You will find below details relating to the forthcoming AGM. Particular thanks to Greg Smith for sorting all this out. Members should have received the notification and accompanying reports via email. However I’ve copied and pasted some of the material in case this is helpful. I must apologise for some formatting problems but my ageing laptop is proving more and more temperamental. Looking foward as ever to seeing everyone on the 4th.

Dear member,

On behalf of the Lancashire Walking Club, I would like to invite you to attend this year’s 116th AGM to be held on Saturday 4^th November 2023 at Lady Wilton Hall, Simister Lane, Simister, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 2RX.

MAP OF VENUE

The AGM will be held after a 5km Race which starts at 1.00pm.

It is essential that you make every effort to attend in order that your valued contribution will help with the election of officers and decisions to be made for the future success of Lancashire Walking Club.

Kind Regards,

Dave Evans

Chairman                                                     email    dave.evans08@hotmail.co.uk

HEALTH THE FIRST WEALTH

Founded November 1907

Lady Wilton Hall, Simister, Manchester
Saturday 4 th November 2023

116 th Annual General Meeting

Agenda

1. Chairman’s Welcome.
2. Members present to sign the Attendance Register
3. Apologies for absence
4. Minutes of the 115 th AGM: see the attachment Minutes of the 115th AGM of
   Lancashire Walking Club
5. Matters arising from the Minutes not on today’s agenda: if you think the
   Minutes contain any factual error or inaccuracies and thus are not a correct record
   of last year’s meeting, or if there is any matter arising from those minutes that we
   are not scheduled to consider in the remainder of today’s agenda, then please raise
   them at this point.
6. Annual Reports from the Chairman and the President for 2022/23: see the
   attachment, Chairman’s Report 2022-23. President’s Report to follow.
7. Treasurer’s Report of Accounts for Financial Year Ending 30 th September
   2023: see the two attachments Income & Expenditure 2023 and Treasurer’s Report
   2023.
8. Annual Awards 2022/23: see the four attachments: Handicapper’s Report 2023;
   Handicap Prize Analysis Sheet for 2023; Handicap Prizes 2023; Trophies-Cups-
   Shields As at 31 st October 2023.
    Please note the proposal in the Handicapper’s Report about how the 2023-
   24 competition might be organized: for discussion at the meeting.
    There are two awards decided by a vote of the membership and announced
   at the meeting: (1) the A. J. Taylor Award, which goes to the best
   performance by a Lancashire Walking Club member. It can be objectively
   or subjectively ‘the best’; (2) the Cliff Royle Silver Salver, which is
   awarded for the best long-distance performance by a Lancashire Walking
   Club member.
9. Election of Officers for the Year 2023/24: The current officers are:

• President of Lancashire Walking Club: Adrian Edwards
• Chairman: Dave Evans
• Treasurer: Roy Gunnett
• Racing Secretary and General Secretary: Roy Gunnett
• Trophies Officer: Roy Gunnett.
• Auditor: Ian Hilditch.
• Handicapper: Dave Evans
• NARWA Representative: Sailash Shah
• AGM Secretary and Club Captain: Greg Smith

1. Provisional Fixtures for 2024: see the attachment, LWC Fixtures List 2024
2. Any Other Business
3. Date of the next (117 th ) AGM: Saturday 2nd November 2024.

Chairman’s Report 2022-23

Despite a few hiccups during the year caused by the unavailability of race venues we still managed to contest a full programme of events including two virtual races. Heaton Park decided to play host to a Christmas programme, so our usual festive celebration was kicked into touch and we had to go virtual. Given the likelihood that January would bring adverse weather conditions underfoot we promoted a second virtual event. Other interruptions were flagged up as potential game changers with Simister having to undergo rewiring and health and safety aspects and the Bury running track a resurfacing. Both were eventually completed in time for our fixtures and many thanks to Roy Gunnett for keeping his finger on the pulse and liaising with the powers that be over their completion.

Our numbers have remained fairly constant, boosted on occasion by visitors from further afield. Fred’s principle was that we should endeavour to hit the 20 mark whenever we could and on the day of his relay we had at least that number but 5 were helping with marshalling and recording. The Horwich BMAF races were promoted again in June thanks to sterling work by Eric Horwill and Adrian Edwards. We came away from these championships with a tidy haul of titles and medals. The Centurions 100 mile took place at Middlesbrough again and although we had no club members aiming to participate at the full distance, we saw Martin Fisher doing 50 miles and a quartet of our regulars opting for the 50k challenge. Adrian Edwards was our first home in 6 hrs 19 with Martin Payne a very solid 6 hrs 43, Roy Gunnett a fine 7 hrs 19 and Sailash Shah bringing us home in 7 hrs 55.

Whilst our normal race venues are now secured, I would like to offer the club’s very grateful thanks to all of our hosts and in particular Eric Crompton and Louise Whaite for the Chorley headquarters and Marshall Barnard for the Macclesfield equivalent. Fortunately, both arelinked to the sport from the 1950’s and before. While we retain a tight group of first claim members, I should mention the walkers who have supported us throughout the competitive year. Glyn Jones is a shining example of someone who loves the sport and is always happy to provide his expertise to us as well as dividing his attendance between competing and marshalling. His partner in crime is Eric Horwill, who was awarded Life Membership in 2023 and later joined by another 90-year-old in the guise of John Payn. Both are Centurions. While we tend to promote our own events over distances between 5k and 10 miles at least one of our number, Martin Payne, pursues those of a longer distance and he regularly walks 50
miles.

Two of our club members are responsible for the health and wealth of our association with Roy Gunnett keeping our finances and fixtures under tight control an integral part of any club and Tony Taylor who commands such respect in the race walking community. The Club’swebsite, which he manages, regularly provides well written epitaphs of walkers who have sadly passed away and for whom Tony’s meticulous attention to detail gives them a worthy send off. Our infrastructure would be matched in very few clubs around the country, and it is to both Roy and Tony that we should offer our sincere thanks. Behind the scenes Chris Pearce supports our endeavours as did Fred and we continue to exist thanks to their contribution to club life.

We move into the new competitive year with a sound bank balance and a lot of goodwill. My final thoughts are that we might encourage new members to join us, and one recent addition is already “rocking the boat”! Can I wish you all good health and success in achieving your goals and always remember our club motto: “Health the first wealth”.

Dave Evans, Chairman.

Treasurers Report 2023

I’m pleased to report that all active members have paid their Annual
Subscriptions for 2022/2023 and we have no outstanding debts.
For the year Race receipts, Subscriptions and Donations amounted to £1,197
The club won £20.00 in the RWA 200 club.

The main item of expenditure for the club is the England Athletics Fee which
was £422 for the combined club and membership fees.
The next main item of expenditure is Room and Track hire. This was £420 of
which £270 was for 2 races at the Bury Track.
We also made a donation of £100 to help towards the rewiring of the Lady
Witton Hall at Simister. Another £100 donation was made to the St Peter’s
Club at Macclesfield.
The purpose of this was a small token of thanks for all the years we have
been able to use the club.

At the end of the year there was a deficit of £29.00 Therefore total income
and expense were again remarkably similar.
The Lancashire Walking Club remains in a strong financial position with our
Financial worth now at £1866.18 together with a stock of club vests with a
value of £151. The annual subscription for members will remain at £20 for next year.

Roy Gunnett
Hon. Treasurer
October 2023

Handicapper’s Report 2023

The basic principle in handicapping is to offer all participants the opportunity of competing against colleagues on an equal footing. To do this the handicapper prepares a list of competitors and estimates in advance their predicted time for the coming race. Once the race is over every time is adjusted to produce a Net list which is the finishing time less the handicap adjustment. As you will appreciate this is not always as accurate as we would like especially when we all suffer injury and illness.

This year’s prize winners, headed by Roy Gunnett, contested at least 8 events with Roy supporting them all. Roy has suggested that we offer an alternative method of calculating our prize winners. Instead of trying to do all of them you would choose your top 8 races taking the pressure of you to squeeze in all 11. Roy will work out the points for each race you do and add up the best 8.

Dave Evans.

Regarding the AJ Tayor Award and the Cliff Royle Silver Salver, which are awarded by the membership. please send your nominations to Greg Smith at smithgwh@gmail.com