This is the first time we are also communicating by e-mail to invite members to re-join for the coming season. It is also the first time that we are using an on-line system (Spond) to collect subscriptions. This app will also allow us to communicate more effectively with our membership and this has already been successfully used by the Youth section to organise matches at the mini festival for example.

Although we anticipate that that this new method will run smoothly, we are aware that there may be some teething issues and to assist any member having problems Kieran Walsh will be on hand in the clubhouse on matchdays in the early part of the season.
Usually, the Chairman’s report looks back at the achievements and success of the previous season and I will return to that later in this message. What I would like to do firstly is look to the future and outline what the club’s aims are on and off the field.

Rugby
There are a number of important new developments on the Rugby front:

• After a gap of quite a few years, season 24/25 sees the return of Academy Rugby to Westcombe Park. Not only will this give players the chance to develop their skills at Combe it will also provide the senior squads with home grown players for the first time in a while.
• Girls Rugby also returns after a gap following a series of taster events towards the end of last season. This is very good news as it broadens the club’s sporting offering to the community.
• The Tigers is the new name for our 2nd XV and they will play in reverse Blue and White hoops. These changes are aimed at providing them with their own strong identity as they look to build on their strong showing in Kent 2. A competitive Tigers side is key to success elsewhere in the club.
• Our 3rd XV have taken the bold decision to enter Kent League Rugby, participating in Kent 5. While this will present a challenge it underlines the club’s aim of providing all players with the chance of playing the game at the highest level they can.

The 1st XV will again play in National League 2 after a successful return to that level. The squad has been strengthened with a successful recruitment programme through the close season. Last season’s coaching team remain broadly in place under the leadership of Dave Marshall and will look to build on the experience of last season. The quality of Rugby last season was a joy to behold and a testament to the efforts of all involved. The strong run in at the end of the season bodes well for the future.

Combe also have a Vets team, and they are entered into the Wooden Spoon event at Old Reigations on 28 September 2024. Support would be most appreciated.

Grounds
Last winter’s very wet weather meant that the pitches took a bit of a battering to say the least. Over the Summer we have spent a substantial amount of money to repair and re-seed. There may also be further expenditure to minimise damage from worm casts. In order to minimise damage and reduce the pressure on training areas in the depths of the winter the club is hiring artificial pitches at the local Harris Academy primarily for teams in the Youth section.

There is a project in hand to re-site/increase the number of floodlights to allow the Gents pitch to be used more extensively and again reduce pressure elsewhere. The mobile lights we bought a season ago are also to be re-furbished.

We have converted the football pitch on the lower plateau to a Junior Rugby training area with the space vacated parallel to the john Bellinger pitch to become a new Junior Rugby pitch to be called the John Yeates pitch and new posts have been sourced for this. Also the posts on the 1st XV have deteriorated and are being replaced. The Gents posts will also be replaced in due course as well.

Total Budget: £15K

Changing Rooms
The main away changing room was in a poor state and, as a trial, has been refurbished by Phil Tagg and other club members to bring it up to standard and to make cleaning easier. If this is a success we will move to refurbish the other rooms.

The showers were proving to be inadequate and despite running repairs over a number of seasons the decision was taken to deliver a major one-off overhaul. This has been completed in time for the new season by one of our members’ firms at good rates.

Total Budget: £20k

Club House
With new sliding doors between the hall and bar having been completed thanks to money raised by President’s events and the 200 Club, attention has shifted to replacing furniture in the Roughton Room to make it more comfortable and welcoming. John Aitkenhead has identified a set of the furniture that is fit for purpose and it should be in place in the early part of the season.

Total Budget: £5k

Our fire alarm system was identified as being non-compliant. Safety of all members and visitors is paramount to rectify this a number of approaches have been discussed and the best value for money solution identified. Work is now authorised and scheduled.

Total Budget: £12k

All of the works (grounds, changing rooms and club-house) amount to a fairly hefty slide of expenditure. The management committee agreed that we need to incur this to ensure the safe running of the club and to maintain what we offer to all our members. We had sufficient reserves in hand built up over a number of years to fund this and a portion of this will be used.

Social events
We had a hugely successful Summer Ball thanks to Sally Oakey and team. This is not an event we plan to hold every year and we will look for a new team to run this in the future using the great contacts and organisational templates already established.
The Family Fun Day was also a great success with Rhy Speirs and Matt Day at the head of the organising team and I would like to see this as a firm date in calendar like our ever-popular Mini Festival. The City lunch was also its usual wonderful fund-raising opportunity.

Each of these events has its own audience but I would encourage all club members to support as many of them as possible in future as they provide wonderful opportunities for all of the club to get together. Talking of which thoughts are already turning to what family friendly events we can hold in the club during the season and if you have any thoughts and suggestions please make them known. I know that Pizza and film nights are already being scheduled.

Other Clubs
Our associated clubs are an important source of revenues and accommodating them can prove challenging. We have had to make a few changes to who we have on board and there are some exciting developments which will help secure more substantial revenues while at the same time looking at reducing the impact on Rugby as our main raison d’etre.

American football has reduced its level of usage, we have converted a football pitch into a Rugby pitch, Tigerpit have moved to a new location and the dog exercise activity is in the process of moving. While this will affect our revenues, discussions are underway with a Padel tennis company to use all of the tennis courts and should more than compensate for any reductions. An initiative like this will not have a great impact on our own Rugby activities.

We are also looking at increasing the use of our car park when it is not being used by members and this will hopefully provide some new revenue stream which will not have an impact on Rugby.

Membership
This year we will move from collecting subs in person, by bank transfer and via our website onto an online system: Spond. Spond has been used by our youth section over the past season successfully and allows you to update your own personal information and pay subscriptions via the Spond app or via their website. You may have already received an invite from Spond to the system by email or text message, but if you have not, check our website for a link to the Spond Membership application form.
You will receive a notification from Spond when your membership fees are due, and how you can pay them. If you are a non-playing member and unable to use the Mobile Phone app or the Spond website to pay, please contact Kieran Walsh to find an alternative method.

Not only will this streamline how we collect membership subscriptions but will provide a new and slicker way of communicating quickly with all our members. An additional benefit is that it will make it easier to retain members as it is less likely that people will inadvertently drop off the club’s records.

Subscription structure
• Adult Playing £220
• Family £165
• Student £50
• Social £110

The management committee decided to increase the fees for next season as running costs in general have increased and to cover to some extent the expenditure detailed earlier in this message. When we have compared our fee levels to those at similar clubs, we remain convinced that they reflect a fair balance between what is affordable and what the club needs to continue to thrive.

Gate revenue increased markedly as did the size of crowds to see a really good standard of Rugby. Kieran Walsh and his helpers worked hard to maximise the takings-please help him and his team by making sure you pay. This all goes to help the club.

Sponsorship and Marketing
Sponsorship comes in two main forms; in house and external/commercial.

Player, position and match sponsorship provide a solid basis to keep the club and in particular the senior teams playing at the level they do. This needs to be augmented by commercial sponsorship and CWJ continue to be our very welcome main club sponsors and CWJ partner Ben Madden came along to quite few matches including a very enjoyable one at Sevenoaks. Polhill Garden Centre is another key sponsor and former Combe player Josh Novell has signed them up to be the main mini festival sponsor. The Maxwell have agreed to sponsor the club for another season and when you visit the pub you’ll see a team shirt and 1stXV team photograph adorning the walls alongside a club badge.

We have a wide range of other commercial sponsors from both within the club and from firms in the local community. Thanks to everyone who contributes and please step forward if you wish to join this growing group. Another way to get involved is to join the 1904 Bombay Curry Club which funds non budgeted/special items for the senior team. In the past they have funded private medical care for players, defibrillator case etc. Paul Cavalli is the person to contact.

Last season we launched a twice a season club magazine, The Roar. This allowed us to increase our profile with sponsors, advertisers and the like. It also gave us a new way to talk to our membership and in parallel with the weekly Youth Bulletin meant that people were kept up to date with al that was happening in the club. This was part of the re-branding of the club as Tiger Combe which closely linked past, present and future and helped join the club together.

Bar and catering
We will continue to use Molson Coors and Maison Maurice to supply the bar. Clare Merron and her team did a sterling job as ever last season and we all look forward to similar in 2024/25.

Over the Summer we have made changes to the way we will provide meals and refreshments to players, members and supporters. This will now be managed by a club member and the results of the Youth survey have been taken on board to ensure that we all get the service and refreshments best suited for a Rugby club.

As indicated earlier we are looking to get new furniture for the Roughton room.

Season 2023/24
In no particular order a list of the highlights:
• A great season for the 1st XV captained by Nick Cook on their return to National League Rugby
• A certain result (0-24) at our nearest neighbours
• The return of Girls Rugby
• Kent retaining the Bill Beaumont Trophy with a strong Combe contingent and captained by Raf Dutta
• Another successful Combe mini festival and a wonderful Family Day (and the sun shone!)
• The ROAR
• One player moving from Frisbee to 3rd XV to 2nd XV to 1st XV to Kent - step forward Dan Shergold
• Comedy nights
• 1st XV players helping coach Minis and Juniors
• Summer Ball makes a reappearance after a number of years (and the sun shone!)
• Over 100 sat down for Christmas lunch
• Ball Retrieval Technicians (copyright Mark Ley)
• Players’ reunion match and bar takings!
• TJs president’s post lunch jokes (please note JA!)
• Supporters and players socialising in Guernsey
• And everything else Combe!

All the best to you and your loved ones

John
Chairman, Westcombe Park RFC