HAYING ISLAND BUSINESSMEN’S CLUB Report by Bruce Mowatt Publicity Feb 2016

A big thank you goes again to Ian Smith and Caroline MacDowell who raised £215 with a collection from Islanders viewing their magnificent light display in South Road during the Christmas period. This is the fifth year that Ian and Caroline have chosen to donate the money to HIBC in the knowledge that the funds would be used for the benefit of local residents.

The club received a letter of thanks from the Hayling Island Community Centre Association for our £500 donation to support the buy a brick scheme, initiated by the Community Centre, to raise funds for their proposed extension, and help create exciting new facilities for future generations.

Over 80 current and former Club members together with their wives, partners and guests, attended the customary Chairman’s Welcome Party held at the Langstone Hotel. The newly elected Chairman, Brian Smith was pleased to welcome the mayor of Havant, Leah Turner and her consort Andy Cousins together with several members of Hayling Lions with whom the Club works closely on a number of events on the Island. Brian took the opportunity of thanking member’s wives and partners and their guests for their continued and much valued support to the Club. Following the formalities members and guests enjoyed a buffet supper followed by entertainment from local musical artist Wendy Adams.

The Club’s next event is the ever popular Skittles Evening to be held at The British Legion on Monday 14^th March. Open to non-members, tickets competitively priced at £10 which includes supper are available from social secretary or any Club member. There are prizes for the best’’skittlers’’.

There is currently an availability of our 17 seat Community Bus at the weekends. Any organisation wishing to make use of the facility either on a one off, or regular basis, is welcome to contact bus manager Trevor Slydell at minibus@hibc.org.uk. Please remember that although use of the bus is free, you must provide your own driver who will be 70 and under with a clean licence.

Membership of the Club remains strong, but are always on the lookout for new members.The club meets every 2 weeks with luncheon, promoting a relaxed atmosphere when members have the opportunity to participate and discuss the latest events as reported by the club council officers.

Potential members and guests invited to the luncheon can experience first-hand how the club operates, before committing to membership.

Saturday 9^th July is the date for the ever popular Barbeque night being held again at Northney farm with entertainment featuring one of the Uk’s Premier ABBA tribute acts.

Anyone interested in joining the club or gaining further information is welcome to contact the recruitment officer at recruitment@hibc.org.uk or speak to a member at any of our forthcoming events

A NEW CHAIRMAN for 2016 HAYING ISLAND BUSINESSMEN’S CLUB Report by Bruce Mowatt Publicity

At the Annual General Meeting of Hayling Island Businessmen’s Club on Wednesday 6^th January, Brian Smith was elected as Chairman for the ensuing year. Brian was born in Portsmouth in 1950 and moved to Hayling after marrying Penny Cleeve in 1980. He is currently office manager at a local solicitor. Brian joined the club in 2013 and became Recruitment officer in 2015 a position he thoroughly enjoyed.  Although a relative new comer to the Club, Brian has a fine team of committee members to assist him and is greatly looking forward to his exciting year in office.

In his review of the last 12 months John Cushion reported another successful year for the Club. Fund raising had met with some fine efforts including the Donkey Derby stall, Annual Barbeque, Pig Race Night, Christmas street collections, Christmas Fayre and several other events. The Club raised its profile by overseeing the Hayling for St George event in August, earned much praise for arranging the senior citizens party at Sinah Warren for the tenth consecutive year and visits to Hayling Island Dramatic productions, The Club was represented at the election of Leah Turner as the new Mayor of Havant, Prince Charles’s visit to the Island and also at the launching of the new Life Boat. All prestigious occasions for Hayling.

There was more in the way of donations during the year. In addition to the Achiever of the Year and Sports Person of the year at the Hayling College the Club was also able to sponsor a full kit for a Hayling United junior team. Many other worthwhile organizations were helped during the year and all this in addition to running the Community Bus.

Membership had been well maintained and although a few members have been lost during the year mainly due to pressure of work and other commitments we have welcomed five new recruits with others in the pipeline.

The Club’s year was crowned with the acquisition of the new 17 seater Community Bus which will enable many more local senior citizen and other groups to enjoy an important transport lifeline.

In concluding, John thanked every member of the Club for the support he had received and for making his year in office so enjoyable.

Although the main aim of the Club is to purchase, maintain and run the Hayling Island Community Bus, many other worthwhile causes were supported during 2015 with a number of monetary awards being made to numerous local organizations.  In addition, the Club made its normal donations to the Hayling Island Dramatic Society and continued to support students at Hayling College with the Wally Egan Award and Sportsperson of the Year Shield. The Christmas party at Sinah Warren was again a great success and was enjoyed by over 300 local senior citizens. Club members were in attendance to meet and greet the guests and generally ensure the success of the afternoon. However, many thanks must go to the management, staff and entertainment team at Sinah Warren for their wonderful generosity without which the event would be difficult to stage.

Before closing the meeting, members elected John Cushion as their Highest Achiever of the Year for 2015 and he was presented with the Doug Broughton Cup for his outstanding services to the Club. The “fun” award of the Wooden Spoon for the Club’s Biggest Stirrer for 2015 was awarded to Pat Keane for the eleventh time!

Club members now look forward to the challenges which 2016 will bring. Several fund raising events are already planned including the ever popular Annual Barbeque on 9^th July.

A great deal of hard work is envisaged for the coming year, but with the help and generosity of the Island community and businesses a very successful year is in prospect.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Club or with an interest in joining is welcome to contact recruitment officer John Cushion on 02392340660, or visit the Club web site www.hibc.org.uk or speak to a member at any of our forthcoming events.