We held the AGM on Monday 3rd August. Disappointingly, only 39 members came. We have 537 voting members — so 498 of you didn’t. That, really, is why I’m writing.

If you don’t come to the AGM, you don’t see the numbers. Paying members have a vote and you have every right to see the numbers. AND it is so hard to run the club well when only 39 people are in the room as the decisions get made. Sit back, have a drink and read on.

A thin profit — carried by a few (scaringly)

We finished the year in the black: a profit of about £8,500. Against £291,000 of income that is wafer-thin.

Now look at where that £291,000 came from:

● Your subscriptions: £70,000 — just 24% of income.
● Donations, grants and commercial sponsorship: £128,000 — 44% of income.

Why are you telling me this Ian? Well, nearly half the club is now funded by the goodwill of around 50 sponsors and donors. Donations and grants alone jumped from £30,000 to £83,000 in a single year — which tells you exactly how lumpy and unpredictable that money is. Take that goodwill away and Selby RUFC is swimming naked.

That generosity is a wonderful thing. It is not a safe thing. Nice to have for a few years — but as the foundation the whole club stands on, it’s a serious risk. It can change the moment the economy does.

What we did with the support we had

Almost all of it was restricted or one-off money — it came in for a specific job and went straight back out on it. None of it went on day-to-day running:

● Floodlights — fully upgraded to LED through grants and a legacy (National Grid, SSE Renewables and the late John Hepworth). Not a penny from members. 29% less power, 30–50% more light on the pitch making up for the performance decay of the 10 year old metal halides.
● Solar — 61.6kWp now on our roofs, part-funded by Sport England, saving around £9,500 a year. It pays for itself in about two and a half years, then keeps giving back.
● Catering in-house — Chef Andy is now cooking for us. Match-day lunches, training-night meals and functions are real income opportunities for the club.
● Kit, retail and systems — every shirt from Micros to Seniors redesigned with O’Neills, an online club shop live, new tills in the bar, and the accounts fully on Xero.
● Community Coaching — Selby RUFC Community Coaching is up and running, putting qualified coaches into local schools, feeding our own player pathway and hopefully increasing membership.

Every one of those either cuts a bill or builds an income.

Future expansion — the land across the railway

We’re pursuing the purchase of the land across the railway line. Plans are drawn, the site is mapped, and a planning pre-application is in. Owning it will end the over-use of our pitches, open up summer income we simply can’t earn now (Spring 7s, pre-season 10s, no cricket constraints, music festivals, proms on the paddock). Arguably the most important thing we can do for the next generation of the club — and it will take years and real money.

Which brings us to subscriptions

The uncomfortable truth is that our everyday running costs are being carried too heavily by too few. And the bills have not gone up by the 3% you hear on the news:

● Insurance — up 44%
● Water — up 55%, two-thirds of it standing charges.
● Electricity — up 11%, and that’s not even a full year yet.
● Wages, Employer NI and pensions — up several thousand pounds after April’s statutory changes.
● Everything else — up at least 7%, as suppliers pass on the cost increases imposed on them.

The usual inflation uplift on subs doesn’t come close. So for this season and next the AGM approved a one-off £10 on top of the normal increase, across every membership category. Spread over the season, that’s 33p a week. Two small catch-ups now are far better than a painful correction later.

Subs will stay on Pitchero, with the option to spread the cost over five instalments, and are available to purchase now.

The easiest way to help isn’t money — it’s turning up

Eat more, drink more. Every pint at the bar and every plate from Chef Andy’s kitchen drops straight to the bottom line. There are 11 First XV home lunches this season, up to 85 covers each — book a table and bring guests. Eat on training nights while the kids are out. Buy your kit through the O’Neills store. Sign up to easyfundraising.org.uk and the club gets cashback on your everyday online shopping. Rent The Swans Nest and bring your friends to watch a 2nd Team Fixture. Get involved. None of it costs much. All of it adds up.

And if you have a view on any of this, I want to hear it — that’s what the club is. Email me directly at treasurer@selbyrufc.com.

Thank you for your support. The club is in good hands and moving forward — and with a bit from all of us, rather than a lot from a few, the next few years could be the next stepping stone in the rich history of Selby RUFC.

And finally – we need volunteers, task driven - I promise we won’t abuse anyone who comes forward and offers a few hours.

Best regards,
Ian Wotton
Honorary Treasurer, Selby Rugby Union Football Club
treasurer@selbyrufc.com