Chair’s Message
Dear Member,
This is my first Recorder piece as the new Chair. Thank you to all of you who have congratulated me on my new role since Alan announced at the AGM that I would succeed him and thank you to my fellow Board members who ratified my appointment at last Thursday’s Board meeting.
Three new Board members joined the Board on Thursday – Caroline Nettel, Michael Hill, and Andrew Walker; and Joy Stevens was re-elected for a second term. I have greatly enjoyed my five years on the Board, and I hope our newly appointed Directors will feel the same.
I don’t propose to list all the Sub Committee changes as the full list can be found on the notice board, but we have three new Chairs of Sub Committees as follows
· Finance Committee will be chaired by Henrietta O’Shea (Henrietta.OShea@roehamptonclub.co.uk)
· House Committee will be chaired by Andrew Walker (Andrew.Walker@roehamptonclub.co.uk)
· Environmental Committee will be chaired by David Burditt (David.Burditt@roehamptonclub.co.uk)
Also, Martin Lock will become Deputy Chair (Martin.Lock@roehamptonclub.co.uk) and Joy Stevens will Chair the Family Forum (Joy.Stevens@roehamptonclub.co.uk).
House Committee
The House Committee met at the beginning of June to discuss how we can improve the food and beverage experience and the Clubhouse’s social ambience and took a set of proposals to the Board. The Board was happy to take the following proposals to the next stage:
Link the Bar terrace and the Club Café and make the balcony big enough for some furniture – as per the original plan for the Clubhouse.
Extend the Bar terrace, extend the kitchen onto the Club Café service area and extend the Club Café onto the loading bay and the terrace. Convert the Club Café in the evening into a ‘bistro type’ restaurant use.
Convert the current Members Bar into a Sports Bar with big screens and sports activities for younger Members; and create a second, more cosy Members Bar.
Convert part of the loading bay to a Grab and Go Café, open it onto the piazza and link it to the Club Café with an internal staircase. Thereby replacing the temporary Coffee Shop.
Divide the Reading Room with a partition to set up a business area for Members who would like to work from the Club and add a soundproof pod or pods at the end of it for private calls.
Our architects ADP will now draw up specific proposals to take to our Property Development Committee.
The Board also agreed that with immediate effect:
1. Members and guests can wear hats in the Clubhouse except in the Garden Restaurant/Piano Bar.
2. Members can wear golf shoes (with no metal or plastic spikes) in the Bar, as long as they are cleaned before entry.
3. The use of laptops and iPads is not permitted in the Members Bar. We would appreciate that during busy times in the Club Café you also avoid using them.
4. Members wishing to work at the Club, taking phone calls as they do so, can use the Bandstand next to the Padel Courts as it has Wi-Fi provision, tables and chairs, a vending machine and gives some privacy.
In light of the significant increases in food prices and other cost inflation the Club is experiencing the Board approved a mid-year price increase of approximately 9% on food and 5% on beverages with effect from 1st July.
Property Development Committee
Work has started on the conversion of the archive area to a laundry area under the Bar Terrace and the new changing room in the Health Club with a shower and a toilet.
Other works taking place this year are the airlock lobby between the indoor and outdoor pool to prevent heat loss, refurbishment of the passenger lift with a bigger cabin in the existing shaft, repair of the goods lift and installation of a stair lift in the Art Studio. The toilet in the Sports Hall will be refurbished and the size of the bike sheds increased subject to planning approval. Solar panels will be installed on the roofs of all buildings wherever possible. The changing rooms in the Clubhouse will also be refurbished.
The major project to install Airhall 2 starts on July 4th and will be completed at the end of October. Thanks to all tennis and croquet players for their patience while these works continue. Please be patient when using the Priory Lane entrance along with the contractors.
Environmental Committee
A drone survey of the Club has produced some very useful information for the solar panel and water harvesting schemes and we are currently working on the tender process for the next set of solar panels to be installed at the Club.
It is proposed to install a pool cover for the indoor pool and to infill the deep part of the indoor pool when the pool is next retiled. This would allow greater usage of the pool for swimming lessons and the pool will become more energy efficient.
Actions from AGM
Thanks to all of you who attended the AGM on May 23rd. As far as the card statements are concerned, we have asked our software company to change the presentation format and make it more user-friendly; and reduce paper wastage if receipts are not required. As noted above we are looking to install business pods in the Reading Room and the Bandstand.
Salute the Services Day
Congratulations to Duncan Christie–Miller and the staff team on a very successful Salute the Services Day last Monday with proceeds of £3300 going to the Fire Fighters Charity.
Prostate Cancer
Many congratulations to the team of staff and members who played 72 holes of golf last Friday (the hottest day of the summer) to raise much-needed funds for Prostate Cancer. They raised a magnificent £1000 in birdies and eagles to go to the impressive ever-growing total of £7500 donated.
Surrey Cup competition
Well done to our Ladies Golf Pearson team who won the Surrey Cup on Tuesday beating Worplesdon in the semi-final and Leatherhead in the final. For full team details see the Ladies Captain report but congratulations to the Pearson Captain Liz Collins and her team for a fantastic result. They now compete on 21st July for the Pearson Trophy playing at Princes Golf Club in Kent.
Surrey Men’s Mid-Age Golf Champion
Pete Crocombe became the latest Roehampton Club golfer to add his name to this prestigious trophy, following Mike Piesse and Vince Thorne, after his impressive victory over the best of Surrey golfers aged 35 and over at Malden GC recently.
Best wishes,