, to ensure we have leaders for each group each week. Also, and to also to co-ordinate different activities on Tuesdays. We’ve really enjoyed Paul’s interval training sessions, but here are other things we can potentially do on Tuesdays, such as track running, fitness evenings (as we did before) etc.
Questionnaire
It is almost 2 years since we ran a questionnaire asking everyone for their feedback on the club. We have addressed or progressed many of the points raised. A few are outstanding:-
• A warm up on a Thursday?
• Couch to 5km?
• More fitness training evenings?
• Entering races elsewhere in the UK as a team?
• Share where people are running park runs, so we can go together?
• Social runs during the day (e.g. lunchtimes)
Prizes and Awards
We introduced our own annual awards – which we voted on, announced and celebrated at our Christmas Party, and with the (delayed) presentation of the LRRL Shields at the Curry evening last week. We intend to do the same this year, probably with fewer categories.
This enabled us to recognises some fabulous running achievements, some of which will be mentioned again in the club captains’ reports, but also the great achievements from our regular park runners and volunteers, and also to recognise all the people who help run the club, and those inspire us with their achievements and encouragements.
At the last AGM, it was proposed that we recognise running achievements each week, not just once a year. See again under AOB.
EA Club Standards
English Athletics is introducing club standards, which we will need to work towards adhering to. More on this later.
We are a fantastic running club. It’s a real pleasure to be the chair. I am the sort of person who always thinks we can do more and be even better. I’m particularly keen that we remain inclusive to runners of all abilities, and make it a really easy club to join and feel at home in.
A special thanks to the other committee members – including Richard who does not have an official role but provides much support behind the scenes – and many others – who give so much time and energy on behalf of our club week in week out. Lots of great work goes on behind the scenes, more of which you will hear about now.
B: Female Captains
Stacy King stated the following:
Ladies Road Running Report
Well, this year has seen not one but two division triumphs; Ladies Division Three Champions and Vet Ladies Division Three Champions! Overall points gained from the top ladies would see us comfortably at the top of Division Two. Eleven Ladies took part in races across the 2023 season’s nine races. Four ran eight races and three ran seven helping towards this achievement. Top scorers were Claire Kiffin, April Clough, and Rachel Cornes who took part in at least 7 races.
Team spirit is always a strength at Shepshed and 2023 was no different. Everyone was supportive of each other and also saw a competitive side come out with the age category standings being shared by Paul (Men’s Road Running Captain). Congratulations to Rachel Cornes and Sharon Elliott that achieved 9th places in their respective age category. We also celebrated Alice Sharpley’s ‘Hen’ Race at the Joy Cann 5!
The 2024 season is due to start next month with the Ladies team starting back in Division Two. Existing members and new joiners will make it an interesting season with an opportunity to show the league why we are a club to watch.
April Clough stated the following:
Ladies XC Report
First, I would like to say thank you very much to all the ladies who came out to run around in the mud in all weathers this last year. You are a special breed of runner, and you’ve all done the club proud. So, thank you and well done to Anna Munday, Claire Kiffin, Helen Stinchcombe, Kat Smith, Jacqui Williamson, Rachel Cornes, and Sharon Elliot. Also thank you and welcome to newcomers Nicola Stevenson (who came 9th in her first race for Shepshed at Martinshaw Wood) and Margaux Lefaucheux who also joined for the first time at Martinshaw.
Special mention to Anna Munday who has come in the top 3 in every race so far this season, and Claire Kiffin and Rachel Cornes who have run and scored in every race. Also a big thank you to everyone who has been bringing the delicious cakes for us to enjoy after the races.
Scoring-wise, at the end of last Derby Runner XC season the ladies team came a respectable 5th place out of 15 scoring teams in League 2 and managed to have a full team out for all 5 races. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster this season so far. In Race 1 we came 1st, Race 2 we came 3rd, Race 3 we were 5th, and Race 4 we were back on top in 1st place. But now things are getting very exciting, with the top 3 teams in League 2 tied exactly on 74 points each (Badgers, 1485 Tri Club, Shepshed). With 2 races remaining, it’s anyone’s game – come on XC Ladies, let’s go for it!
C: Male Captain
Paul Wooldridge’s Report (read out by Dave Bottomley due to absence):
Men’s Road Running Report
I would like to start by mentioning that 25 Men competed in last year’s LRRL season and combined with the Ladies we had at least 20 runners in every race. I believe at the Swithland 6, with 30 runners attending was the most we’ve had in a LRRL race certainly in recent years, probably even ever? Stuart Taylor and Phil Higgs raced every race. Also, Russell Balbi was the top points scorer with 2565 pts, so well done to them!
The Men’s team was always a case of staying up in Division 2, then improving this year. Unfortunately, we fell a little short in the end of achieving this. I can’t fault the commitment, effort and support for each other from everyone during last season. With the team we have I’m sure we will be pushing for promotion this season to get back into Division 2.
The Vet Men’s team were convincing Division 3 Champions in the end with 157 pts out of a possible 160 pts. Same as the Men’s team, I can’t fault the commitment and togetherness from everyone and so many runners improving during the season. Great effort by all! With the team we have I believe we will be pushing for promotion again this year to get into Division 1.
Also, since the season finished, we’ve been lucky enough to have an influx of new members with both men and ladies joining us. So, this bodes well for the future of the club, very exciting times!
Thank you to everyone at the club for your support as always. I would love to carry on as captain if there’s no objections, as I believe with my enthusiasm, I can help us achieve many more successful seasons.
Jonathon Wortley stated the following:
Men’s XC Report
The 2023-24 Derby Runner cross country league has seen a welcome and an ever-increasing participation by club members. We have been able to field full teams for all of this season’s rounds. New and returning members have been very much welcomed this season and they have made a real difference to the club’s standing in the league tables.
Last season, the results were as follows:
- Club position: 4th in league 2.
- Men’s position: 7th in league 2
- Women’s position: 5th in league 2
Here are the excellent club standings for this season after four rounds:
- Club position: 2nd in league 2.
- Men’s position: 2nd in league 2
- Women’s position: 1st in league 2
Congratulations and many thanks go to every one of our team members who participate in the cross-country events. There continues to be a very strong sense of camaraderie with the Shepshed XC teams. Whilst our improving score line is excellent and encouraging, we continue to have a lot of fun supporting each other at each race.
D: Membership Secretary
David Hattersley stated the following:
Memberships this year have dropped a little. The trend being shown below.
2018 91 Members 30 EA Members
2019 110 Members 31 EA Members
2020 65 Members 30 EA Members
2021 84 Members 25 EA Members.
2022 83 Members 27 EA members.
2023 drew in £1400 approx. in membership fees.
We have a current list of 152 possible members, (runners who have been members in the last five years). However, we only have 77 current members at this time. This is a slight drop since last year. Some of our longer standing members have ceased coming this last year.
Non-Payees
All members who have been regularly running have paid with only one or two exceptions. These being members who only joined in the last two months and with deferring the club fees till March/April it seemed fair to wait till the renewal date.
EA Membership Fees
Personal EA membership will be £19 as of this financial Year. (from £17). EA memberships are due on the 1st of April 2024
EA Club membership will increase from £150 to £200 for the next financial year.
ARC Membership
ARC is approximately £100 but this is determined in April and is based on last year’s membership levels.
Marathon Draw
The London Marathon place that we were regularly assigned was not given to us this year. They only informed us of the change to their process after the public ballot places were announced.
The London Marathon Organisation stated that due to not all clubs taking up there places and that entry in the event was in such demand. They would therefore limit the number of entries awarded to Running Clubs. Any club with less than 100 members who all pay EA fees would therefore have to go into a ballot. Any club with more than 100 EA members was automatically award a place. We therefore were placed into the ballot but were not awarded a runners entry.
As we no longer get a place each year I think it’s even more important to keep the criteria for entering the club ballot for the place (if we get one) the same.
1 Be rejected from the London Ballot
2 Be a member of SRC for over one year.
3 Be a Member of English Athletics
4 Not to have been in the London Marathon in 2023 in any category (i.e. charity or ballot entry)
E: Treasurer
Bob Haskins Stated the following:
Race Account:
It is In a good position. There is £11,245.50 in the account.
This year’s race surplus was £1641.72, and after purchasing some equipment, the surplus for the year is £1444.90.
We can afford to make some donations to charity but should be mindful that we need to spend some money on the hut.
Club Account:
This account shows a deficit of £959.80. This was more than expected. We had budgeted to spend up to £500 on the 40th Anniversary (actually £411). A mitigating factor for the deficit is that we bought more kit than was sold, so some of that counts as an asset. We bought a supply of vests to keep in stock, and some kit income has already been realised this year.
If you look at the actual income from memberships (not including any passed on to EA) it works out as £1430. Our main net expenses were the ground rent on the hut (£400), affiliations (£379), summer barbecue (£198), 40th Anniversary (£411) and Xmas disco (£211), a total of £1599. Membership is our main source of income, other than ticket sales to offset against events, so we spent more in 2023 than we collected in subscriptions.
Although the balance in our account still stands at £3796.80, we can’t afford to make deficits every year and it is sensible to maintain a reasonable balance in the account.
I’d like to propose that we raise the membership fee to £20. It has been set at £18 for quite a few years now, and a reasonably modest increase will allow us to have a bit more headroom in the accounts. In fact, quite a bit of the membership fee is returned in “benefits”, like the barbecue and subsidies for other social events.
I have also spent some time this year refreshing our details with the bank at their request. After a lot of paperwork, I have removed Rachel Muddimer as a signatory and we are left with myself as an account operator and signatory, and Richard Bibb as a signatory. I would like to put forward a proposal to make additions to the mandate.
Proposal One: That the club subscription rate be raised to £20, with a half fee of £10 for those who join in the second half of the year.
Proposal Two: To add David Hattersley as an account operator (and signatory) and David Bottomley as a signatory.
This needs to be formally approved at the AGM so that I can make the changes”.
These two proposals were voted on and the motions were passed unanimously.
F: Kit Secretary
Gary Sawle stated the following:
One of the highlights of this year was the successful launch of our brand-new online shop, Beestees.co.uk. Through this platform, we introduced 18 different items of running apparel, catering to the diverse preferences of our members. To date there have been 36 orders of 48 Items, a great start. A special mention needs to go to our commemorative 40th anniversary club t-shirt which gained significant sales and has been a resounding success. Congratulations to the 40th anniversary committee for their design!
Along with this, I would like to give another mention to our sister shop, JustALittleBit.co.uk for our reflective top, available for purchase in a rainbow of colours. These tops not only enhance the safety of our members during night-time runs but also demonstrates our responsiveness to evolving needs.
Challenges and Opportunities:
While progress has been substantial, I haven’t been able to progress the redesign of the club vest as stated in my previous report, my apologies to Stacy & Dave H for the delay in communication; I will be reaching out shortly to discuss getting this going!
I would like to place focus on the vests. I will find a way how we could put these in the shop or a shop of some kind. Beetees want minimum commitment for numbers and can’t put them in the current shop, although we could put non-official vests in. I want club members to be able to order club vests on the fly in the same way for the rest of the kit and I will explore options to see if this is realistic. Currently, order through to delivery is a lengthy process. Last year we were caught short as we placed an order which was quickly followed by a flurry of new runners who understandably wanted club vests. I quickly had to do a follow up order which meant we missed the price break we would have had, had we the larger order to begin with. This is inefficient and as a club, we end up losing money. A shop option would be far better…. I think!
The Year Ahead:
Looking ahead, I envision continued expansion of both online shops, with a particular emphasis on refining existing designs and inviting input from the wider community of club members, via our social media channels in the same way that we did for the 40th anniversary top. Of course, it’s still my plan to get this redesign of the club vest completed!
Gratitude:
I do want to thank the club, particularly the Chairman and Bob for supporting me to purchase extra club vests to keep in stock. It is much appreciated and will help whilst we make the transition to a shop/other solution.
Conclusion:
I’d like to conclude by saying I think it was a fantastic year for the club, both in terms of success in the leagues and in growing the members. Let’s keep it going this year!”
G: Entertainment
Helen Stinchcombe stated the following on behalf of
Elle Walshe, Helen Stinchcombe, and Stacy King:
Club 40th Birthday Celebrations Report –
2023 marked the club’s 40th Anniversary, therefore a committee was formed to arrange our celebrations. The committee soon set to work with plans to celebrate the milestone, meeting on a regular basis, mainly at Everards Meadows…… it was hard work, but somehow we coped!
The celebrations included:
1. Commemorative T-shirt
2. Physical challenge
3. 40th Anniversary party
4. Community competition for the Shepshed 7 T-shirt design
The commemorative T-shirt was a joint effort with club members voting for their favourite design (ruby t-shirt with gold sheep motif and writing) and given the option to have their name or nickname printed on the reverse. Over 20 t-shirts have been sold on the kit website. T-shirts are still available to purchase from the kit shop if you haven’t bought yours yet.
The Shepshed 7 T-shirt design competition was shared with all the local Shepshed schools and proved very popular with over 400 entries. The winning design, a caricature No 7 on a yellow shirt was given to every competitor finishing the race with lots of positive feedback that it would be perfect for running in on those dark winter nights. The winner received his own t-shirt plus chocolate and Haribos with the 12 runners up also receiving a chocolate bar/Haribos.
The physical challenge and 40th Anniversary party were held on Saturday 30th September 2023. Three teams were formed, the Mucky Duckers, Scrambled Legs and Nameless Shameless. During the afternoon they were challenged to complete 40 challenges with a 1983 theme. All teams took the challenge extremely seriously with some very creative responses from Scrambled Legs re-creation of the classic 1983 pop video Thriller, the Mucky Duckers and their triple jump, and Nameless Shameless with their recreation of Madonna’s Vogue to mention but a few! The winning team were Nameless Shameless, and they were presented with a very apt 40th Anniversary medal, which I am sure they are all very proud of.
The celebrations continued into the evening with 62 current and past members and their partners meeting at the Shepshed Bowls club to party like it was 1983. The room was decorated with 80’s style decorations. the buffet food included some 80’s classics including trifle, cheese and pineapple on sticks and vol-u-vents as well as an 80’s disco. It was absolutely fantastic to see so many old and current faces and there were some fabulous 80’s outfits from Maverick and Charlie, not one, but two Freddie Mercury’s, Madonna, Flashdance as well as an original Shepshed 7 vest from the 80’s! Everyone looked fabulous and it was evident a lot of effort had been made. It’s safe to say that not much running happened the next day.
It was a fantastic year of celebration supported by many members past and present. It really showed our community spirit and how we are not just about race results – though members competitive side did come out at times. Feedback on the events was extremely positive, with members saying they had really enjoyed getting together to celebrate 40 great years of running with a little bit of light-hearted fun. Here’s to the next 40 years!
H: Social Media Officer/Press Officer
Press Report
Rachel Muddimer stated the following:
We saw better engagement with the Echo, and they have started to be more responsive for publishing photos.
There is a tight deadline of Monday at 12pm for getting the report over to them to get it in that week.
Slight difficulty some weeks with picking out results on the WhatsApp so would suggest that if people want results put in the Echo to message me directly.
I usually write my report Sunday evening, so anything after that goes into the following week’s report.
I have looked into other places to put reports in but haven’t found anywhere local.
Social Media Report
Stacy King stated the following;
Social media has been quieter this year but focused more on races. This may be either about individual club members achievements or team success.
Currently there are 94 followers (including some rival clubs in the LRRL league) on Instagram so has grown on 2022. Using Instagram allows to create the same post on the public facing Facebook page which helps with engagement. Main tags are #srcfamily, #shepshed and #runlocal.
Members are now in the habit of sending photos either through WhatsApp or directly which helps increase the content. Where photos have not been available, generic logo’s from the race itself have been used so that nothing is missed.
Using social media has helped to raise awareness of the club across Shepshed especially from the #shepshed tag. There are over 30 business currently using this with followers of the hashtag on Instagram. At the beginning of 2023, it brought new members to the club after the ‘New Year, New Year’ postings. This can also be used throughout this year when the time is right.
The public Facebook page health is excellent with great engagement from followers. Most posts are commented on and has 824 followers now. Mainly people aged 35 and above are following the page so the demographic is the same as the physical members of the club. Unfortunately, only data from the past 90 days can be seen on the app so this would need to be tracked more regularly to see if there is a shift after looking at potential posts to encourage more younger people to the club.
2024 will bring more posts based on the number of members actively racing for the club. A suggestion has been made to do the ‘Meet the Member’ campaign so work will be done this year to get content from old and new members over the next couple of months. There is the opportunity to have additional admins to the Instagram account so I will look into this and ask for volunteers.
I: Race Director’s Report
George Clarke stated the following :
Shepshed 7:
The Shepshed 7 this year will be Sunday, 3rd November 2024. The Adults race will start at 1100am.
The Children’s 1-mile fun run will start at 1000am.
The following have been confirmed or booked:
Confirmed support from Persimmon Homes (Garendon Park Landowners),
Lesley at Iveshead College has the event booked.
Colin at ABC has been booked.
John Skevington is booked and will provide the chip timing system.
Permission granted by St Botolph’s for the race route through their property.
I intend to arrange regular meetings planned throughout the year for coordination.
And I want to encourage new marshals for the event.
To make marshalling easier I have sorted out using What3Words for placing mile markers.
We will likely have an issue this year due to a potential closure of Swithland Water and we will probably have to consider alternative water sources.
We will need to action the following:
Confirm details for signage at Iveshead College.
Confirmation is required for the T-shirts, trophies, and prizes.
Discuss and confirm other activities, parking, and entry cap.
Plan future meetings to address additional details.
Shepshed Handicap Fun Run:
This is planned for Tuesday evening, June 18th, 2024.
Permissions have been secured from all the landowners and Lesley at Iveshead College confirms the date.
Grace Dieu X Country:
The race is in five days’ time on Sunday, 18th February.
The Adults race is estimated at 5.4 mile, to start at 1100am. The Children’s race (1-2 laps) of the field and will be within the Academy premises, will be starting at 1000am.
Permissions granted from The Academy, The Farmer, and Saville’s. We have shared a Map and the rules with participants.
Colin at ABC is booked for the event.
Volunteers for marshals, car parking, and course set-up will be contacted this week.
Hare confirmed for the fun run, but we are still seeking a tail.
Race Equipment:
Race equipment organisation planned for the club hut during the year.
General:
I will be trying to action the following throughout the year
Regularly communicate updates and progress with the committee and club members.
Ensure clear communication channels for any changes or updates.
Regularly check and confirm details with key contacts, such as Lesley at Iveshead College, Colin at ABC, Persimmon Homes, and others.
Create a detailed timeline or checklist to keep track of tasks leading up to the events.
J: Maintenance Officer
David Hattersley stated the following:
I had intended to complete interior improvements to the hut in the last year and had anticipated starting at the end of the summer/beginning of the autumn. This was when I had available time, the weather was going to be reasonable and access to the site was going to be easier (when children are on site access is much more difficult as permission has to be sought) As such I had cleared some of the hut out and was preparing to start.
However, at this point we had a period of rain. I happened to be in at the time and noticed that the roof has begun to leak. This is around the mid to rear of the hut. The felt has started to allow water through and you can see where it has been soaking into the wood lining. We have a couple of boards that are starting to rot.
If I had then started the interior work (plaster boarding the interior) the new work would have been damaged and possibly ruined. Hence I have held off on it until we have decided on the roof.
The lease for the hut means we are responsible for the upkeep, and we therefore will need to fix the roof in the near future.
On the plus side, the side walls have not leaked in the last twelve months (the rain has not hit with enough force in the right direction, and I have kept the gutters clear).
We have a number of options at this point:
1 Refelt the roof (minimal lifespan of 5 years maximum likely 15)
2 Rubberise the roof. Life span of 30 to 60 years but cost would be prohibitively high (Likely £3000 for the rubber sheets alone)
3 Use Profile steel sheets (crinkly tin roof). Higher cost than felt but a 60-year life span.
If re-elected I can undertake any of these options which means no labour costs, but the club will need to pay for materials. Once complete I will then fit out the interior as we had previously proposed if the club still wishes this done.
The rest of the hut is in good order but will be managed through the year.
I propose in April/June (weather will have improved) undertaking the work or the hut will deteriorate. I will get a price for the roof using profiled sheets compared to the felt and present it to the committee for approval prior to starting.
Elections
Chairman David Bottomley
Secretary David Hattersley
Treasurer Bob Haskins
Membership Secretary David Hattersley
Social Media Officers Stacy King
Race Director George Clarke
Press Officer Rachel Muddimer
Male Captain Paul Wooldridge and Jonathon Wortley
Female Captain April Clough and Stacy King
Kit Secretary Gary Sawle
Entertainments Officer Steve Williams
Maintenance Officer David Hattersley
Subscriptions
Fees had already been agreed earlier in the meeting at £20 for the club and EA had increased to £19. The committee agreed for this.
Any Other Business
Dave Bottomley raised the issue of EA standards and the club requiring a Welfare officer. He mentioned to the meeting that English Athletics have a set of standards that clubs should aspire to and that he wished to introduce these in due course.
This would include a revised club constitution, various policies and additional positions of Welfare officer and DBS check officer.
Dave Bottomley did point out these requirements were not yet mandatory, but EA would likely make them so in the future.
Richard Bibb stated that he is aware that other local Running Clubs have started doing this and that we could look how other clubs have done it and follow their best practice. He also stated that Zoe Heath and Lynn Persse would be able to assist in this matter as they have experience in it.
Bob Haskins did point out that the club does have a constitution. Dave Hattersley confirmed that this was the case and it had been obtained from the pro forma one that English Athletics provided for clubs some years ago.
Dave Bottomley then suggested that there was not enough time to deal with the intended AOB about the future of the club and suggested that a later meeting be arranged in the upcoming weeks to discuss these matters.
Jake Smith then raised a point the club had recently had a number of members from other local clubs join and are now running for our club. He stated he wished to retain them but felt the club should give some focus on improving training for them and to arrange some club nights/sessions with a view to improving/training members.
It was also suggested that Warm ups could be introduced before club nights, and Rachel Cornes volunteered to take this on. Dave Bottomley suggested it would be god for her to have help with this when she was not available..
It was noted that the club needed to consider its members retention rate as other local clubs had been losing members and that the club did not be in the same situation.
Dave Bottomley suggested that Shepshed Social Media Sites could be used to advertise the club more and that this could be looked at and that he would be more than happy to help in this regard.
It was also raised in the meeting that the club used to mention members achievements from the previous week in the club hut announcements. It was felt these encouraged members and could be reintroduced.
It was noted that when this had been done pre-Covid, the announcements got longer and longer due to Park Run times being read out. It was suggested that announcements could be limited to landmark achievements. However, it was pointed out that collating this information would need to be done each week which would prove difficult. It was agreed that this could be looked at to see if it was feasible.
It was also raised that away runs should be considered more during this next year. Again, it was agreed this would be looked at during the next meeting
No other matters were raised
Meeting closure
No other matters were raised. The Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the meeting at 22:19 hours.