Nov 2023
DH Runners AGM Minutes
25 November 2023, 10.23 am at Morton Manor
Present: 70 members (31%)
1.Welcome and 2023 Review.
Apologies received Pat Gallagher and Andrew Graham.
2.The minutes of the 2023 AGM were accepted as a true accurate and record.
3.Report from the Chair – Simon Dolman
“Welcome and thank you for taking the time to attend today, this is your club so it’s really important that we have the opportunity to meet like this.”
A video was shown of 2022/23 Highlights – can be viewed here.
“I want to start my report by paying tribute to a member of our club family who we sadly lost just over a month ago. Gordon Beattie had been a member of DH since 2015, many of you here today will have memories of running with Gordon. We both ran our first ever 10k race together at Moorclose in May 2015 and received our plastic toyshop medals from Lindsay!
I would us to hold 1 minutes applause in memory of Gordon.
Welcome and thank you for taking the time to attend today, as I have said in the past, this is your club so it’s important that we have the opportunity to meet like this.
The last 12 months have been fantastic, with numerous running events and achievements!
This is end of my 3rd and last year as Chair, so I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported the club in a committee role during my tenure. Everyone who contributes to the successful running of the club in a committee role gives their time freely.
During the past 12 months you have again achieved many running goals:
We have had race winners, age category winners, personal achievements such as first 5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon and even ultras.
I will not mention any specific names in case I miss someone out!
As usual I would like to give a big thank you for all the fundraising and volunteering that you are doing as individuals, for both club and other local events and charities.
YCR has again helped to support new or returning runners, with 2 cohorts this year.
I would like to thank all the Run Leaders for the work they put in planning and leading the groups. We have again increased our number of run leaders to support group nights.
A big thanks to all the 2022/23committee members for their valuable contribution to the club. As I said before both Run Leaders and Committee Memberships are volunteers, who give up their time freely to help run the club, please can we have a round of applause as acknowledgement.
Thanks to outgoing Committee members Lucy, Claire, Matthew and Matt
Finally, I want to congratulate all of you for another highly successful and enjoyable year of running together!”
4.Report from the Finance Office – Given by Simon Dolman as Lucy Jackson wasn’t present.
Membership Costs:
•Training/courses costs are for run leader and coaching courses
Event Costs:
•We have received £350 from the Lakesman which will go to the Club charity (EVH) along with the raffle ticket sales from today. We have made several wellbeing donations throughout the year too.
•New trophies given at last year’s Christmas party
•No River Run due to river path closure
Admin Costs:
•Last year’s AGM costs
•Outstanding invoice to Sport in Action for Carlisle 10k series from 2021
5.Run Group Report
Given by Cath Wood. We continue to have two run group nights; both are well attended. Tuesday night offers a 10k route (with 10k having to be completed within 75 minutes) and also offers an 8 mile route. Each week is a different route. It has been good to see members of a different pace take part in a Tuesday run group, all completing the route in the required time. A Thursday night offers a 5k route and a 5-mile route. The same route is used two weeks in a row. This year the Thursday group turned 9. We have had 2 sets of You Can Run, so congratulations go to the graduates from these courses. We have already had interest about our next You Can Run course which will be held in the Spring. Thanks was given to the Run Leaders for running these run groups. Congratulations goes to the members who have completed their Leadership in Running Fitness during the last year. We held a Track Night recently which was very popular, the next one is scheduled for Wednesday 13 December, with more planned at later dates and with reintroduction of a Magic Mile in March. We have had regular Sunday Social runs which have been well attended and have been opened up to other local running groups to come along and join us.
6. 24 Hour Relay Information
Takes place on a Saturday starting at midday. Completing 5k loops in 24 hours. The loop starts and finish at the bollards at Holmhead Way, running clockwise to Cummersdale, through Cummserdale and back along Dalston Road and down Richardson Street. The baton is always moving. A group loop is held at the start and finish of the event. Money raised from the 24 hour relay goes to our club charity. You can sign up to run/walk a lap, help at DH base camp. Solo laps are allowed during daylight but during nightfall there must be at least 2 runners and head torches will be required. Some might like to do some fancy dress laps, the midnight fancy dress loop has been popular in the past. We will send out a ‘poll’ to suggest some possible dates to find out when it’s best to hold the event.
7.Election of Officers
Position | Name(s) standing for election | Proposed | Seconded |
Chair | Cath Wood | Emma Taylor | Dave Wood |
Vice Chair | Simon Dolman | Cath Wood | Brian Hazlewood |
Finance Officer | Gail Rajjayabun | Emma Talyor | Matt Charlton |
Secretary | Christine Southam | Matt Charlton | Lindsay Graham |
Membership Secretary | Laura Farmer | Caroline Charlton | Toby Harling |
Social Secretary | Emma Taylor | Dave Wood | Faye Stubbs |
Run Leader Coordinator | Mark Drummond | Matt Charlton | Neil Armstrong |
Welfare Officers | Lindsay Graham Simon Dolman | Cath Wood Kev Iveson | John Billet Bev Armstrong |
Cross Country Coordinator | Kev Iveson | Peter Fell | Brian Hazlewood |
Club Championship Coordinator | Suzanne Forster | Julie Fell | Rob Aisnworth |
Kit Manager | Dave McGinn | Mark Drummond | Kathryn Holliday |
8.Club Charity of the Year
Members had been invited prior to the AGM to send in nominations for the Club Charity of the Year. Nominations were received for:
•Alzheimer’s Society
•Bee Unique
•Carlisle Foodbank
•Carlisle Waverley Viaduct Trust
•Children with Cancer Uk
•Cumbria Family Support
•Eden Valley Hospice
•Hospice at Home
•PAC Therapy
•People First Independent Advocacy
Thank you goes to those members who sent in their nominations.
Following the vote held during the AGM the Club Charity of the Year was announced as ‘Hospice at home’.
It was
proposed and agreed that whichever charity is chosen for a particular year will
not appear in the vote for the next year’s ballot for the Club Charity.
9. London Marathon Ballot Draw
The number of entries given to each club is based on the number of first-claim registered competitive members with England Athletics who are over the age of 18. We have been allocated 1 place. To take part in our draw, members had to provide their ‘not this time’ email from the official TCS London, not been successful in the DH ballot for the last 10 years.
We had 17 people in the draw: Bev Armstrong, John Billet, Steve Claringbold, Helen Cupac, Simon Dolman, Julie Fell, Kerrie Fiddler, Pat Gallagher, Gill Harding, Mike Holliday, Kate Imrie, Mary Messenger, Fiona More, Mally Nicholson, Paul Todd, Nathan Weaver and one anonymous.
Dave Wood, who had the last DH Club London Marathon Place, drew out the name – the winner was Mally Nicholson. Congratulations Mally.
10.AOB
•Cross Country Volunteers. Matthew Holliday gave a shout out for volunteers to help at Cumbria Cross-Country League race to be held on Saturday 9 December. He explained what would be involved. Names could be given to Matthew after the meeting.
•It was asked when the next Run Leaders course would be. Mark Drummond replied he would take the query to the committee for discussion.
•It was asked when the next You Can Run + Course would take place. This will be discussed at the next Run Leaders meeting. Julie Dodd did say she would be keen to organise the course when she has finished her Coach Leaders course.
•It was asked if we could return to doing a warm up and cool down at run groups. This will be discussed at the next Run Leaders meeting. At present it was reminded that everyone should take their own responsibility for warm up and cool downs.
•It was asked if ‘Go Hard or Go Holme’ will be on the back of the t-shirts. Mark Drummond confirmed that this was happening on the t-shirts but wouldn’t be on race vests due to England Athletic stipulations.
•There was also a query if names could be added to the t-shirts. Mark wasn’t sure if that was a possibility but would it be discussed by the committee.
•John Lupton gave a vote of thanks – for DH being a great running club.
Simon thanked everyone for attending and for the contributions made to the collection for the Carlisle Foodbank and the clothes swap. The meeting was adjourned at 11.17 am.