The Annual General Meeting of Sussex Gymnastics was held on Wednesday, 8 May 20:30 at the The Jack & Jill Inn, Clayton, BN6 9PD.

Neither the Chair (Laura Wilton) or the Vice-chair (Emma Ballancore) were able to attend. Sally-Anne Warner (Hawth) agreed to act as chair on their behalf.

 
Present

Keith Walter
Mike Gevaux
Josie O’Connor
Kim Mirceta
Sarah Dyson-Bottle
Emma Pope
Richard Keasley
Sally-Anne Warner
Charlotte Wynne-Pennels
Lisa Jestico
Kim Kennedy
Nikki Huggins
Francesca Sherlock
Jessica Wildeman
Jeanette Sherlock
Beth Burchett
Emily Knight
Heather Sampford

Apologies for Absence

Jade Wadnam
Amanda Wadman
Emma Ballancore
Julia Belchamber
Mark Poore 

Minutes of the last meeting

The minutes from the last meeting (7 February) were agreed to be correct. There were no matters arising. 

Chair’s Report

Report attached

Treasurer’s Report

Report attached

The treasurer's report available here is quite brief. Please ask the treasurer if you need more details. 

Club funding

It was agreed that Sussex Gymnastics will continue funding coach and judge education for the forthcoming year. This funding will be available for any BG recognised course (including Activity Instructor).

High interest account

Sussex Gymnastics has attempted to open a high interest account with Skipton Building Society. However, the previous minutes (7 Feb) did not record the details of this intention correctly. Keith Walter (Treasurer) and Sally-Anne Warner (Vice-treasurer) will act as trustees for this account. Two signatures will be required to operate the account. Sally-Anne and Keith will return the application back to Skipton Building Society next week.

Discipline Reports

General

The Sussex Championships for Novice and Intermediate was really successful. We hope to hold a similar event at the same time next year. This event includes a category for one hour gymnasts, which did not have many entries.

The criteria for Floor & Vault competitions will change. The new rules will hopefully be published in the Summer. 

Festival

Report attached

Acrobatics

Report attached

Trampoline / DMT

There have been some trampoline competitions and there are more in the future.

Tumble

Report attached

Team-gym

Report attached

Men's Artistic

Report attached

Women's Artistic

Report attached

Welfare report

Report attached

Welfare Officers are doing a lot of support visits for clubs for minimal payments (expenses). Sussex Gymnastics should create a schedule of fees for these support visits. 

Clubs need to ensure they have a budget for the involvement of County Welfare Officers.

Election of Officers

Chair

Laura Wilton is not currently attached to a Sussex club, so is not eligible to take on a role within Sussex Gymnastics. She stated she was prepared to continue in role as chair.

Heather Sampford also said she was wiling to take on the role.

There was a vote by the clubs present (each club having one vote). The majority of clubs present voted for Heather Sampford.

Vice-chair

Emma Ballancore was not able to attend and is struggling to maintain involvement due to personal reasons. However, nobody else is willing to take on this role. Sarah Dyson-Bottle said she would stand in until such a time as Emma feels she can get involved again.. 

Position Candidate
Proposed
Seconded
Chair Heather Sampford [voted]  
Vice-chair Emma Ballancore Kim Mirceta Heather Sampford
Treasurer Keith Walter Sally-Anne Warner Lisa Jestico
Secretary Emily Knight Sally-Anne Warner Richard Keasley

Discipline representatives

Most discipline representatives were willing to stand again. They were agreed on block.

Position Candidate
General Kim Mirceta
Beth Burchett
Festival Sarah Dyson-Bottle
Acrobatic Charlotte Wynne-Pennels
Rhythmic  
Trampoline / DMT Julie Belchamber
Kim Kennedy
Tumble Nikki Huggins
Mark Poore
Team-gym Sally-Anne Warner
Men's Artistic Richard Keasley
Women's Artistic Lisa Jestico

Other roles

Position Candidate
Welfare officer Mike Gevaux
Dawn Hyland

Any other business

Funding proposal

Lisa Jestico has put forward a proposal to help fund gymnasts who are part of a home nation or national squad system (read Performance funding).

This funding is only available to those representing GB, a home nation, or the gymnast's nation.

The total amount awarded needs to be capped per year. For this reason, funding will probably be awarded retrospectively at the end of the year.

Lisa and Sally-Anne Warner will put together the precise criteria for this funding. It will be brought to the next meeting (dates below).

Paying in cash

People are experiencing some difficulty paying cash into the bank after an event. It is inevitable that some cash will be received at events. There is a identity card that some bank issue to allow paying in of cash.

Sussex Gymnastics will try to obtain some of these cards. 

Meeting dates 2024-2025 

  1. 17 July 2024
  2. 16 October 2024
  3. 5 February 2025
  4. 7 May 2025 (AGM)

Richard will book the same venue (Jack & Jill PH) for all four meetings. 

The meeting closed at 22:25.