Minutes for the AGM held at CJ’s on 23rd October 2025 may be seen by clicking on Minutes.

The reports provided for the AGM are shown below.

Report by Moira (Chair) for the Club Year 2024/5

After our first year of running as an independent afternoon bridge club I need to express my thanks to all those who have helped along the way. I did not think we would get this far in this time frame. Liz helped us find this lovely hall. Jenny was the first person to volunteer to take on a committee role and has acted as a brilliantly organised membership secretary, James and Dhiren acted as initial scorers and struggled with scoring for movements which were not suited to their programmes, an issue solved when Stephen obtained Bridgegem scoring system and matched our movement cards to that programme across the club and training up scorers in that system. So many thanks to our scorers and my fellow Director Stephen for that work.

Sally and Robin have been responsible for the refreshments and then our committee has been responsible for setting up a constitution, various essential documents and Stephen has been our treasurer. We hold public liability insurance and Stephen set up our Whatsapp group and bridgeweb site and Dot produced posters and I contacted local U3A leads, and we have ended our first year with a healthy membership and bank balance.

Of course, these are some of the essentials which helped us develop into the club we are today. Which is a club with a great venue, adequate resources in people willing to help things go smoothly and finances to secure adequate supplies and pay the rent. The result is that we are growing and provide a reliable venue for duplicate bridge with players with mixed ability and an enjoyable afternoon’s play all year round. I would like to thank our committee members and all our players for helping us achieve so much so quickly. I did not quite realise the undertaking it would be.

I am delighted that so many are involved in running the club and encourage others to do so as well, and very keen that we have multiple people able to take on roles, deputising for absences or taking a turn at helping run our club.

We have made mistakes and mess ups but will learn from them, and I hope we stay friendly and welcoming and that it always feels like our club.

Next year we want to have encouraged more people to direct and for all newcomers to feel welcome not only to come and play but to take on other roles in the club, creating a stream of new ideas so we have constant improvements and evolve as a club according to your wishes.

Thank you all for being part of this.

Financial Report by Stephen (Treasurer) for Club Year 2024/5

Harvey’s Bridge Club became an active playing bridge club from 10 October 2024. It began with limited, but sufficient, equipment to support its initial duplicate bridge activity and very limited funds that were accrued from member subscriptions. The aim was to make the club an enjoyable place to play duplicate bridge with the club covering its operational costs.

During the first four months of Harvey’s operation we were using the members’ annual subscription income to cover the small shortfall each week between the cost of operating and the table fee income. It was clear that some equipment such as cards, stationery and bidding box cards would need to be purchased to allow the club to continue functioning in a suitable manner. It was not clear what other equipment may be required as Harvey’s membership grew or what increases in current running costs may occur.

The Committee decided that Harvey’s must cover its running costs with its table fees and the table fees should also generate a surplus to provide a buffer against unexpected increases in running costs and provide the necessary funds to replace used and worn out equipment. From February 2025 the table fee was increased to £3 per person.

Harvey’s has benefited from a steady increase in membership over the year and this has helped with the increased table fees to make the club’s financial position become sound.

Harvey’s has also benefited from donations of packs of cards and table covers from Carole Beavan and larger playing tables from Carole and via Dhiren Parekh.

It is pleasing to report that we are in a good financial position to start our club’s second year.

The annual accounts for the club year 2024/5 may be seen by clicking on the link Accounts 2024/5

Lastly, I would like to thank Moira (Chair) for her insight, enthusiasm and drive in starting our friendly club as without her drive this club would not have got off the ground let alone be in the sound position it has obtained.