2024 ANNUAL REPORT

MINUTES OF THE 2024 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 61 a positive one with much to be thankful for. Our variety was our strength. Many other sports would dearly love to offer such a range of experiences to such a wide demo- graphic. Many sports would also benefit, no doubt, from the kind of unified approach that sees the recreational and professional game sitting under the same county banner, as was the case here in Nottinghamshire. We were lucky to be at the heart of a game that was embracing the future, but that also benefited from and respected its rich heritage. Cricket was cricket. And as long as people chose our sport in whatever format they preferred, that was all that mattered. And there was room for all of us – whether members and spectators were most looking forward to seeing Haseeb Hameed leading Notting- hamshire onto the field, Joe Clarke spearheading our charge in the Vitality Blast or our blend of The Blaze,The Hundred and interna- tional matchdays in the coming summer. The Chief Executive concluded by saying that we would need both the longstanding formats and the new, the stalwart supporters and the fresh faces, as we navigated the waters ahead to ensure our club was sustainable for the next generation and those that would follow. The continued support from our members would be as crucial to us as ever. Mr Glynn Jones asked the Chief Executive about the club’s plans on sustainability. Ms Pursehouse confirmed that this was, indeed, a priority for the club; lots of members and spectators rightly demanded this, and the ECB would be making sustainability a key criterion for major match allocation.The club had already put in place a number of initiatives such as electric mowers and water stations and would be looking for new projects going forward.The club had restructured its internal organisation to ensure that the sustainability portfolio was on the agenda of the wider leader- ship team: Claire Harrison [Head of Commercial Operations] and John Gorman [Facilities Manager] would lead on bringing the plan to life. Mr David Parker asked about Restaurant Six. Ms Pursehouse confirmed that the restaurant had been opened in order to bring in year-round revenue. Despite the most challenging circumstances for the hospitality sector in a generation caused by a range of factors, such as the pandemic, it had kept afloat and was even making a small profit. Like many other businesses in the hospitality sector, however, Restaurant Six experienced a constant churn of staff, including three head chefs, and so the difficult decision was taken to close the restaurant to the public.The space was now part of our general match- day hospitality offer and was busy with weddings and birthday parties, along with special events such as whiskey-tasting evenings which regularly sold out. It would continue to contribute to the club’s profits in this way. In response to a question from Mr Nigel Bratton about funding the development of the Pavilion, Ms Pursehouse said that it was imperative that the club secured the necessary funding.The redesign of the space was essential to securing the venue’s Test Match status. Once the planning process was complete, the club would have firmer costings.The Chair agreed. Compared to other Test Match venues, he said, the club had a very cautious approach to debt, but members should be aware that the development of the pavilion would inevitably lead to the club carrying some debt. In response to a question from Mr Nick Evans, Ms Pursehouse said that member facilities in the redesigned Pavilion would be made more comfortable, and shared that, while no additional seats would be placed in front of the Pavilion, the redesigned space would have the highest standards of accessibility, provision had been made for Changing Places toilet facilities, and the Long Room would be refurbished. However, she said, it was important to note that the actual layout of the rooms had not yet been finalised.The planning process needed to progress before the club could be sure about exact internal layout. Members should bear in mind that the priority was to design the space in such a way as to ensure that Trent Bridge retained Test Match status. The Chief Executive then invited MandyWright, Head of Community and Development, to speak. MsWright began by saying that, at a time when equity in cricket had continued to be at the forefront of the national conversation, our community teams had proudly con- tinued to actively champion equity, diversity and inclusion. Her team’s approach had focused on collaboration and working in partnership across the game to help sustain and grow opportunities. New projects, focusing on local diverse communities, had been instrumental in opening the game to new audiences. Her team had supported significant growth for women and girls, and had strived to offer people with disabilities an equal opportunity to enjoy the sport all those present loved. But of course, it was our volunteers from clubs and leagues that contin- ued to be at the heart of the recre- ational game, supporting existing players and officials and providing new opportunities for those that wanted to engage for the first time. The club had been delighted to honour over 240 individuals from across the county through our reward and recognition scheme in 2023. Over 70 people were nomi- nated by their clubs for the national ECB Cricket Collective awards, with two deserving individuals, Jade Pope and Amanda Reader from Keyworth CC, winning the Safe Hands Award for Safeguarding, whilst James Nixon and James Peck from NorthWheatley & Leverton were highly commended in the Cricket Innovators category for theirYouTube channel,Wheatley TV.