Two Longstanding Members Awarded Honorary Life Membership

At the Annual General Meeting held on the 9th of May, we were delighted to confer Honorary Life Membership upon two of our most esteemed and dedicated long-serving members. Both gentlemen served the Club as Treasurer during critical times, and through their tireless efforts, the Club's financial situation was transformed. They laid the solid financial foundation that underpins our current success story.

Looking back, we can appreciate that these two individuals were exactly who we needed at that time. The option of having significant funds tied up in long-term savings accounts, as we do today, simply wasn't a possibility back then. They likely dedicated a tremendous amount of their time to the Club, perhaps even more than they spent at home, during their terms as Treasurer.

Geoff Day's Significant Contributions

Geoff Day joined the Club in 1963 and served as Treasurer throughout the late 1960s and 1970s. He then went on to become Chairman in 1983/4, President in 1995, and faithfully served as a Trustee for some 25 years. Geoff's tenure as Treasurer coincided with the Club's most challenging period. Membership was declining, and the Club's finances were in a precarious state. Under Geoff's leadership, membership was opened up to a wider range of applicants, and the Artisans Section played a more prominent role, contributing more significantly to the Club. These changes, coupled with the implementation of robust financial controls, successfully reversed the Club's seemingly inevitable decline.

Richard Sainsbury's Endeavours

Richard Sainsbury served as Treasurer from the 1990s through to the turn of the millennium. He too went on to become President in 2008 and currently serves as one of our four Trustees. During his time as Treasurer, Richard oversaw several crucial projects, including the replacement of the Club's roof, navigating the legal complexities of the Pimply Gate court case, and ultimately securing the purchase of the Pimply Field. Additionally, he championed the installation of an irrigation system on the golf course. All these initiatives were essential for the Club's continued success, and they were achieved despite the limited financial resources available at the time. Richard's rigorous control of the Club's expenditure ensured the viability of these vital projects.