Club Minutes

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CRCC Minutes

2nd July 2026 7:00pm @The Near Boot

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1. Standing Items

1.1. Welcome

Chair Neil welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1.2 Those Attending

Chair Neil Irwin
Vice Chair Paul Wooding
Treasurer Nigel Dickinson
Welfare Officer Angela Irwin
Ride Organiser Jack Sanderson Baillie
Member Mally Armstrong
Member Phil Jobson
Jacky Brennan
Secretary George Cairns

1.3 Apologies for Absence

Jacky Brennan was on holiday and sent her apologies.

1.4 Approval of Minutes

The Minutes of the 27th March 2026 Committee Meeting were approved as a true and accurate record of the proceedings.

1.5 Membership

Membership is 130 which is 16% down on last meeting. George said that membership always dips after renewal on 1^st April but gradually grows thereafter.

1.6 Budget

The Year End was 31st March 2026.

Total income over the past financial year was £2984.45.
Total expenditure over the same period was £2001.68.
The balance of income over expenditure of £982.77 brought the current bank credit balance to £1857.69.

2. Actions Arising

Action: 15/1/26/5

On: Neil

Requirement: Post an article on the CRCC open Facebook page stating that the club will offer guidance to non-members on the Carlisle Cycle Circuit, with a view to encouraging them to join the Club.

Conclusion: Neil has posted an article to this effect with a link to the club website.

Action Complete

Action: 27/3/26/1

On: Phil

Requirement: To contact Palace Cycles and investigate the possibility of arranging a club visit.

Conclusion: Phil spoke to Mike at Palace Cycles and although keen on the idea, Mike said they are too busy at present to accommodate us. The plan is to ask Mike again later in the year.

Action Ongoing

Action: 27/3/26/2

On: Neil

Requirement: To:

Inform members of current stock holdings.
Request their kit requirements.
Collate the results and round up the number of items to meet minimum order requirements.
Consult Committee with regard to the cost of a new purchase order.

Conclusion: See on Going Business Para 3.5

Action Complete

Action: 27/3/26/3

On: Paul

Requirement: To contact Jack and impress on him that the Reliability Ride)routes are required ASAP and that the Green route in particular, should not be too long.

Conclusion: Action Complete

Action: 27/3/26/4

On: Nigel

Requirement: To send Jack the club’s bank details for inclusion in the App when detailing the Reliability Ride routes.

Conclusion: Action Complete

Action: 27/3/26/5

On: George

Requirement: To send out a second membership renewal reminder.

Conclusion: Action Complete

Action: 27/3/26/6

On: George

Requirement: To contact Eden Valley Hospice to discuss the charity ride initiative.

Conclusion: See on Going Business Para 3.1.1

Action Complete

Action: 27/3/26/7

On: Neil

Requirement: To investigate setting up a Strava link that can track the accumulated mileage of those members participating in the charity event.

Conclusion: Work has been done to get as many members onto Strava as possible and there is a plan in place to get the mileage from those that are not.

Action Complete

Action: 27/3/26/8

On: George

Requirement: To speak to Iain and Dave and seek clarification on web hosting and to discuss whether the £272 Integrity annual charge is value for money.

Conclusion: It was generally thought that this was a fair price for web hosting.

Action Complete

3. Ongoing Business

3.1 2026 Charity event: ‘Around the World with the Reivers’.

3.1.1 On 13th April George and Phil had a productive meeting with Vicki Lesley of Eden Valley Hospice, during which the fundraising initiative was discussed. Vicki then set up the Just Giving page and explained how it worked.

3.1.2 Donations to date: £735 + £163.5 Gift Aid which is 14% of £5k target from 36 supporters.

3.1.3 George compared the membership list with those in the club Strava group. An email was sent to the 41 members not in the Strava group with a request for them to join and 12 did. Contact details of the other 29 were sent to members of the Committee. Each Committee member will contact those allocated to them, requesting their weekly mileage. George will then collect and record this data on a spreadsheet, adding it to the club mileage obtained from the Strava group statistics. A further 11 members of the Strava group who are not current members of CRCC have been removed.

New Action 2/7/26/1: George to send the list of members, who are not in the club Strava group, to the other Committee members..

3.2 Event Brite Ride Leader’s Course: Originally this course was scheduled for 27 April, before being re-scheduled for 27 May. George was enrolled on the course and went to the Harraby Community Centre on the day only to find that no one else showed up. The Community Centre were expecting 8 trainees plus the instructor and had set aside the room and reserved places in the café for that number. On contacting the event organiser, who eventually returned the email, George was told that ‘the instructor has forgotten to put the event in their diary’. George said that he did not accept this version of events as he was the only one of 8 trainees to show up and it is unlikely that the others also ‘forgot’ to put the date in their diaries. Overall a very poor and disappointing show on the part of Event Brite!

3.3 The 2026 Reliability Ride: Neil congratulated Jack and Paul for their hard work and excellent planning that resulted in a successful Reliability Ride. However, Phil suggested that the ride could be improved if the route comprised two loops, each starting and finishing at the same venue. Riders could do the first loop and finish at the venue for refreshments (like a café stop) before embarking on the second loop, which would be over a different route. The final stop is when main refreshments would be available. Paul said that there would be cost implications as the venue staff would be required to be in attendance for longer. Despite this, it was generally agreed that the two-loop plan had merit and was worth trying next year. Nigel said that payment through direct bank transfer worked well and was easier and preferable to the use of Pay Pal. Paul suggested that the Reliability Ride should be on a fixed date each year; for example the 3rd Sunday in April. Neil said that this was a good idea and that the Reliability Ride will henceforth be on the 3rd Sunday in April, unless that happens to be Easter Sunday.

3.4 Green Ride Initiative: George said that the two Green Rides he ran were both poorly attended and that Green rider attendance on the Wednesday evening rides was variable. Phil said that the Wednesday evening rides are the main focus of the club but they are very poorly attended: especially by Blue riders. He went on to say that there is no organisation at the start of the ride and they become a ‘free for all’. After discussion it was agreed that an organiser needs to be in overall charge and a leader needs to be agreed upon by those in each colour group. This can be done informally; the main thing is that everyone in the colour group knows who the leader is.

The organiser must brief all present ensuring:

The emphasis is on safety at all times.
There is strict compliance with the club’s ‘no drop’ policy.
That everyone is aware the ride is not a race.
That each colour group informally appoints a leader before setting off.
That the colour group leaders are to ensure their group stays together and that everyone is safe and accounted for at all times.

Jack suggested that the evening rides should be on Thursdays instead of Wednesdays as this may encourage some of the Tuesday Blue riders to attend.

New Action 2/7/26/2: Jack to pilot the revised procedure for the evening ride.

3.5 Club Kit: There was a lengthy discussion regarding club kit. The way to order existing kit is to:

Open an order portal for a period of four weeks. This can be done at any time of the year.
Members pay the manufacturer (Moda) directly.

However, there needs to be a minimum order of 10 for each item. E.G., 10 jerseys; 10 Bib Shorts Etc. The sizes making up the order of the 10 items can vary, although, men’s and women’s items are counted as separate items. If less than 10 items are required per article the club would need to make up the shortfall and add the surplus items to the existing stock. When Nigel was doing the stocktake, Mike Craig (Back Street Bicycles) suggested that if ordering stock, there needs to be more XXL and XL sizes.

Neil suggested that we should open a portal for limited items only. I.E., Jerseys and Gilets (both men’s and woman’s) to avoid excessive outlay and stock holdings.

The discussion then changed to thoughts on redesign of the club kit. It was generally felt that if the design was modernised, there would be a better uptake among the members. Jack knows a Graphic Designer who recently designed kit for his own club. Ang quickly produced an impressive AI generated example of what the kit could look like. It was generally agreed that if we decide to go for a new, more appealing design of the club kit, there would be no point in pursuing purchase of the existing design. George said that the money spent on the existing stock holding is money that has been spent and as such this should not be a barrier preventing procurement of redesigned kit. The ideal time to launch sales of redesigned kit would be at the AGM in November.

New Action 2/7/26/3: Jack to investigate design of new club kit with his Graphics Design contact and Nigel to do the same with the existing supplier, Moda, with the aim of presenting the new design at the AGM in November.

4. New Business

4.1 Try Rider Issue: George stated that there was a problem recently when a Try Rider turned up without: a pump, spare tube, money, and phone. Furthermore, his bike was defective right from the start and he was ultra slow! He was holding up the group and asked to take a short-cut to the café: which he did on his own. Almost immediately after the café stop he got a puncture and it was quickly apparent that he did not know how to fix it. George went on to say that although he speaks to Try Riders before they ride with the club, he will in future include specific questions on kit , the type and reliability of their bicycle and their mechanical experience before discussing where and when the ride is scheduled to start.

4.2 AGM:

4.2.1 Discussion took place over the time and place of the 2026 AGM. In conclusion, it was proposed by Neil and seconded by Mally that the AGM be scheduled for Wednesday 18th November or Thursday 19th November (if the 18th is not available) in Carlisle Rugby Club commencing 19:00. This proposal was agreed by all.

New Action 2/7/26/4: George to contact the Rugby Club and discuss a suitable date and time for the club AGM.

4.2.2 Review AGM 2025 Actions:

Action 1 2025 AGM: Secretary George to liaise with Coach Neil and identify a suitable way ahead to resolve the Ride Leader issue. Action Complete.

4.2.3 At present there is only one Resolution for the 2026 AGM, although the number of Resolutions may increase as time goes on:

Resolution 1: Keep the new member joining fee at £15 and the renewing membership fee and second charge fee at £12.

4.2.4 George asked those present if they intend standing for the 2026 - 2027 committee:

Chair Neil

Standing down after 3 years in post.

Vice Chair Paul

Standing again after 1 year in post.

No need for a vote unless there are other contenders.

Treasurer Nigel

Standing again after 1 year in post.

No need for a vote unless there are other contenders.

Welfare Officer Ang

Standing down after 2 years in post.

Ride Organiser Jack

Standing down after 4 years in post.

Member without Portfolio Phil

Not yet decided.

Member without Portfolio Mally

Expressed an interest in standing for the Ride Organiser post.

No need for a vote if Mally volunteers for the Ride Organiser post, unless there are other contenders.

Member without Portfolio Jacky

Not yet decided.

Secretary George

Standing again after 2 years in post.

As per the Constitution, a vote is required.

After discussion Ian Wrightson was named as a possible contender for the post of Chair and Terry Johnson was named as a possible Committee Member.

New Action 2/7/26/5: Neil to ask Ian Wrightson if he would consider taking up the post of Chair and Terry Johnson if he would consider joining the Committee as a Member Without Portfolio.

4.2.5 Discussion took place on whether food would be subsidised for those attending the AGM. It was agreed that if the price was similar to the 2025 price, members would be asked to contribute £5 per head, with the club paying the balance. Nigel said that the method of paying directly into the club account would be used, avoiding the need to set up a Pay Pal account, as in the past.

New Action 2/7/26/6: George to contact the Rugby Club caterer and discuss the cost of food for the AGM.

5. Ending Items

5.1 Action Summary

Action: 2/7/26/1

On: George

Requirement: Send the list of members, who are not in the club Strava group, to the other Committee members.

Action: 2/7/26/2

On: Jack

Requirement: Pilot the revised procedure for the evening ride.

Action: 2/7/26/3

On: Jack

Requirement: Investigate design of new club kit with his Graphics Design contact and Nigel to do the same with the existing supplier, Moda with the aim of presenting the new design at the AGM in November.

Action: 2/7/26/4

On: George

Requirement: Contact the Rugby Club and discuss a suitable date and time for the club AGM.

Action: 2/7/26/5

On: Neil

Requirement: Ask Ian Wrightson if he would consider taking up the post of Chair and Terry Johnson if he would consider joining the Committee as a Member Without Portfolio.

Action: 2/7/26/6

On: George

Requirement: Contact the Rugby Club caterer and discuss the cost of food for the AGM.

5.2 Any Other Competent Business

5.2.1 Nigel said that he looked into the cost of providing bespoke ‘headset caps’ bearing the CRCC logo. They can be obtained at a cost of £29.45 / cap.