Chairman's Report - May 2009

At last year's AGM we talked about Horsham Football Club (HFC) and the impact they might have on the Holbrook Club. 12 months on, and you will know that following the rejection of their planning application to develop the Holbrook site, HFC have now withdrawn their appeal. They will look to secure a new ground (probably near Hop Oast) with the support of Horsham District Council, but will remain our landlords (at least for the time being). Our current lease expires at the end of June 2009, but HFC have already offered an extension to end-2009 and the legal paperwork is in progress. Whilst this brings some short-term stability, the long-term future of the Holbrook Club is still unclear. At some point HFC may want (or need) to sell the Holbrook site, so the Executive Committee are taking steps to develop a business plan in support of a potential mortgage application. Buying the site would obviously be a big change for the Club, and it is not our only option, but it is an option we feel needs serious consideration.

Organisation

As you will probably be aware, 2008 saw a few changes in Club personnel, including the appointment of 2 new Service Managers. This has enabled us to provide a fuller entertainment programme for our members, and contributed to a good financial result in 2008.

Membership

Club membership is still strong, and increasing, with over 2650 members in April 2009. This is partially due to an increase in marketing, which you may have noticed over the past 8 months, and is excellent news for the future profitability of the Club. I would encourage all members to tell friends and neighbours about the Club to attract more new members.

Once again, I'm pleased to announce that there were very few membership disciplinary issues during 2008. Thank you for your ongoing support in this matter.

Club Facilities

Uncertainty about the long-term future of the Club prevents us from undertaking major development (e.g. redesigning the bar, or extending the lounge bar terrace) but we are keen to progress the long-overdue tennis court refurbishment. We are hoping to establish an indemnity agreement with HFC, whereby they would partially reimburse us if our lease was to be cut short for any reason outside of our control.

In Summary

Throughout the past year (while we have waited to hear about the HFC planning application, rejection and appeal) our efforts have been focused on business-as-usual at the Club, ensuring that we were well staffed, and that we were effectively marketing our facilities, to provide members with a good service and range of entertainment, and to encourage new members to join.

There has been a great deal of uncertainty over the past year, and I doubt things will be fully resolved until 2010 (at the earliest). In the meantime, the Executive Committee will use the remainder of 2009 to do what we can to prepare for future opportunities.

Finally, I would like to thank the Club staff for their commitment and dedication throughout another very challenging year.

Simon Charman
Holbrook Club Chairman