Chairman's Report - May 2010

At last year's AGM we talked about our landlord (Horsham Football Club) and that their efforts to develop the Holbrook Club site had resulted in a planning application rejection and a withdrawal of their appeal. A year on and there really isn't much new to report on this subject. Speculation continues about their efforts to secure a new site on the outskirts of Horsham. We continue to pay quarterly rent at the same rate as last year.  Clearly we would welcome some certainty regarding our future, but until HFC have resolved their own options I doubt we will see much change. We continue to meet with HFC to get updates.

So the long-term future of the Holbrook Club is still unclear. At some point HFC may want (or need) to sell the Holbrook site. 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.

Our focus is to drive up profitability whilst maintaining the existing benefits for Club members, and keeping the costs under control. This will strengthen our business case, in the event of a potential purchase. 2009 was our strongest operating result since our independence from RSA.

Membership

Club membership is holding strong, at around 2600 members. Maintaining our membership numbers is key to our profitability and our long-term aspirations of potentially buying the site. 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 2009. Thank you for your ongoing support in this matter.

Club Facilities

You will hopefully have noticed that the tennis court refurbishment is almost complete, with the final colour coating taking place this month. We opted for 5 new courts instead of 7, which was a decision mainly driven by cost. It also provides us with the added benefit of a (temporary) overflow space for parking.

The replacement children's play ground is also nearing completion, and was needed as the old one had come to the end of its natural life.

Looking Ahead

We continue to focus our efforts on business-as-usual activity at the Club, ensuring that we are well staffed to provide members with a good service and range of entertainment, and to encourage new members to join.

The introduction of the Holbrook Privilege Card will enable us to introduce 2-tier pricing on food and drink. This will ensure that Members get the maximum benefit from being a member and visitors can see the benefits of being a Club Member.

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

Simon Charman
The Holbrook Club Chairman
8th May 2010