Annual General Meeting 2025

Dear Members, 

You are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of Irvine Community Sports Club which will take place on Thursday 4th December 2025 commencing at 7.30pm. The main business of the AGM will be to approve the minutes of the 2024 AGM; to approve the accounts for the year ending 31st March 2025; to vote on any resolutions submitted to the AGM and to fill any vacancies for elected directors.

 All members are entitled to attend, however only Ordinary, Honorary, Retired and Non playing members may vote. Any member with voting rights who wishes to appoint a proxy to attend and vote on his/her behalf must submit a proxy form or send email confirmation of proxy to agm@irvinesportsclub.co.uk by Monday 1st December. A form is included with the AGM pack and paper forms will be available from the club office. 

In line with the Memorandum and Articles of the club, three Elected Directors and all Co opted Directors must leave office. The Co-opted Members are eligible to be re-appointed to the new board. Any member with voting rights may stand for election to the board and a nomination form is included with this AGM pack and paper forms will be available from the club office. A nomination form must be submitted to the club office or to any member of the board no later than the 20th of November 2025. 

Any Special Resolution or any Ordinary Resolution which any member(s) wish to be considered at the AGM should also be submitted by 20th November 2025. A Special Resolution is one which intends to alter the Memorandum and Articles of the club, and an Ordinary Resolution is a proposal which deals with any other club matter. All resolutions must be properly proposed and are required to be seconded by 20 current members. All Resolutions should be seconded before submission by members of the club. Submission of Resolutions can be sent to AGM@irvinesportsclub.co.uk or in writing and held into the office or a director.

Since the new board was formed, we have spent considerable time completing a detailed exercise examining the club's expenditure over the past 12 months, analysing both internal and external costs. This accumulated to an approximate total of £130,000. Our annual income, which mainly consists of memberships and hall lets (including functions), was bringing in an approximate total of £108,000. This showed that we were operating at a loss of £22,000 per annum. 

Over the past 5+ years, we have only managed this average loss due to the painstaking work securing grants. However, with a drop in funding this year, it has highlighted to the new board that the club cannot rely on grants to plug the holes in the club's finances. This is no longer a viable long-term strategy for our sustainability. 

Over the past 10 months, the board has managed to make many cost-cutting decisions such as improved tendering of insurance cover, staff cuts, amenity contract renewals, and material usage, all of which have reduced our overheads and running costs. The board continues to look for further income opportunities and streamlining our present practices to make us as efficient as we can. While these measures have significantly improved our position, they alone cannot bridge the financial gap we face. 

Over the club's history, boards have been reluctant to increase membership fees in any great way, with membership increases only marginally increasing over the last two decades in comparison with a huge increase in expenditure for the same period. This has created an unsustainable financial model that requires urgent correction. It is for this reason that, although the proposed increases may seem large, they are essential to ensure the club's survival and bring fees in line with actual expenditure. 

Implementing these necessary adjustments now will mean that in future, the club will be able to apply only small increases to the membership structure at future AGMs in line with inflation. This creates long-term stability and prevents the need for more dramatic increases down the line. We understand these increases impact our members, but we believe transparency and decisive action now will secure the future of Irvine Community Sports Club for current and future generations. We welcome any questions you may have regarding these financial matters and look forward to your support at the AGM. 

Yours in sport, 

Michael Ingram 

Chair of Irvine Community Sports Club