Dear all

Please see below some background and feedback from the meeting held at the club yesterday morning. There is a Management Committee (MC) meeting on Thursday at the club which I believe starts at 19:30.

Brief background:
Some of you might be aware the club is keen to improve the changing rooms in order to attract additional teams in the form of women’s and girl’s teams. The current clubhouse / changing room building is not big enough to incorporate what is required so the MC have been working on plans to build a new set of changing rooms in a new building separate from the current building.

At the last MC meeting, a vote was held to decide whether or not to proceed with the current “preferred” option which is a new block of 3 sets of changing rooms at an estimated cost of £500,000. The vote went 5-3 in favour of going forwards. The 3 representatives of the Minis and Juniors (Jon, Gareth and Angie) all chose to resign as they believe the current proposal is not in the best interests of the club.

At the meeting yesterday (attended by approx. 25 people) the following was agreed:

-Each age group would go back to their parents and explain the situation based on the fact that Jon, Gareth and Angie’s resignation has raised alarm bells within the M+J section which is around 470 out of a total playing membership of about 600.

-Appoint 3 people from the meeting to act as representatives for the M+J section in the absence of any current membership on the MC due to the recent resignations (DONE).

-Request the MC pause the current tender process and listen to the concerns raised by the M+J section.

If the above request to pause the process was agreed with the MC, Jon, Gareth and Angie agreed in principle they would be prepared to re-join the MC. However, support would be required from the M&J to work on whatever line the project takes going forwards.

There was much discussion in yesterday’s meeting about possible options, alternatives, deadlines for grants etc. but the overall feeling was that everyone present wanted to the club to progress but felt at face value the cost of the 3 changing rooms together with the debt that the club would shoulder for the next 15 years (without it creating major revenue streams) wouldn’t enable any further development of the facilities during this period. This would mean our boys would potentially be 25 by the time additional funds might be available new large projects.

The purpose of Thursday’s meeting is not to divide the club, it is to show the MC that there is significant concern from the largest playing section of the club and a willingness to explore and discuss options so that the development of the club goes ahead with the majority in favour and with a sustainable income and expenditure plan.

Please take a look at the Horsham Rugby Club Facebook page which also states this:

The club has been considering proposals to build new changing rooms and has now published a plan.

It involves building three new changing rooms at a cost of almost £500,000. Some of the money will be provided in RFU grants and loans, the rest will be covered through fundraising and club debts.

The proposal has the support of the committee, but a large number of members are concerned that it is an overpriced solution, which will prevent any new clubhouse or other improvements. The build has an intrinsic10 year debt plan.

Do you have a view? What is the key development you’d like to see at the club? Did you know that there’s an AGM on 31 May to discuss? Have your say here….