Minutes of Windmill Angling Club AGM – March 24th, 2025

Venue: Bulls Head, Mottram St Andrew

Introduction
Chairman Mark Bowden (MB) opened the meeting and thanked all members for attending.

Apologies
Apologies were received from:
Richard Stanford, Mick West, Brian Smith, Phil Mannion, Paul Abela, Lee Parrott, Jamie Robinson, Andrew Whittle, Lee Brightmore, Bob Hallworth, Andy Moore, Pete Turner, Alan Chaplin, Alan Peacock, Paul Wilmot, and Adam Sebes.

Minutes of the Last AGM
The minutes from the 2024 AGM were read out by Stuart Drabble.
Proposed by: A. Southern
Seconded by: C. Watson-Parke

Secretary’s Report – Pete Boyce
The solar aerator operation has been reinstated for 2025 – thanks were given to Craig Watson-Parke for his efforts.
An application for a further Environment Agenct grant from the 2025 budget has been submitted, and feedback is awaited.
The Trustees issue has now been resolved and the club’s four current Trustees are officially registered with the Land Registry.

Treasurer’s Report – Andy Southern
The 2024 accounts were audited and signed off by the club’s President, Ray Boden. These are available for members to view upon request.
The club’s current financial position as of 24th March 2025:
Bank balance: £3,049.83
Fish Donations Fund: -£620 (to be reset to £0 from the main account)
Small Pool Donations Fund: £358
Insurance for the year: £527 (yet to be paid)
Environment Agency Grant application is pending – the membership will be informed as soon as we have any official notification.
The club’s financial status is healthy, and we are moving towards being self-sustainable, allowing us to cover year-to-year improvements and emergency expenses (e.g. hiring diggers or tree surgeons) without requiring external funding.
Nick Metcalfe raised the possibility of providing a toilet at Hunters, either temporarily over the summer or as a permanent solution. The committee agreed to assess feasibility once the grant outcome and the costs of planned works are known.
The committee reaffirmed that the top priority for club funds remains the complete renovation of the small pool, which continues to be a valuable asset to the club.

Match Secretary’s Report – Stuart Drabble
Several matches are planned in the coming months. Final dates will be confirmed on the club website. Provisional fixtures are as follows:
Committee Match (Small Pool) – 8th June
Thales Match – 21st June
Windmill Cup – 13th July
Harold Taylor Trophy – 27th July
Gawsworth Pools (at the Serpentine Canal) – 10th August
Peter Edge Cup – 31st August
Junior Match – 7th September
Sutton Reservoir Challenge (at Sutton Reservoir) – 13th September

Working Party/Fisheries Officer Report (Read by Andy Southern on behalf of Bob Hallworth)
A big thank you was given to everyone who attended the recent Work Party. The main task was to move tonnes of clay to seal the dam. Initial observations suggest the run-off area beyond the dam is now completely dry, indicating success.
Clay was also laid over the hardcore near the water’s edge (below the bench) to encourage fish spawning. The Committee are investigating Coir “blankets” filled with plants from an aquatic plants expert for creating a safe spawning area for fish and are awaiting a quote.
Work Party dates are now available on the club website.

Safeguarding Officer’s Report – Craig Watson-Parke
Craig attended a training session with the Angling Trust (AT) and will share details of future sessions with any members who may be interested.
The club remains fully compliant with current safeguarding expectations.
The Angling Trust has requested access to the club’s safeguarding procedures as an example to help other clubs implement similar measures. This request has been granted.

Election of Officers
All positions were re-elected unanimously, with no changes from the previous year:
President & Honorary Auditor – Ray Boden
Chairman – Mark Bowden
Secretary – Pete Boyce
Treasurer, Data Protection Officer, Assistant Welfare Officer & Website Officer – Andy Southern
Match Secretary & Minutes Secretary – Stuart Drabble
Welfare Officer & Aerator Officer – Craig Watson-Parke
Fisheries Officer & Working Party Officer – Bob Hallworth

Proposals
Andy Southern read through the proposed rule changes, which had been available for members to review on the club website and had been discussed at previous meetings. All were unanimously approved, here is a selection of the changes:
All adult members to pay the same subscription fee – OAP/Senior concessions removed.
Members who reach age 80 with over 10 years of membership will automatically become honorary members.
Match entry fees must be paid in advance to secure a peg when booking a place.

Any Other Business (AOB)
Mark Bowden invited members to share advice or recommendations for future club policies.
A request was made for an update on predation issues at Hunters. The committee confirmed that current deterrents (bird scarers, mink traps, scarecrows) are proving effective.
Members are asked to remain vigilant and report any sightings or suspicions via the club WhatsApp group, providing photo evidence where possible.

The meeting closed at 8:20 PM.