Date: 13th January 2025, 7.30 p.m.
Venue: First Floor, Cuckoo Tap Room, Paris Street, Exeter, EX1 2JB
Present: Ian Hennessey (IH), Andy Webb (AW), Pete Bishop (PB), Rob Masterson (RM) Jon Hare (JH), James Maddison (JM), Finlay Webb (FW), Mike Rose (MR), Greg Rorke (GR) Diogo Pacheco (DP), Didier Lebatteux (DL), Nick Helsing (NH)
- Apologies rec’d:
Nik Rorke,
- Approval of Previous Minutes:
Minutes were approved
- 3. Matters arising from Previous Minutes:
Actions outstanding from the previous minutes –
JH to arrange purchase of 3 further empty hosepipe reels for Escot CX – JH says plenty of
time, he will complete this action before the 2025 CX season – action to be carried forward to August meeting.
PB to compose communication with SWCX – see under ‘British Cycling’ in these minutes.
JH to research and report back on the possibility of EWCC running an off-road sportive
of some kind. Jon has arranged meeting with EWCC member Mark Szender, who has had previous involvement with ‘Sportiva’, to explore options etc
AW to contact Will Tidball re: guest speaking at Awards Night – AW said he had been in contact with Will Tidball and would confirm that the proposed date of the 22nd Feb would be convenient for Will.
Club Zettle machines – Action PB: produce booking in mechanism/forms – action complete. Note: we are still missing one Zettle.
Tom Hawkins Memorial RR 11th May – Actions: PB to book Uffculme Community Hall as race HQ – action complete; the Pavilion Hall there has been booked and PB was able to confirm that car parking will be available.
- Correspondence:
Club secretary (PB) read two emails received in the info at exeterwheelers.co.uk inbox:
from Xingsan we had an enquiry regarding which of the EWCC Rides would best suit him. Action: RM to reply, suggesting the Saturday Social.
From Chantelle Robertson we received an enquiry regarding her 9 year old son and whether the Exeter Wheelers Academy would be suitable for him. Action: PB to forward email to DP and Craig Lawson. Action: DP and CL to respond accordingly to the enquiry.
- Officer’s Reports (full reports can be found after the Minutes of each meeting)
5.1 Membership – RM
(Cut off for information: 16:15 on Saturday 11th January 2025).
Senior Members 127 (119 male, 8 female)
Family Members (11 memberships) 31 (21 male, 10 female)
Second Claim Members 3
Life / Honorary / Non-paying 14 (11 male, 3 female)
Juniors 2
TOTAL MEMBERS 177 (156 male, 21 female)
There were four applications for new membership, and the committee agreed to accept these new members:
- David Binding, Exton
- Philip Harris, Cranbrook
- Philip Robertson, Exeter
- Kyle McCormick, Topsham
- Discontinued. Tristan Kelsall-Spurr – Tristan has decided to race with friends of his at Okehampton CC, the committee wish him all the best.
———————-Report ends——————–
RM reported that he had been busy processing membership subscription renewals and a some new applications for membership.
99 members have renewed their membership, 82 are outstanding. RM is chasing those outstanding, and it was agreed the cut-off point would be end of February, after which those outstanding would be notified they were no longer members of the club.
The committee thanked RM for taking on the role of Membership Secretary following Sandy Storrie’s departures
5.2 Treasurer – Report from CS received:
Bank Balances
Current – £1,898.61
Saving – £18,337.40
PayPal – £822.66
Total – £21,058.67
December Income
Membership – £685.00
Interest – £28.17
Total Income – £713.17
December Expenses
Storage – £100.00
CTT Membership – £60.00
Membership fee’s – £28.82
Bank Fee’s – £5.00
Total Expenses – £193.82
———————-Report ends——————–
The committee agreed that the club’s finances were in a healthy state.
5.3 British Cycling – NH’s report is as follows:
Tom Hawkins Road Race – This is scheduled for Sunday 11th May. It will be a exactly the same format as previous years (2/3/4 cat event, around 100km, Nicolas Hayne course, HQ in Uffculme ). Pete Bishop is our Organiser. We will get this event registered in the next week.
Westpoint Circuit Races – We have committed to two events, probably on a Thursday evening. Westpoint have confirmed an evening hire cost of £462 (inc. vat) but they have limited availability due to weekend events. The organisers of these events quite often need the Thursday to start setting up. Tuesday or Wednesday evenings may work better but we are trying to coordinate with the Velopark events. We had agreed dates with Andy Parker of 26th June and 3rd July 2025. I’m waiting to hear from Andy about alternatives. The dates Westpoint have are; Tue 17th June, Thurs 19th June, Tue 10th June, Tue 22nd July, Thurs 31st July, & anytime after Wed 9th August.
Dawlish National Series Circuit Race – This is on Friday 6th July. If I don’t hear from him by the end of this week I’ll contact Alan Jones, who is the BC protagonist for this. I’m not optimistic that we will be able to run a full suite of lower category racing on the circuit but we can only try. Jon Hare is on call to hot foot it to the Kenn Arms when we get notification of a meeting!
BC Affiliation – This has been completed for 2025.
Documents for Review attached
Membership benefits by age category for club members who race 2024
Volunteer staff for British Cycling (BC) events 2022
I think the second doc. Is still valid even though it is 2022!
———————-Report ends——————–
Action point: NH and PB to convene Wednesday afternoon 15th January to register the Tom Hawkins Memorial Road Race on BC website.
Action Point: NH to contact Alan Jones re: Dawlish Circuit Race(s) for confirmation of event and what support races might be possible.
NH and JH said that there will be a convening of the SWRRWG via group video/phone on evening of Thursday16th , which JH would join in order to get dates of our Westpoints finalised. Action point: JH to join meeting and report results
Action point: PB to put the two documents from NH (Membership Benefits and Volunteer Staff) on EWCC website and draw to attention of members.
PB reported that JH would be attending the SWCX awards ceremony, where he intended discussing SWCX with fellow SWCX race organisers in order to better inform our eventual communication with SWCX committee regarding what we perceive as shortcomings in transparency, communication etc.
5.4 Cycling Time Trials – report from MR –
Unfortunately, our New Year’s 10 had to be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. Thanks for everybody who had volunteered to help.
Just a thought: would it be more beneficial instead of having a New Years 10 a reliability time trial mid-February hopefully avoiding the adverse weather rider numbers could be more advantageous?
CTTs website for events is still not up and running hopefully it will be available in the coming months.
Things to complete check out the Pete’s club course in the coming weeks.
———————-Report ends——————–
The committee discussed the possibility or the New Year Ten to be replaced by a ‘Reliability Trial’ in February, but felt it would be best to stick with the Ten. It was felt, however, that it would be a good idea to ask members/local riders for indications of intention to ride the event so we could better gauge likely numbers. It was also felt that it would be a good plan to advertise and supply hot soup and bread rolls at the next New Year Ten.
MR said that there would be a planning meeting of East Devon clubs for the Evening Ten Series in early February.
Action point MR – Check out Pete’s club course (Pocombe>Tedburn>Pocombe)
Action point MR – arrange Evening Ten Series planning meeting.
5.5 Audax/Road Records Association – IH reported that there was a steady flow of entries for the club’s various Audax events.
5.6 Go-Ride – DP said that there was nothing to report – he has only recently taken on the role.
5.7 Rides – JH
Rides info has been thin on the ground again this month with the exception of our superb Mince Pie Run!
We had 11 turn up to DCC Car Park, 13 riders at the cafe as 2 joined later. This was a feat in itself as the morning started with freezing rain! After all getting a good dousing it brightened up after an hour or so so we had started to dry out by the time we got to Bluebell Cafe. A lovely welcome of coffee and mince pies greeted us.
A shame we didn’t have our usual numbers but I was surprised to see anyone at all to be honest!
The little I have heard from other rides has all been positive. One or 2 new faces and all rides have a small, regular following.
———————-Report ends——————–
- A.O.B –
The forthcoming awards night: PB reported that he had visited the Cowick Barton Inn in Cowick Lane and spoken with the manager, and that for a cost of £150 room hire and a charge of £15 per head he could supply a self-serve option of four ‘one-pot’ meals, being two x meat-based, one vegan and one fish-based. Maximum capacity 50 individuals. There can also be display screen(s) for showing e.g. rolling display of EWCC images as per last year. PB said that at present the Cowick Barton is available 22nd February and GR said all good for trophy engraving for/by that date. AW said he had spoken with Will Tidball and that the 22nd seemed okay but he would confirm by end of week. The committee agreed that the cost to members to be £10 adults £5 children. Action point: AW to contact Will Tidball to get confirmation.
The committee then discussed a proposal from JH regarding entry fees for competitive events, and whether the club could follow Wheal Velocity’s lead and offer our members free entry to all EWCC-organised events. There then followed a lively discussion, where constraints were looked at, and what other means might be explored for using club funds to benfit our members/foster members, but it was eventually agreed that free entry for members to EWCC events could be trialled for a period, and it was agreed that this period would be the duration of this year 2025. Action point: PB to get the word out to members.
The meeting ended with the committee expressing their thanks to member Harry Shadbolt for his donation of a set of training rollers to the club. Harry is stepping back from racing to allow himself time for family activities and responsibilities, in addition to the aftermath of a shoulder injury.
- Date, Time and Place of next meeting: Monday 10th February 2025, 7.30 p.m. at The Cuckoo Bar.
