THC AGM Minutes – Meeting held Tuesday 15th June 2026
Meeting called to order 20:05
Attendees: Ian Grainger, Claudia Edwards, Richard Sharp, Greg Edwards, Ralph Darvill, Rob Brown.
Apologies for Absence
Ian Styles, Rob Boddington, Chris Barnes.
The Chairman, Ian Grainger (IG), welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked those present for attending.
It was noted that the meeting was not quorate, so the formal business requiring approval could not go ahead. The Chairman commented that the same decrease in attendance had also been seen at the Wednesday training session.
The Chairman said that everyone is still enjoying their hockey. He also mentioned that this may be his last season as captain, although a replacement has not yet been found.
It was noted that the club had recently beaten Berkhamsted in their league fixture.
The minutes of the previous AGM were reviewed but could not be formally approved due to the meeting not being quorate.
An update was given on the proposal to revive the ladies' section. Although there are not yet enough players to field a full team, recruitment will continue. Ralph will attend a future meeting to help explore ways of attracting more players and developing the ladies' section.

Financial situation

Draft accounts and Amended accounts YE2025

Richard Sharp reported that the club's income this year was much higher than last year and was pleased with the improvement. Ian explained that this was mainly because more effort had been made to collect outstanding money during the season.
Greg Edwards asked for clarification about the money owed to the Gilly’s Fund. Richard explained that money raised through fundraising events should have gone into the Gilly Fund in the past years.
Ralph asked what the Gilly’s Fund was, and Ian explained its purpose. Richard added that, when the club played on grass, an annual tournament was held in support of the fund.
Ian said he was pleased that the money being brought into the club was helping to pay for the facilities used to play hockey.
Sponsorship was discussed again. It was noted that this had been mentioned at the start of the season, but nothing had come from it.
Ian said that the club was "treading water" financially at the moment, but that we needed to be careful. The club is not currently paying the cricket club directly, but that arrangement is expected to end in the future. He also noted that the school could increase its pitch hire charges, although no notification has been received.
Ralph mentioned that the new owner of Oakman Inns is a former hockey player and suggested this could be a possible sponsorship opportunity for the club.

b. Gilly’s fund - Greg Edwards referred to his email regarding the Gilly’s Fund and legacy accounts held in the club’s name.
Richard reminded Greg that one of the trustees responsible for deciding how the money is used is Michel Sweers.
Greg reported that he and Keith Stokes have been working together on the Gilly’s Fund and the legacy accounts. He advised that he is currently holding three bank books:
A National Savings Account, last recorded as holding £126.55 in March 2000. Greg has a form that can be signed by Gilbert Grace and Keith Stokes, after which the money should be transferred into the club account.
A Halifax Savings Account, last recorded as holding £1,165.22 in March 2003. Greg and Keith have been unable to make any progress with this account, and Greg has now entered the Halifax complaints process (12/06/26).
A Halifax Paid-up Share Account, last recorded as holding £537.39 in March 2000. This account has also been referred to the Halifax complaints process.
Greg reminded the meeting that there is an agreement in place for the Gilly’s Fund to contribute towards the purchase of new goals once the money is recovered. The goals would then become the property of the club. At present, they are held privately to ensure that, should THC cease to operate, they would not become the property of the Hockey Association.

Gilbert day

Gilbert’s 90th Birthday Celebration / Club Events
Greg was delighted to announce that Gilbert’s 90th birthday hockey celebration will take place on Saturday 12th September 2026.
The event will start at 2pm at Tring School, with a hockey match involving some LX representatives. The first half will be against a Tring XI, with the second half open to any players who have enjoyed Gilbert’s company throughout his hockey career and would like to come on and play, even if only for a few minutes.
Family, friends, Gilbert’s staff and local dignitaries will all be welcome to attend.
Presentations will take place at the Cricket Club from 4pm. Tring Brewery will produce a special honorary beer for the occasion. Catering will be provided through a rolling BBQ, with two main items and salads at a cost of £13 per person.
Greg advised that a deposit of £520 will need to be paid next month to cover a minimum of 40 meals and asked whether the club would be able to support this. The money would then be recovered through meal tickets purchased in advance or on the day.
Greg explained that estimating numbers for the event is difficult, as catering, beer quantities, and staffing for the kitchen and bar all need to be planned. Early indications of attendance and meal numbers would therefore be helpful and can be sent to Greg via email (gregsingoal@hotmail.com) Everyone Greg has spoken to so far has been very enthusiastic. Tickets will be made available through Pitchero.
Jade Edwards will design the ticket, which will then be printed. The event will also be promoted through emails to other sports clubs, as well as Instagram and Facebook.
Club Day / Presentation Dinner
The presentation dinner was discussed. Ian explained that it had not been organised as he felt there was not enough interest and questioned whether the right decision had been made, as these events often rely on the same people organising them.
There was discussion around the idea that the club should have an annual get-together. Chris commented that although people may not always be enthusiastic beforehand, they generally enjoy the event once it takes place.
Chris suggested that a club day should still go ahead in September, possibly around an hour before Gilbert’s celebration match. Ian said that promoting these types of events in advance could help bring people back to the club, similar to the efforts being made with the ladies’ section. We have now received the calendar of league games, and this idea cannot go ahead as the first league game is on 12th September.
Chris also highlighted the importance of everyone getting together for a proper game before the start of the season.

Captain’s reports.

M1
M2
Chairman’s statement

Resignation/Election of officers
Membership Secretary: Chris Powell resigns from the position, and Chris Barnes is elected
EH Liaison Officer: Chris Powell is elected
Communication Officer: Ralph Darvill is elected
Poposer: Ian Grainger Seconder: Claudia Edwards

Via Ian Chris Barnes raised the issue of low attendance at Wednesday training sessions and suggested that changing the training day might help improve numbers. Richard Sharp suggested carrying out a poll on WhatsApp to get members’ views, and Ian Grainger will action this.
Greg suggested the possibility of joining training with another club, although it was noted that there are currently no other nearby clubs with whom this could easily be arranged.
The importance of attracting new players was discussed. It was suggested that flyers should be produced and distributed, as there are many young people moving back to Tring, and the club should try to encourage them to get involved. It was noted that having more players would make it easier to afford a coach, which could, in turn, help attract more members.
Another suggestion was to hold a couple of taster sessions before the holidays. It was agreed that established players would need to be present to support these sessions.
Chris Barnes also asked whether it would be possible to request that the league schedule home fixtures for both teams on the same days, where possible. This would help bring the club together, as last season the 1st and 2nd teams rarely saw each other. Chris Powell agreed to raise this with England Hockey.
The question of whether players could pay fees in instalments, or whether support could be provided for those who need it, was raised. It was confirmed that this can be considered on an individual basis.
Chris Powell also suggested publishing the club bank details for anyone wishing to pay directly by bank transfer, which would help avoid bank charges. Richard agreed this would be a good idea.
The meeting concluded.