Chairman's Report 2008
At last years AGM we talked about Horsham Football Club (HFC) and the impact they would have on The Holbrook Club (THC). Five months later we held the HFC Question & Answer Session, to bring our members up to date. I suspect you are as frustrated as I am with the lack of communication from HFC over the past year. However, I am pleased to announce that we are, at last, engaged in detailed lease negotiations with them. These discussions are at a very sensitive stage, and I hope you will understand that we aren't able to discuss all the details at this time. However, I will re-state a few facts for the record & for the benefit of those members who didn't attend the Q&A Meeting in October last year:
- HFC are our new landlords (since the end of 2006)
- HFC submitted a planning application (in April 2008) to re-develop the grounds of the Holbrook site
- Our current lease expires at the end of 2008
- If HFC offer us a new lease which meets the needs of THC and secures our long-term future, we will support their planning application
- The Holbrook Club will not become Horsham Football Club. We are 2 very separate entities and the site will be split in two
From the discussions at the Q&A Session, and e-mails I have received since, I know that not all members will be happy with THC supporting the HFC application. However, if HFC offer a reasonable lease, we believe it is in the best interests of THC, our staff and members, to do so, and this has been our stance from the beginning.
I can also confirm that HFC are planning to hold an exhibition at the THC in May, open to all local residents, where plans for the Holbrook site will be on show.
Organisation
Hopefully you will all have seen an improvement in the menu on offer at the Club, and perhaps enjoyed one of the Sunday roasts, thanks to the introduction of a dedicated Catering Manager (Shaun) in Q3 2007. Unfortunately whilst the food on offer and the service provided may have improved, the profitablity of the kitchen has not. This is still a major concern for the Executive, so don't be surprised to see further changes in this area over the coming year.
As you may be aware, the Executive Committee engaged the services of Insight HR to provide support for our people-processes (e.g. staff appraisals, training & development plans). This is a specialised area and they have provided valuable support over the past year, with the introduction of a performance management framework and bringing our staff handbook up to date with recent legislation.
I would just like to add that we still have a vacant position of Treasurer. If there is anyone within the Membership with the necessary skills and experience, please contact Clive Hartley.
Membership
Last year I asked for your support with conduct and discipline at the Club (for example bad language, litter and supervision of children). I'm pleased to report that there has been a marked improvement, and the Executive has not had to spend so much time on disciplinary matters. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Club Facilities
Last year I reported that, once again, we find ourselves putting the more extensive improvements, like redesigning the bar or extending the terrace on the lounge bar, on hold until we have a clearer understanding of the future of the Club (in terms of ownership & lease). Unfortunately we are still in that position, but with the talks now underway & the need for HFC to agree a new lease before the end of 2008, we are hopeful that the end is in sight. Nevertheless, some enhancements have been implementeted (e.g. the addition of mirrors & air-conditioning in the Club-Plus Studio) and there has been essential maintenance undertaken, which we are responsible for under the terms of the existing lease.
You may have heard that we have submitted a planning application to use the local industrial estate car park during the daytime at weekends. This is in response to the problem of increased parking on North Heath Lane when there are a number of concurrent Club events. Unfortunatetly some local residents have associated our application with that of HFC, and rejected it out of hand. I can only confirm that HFC had no input to our application, and that we are acting with the best interests of local residents in mind. If you would like to see an improvement in the parking facilities provided, please log on to the HDC website & register your support for our application.
In Summary
Despite our best endeavours, there has been little progress on the HFC development, so our efforts this year have been to provide a consistent & reliable service to our members. Once our future is secured we are looking forward to focusing our efforts on improvements to the Club facilities.
I would like to stress that this Club will only survive with the continued support of our Membership. Clearly some members who are local residents may resent HFC and their plans for this site, but I would request that members continue to support us. We provide a great community service, offering the most diversified sporting and social facilities in the area.
Finally, I would like to thank the Club Staff for their commitment & dedication throughout the year. We must not lose sight of the fact that negotiating a sound future for the Club also means job security and stability for our staff.
Any Questions?
Simon Charman, Chairman, The Holbrook Club - 15th May 2008