Members Update
16 May 2024
Dear Member,
I wanted to provide you with an update on the work of the Board and Executive over the last couple of weeks and post the AGM. But before doing so, can I start by congratulating Mark and the whole squad on landing such a fantastic, and emphatic, first win of the season away at Northants. A real boost for the Club.
As Chief Executive, Will Brown, explained at the AGM, the Executive Board had planned for a transition period in the event, as transpired, we needed to elect a new Chair and the primary purpose of this update is to explain a little more about that and to pick up one or two other points.
First, as Deputy Chair I have stepped up to Acting Chair taking on many of David Jones’ previous roles – including, by way of example, accompanying Will at the ECB AGM earlier this week. Other Board members have kindly stepped forward to pick up other elements of David’s portfolio as we manage the transition. David made a huge commitment to our Club as a Board member and, especially over the last three years, as our Chair where he covered so much ground, and I’m sure members will want to join with me in thanking him for all he has done.
Second, the Board met two days after the AGM and asked Will (as Company Secretary), to commence the process by which we will elect a new Chair – and more on that below.
Third and perhaps most importantly, the Board and Executive agreed on the importance of remaining committed and fully focused on ensuring the Club benefits from a better year financially than the one we’ve just experienced. As Neil Priscott, Chief Operating Officer, explained at the AGM, Q1 performance is encouraging and it is critical that we continue to build on that with as little disruption as possible.
Lastly, it will have been obvious to us all that the AGM threw up a sense of disconnect between elements of the membership and the Board and we have already begun the process of exploring how best to tackle that and generally improve communication and dialogue within the Club. As a starting point, we will be hosting members forums at both Cheltenham and Bristol over the course of the season in addition to the continued meetings of the Members’ Working Group. Indeed, we have already asked the latter to help us with thoughts and ideas as to how best to improve communication generally.
Consequently, we would encourage Members with questions or ideas as to that (or indeed more generally) to raise them with the Members Working Group (link to the webpage) or directly to the Club at Membership@glosccc.co.uk. We will also be providing stand-alone sessions to update Members on the potential plans for the Hundred tournament as well as a session on the potential ground move, in both cases when more details emerge and when it is appropriate to discuss those matters publicly. More details relating to both of these meetings will be communicated in due course.
Turning to the process for electing a new Chair
Our starting point was to ascertain whether, in addition to David, there was likely to be any further change to the make-up of our Board. Naturally, it’s hard to identify the type of Chair we need going forward until we know the make-up of the Board.
I can confirm that Rebecca Watkin (Honorary Treasurer) and I have notified Will of our intention to step down from the Executive Board at the end of the season after terms of five years. It has been a huge pleasure for us both to act as Executive Board members and we will continue to do so with unwavering enthusiasm for the remainder of our terms.
Consequently, the process will now begin to recruit two new Executive Board members, one to fill the member-elected position held by Rebecca and one to fill the Co-opted position held by myself. Members are entitled to apply for role(s) via either or both routes. Details as to the process and timing of those elections will follow in the next two weeks. Once our two new Board members are in place, the newly constituted Executive Board will commence the process by which it chooses its Chair and, of course, a Deputy Chair and Honorary Treasurer.
We would expect that process to have been completed in the latter part of the summer and, in the meantime, the Board and Executive will be working hard and remaining focused on the big issues referred to above and on delivering the best financial performance possible for this year.
Thank you for your continued support.
Steve Nelson,
Acting Chair, Gloucestershire CCC
