President's Report 2023

Newsletter  •  Posted 12th December 2023

Overall, it’s been a quiet year for the club.  Work has continued in relation to our Transition into a CIO.  There has been some delay in transferring the land registry to the new trustees because of an issue with the way the Cricket net land was registered.  However, it’s now resolved and the transfer should complete soon.  We also need to apply for a new bank account since the CIO is a different legal entity from the old unincorporated association.  I am proposing that we apply to Metro bank as the Football Club recently opened a new account with them and they have been impressed with the level of service so far.

During the year we have also been working on the plans to refurbish the bar and Presidents Lounge.  A design has now been finalised and plans have been shared with the subsidiary club Chairs and are available to be viewed by all members.  I’m currently working with the designer to engage with contractors and then we can start to finalise the plans in terms of furniture and finishes.  I don’t have a final view of costs or timescales currently, but am hoping to be able to share that information in the new year.  

We’ve also made progress with finding volunteers to take on the roles within the new OW Sports Club Council and these will be voted in at the AGM.  Although the position of Estates Manager is still vacant so if anyone is interested in the role, please get in touch.  In the meantime we’ll continue to manage estates matters as we currently do.  

In view of the above, this AGM is a somewhat momentous occasion - it’s the very last the old OWA and it’s my last as President.  I’d like to thank Jim Matthews and the other new OWSCC members for stepping up to take on their roles.  We’ve been running the OWA and OWSCC meetings together for around 6 months.  The team are fully up to speed on all matters.  I wish them every success as they take over the day to day running of the club.

The new structure will facilitate a different focus for my successor as President – Stuart Paton.  His priority will be the ‘Old Wilsonian’ side of things and, in particular, OWs who don’t participate in sports at Hayes.  This will involve building closer ties with the school and finding new ways to engage with the wider alumni community.  The first such event is already in planning - we’re hoping to organise an Alumni dinner at the school in 2024.  Further details on this will be publicised as soon as we’ve firmed up the plans.  Stu is extremely passionate about the OW community and I’m certain he will successfully reinvigorate a facet of our organisation that has been somewhat neglected for too long.

We’re in the process of closing down the SuperDraw and 200 Club because they do not align with the rules for such draws now that we are a CIO.  The SuperDaw account will be closed on 31/12/23 and the 200 club early in the new year.  These will be replaced by an exciting new scheme with fewer draws per year, but with significantly larger prizes. We’ll be marketing the new scheme and looking for participants as soon as the old draw accounts are closed.  If you’d like to register your interest for the new scheme, please contact myself or Chesney Jennings.

I’d like to finish by thanking everyone across the organisation – fellow OWA Council members, Subsidiary club chairs and their committees, and all our members - for contributing to making the club we love as vibrant and successful as it is.  My tenure as president has had its fair share of challenges – not least of all the COVID pandemic, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and am immensely proud of all that’s been achieved across the Association and Subsidiary clubs over the last 3 years.

Mark Mace