S Secretaries Report May 2011
1. 2010, yet another challenging year! The ‘recession’ still bit and even more Clubs and Pubs struggled. However with continued careful management and the loyalty of our small band of volunteers and the members who regularly use the club we have pulled through it.
2. Activities on the administration front this year have included;
a. The renovation of the facilities continued, although it may not have been as noticeable as the past two years. Again we continued the community project entered into by the Club with Downland School, and your Committee is in the process of forming an Improvements Sub Committee, which will be looking at further and more major improvements in the future.
b. The rectification of the electrical faults was completed for £1000 not the expected £4000 that was forecast in my report last year and we now have our safety certificate
e. Our continued trading with Wadworth since redeeming our mortgage with them has paid off as a result of the higher discounts we are now able to negotiate with them and I assure you your committee continue to apply the pressure there. As regular users of the club you will again have noticed that we have managed to maintain our prices for yet another year. That now makes it two and a half years since there has been a price increase on our drinks, which is one of the ways your committee has tried to give as much back to the members as possible while keeping the club competitive.
3. Club Social and other Activities.
As I explained last year the entertainments committee has ceased to function. Your Committee has tried to maintain the major functions, most of which have been successful but. as before, without a viable committee it is proving difficult. I appeal again for someone to come forward and take on the task.
Skittles both Ladies and Gents teams remain at 6 each but the Summer Skittles seems to have waned somewhat.
The Royal British Legion, the RAF Association, the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, the Bikers Branch of the Royal British Legion (Wiltshire), and Devizes Link etc continue to use our facilities, as do the two Town Bands. Last year I spoke of a number of new users who were interested in hiring our facilities. We now have four ladies fitness classes per week, a children’s music session and just this week a Theatre Group has decided to move to us on a weekly basis as well. These are all a valuable addition to our income. Hiring’s for functions and the associated bar sales are still the major portion of our income and without which we might struggle to continue.
4. In closing I would again like to thank the team who give of their time, energy and skills to keep your club running for you. I do not apologise in reiterating that it would be wonderful to see a wider selection of the members give just a small amount of their time and skills to assist that team and ease their burden. Finally I would like to pay my own tribute to the late Jimmy Moffat and Dick Spence, both of whom helped me immensely when I first came on board at the club. I did hear of a comment in those early days that a small group thought there were too many Jimmy’s at the club. All I can say is little do they know of what those Jimmy’s really did to keep your club running in those earlier years. Jimmy Moffat was my mentor, actually he was probably more often my tormentor, but my goodness didn’t he just love this club. I am sure we will all miss both of them dearly.