President’s AGM Report – 2026

Good afternoon everyone, and thank you all for attending today’s AGM.

For those who may not know me, I’m Andy Phipps and it continues to be a huge honour and privilege to serve as President of Norton House Country Club, now for the fourth year.

Firstly, I hope you’ve all managed to enjoy a happy hour drink before the meeting started, and for those saving themselves until afterwards, don’t worry, the bar will still be open! We thought it might help improve attendance and maybe even make the accounts look slightly better!

And for those of you who may have a sweepstake running on the length of the President’s report this afternoon… I hope you’ve started your stopwatches, and good luck!

I’d like to start by thanking every member, volunteer, member of staff, committee member and supporter who has helped make this another hugely important year for Norton House Country Club.

This club continues to move forward because of the people in this room and the wider membership who support it week in, week out. Whether that’s attending events, volunteering your time, helping maintain the building and grounds, serving on committees, or simply supporting the bar and club activities, every contribution matters.

Financially, the club remains in a strong and stable position. Whilst this year’s reported profit is lower than the previous exceptional year, it’s important to remember this comes during a period of major investment into the building, compliance, staffing and infrastructure. The club recorded a net profit for the year.

Turnover remained extremely strong for the year, continuing the huge progress we’ve made over recent years. Bar sales exceeded and membership income also increased again, showing continued confidence and support from our members.

Most importantly, we’ve achieved this whilst continuing to invest heavily back into the club.

During the year we have:

• Continued major repair and maintenance works across the site

• Invested in fire safety and compliance improvements

• Upgraded areas of the Chantrey Bar

• Improved kitchen and catering facilities

• Invested in staffing and operational support

• Improved gaming, social and entertainment areas

• Continued delivering a strong programme of events and entertainment

  
  

One thing that really stands out this year is just how busy and diverse the club has become again. It’s been fantastic to see all age groups using the club throughout the week.

Our regular weekly activities remain the backbone of the club:

• Quiz and games nights

• Line dancing

• Tea dances

• Bridge club

• Darts and snooker

• Food Fridays

• Live sport

• Social section activities

• Family and themed events

  
  

Alongside these, we’ve also successfully introduced and expanded newer events including comedy nights, live music, race nights and themed events. The feedback has been excellent and, importantly, these events are bringing new people through the doors and helping create a real buzz around the club again.

One of the highlights of the year was undoubtedly the President’s Dinner held in October.

It was fantastic to see the club so well supported for what proved to be a brilliant evening enjoyed by members and guests alike. The atmosphere on the night really showed everything that is great about Norton House Country Club when members come together and support club events.

I’m also very pleased to announce that the President’s Dinner will be returning again this October, so please keep an eye out for announcements and ticket details over the coming months.

Another hugely positive sign for the club is the continued strength and loyalty of our membership.

We currently stand at 396 members, which is a fantastic position for the club to be in and reflects the growing support and engagement we continue to see across all age groups and sections of the club.

Particularly pleasing is the fact that 19 of our members have now supported Norton House Country Club for over 40 years. In today’s world, that sort of loyalty is incredibly special and something the club should be very proud of. The Executive Committee will be discussing options available under the club rules to recognise this remarkable commitment, including the possibility, where financially viable, of offering a membership discount for this long-serving group of members.

I’d personally like to thank all of our long-serving members for their loyalty, support and dedication over so many years. Clubs like ours only survive because generation after generation continue to support them.

A huge thank you must also go to Jim Jefferies and the staff team for the effort they’ve put in throughout the year. Running a club of this size is not easy, especially with rising costs and increasing compliance expectations, and the staff continue to work incredibly hard under pressure.

Importantly, during the year the club also successfully retained its 5-star food hygiene rating following inspection, which is something everybody involved with the kitchen and catering operation should be extremely proud of.

Maintaining those standards takes continual hard work and attention to detail behind the scenes, and it’s a real credit to everybody involved.

I’d also like to thank the Ladies Section who, in December, took the difficult decision to stand down from their official duties within the club. For many years the Ladies Section have played an important role in supporting Norton House Country Club through fundraising, events, catering support and countless hours of voluntary work behind the scenes. Their contribution to the life of the club over many decades should never be underestimated and is hugely appreciated by generations of members.

I’d also like to make special mention of the valuable work carried out behind the scenes by Michael Ellin and Carol Crann. Michael continues to put a huge amount of time and effort into helping manage the club’s finances, supplier relationships and overall financial position - quite literally helping keep the lights on and the cash flowing throughout the year. Likewise, Carol continues to give up her valuable time supporting the club’s weekly cashing up and financial administration, which is a hugely important task often unseen by many members. The club simply could not operate as effectively as it does without the time, effort and support both Michael and Carol continue to provide

I’d also like to introduce and thank the Executive Committee and Trustees who continue to give up their own time voluntarily to support the running and future of the club.

Our Vice President, Simon Harrison, continues to play an important role supporting the day-to-day operation of the club, events and maintenance activities throughout the year.

Our Secretary, Sue Moulson, continues to do a huge amount of work behind the scenes helping keep the club organised and running smoothly.

I’d also like to recognise our trustees: Jim Harrison, Ray Corbett, Brian Moulson and Joanne Bradshaw, who continue to provide valuable oversight and long-term support to the club.

Alongside them, I’d like to thank our Executive Committee members:

• Anne Wilkes

• Pat Cornwell

• Charlotte Harrison

• Bex Brown

• Paul Briggs

• Ronnie Mitchell

• Neil Edwards

• Dave Uttley

• Adam Whitaker

I’d also like to give a special mention to Adam Whitaker for all the work he quietly does behind the scenes for the club. Adam manages the club memberships, helps keep the club website updated and also puts together the weekly club newsletter which keeps members informed about everything happening around the club each week. The newsletter and website have become a really important way of keeping everyone connected and up to date with club events, activities and news. If you’re not currently receiving the weekly newsletter by email, please let us know and make sure we have your up-to-date email address so we can add you to the mailing list and keep you informed about everything happening at Norton House Country Club.

And I’d also like to give a warm welcome to Thomas Phipps, who joins the Executive Committee this year. It’s always encouraging to see younger members stepping forward to support the future of the club.

Everybody involved gives up their own personal time voluntarily for the benefit of the club and its members, and they all deserve recognition and thanks for their efforts. I also want to say just how much work the Executive Committee continue to put into this club behind the scenes.

It’s very easy to only see the finished result, the events, entertainment, improvements and busy weekends, but there are countless unseen hours that go into making all of this happen.

Meetings, planning, maintenance, staffing, compliance work, finances, fundraising, event organisation, health and safety, supplier negotiations, building works and day-to-day operational issues all require constant attention.

The truth is, running a club like ours today is not easy, and whilst we won’t always get every decision right, I can honestly say the Executive Committee care deeply about the future of Norton House Country Club and work incredibly hard to protect and improve it. What we see around the club today hasn’t happened by accident. It’s the result of years of hard work from people who genuinely care about preserving this club for future generations.

On that note, I’d like to make a very special thank you to Jim Harrison. Jim has been a member of the club for more years than most of us can remember and has played an active role in the running of the club for over 30 years. During that time he has served as a valued member of the Executive Committee and also as one of the club’s four trustees. This year Jim has chosen not to stand again for the Executive Committee, and it would be wrong not to recognise the enormous contribution he has made to Norton House Country Club over many decades. People like Jim are the foundation clubs like ours are built upon. His hard work, experience, support and dedication over such a long period deserve enormous respect and gratitude from us all. Importantly, Jim will thankfully continue in his role as one of the club’s trustees, continuing to provide valuable support and guidance, and we are extremely grateful the club will continue to benefit from his experience and commitment.

There have of course been challenges this year too - Like many clubs and hospitality venues, we continue to face rising costs across utilities, wages, insurance, repairs and supplier pricing. We’ve also had to deal with major building maintenance and compliance works.

One issue that has caused us considerable problems over the last few years has been the roof during periods of snow followed by rapid melting conditions. Many members will remember the disruption and water ingress problems this caused inside the building during heavy snow melt periods. I’m pleased to report that extensive repair works to the roof have now been completed, alongside the removal of one of the chimney stacks which had deteriorated badly and was contributing to some of the problems. These works represent another major investment into protecting the future of the building, and we’re all hopeful that the next snow melt stays firmly outside the club rather than finding its way into it!

Unfortunately, on Tuesday we also received the extremely disappointing news that the proposed land sale has fallen through due to issues arising from a pre-planning application. Naturally this is frustrating after the huge amount of work and time that has gone into progressing the matter to this stage. The Executive Committee will be meeting in the coming week to discuss the situation further and consider the next steps available to us. The land has now been placed back onto the market and we will continue to keep members updated on any developments.

Whilst disappointing, it’s important to remember that unlike a few years ago, the club is now in a much stronger financial position and we are not reliant upon the sale for the day-to-day running or survival of the club. Cash reserves remain good, liabilities continue to reduce, and we have continued paying down historical borrowing.

Looking ahead, we already have further major improvement projects planned. The next significant phase of investment will focus on the full refurbishment of both the ladies’ and gents’ toilets. These areas are long overdue for modernisation and improvement.

Once these works are completed, we hope to then focus future investment and effort towards updating and modernising the main room, helping create an even better space for members, functions and entertainment.

As always, these improvements must be carefully balanced alongside the club’s ongoing financial stability, but it’s important we continue investing back into the club and improving the experience for both current and future members.

Membership support has been fantastic and we’ve now built genuine momentum around the club again. Open days, social events and improved engagement have all helped strengthen the club’s position within the local community.

I’d also like to recognise all of the volunteers and members who quietly help behind the scenes. Whether helping with maintenance, gardening, decorating, fundraising, setting up events or simply giving up their time. The club benefits enormously from your efforts.

There is still plenty for us to do, but I genuinely believe this club is moving in the right direction.

There’s a real buzz around the club again. The building continues to improve. The events calendar is stronger than it has been for years. Membership engagement is growing. And most importantly of all, people are enjoying being back at their club.

That is something everyone connected with Norton House Country Club should feel proud of.

Finally, thank you once again for your continued support, encouragement and belief in the club.

After 81 years, Norton House Country Club remains a hugely important part of our local community, and together we can make sure it continues to thrive for many years to come.

Thank you everyone.

Andy Phipps

President

Norton House Country Club