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One of the Goals of the club is to be a leading club in the county. An expanded membership, with greater participation has been at the heart of that strategy. Our membership has now increased to 99 full and associate members and average attendances have increased to more than 25 tables per week.
In addition, alongside the membership strategy, the committee is actively looking to improve the playing facilities of the club with a move to larger, more suitable premises being a priority.
Consequently the main committee formed a property sub-committee earlier in the year focusing on a review and search for new premises. Progress made by the sub-committee so far includes -
· Identifying minimum requirements for new premises (size, parking)
· Developing a financial model for funding any move, and
· Physically reviewing potential premises in the area
This is major strategy and its implementation needs careful planning and consideration. The committee feels that good progress has been made on options being examined during the continuing feasibility stage.
The committee recognises that the search for a new location for the club is a major challenge. Management and delivery on these type of projects can be very protracted. However the committee is enthusiastic about progress so far and will continue to work on ways of meeting the clubs objective.
We are also aware that Kingsley Bridge Club is consulting its members on the possibility of a merger between the two clubs. In the event that Kingsley members are in favour of a merger then the Northampton Committee will seek to develop a detailed proposal, in consultation with Kingsley, setting out the terms and conditions of any merger, which it will submit to a Special Meeting for the Northampton membership to consider.
It is the Northampton Committee's view that a successful merger would help to achieve our goals and provide better opportunities for players of all abilities to play and enjoy their bridge.
Richard Tickle,
Chairman,
Northampton Bridge Club |