Northbrook AC Annual General Meeting 2026
Proposals to be put before the Annual General Meeting
The Club Constitution requires that proposals to be put to the Club’s next Annual General Meeting be published in advance of the meeting.
The following proposals will be put before the Northbrook Annual General Meeting to be held on
WEDNESDAY 21st JANUARY 2026 at 8.30pm.
Any proposed amendments to any of these proposals must be submitted by Wednesday 14 January 2026 to be considered.
Proposal 1
Proposal 2
Proposal 3
Proposal 4
Proposal 5
Proposal 1 – Member proposal
Travel reimbursement for team events
That for club team events only (relays, cross-country events, Hilly 100) we offer a mileage reimbursement for the car share option where there are more than 3 paid for club runners/volunteers in the vehicle.
HMRC have a table of mileage rates that could be utilised and maintained as the HMRC updates their rates.
Here are a few examples from the men’s cross-country league season this year and the regular trip to Sutton Park, all for a diesel vehicle:
HMRC – says £0.18 per mile for diesel cars and vans of 2000cc engine size
5p per passenger per mile
If we used the HMRC rates for 3 qualifying people in a car travelling to the following locations:
Burton Dassett – 28.3 miles each way. HMRC would suggest a reimbursement of £10.12 fuel and £5.66 for passengers.
Sutton Park – 21.8 miles each way. HMRC would suggest a reimbursement of £7.85 fuel and £4.36 for passengers.
Plock Court – 66.3 miles each way. HMRC would suggest a reimbursement of £23.87 fuel and £13.26 for passengers.
The HMRC rate also covers different fuel types for vehicles so its something we could also utilise.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/advisory-fuel-rates
Reason
A lot of events now struggle with car parking availability and often plead with clubs to car share as much as possible. We have all been at Sutton Park relays and know what this is like.
We are lucky enough in the club that we offer, informally, a car share option for club team events to help increase participation and be inclusive to those that do not drive or struggle to drive long distances.
As a result we often have the same drivers for the club team events, who are happy to provide lifts to the team. Usually these drivers are too embarrassed to take reimbursement from those that are offered lifts, meaning they are usually out of pocket for every team event. On top of that organisers now introduce car parking fees for events to discourage single drivers, again that driver (or usually 1 passenger in that car share vehicle) pays out of their own pocket.
So we have members paying to represent the club in team events that the club pays for them to participate in.
Proposed by: Spencer Davies
Seconded by: Matthew Hathrell
Proposal 2 – Member proposal
Consider the establishment of a youth section
I would like to propose that the club considers a youth section to support its adult section.
Reason
Our membership is of a certain age range and not getting any younger.
In Coventry there is a 2-year waiting list for children to join athletics clubs with Godiva and Sphinx being the only EA affiliated clubs with the offering. Further afield Kenilworth Tri has a junior section that is at capacity.
Kenilworth operate in a public park all year long (a bit like our club they cancel sessions when conditions are not suitable).
Both Sphinx and Godiva have a good feed from their junior sections into their adult sections as the athletes are established in the club, with coaches and with colleagues at the point they progress from youth to adult training.
Our leaders and coaches are already insured through England Athletics to lead juniors from the age of 12. Therefore, I propose we start at age 13 up to 18 and no younger which should avoid the creche situation, where parents just need a babysitter.
The 13-18 year age group youths would still be developing, so we could adjust training to suitand they would have an interest in the sport and gives them long enough with junior coaches and colleagues to transition into the adult section and further develop their love of running.
The youth section would not train alongside the adult section.
The youth to coach requirement by England athletics is 1 suitable volunteer to 10 children (with at least 1 UKA CIRF).
Places to train once we have defined our training sessions to mitigate risk can be looked at for suitability taking into account, seasons, needs of the group, and risk assessment. These could include track and field facilities, indoor venues such as schools and leisure centres as well as public paths and parks.
We have a leader undertaking a CIRF course that is due to complete by the end of March.
We have a member who is willing to undergo LIRF training to support this proposal.
We are aware that the club would need to undergo some more England Athletics boxes to tick and that qualifications would need to be sourced, but if we can progress and report back to the committee we could maybe timeline an offering towards the start of the school year in 2026.
By introducing a youth section we would be enhancing the clubs appeal. It could gain extra members in the way of parents joining our already established adult section as their child joins the juniors, it could avoid losing adults as they join clubs that already offer a junior section, we would become more inclusive and we have a forward planning system for the club that reinforces the club’s future.
This is a proposal more for consideration and to see the general feeling towards this venture than to implement it straight away.
Proposed by: Spencer Davies
Seconded by: Tracey Cox & Natasha White
Proposal 3 – Member proposal
Proposed amendment to Rule 15.2.2 (Northbrook Race Championship)
Replace second sentence with: “Categories are All Men, All Women, Veteran Men and Veteran Women. Veteran categories to start at MV35 and FV35 and at 10 year intervals thereafter, provided that there are, at least, three competing members in the appropriate category.”
Revised Rule to read:
15.2.2. The Race Championship results compiler will award 200 points to the fastest time in a category, then 199, etc. Categories are All Men, All Women, Veteran Men and Veteran Women. Veteran categories to start at MV35 and FV35 and at 10 year intervals thereafter, provided that there are, at least, three competing members in the appropriate category. If a member completes more than 5 distances in a calendar year, the best 5 distances count to their total. It is the responsibility of members to inform the results compiler of their results using the Results Upload form on the Club website, to ensure that these results are included in the Championship.
Reason
Many members are competing at older ages than in the past. This amendment allows age categories to be less prescriptive and more flexible to adding to the age bands as required.
Proposed by: Tony French
Seconded by: Bob Adams
Proposal 4 – Committee Proposal
To be compliant with an England Athletics requirement that the Welfare Officers form part of the club committee it is proposed that the Welfare Officer section (paras 10.1 and 10.2) of the Club Rules be re-written as follows:
Para 10.1(b)
Change from:
Manage welfare issues together with the Committee (as appropriate)
to:
Manage welfare issues together with the other members of the Committee.
Para 10.1(e)
Change from:
Report to, and advise, the Club Committee on relevant welfare matters
to:
Advise the other members of the Club Committee on relevant welfare matters.
Para 10.2
Change from:
The Welfare Officer is appointed by the Club Committee
to:
The Club Welfare Officer is nominated annually by the Club Committee and the nomination is ratified by the members at the Annual General meeting.
An additional paragraph be added:
In the event that the position of Welfare Officer falls vacant during the term of office, the Club Committee will appoint a Welfare Officer on an interim basis to serve until that appointment (or that of any other person) be ratified at the next Annual General Meeting.
The new wording of the Welfare Officer section shall then be moved from under the heading:
10. Non-Committee Members’ Duties and Responsibilities
to under the heading:
9. Committee Members’ Duties and Responsibilities
and affected paragraphs be re-numbered.
Proposed by: Bob Adams
Seconded by: Tim Hughes
Proposal 5 – Member Proposal
Introduce Assistant Roles for Committee Positions
To adopt a structure whereby each committee role may appoint or be supported by a Deputy/Assistant, with effect from the conclusion of the 2026 AGM.
That each current committee role within Northbrook Running Club be supported by a second person/persons, to help share responsibilities and support the primary role holder.
This would apply to all existing roles:
*Current Committee Roles:
• President – Rob Richardson
• Chairman – Bob Adams
• Secretary – Mark Baker
• Treasurer – Tony Mackness
• Membership Secretary – Tim Hughes
• Men’s Captain – Spencer Davies
• Women’s Captain – Joanne Evans
• Social Secretary – Daisy Evans
• Coaching Co-ordinator – Rob Richardson
• Welfare Officer – Collette O’Keefe
Additional Officers and Role Holders
• Summer Handicapper – Richard French
• Race Champs Administrator – Kevin Coughlan
• Chair of Women’s Safety Working Group – Sam Ryan
• Health & Safety Co-ordinator – Catherine Dear
• COVID-19 Officer – Séan Duffy
• Club Kit Manager – Damian Pharoah
• Social Media Officer – Rhys Robbins
• Auditor – Matthew Hathrell
* Names of committee members and post holders are correct at the time of proposal submission. Incumbents may change following elections at the AGM.
Reason
Northbrook Running Club continues to grow and thrive due to the hard work and dedication of its committee members. Many committee roles carry significant responsibility and workload, often relying on a single individual. This can make roles demanding, difficult to cover during absences, and challenging to hand over smoothly in the future.
Purpose and Benefits
The introduction of deputy/assistant roles would:
- Reduce workload and prevent burnout of committee members
- Provide continuity when role holders are unavailable
- Support succession planning and smoother handovers
- Encourage more members to get involved in club administration
- Improve resilience and long-term sustainability of the club
Implementation
- Deputy/Assistant roles would be supportive and flexible, with responsibilities agreed between the role holder and their deputy
- Deputies would not replace existing roles but complement them
- Deputies may step in temporarily if a role holder is unavailable
- Roles could be reviewed annually to ensure they remain effective
Proposed by: Joanne Evans
Seconded by: Daisy Robins