The Trust did no major fundraising during the year, but is ready willing and able to receive your donations and especially your covenanted gift aid to further the important work of preserving existing courts and encouraging the game through coaching and new initiatives.
The Accounts give a good idea of where our funds were directed in the last year and how much was raised by renewed covenants and a legacy.
Our Meetings always involve EFA Board representatives and we ensure that any donations are in line with the Board’s intentions and commitments. But the decision was taken that the Trust should field all requests for court-building and restoration to relieve the Board of this invidious task. We shall then give our recommendation to the Board before a final decision on any request is communicated.
In line with this decision, we have planned some of our Meetings to be held at court sites. Stowe, Aldenham and Lancing College have already hosted such enjoyable and productive Meetings. These are schools where the Trust has offered funds towards new or existing courts or wishes to show support for their fives programme and we find there is much mutual benefit to be had in getting together with masters-in-charge, planners, bursars and headmasters to review the role of Eton Fives in the school’s programmes.
We remain firm supporters of Westway and have agreed to share with the EFA the attributed costs of funding Howard Wiseman’s posting there. We will no doubt be meeting there again soon to keep in touch with developments.
On a lighter note, we helped the Patron to implement his wish to hold a Fives Day at his home at Torry Hill in Kent where he preserves possibly the only remaining Eton Fives court in private ownership. Lord Kingsdown previously visited Westway and invited Howard Wiseman to bring a four to play an exhibition match on his court.
We are all grateful to the Trustees for the time and effort they deploy, but may I conclude by reminding members of the special debt we owe to John Rimer, our Treasurer and Derek Whitehead our Secretary, without whom the Trust would be far less able to provide the effective and well regulated support that our much-loved game needs and our contributors deserve.
R.M.K.Chairman's Report 2002-2003 by Rodney Knight
Finalised 10th September 2003
mike.fenn@etonfives.co.uk