CRCC EXECTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING – April 2025

Justin Smith·
MeetingsNews

List of Committee Members Present.

  • Maggie Hargraves
  • Malcom Hargraves
  • Claire Bedford
  • Paul Meadows
  • Colin White
  • Justin Smith
  • Julie Taplin
  • Jacqui Mortlock
  • Keith Clarke
  • Derek Snowling

Apologies for Absence

  • Jonathan Smith
  • David Taplin
  • Greg Andrews

Approval of previous minutes (March 2025)

Colin White & Jacqui Mortlock

Treasurers Report for CRCC accounts and Youth accounts.

Main and youth accounts sent out. Youth account money spent for kit this month.

Nick advised that sum up payments have been made. Nick will pay the moneys into the club account. Going forward there needs to be a change to the account so that the money is paid straight into the club account again – Maggie.

Outstanding actions from previous meeting:

  • Maggie to amend the new members’ email – Maggie to do via BC – on going.
  • Nick Swainston to speak to BC HQ (ladies national race) – outstanding.
  • Nick to provide list of club records – ongoing
  • Helen & Kelly to review the document & review in next meeting to agree before it’s put on the web site – on going

Membership – Justin

15 new members. 218 members currently. Action: Simon asked Justin to confirm which are youth members – Justin

Safe guarding – Jacqui Mortlock & Simon

Simon & Jacqui discussed safeguarding for the club. Simon sent an email out with a template with 3 areas which need to be address this year – culture, training & grass track.

1. Ensuring references and DBS are in place. 2. Youth riders, training plans and science behind it. What are the challenges of young riders riding with adults. 3. Grass track looking at routines and confirming what is best practise. Action: Simon asked if the members could please have a look at the email & advise if there is anything else that you would like to add – All check if any comments.

Simon advised that in future if there are youth riders riding in an adult session it needs to be raised in the committee meeting to ensure responsibility of safe guarding.

Jacqui has 17 DBS.

Jacqui shared the children’s guide to give to the children advising who the contacts are if there are concerns, who the coaches are etc.

Organiser Jock Wadley – Nick Swainston

£4,008 income, outgoings £3,875, profit £132.62 from the Wadley. Action: Nick to send copy of invoice raised to Maggie – Nick

Nick mentioned that he has spoken to a number of people about applying for the race to go into the national series, however he doesn’t know the consequences.

Complaints from locals about rubbish from the Wadley cyclists. Nick suggested having a litter drop zone so that marshals can drop the litter at that location. After feed zone rubbish was higher. 3 emails received by the chairman complaining about the litter. The item about littering was mentioned in the pre-race briefing. In future it could be added onto the race flyer that a team will be litter picking the next day to minimise the complaints.

Reliability – Paul Meadows

Paul could still do with some more help, Adrian, Steven, Maggie, Julie & Jacqui will be helping. Need help to ensure people don’t wonder off into the road. Sandra will be helping in the kitchen. What is the clubs nominated charity – Maggie suggested asking Simon if he would suggest a charity. Simon suggested Essex & Herts air ambulance. Maggie has put a post up on Face Book for 300 miles in 3 days. Paul mentioned that it’s sometimes hard to notice or find posts on Face Book. Maggie to send all to Justin to help add to Face Book. Nick to ensure Paul has some radios, Maggie will bring some bottles. Hall from 8am, 8.30 sign on, off by 9am.

TT – Matt Haigh

First open TT held on 06th April. 15 were Rovers. The cycling TT have a new admin system for running TT. This will offer a system which will combine all details about the TT, which would mean we don’t have to use Event Bright. There will be a small charge to everyone who enters to fund the system. There will also be a timing module on the system in June. The club must ensure that all the TT are on the system. The inter club event with the club & Sudbury will be changed from 22nd May to 29th May as Sudbury have a double-booking Action: Calendars to be updated – Matt. Action: Quote for another set of full numbers – Matt. £68.50 profit made from the TT.

Youth Development – Simon Wilson

MTB East this year will be for adults and youths. 6 races last year & this year they have increased to 10 this year with 4 extra venues. Grass track starts officially on12th May. 28th April taster event for new riders will be held for this. Members have created a shopping list of equipment (pedals etc) needed. Simon have approved that he can still coach but will have a first aider with him which will be funding by Simons civil claim.

Archives – Keith & Derek.

Old start sheets, photos, ledgers etc & the need to be housed somewhere & Derek has asked if someone would like to take them to store. Keith looked at storage units for £10 per week. If we put them in the storage unit they would have to be sealed. Action: Cost to be confirmed for storing all archives digitally – Simon. Action: Archives to be stored in plastic sealed boxes – Keith & Derek. Action: Maggie will be sending out a notice for Archive Secretary – Maggie. (completed)

Geoff donated £250 to the club in his will.

Presentation/Christmas Dinner – Maggie Hargraves

Marks Tey Mariott Hotel booked for 22nd Nov. Place limited to 100. Action: will put this onto the newsletter. Any places needed to be advised to Maggie.

MTB/Off Road update – Jonathan Smith

Colchester Rovers Off-Road and Mountain Bike Report

March Off-road event

The delayed local loop around the Rowhedge area went ahead with much better conditions ‘under foot’ on 23rd March. The riders enjoyed some off roading without having to travel to find tracks. I think most people experienced some new routes, even if they had ridden quite a bit at other times.

We stopped at FutureBikes in Rowhedge for coffee and cakes, probably for the last time as they are moving to Shrub End Road soon.

 

The feedback was very positive for the ride, even for the unfortunate rider who came off and ended up in a large patch of brambles in the wood in Rowhedge.

MTBeast 2025 Season

This is just around the corner now, starting on April 6th. A number of Rovers have expressed interest and quite a few, including some youths have signed up. 

Last year the Club had two podiums – Dan Hall first in Elite Male and Alex Hennessy 2nd in Elite Female.

The first event this year is for Rovers to be able to pre-ride the Potash course on Wednesday 3rd April before the first round. A number of Rovers have expressed interest in attending and are looking forward to it. 

The MTBeast season is as follows…

R1 6th April Potash Woods, Rochford

R2 27th April Potash Woods, Rochford

R3 4th May Betteshanger Park, Kent – New venue

R4 11th May Potash Woods, Rochford

R5 25th May Garon Park, Southend XCC round – New venue

R6 1st June Potash Woods, Rochford

R7 8th June Twisted Oaks, Ipswich – New Venue

R8 15th June Betteshanger Park, Kent – New venue

R9 22nd June Potash Woods, Rochford

R10 6th July Potash Woods, Rochford

I will be acting as an Assistant Commissaire this year. I have previously been involved in marshalling and time keeping. Hopefully this will be a new skill I can learn and build on.


AOB

  • Bike box calendar. Action: Any new bookings to be added to the new calendar – Helen & Kelly
  • Committee pictures updated to the site –
  • Nick raised that Thursday group rides started last week & John Smith is keen to help run a grupetto which will ride at the pace of the slowest rider & concentrate on new people to the rides. This will help bolster payment of the sessions. We would have 5 groups & ensure that the leaders will be consistent every week.
  • Kelly asked if everyone was happy with newspaper stuff and info which is going up on the site. Maggie asked if we could put something up on FB about the presentation dinner.
  • Kelly hand book – is there a list of the club’s core believes and values to add to the hand book. It will be up to the club to pull something together. Action: All the info from Paul Blacker will be on an email sent to Nick – Kelly to check.
  • Election of the next president, Maggie would like to call an extraordinary AGM to elect the new president. Action: Maggie to organise to use the next committee meeting 06th May to do this. (completed)
  • Action: 06th May to also be used to discuss how the trophies will be used etc – Maggie.
  • Committee meetings are £720 a year for the use of the room. Nick has offered his office for meetings (Lisle House, Lion Walk offices), there is parking in the high street or Vineyard street. Maggie suggested that from 2nd June we could trial Nick’s offices.