Minutes

1. The meeting was opened at 7.30pm by Rex, but a delay ensued whilst the proxy 

votes were counted (thanks to Liz Jones). Rex then continued with his Chair’s report, see Chair’s report below

2. Apologies were received from Luke O’Connell, Renato Natale & Alex Ellis

3. Attendee list attached

4. AGM 2024 Minutes were approved by Martin Herbert and seconded by Nick Pomery

5. The change in constitutional changes were voted through with 53 for 6 against 

and 17 abstentions, see the Constitution on-line dunstablehunters.org/docs/constitution

6. Trudie then presented her secretary’s report, see Secretary’s report below.

7. Matters arising were then covered as per Rex’s notes, see Chair’s report below.

a. Cashless clubs will continue as outlined

b. Members joining in January & February was voted through unanimously

c. Seasoned members must help new members

d. Structured sessions to continue

e. Club membership to PbE was voted through with only one against

f. CASC re-application was agreed by a majority vote

g. WhatsApp attendance sheet will replace the paper register was agreed by a majority vote and a Spond screenshot will now be shared by session leaders with any absentees listed

8. Treasurers report was then covered as per the attached accounts summary. See Treasurer’s report below

Cranfield was the only part of the club which was running at a loss. A number of 

questions from the floor were discussed as Rex went through the points. As each 

club’s revenue was less then £50,000 no tax return or external audit has been required

9. Election and Re-election of Committee members

a. Chair – Rex Ellis was agreed by a majority vote For 67 Against 6 Abstain 15

b. Vice Chair – Liz Jones was agreed by a majority vote 68/1/17

c. Secretary – Trudie Ellis was agreed by a majority vote 63/6/13

d. Treasurer – Rex Ellis was agreed by a majority vote 70/19/4

e. Deputy Treasurer - Emma Christophi was agreed by a majority vote 79/0/7

f. Communications officer - Neil Hunter was agreed by a majority vote 78/1/6

g. Fundraising - Liz Jones was agreed by a majority vote 78/1/0

h. Media officer – Russell Hillman was agreed by a majority vote 73/0/11

i. Safeguarding – Heather Aylward was agreed by a majority vote 80/0/7

j. Deputy Safeguarding - Neil Hunter was agreed by a majority vote 75/1/6

k. Welfare officer – Julie Jones was agreed by a majority vote 74/0/11

l. Silsoe member Jocelyn Newman was agreed by a majority vote 71/0/7

m. Martin Herbert all venues was agreed by a majority vote 77/0/5

n. Nick Pomery – Dunstable was agreed by a majority vote 38/0/19

o. Renato Natale Dunstable - was agreed by a majority vote 60/1/22

p. Martin Lynch committee member was agreed by a majority vote 62/0/18

10. Treasures hours to be increased was agreed by a majority vote 58/31/1

11.Club secretary’s hours to be increased was agreed by a majority vote 49/20/1

12. Session leaders to receive free membership was agreed by a majority vote 59/18/5

13. Keep introduction sessions at £10 was agreed by a majority vote 64/15/4

14. 3-hour session priced at £8 was agreed by a majority vote was agreed by a majority 

vote 69/3/11

15. League activities and coaching was agreed by a majority vote 67/2/15

16.Club’s chosen Charity was voted as Tibbs Dementia was agreed by a majority with 

28 votes (compared to 21 for HHV or 6 for FCF)

AOB

17. Submitted questions were then reviewed, see AOB Q&A below.

18.The club bank account will have the Deputy Treasurers changed over. Luke O’Connell removed as he has stepped down, and Emma Christophi added, since she has been elected

The meeting closed at 9.30pm

Minutes written by Mark Chapman 22/10/25

Chair’s Report and notes

1.       RE- Welcome to The Hunter AGM of 2025, I declare this meeting officially open.

As Chair of the committee, I realise that we have 4 different venues, providing 16 different sessions each week, and most members don’t play in all these sessions and may not know some of the faces in the room.

Can all the committee members please let everyone know your name and position on the committee before we proceed.

Apologies from …… Luke O’Connell, Alex Ellis. They are unable to attend and are both stepping down from the committee today. I thank you for your service. Renato Natale also gave his apologies due to work commitments.

It has been a roller coaster of a year and hopefully we can start getting back to Pickleball. We currently have 279 Club members, we lost 40 members on the membership renewal in March, which was to be expected.

I would personally like to thank all members of The Hunters that have helped to make these clubs amazing. This includes Session Leaders, Club leaders and coaches; A special thanks to Liz Jones, Martin Herbert and Nick Pomery, due to the volume of work they have done throughout the year.

Another thanks to Trudie and Alex Ellis for all their artwork; Trudie for the digital artwork, posters and banners etc, and Alex for Branding and apparel designs. Thanks to Mark Chapman for taking the minutes of this meeting.

The best ways to change our club for the better is constructive questions presented to the committee via your committee member or questions submitted via the AGMs or EGMs as well as voting, or become a committee member yourself. We encourage positive chat on the Club WhatsApp groups, anything negative needs to be submitted via your committee member.

2.       RE - Can we please have someone confirm the minutes of the 2024 AGM as true and correct…Martin Herbert.. and a second person ……Nick Pomery..

Voting in the Constitution
All in favour…53…….. against……6……….abstain………17………….

3.       TE – Secretary’s Report 2024/2025 
RE- Matters arising
a, Cashless clubs has been going fine and we will continue.
b, Members joining in January and February pay for the new FY only has been going fine and we will continue

Result: Motion carried 

c, All regular members are to help new and struggling members. Please ensure all members read and adhere to The Hunters Code of Conduct.
d, We will continue with structured sessions. Advance player sessions, Champions court & Coaching sessions as appropriate throughout the year.
e, PbE membership came in this year, price £200, as a large club it was in our best interests to be a member. We will continue this membership.
Result: Motion carried
f, Our application for becoming a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) was rejected last year, as the Sport wasn’t recognised by Sport England. It now has been recognised; therefore do we re-apply or forget about it. 

Result: Motion carried

g, A message (screen shot the Spond attendance list) on WhatsApp for attendance shall replace the paper version 
Result: Motion carried

4.       RE - Treasurers Report. The accounts have always been available 24/7 since we started back in March 2023.

Please have site of the report I have collated on the accounts.

Each club is accounted for separately

The clubs balance is currently £4190.84 after all costs

I recommend the membership fees and sessions fees do not increase, and should be reviewed at the time of court cost increase, that is usually between February and May each year.

Result: Motion carried

5.       LJ - Election and Re-election of Committee members
6.       TE - Questions submitted for this AGM
a, Treasurers paid hours to double due to the size of the clubs
All in favour………58…….. against……31……….abstain…………1…………….
b, Club Secretary’s paid hours to double due to the size of the clubs

All in favour………49……….. against……20………….abstain……1..………….
c, Session leaders to receive free membership renewal as a thanks for running their sessions throughout the year.

All in favour…59……….. against……18……….abstain………5………….

d, Keep introduction sessions at £10 and remove the free session upon becoming a member.

All in favour……64……….. against………15……….abstain…………4………….

e, The new 3-hour session will be priced at £8 per person, and in line with other sessions, this is fixed whether you attend all or part of it.

All in favour……69……….. against…………3…….abstain………11…………….
f, League activities, coaching will be charged at £5 per session and home or away games will be charged at £6. This will help members as they will have travel costs for away games.

All in favour………67…….. against……2……….abstain…………15………….
g, TE - AOB Questions Submitted by email.

Members responses to these questions……. If time permits. 

Time ran out, questions to be submitted in writing to the committee info@dunstablehunters.org or given to your committee representative

7.       RE - Meeting closed

Time of closing……9.30pm……………………………..

Voted in Committee members in attendance

Chairman/Treasurer                                              Rex Ellis (RE)                   
Vice Chairman/Fundraising                                   Liz Jones (LJ)                   

Club Secretary                                                             Trudie Ellis (TE)                          
Treasurer, Deputy                                                        Emma Christophi     

Communications Officer/Safeguarding, Deputy    Neil Hunter                                 

Media Officer                                                               Russell Hillman                 

Safeguarding Lead                                                     Heather Aylward                                    

Welfare Officer                                                            Julie Jones             

Committee Member - Silsoe                                    Jocelyne Newman   

Committee Member – All venues                           Martin Herbert                   

Committee Member - Dunstable                             Martin Lynch           

Committee Member - Dunstable                            Nick Pomery           

Voted in Committee members absent
Committee Member - Dunstable                             Renato Natale - Apologies given  

Vacant positions

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Lead                                  Vacant          

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Lead, Deputy                    Vacant                    

Social Events                                                             Vacant

Committee Member - Silsoe                                   Vacant

Committee Member - Flitwick                                Vacant

Committee Member - Cranfield                              Vacant

Minutes taken by Mark Chapman

Interpreter for the deaf was Andy Van Niekerk

Secretary’s Report – AGM 2025
It has been a very interesting and successful year for the club, with continued growth in player numbers, competitions, and events.
First, our sincere thanks go to Everyone Active for their generous sponsorship deal. This kit sponsorship provided every member with a club T‑shirt and our league players with full team kits. All members should now have received their T‑shirt — if not, please get in touch. It’s not compulsory to wear it, but it’s wonderful to see our blue and black apparel proudly displayed on court.
This year saw us compete in the Herts League for the first time, entering in Division 2. Midway through the season we began to believe we could win — and we did! Congratulations to everyone involved in securing the Division 2 title and earning promotion to Division 1 for Season 4.
Looking ahead, we will be entering three teams across all divisions in Season 4, as well as a new team in the Herts Senior League. In addition, the Southeast North Pickleball League, run by Pickleball England, begins soon, and we’ll be entering three teams there too. A very busy and exciting year is on the horizon — best of luck to everyone participating.
Our two annual tournaments, The Hunter Pack Games and Rally 21, were both fully booked and great successes. Rally 21 was hosted at Cranfield University, a fantastic venue that we hope to use again whenever possible.
Throughout the year, the club has continued to run numerous coaching clinics across all four venues. As a not‑for‑profit organisation, this remains a keyway we reinvest funds to support player development. Congratulations to all members who earned medals over the past year — your hard work and improvement are inspiring.
The loan paddle scheme continues to run successfully, with paddles available to members who have been active for at least three months and play regularly at Dunstable or Silsoe. Thanks to ward funding in those areas, this remains completely free, with members simply asked to take responsibility for the paddle while it’s on loan.
The Picklethon will now become a biannual event, with the next one planned for September 2026. Our 2024 Picklethon was an incredible success — a 14‑hour pickleball marathon at Dunstable that saw players coming and going all day (and some returning after breakfast, lunch, and dinner!).
In just a few days’ time, we’ll be hosting a Pickleball Boot Camp at Halton Tennis Club. Spaces remain available, and the event is free to attend.
Finally, a gentle reminder — as with any sport, there’s always a risk of injury. Please continue to take care by wearing proper footwear and eye protection to stay safe on court.
Thank you to all our members, volunteers, and committee for their enthusiasm and commitment this year. The future looks bright for our club and its community.

AOB Questions and Answers

 AOB Questions submitted to the Club Secretary for AGM received and the Committees responses read out at the AGM

Could it be considered that the champions court on a Thursday, once a month, be used for women players only? My observation is that it is mainly men playing on that court. Men are, of course, generally stronger players and there are more of them at advance level of 3.5 than the lady players. However, the women need more court time to improve, and this once-a-month change will help them to develop their game. 

The committee discussed this at length, and it was agreed that as a club we advocate an inclusive club and encourage ALL members to play on the championship court to help build confidence and increase skills set. Whilst the committee are not in favour of introducing a female only court once a month, they are committed to introducing the following changes which will enable greater mix of play for all to participate in 

• Three wins then the pairing will be asked to split, thus allowing for two new players to play with stronger player and provide greater opportunity
• Games will be timed to 12 minutes, therefore allowing for greater flow of play 

Will there be time allocated for members to directly address the committee regarding any concerns they may have regarding club policies and operations? 

As per the notification of the AGM to all members, questions were to be submitted before end of play on the 1st October. These will then be addressed at the AGM as part of the 60 minutes that has been allocated to AOB/Questions. 

If the AGM is not the proper time and place for members to publicly address the committee, when and where will the membership be given the opportunity to publicly discuss club operations and procedures? 

Questions can be raised at any time during the year and submitted to the Club Secretary for inclusion in the Quarterly Committee meetings that will be introduced from this AGM onwards. 

It has been agreed this evening that quarterly face to face committee meetings will take place where it will be necessary for 60% of committee members to be in attendance for any decisions to be taken. Of those in attendance, there must be a majority acceptance for any decision to be taken. 

Committee members will be sought from each of the clubs so that all club members have a representative they can channel their thoughts, suggestions, and concerns via. 

In the interest of economy, I propose that court bookings should be reduced to match the number of players booked on SPOND per session

Court space is blocked booked in order to ensure we have our guaranteed sessions. These are reviewed by the centres and the club every three months. In order to cancel a court booking at nil cost or reduce the court requirements a minimum of two weeks’ notice is required. SPOND sessions only open two weeks in advance and it is therefore not possible. 

In view of the discontent amongst many of the Silsoe members, are the committee willing to sanction reverting to two separate clubs as per the agreement made at the pre-merger meeting held at Silsoe site (subject to the majority of ‘Silsoe’ members being in favour)?

No, the committee are committed to working with all members and we are one club, The Hunters. The agreement to bring the clubs together was over two years ago, as a short-term offer and is no longer valid. We have new members joining all the time and the club offers playing opportunities across all four sites and will continue to do so. If members do not wish to play for The Hunters any longer then they are free to leave the club and make alternative arrangements. 

A proposal of a different structure of the club in that The Hunters has 5 sub committees Flitwick, Dunstable, Cranfield, Silsoe and Deaf Hunters, with 3-5 members in each and 2 from each are members of the overall club committee.

It was discussed in detail by the committee, and it was felt this was simply creating five separate clubs and is not something the committee wishes to consider. 

The constitution states that disciplinary matters will be dealt with through a ‘fair and transparent process’. Please could you outline this process in the case of the recent disciplinary action over ‘sandbagging’? 

The process of the disciplinary action is in section 11 of the Constitution. This continues to be a “live” investigation with the Appeal Process being followed and independent review of the decision being considered therefore we will not comment on this case. 

In general, we as a club have an appeals process which is outlined in the constitution and as a committee, we have suggested strengthening this process for the benefit of all, hence the additions for consideration at the AGM. 

In disciplinary matters, who arbitrates on whether club rules have been breached, and what action should be taken? The committee? The club captain? 

Initial investigation will be carried out by the club captain who will then raise initial findings and recommendations to the committee. The committee will then be asked to consider and make the decision. 

 

The constitution allows for an appeals process, to be heard by an independent committee. Was this process triggered by the members accused of, and punished for sandbagging, and if so, what were the findings of the independent panel?

Yes. An external review is ongoing. Evidence has proven the Hunters have not done anything wrong. 

Is WhatsApp still the most effective communication platform for the club, considering the ever-expanding membership?

The committee believe WhatsApp is the most effective platform to get instant messages out around club news. Negative conversations are to be discouraged and our communication lead on the committee will be active voice in working with individuals where necessary to remove such posts and providing sound reasoning. 

The club website is currently being reviewed, and we will be introducing a member only section to the page which will allow for all of the events, competitions and key information to be stored in one place. This will support all club members. This links to the committee media officer role. 

The constitution currently has no provision for the removal of committee members, through a vote of no confidence, in the case of misconduct or incapacity for example. Would the committee consider adding such a clause for the protection of club members? 
Could the election process for committee members be clarified pleas? Do club members have a democratic vote?

All club members have the opportunity to vote at the AGM. The AGM is the forum for club members to nominate one another for positions on the committee. 

It was agreed by the committee that we would look to structure the committee for 2026 onwards with the following positions and representation from across all club groups

            Directors – voted in every three years, next vote will be 2026

The following positions will be voted in at AGM each year,

Chair

Vice Chair

Secretary 

Treasurer / Deputy Treasurer

Safeguarding Lead / Deputy 

Welfare Officer 

Media Officer

Communications Officer 

Social Events

Fundraising

Club Representative Members

It was also agreed that up to two further club members from Dunstable and Silsoe, and one from Flitwick and Cranfield could be nominated and voted onto the committee at the AGM. 

All members of the committee will be expected to active club members and take on volunteering opportunities for the committee work that is required. There will be ad-hoc “calls for help” when preparing for events, competitions etc and the support of all committee members is requested. 

Could the constitution address potential conflicts of interest from committee members?

The person submitting this question has been contacted to seek clarification. No response received.

Is the quorum of 3 members not exceptionally low for a club of hundreds of members? 

Yes, and in the constitution to be agreed at the AGM it is recommended that this is increased to 60% of the committee to be present at the meetings, and of those in attendance, members can vote for, against and abstain. Decisions will be based on the majority of those in attendance voting for or against i.e., 51% or more.

How can you assure me and other club members that we won’t be treated in the same manner as those remove from the club i.e. trial without jury?

The clubs appeals process will be followed.

What is the disciplinary process when a player breaks Trudy and Rex’s rules. Is it a director’s decision or a committee decision whether a player is banned?

They are not Trudie and Rex’s rules, they are the club rules. 
Initial investigation will be carried out by the club captain who will then raise initial findings and recommendations to the committee. The committee will then be asked to consider and make the decision. 

If things go to a committee to vote then what counts as a majority, does it incorporate all committee members and what time frame is reasonable for committee members to give a response? 

In the constitution to be agreed at the AGM it is recommended that the committee meets quarterly face-to-face and that at least 60% of the committee are to be present at the meetings for decisions to be made. Of those in attendance, 51% or more in favour will be the casting factor.

If the matter arises between committee cycles, an extraordinary meeting of the committee will be held. 

How do we ensure good governance within the club? 

Club accounts are always available for all members to view. 
Elected committee members are there to ask questions and ensure club policies and procedures are followed. 

My question relates to clarification of The Hunters stand on sandbagging when entering tournaments. 

As far as I am aware DUPR is the only international guide out there currently to determine a person's playing ability. To my understanding a player is to take into account both aspects of their DUPR rating (the actual rating and the reliability score). This seems fair.

If your rating is on the cusp of 2 levels (eg. 3.478) you should enter at the higher event of 3.5. Again this seems a reasonable expectation.

However, with regards to winning gold medals I am seeking clarity on whether this relates to regional level tournaments or national/open level tournaments?

If you win a gold medal in the 3.5 at the English/Welsh/Irish/Spanish Open etc or at the English/Scottish/Welsh/Irish nationals the next time you enter you would then be expected to play at the 4.0 level? If your DUPR is still below 4.0 would this still be the case? 

If you were to win a gold medal at a local (much smaller) tournament like Halton in the 3.0/3.5/4.0 would you then still be expected to play up at the next level, if you entered again in the future? Some of these smaller events run with as little as 2 entries and sometimes categories are merged. If you are to win a gold medal at the 3.5 when only 4 pairs enter are you really saying next time they should be entering at 4.0? What if the next tournament is an event as big as the open? Is it fair to say that because you won gold at a 3.5 event with 3 entries now you need to enter the English open at 4.0.

Many thanks for taking the time to read my questions and give further clarification.

Could i also request that when a decision is made on where The Hunters stand on this, it is documented within the club rules and sent to every member on joining so that they are aware of this ruling?

Accurate Skill Rating: Players must use established rating systems (such as DUPR and USA Pickleball’s own definitions, https://usapickleball.org/player-skill-rating-definitions/ ) to determine their true skill level. Entering a bracket below one’s demonstrated ability (“sandbagging”) is strongly discouraged by tournament organisers and viewed as unethical and unfair play.

Overall, full transparency about skill level, adherence to the event’s published bracket rules, and a commitment to integrity are critical to upholding the standard of play in pickleball competitions

As per PbE statement for the English Nationals 2025, "once Gold medals have been won players are expected to move up".

Players should definitely not revert to a lower level than the rating at which medals have been won. This would clearly be playing below their ability.

Failing to comply with club rules will result in disciplinary action being started, as per the club constitution.