October 2024

Present:

Jane Roberts (Chairman)(JR), Kevin Sands (Secretary)(KS), Jilly Lane (Marketing/Website)(JL), Solveig Haywood (SH), Neil Larry (NL), Andy Barwell (AB), Chris Deverell (CD).

1) Apologies:

Sam Roberts (President)(SR), Geoff Appleton (Treasurer)(GA),Margaret Appleton (Outings)(MA), Lesley Cornish (LC)

2) Minutes of the last meeting

Accepted and signed by Jane.

3) Matters Arising

Item 3 – Element of the Constitution being rewritten to enforce the need to notify, in confidence, the Secretary in writing by April.

• Action: JR

Item 6 – Meetings have been held and options put forward for future discussions.

​The need for ‘away trip sponsorship’ will be readvertised in the new year.

​Some suggestions were put forward for new Committee members with a view to the succession of officer positions.

• Action: JL/CD/LC/SH

4) Treasurers Report

The Secretary presented the financial report on behalf of the Treasurer.

5) Membership & Outing Report

Outings

For the Bristol away game there are 16 booked on the coach (at time of meeting).

The next away game after Bristol is Nottingham on the 29th November. This should now be pushed on our social media.

Memberships

128 members to date (93 adult, 16 adult [FoB’s], 4 juniors, 15 life, 1 free (auditor), 1 Honorary.

6) FoB members becoming Followers

There was discussion about the process of FoB being offered free membership of The Followers this season.

7) Sponsorship & Donations to The Blues

There was discussion about a donation to the Club. Agreed in principle.

8) Raising Awareness

JR created a list of ideas to raise awareness of the Followers and what we do, from all those that had been circulated via WhatsApp. To be discussed at our next meeting.

• Action: ALL

9) Marketing/Website

Latest figures show that the number of hits on our social media is increasing.

Look at taking bookings for away games online, possibly through Sum-Up

• Action: CD/JL

10) 75th Anniversary Celebration

Options for celebratory items were discussed and agreed. Jilly to email members of Followers with details in due course.

• Action: JL

11) AOB

a) The dates for committee meeting for the new year have now been arranged are as follows:-

All on Thursdays in the SDC Suite between 6.30-8.30.

​9th January 2025

​13th February 2025

​13th March 2025

​10th April 2025

​8th May 2025

​12th June 2025

The AGM has also been arranged for the 10th July in the Scrum Bar starting at 6.30pm.

b) A donation to Phil Novis’s charity is to be arranged.

A memorial to Phil was suggested for the office. This is to be discussed further at the next meeting.

• Action: ALL

c) There was a problem with accessibility for people with limited mobility at the Northampton match and it was suggested that we should contact future away clubs to forewarn them of the need suitable access facilities and ask what measures they have in place.

• Action: NL/MA

d) Do we have a record of how many members we have going on away trips and how has this changed over recent times.

• Action: MA

e) JR is in talks with Phils family to recover all of the Followers material that he had.

• Action: JR

f) In view of recent events we now require a Vice Chairman please!

• Action: ALL

g) In has been agreed with the Club that we will sell our Jackpot tickets on Ladies Day and then give a donation to Sue Ryder.

• Action: GA

12) The next meeting will be on Thursday 14th November 2024 at 6.30pm in the SDC Suite.

There being no further business the meeting was closed at 8pm.