Chichester Yacht Club Magazine December 2019 | Page 19

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
We judge that we are on track for all four of our strategic themes. Looking forward to the strategy for 2020-23, we
shall amend our overall objective, becoming: “To be recognised as a leading sailing club both locally and throughout the
Solent, sustainably supporting the interests of its members.”
Our four strategic themes will become:
1. Maintain membership recruitment and retention
2. Facilitate member and non-member development
3. Integrate marketing and communications to develop the CYC brand
4. Develop a sustainable and resilient Club for the future.
Our activities in governing the Club over the next few years will follow these themes.
One aspect we are already looking at is going cashless next year. There is considerable cost associated with the han-
dling of cash, from reconciling tills and accounts to physically getting the cash paid into a bank. Going cashless would
mean members paying by card (debit/credit/membership cards) rather than hard cash. We may have to make some
temporary provision, e.g. for loading membership cards at the office, but the ultimate aim is to be cashless in the Club.
MEMBERS’ QUESTIONS AND VIEWS
Members can use their cards at the bar to tip. It was
suggested we could instigate an internet card top-up
A member queried whether children remaining in full-time facility. The Commodore said we are developing an app
education could remain within family membership when
that would allow members to check their balance and top
they were over 18. The Commodore said this would be up at home or on the move but there are security
considered by the General Committee, which has
considerations to be resolved.
subsequently agreed to this request.
A member asked whether the Club had had any contact
A comment was made about the RYA survey that happy with the new Premier marina manager. The Commodore
members may not complete the survey whereas those
has met Paul Cook who has been made an honorary
with gripes probably would. 1,400 Club members had
member and does use the Club a lot. We are working
been contacted but only 250 answered. A couple of resig- closely to integrate programmes next year.
nation letters reflected the negative responses. We need
to welcome new members as the Club can seem a bit
An opinion was expressed that members were surprised
daunting.
at the arrival of the Wheelhouse. There was also little
knowledge about the Waterfront Project and members
A member asked how the profit from external events was should be made aware. The Commodore replied that the
calculated and was the Club itself run at a loss? The
Waterfront Project has been developing for a while and
Commodore commented that we do not generate a large we had not been ready to communicate about it until
surplus, a much bigger margin coming from events which
now. Full information about the Wheelhouse had been
includes allowance for rent, heating etc. The audited ac-
included in an edition of the CYC Magazine.
counts don’t show separate figures for these but the GC
considers them. It does mean we don’t make as much
A member asked whether there could be better WC
profit in the bar and restaurant as we’d like.
provision made for external events. We are planning to
upgrade the toilets in the changing rooms downstairs and
The member further queried who decides how many staff are investigating the possible provision of a single unisex/
to employ and is this the main running cost? Sometimes
disabled persons facility upstairs.
staff seem to be present with little to do. Staff require-
ment has to be forecast week by week and
A member complained that the Club car park was being
members may see extra staff on training nights. We do
used by non-members, e.g. dog walkers and there is no
not run on commercial lines for Club hospitality so, at
distinction between members’ and public areas. The
50%, the cost of labour is higher than in commercial
Commodore said we had asked Premier for markings and
businesses. Staff now work across areas so they are
Premier needed to police this. They are considering put-
keeping busy. The quality of staff is high, especially as they ting a hard surface on their car park and introducing
are mainly casual.
pay-and-display charges, which we are not happy about,
especially the effect on drainage and the need to avoid
A member asked whether the cashless policy would be
charges to Club members and staff who cannot get into
applied to the tea bar and tipping. The tea bar will be
the Club car park.
exempt for the time being and tipping is to be considered.
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