Minutes of the Granthamians' Meeting 27 April 2026

Present

Tom Webster, Simon Pickett, Nigel Barton, Paul O'Reilly, Andrew Roberts, Grace Bufton, Robert Sheardown, Mark Whittington*, Michael Barney*, Ben Whinney*

*via Teams

Apologies were accepted from:

Rich Bijster, Gavin Purvis, Andrew Jones

Minutes from the Last Meeting and Actions Arising

No comments were raised on the previous minutes so they are considered accepted by the Committee.

• Action 2.3: TW to issue final version of Comms strategic goals framework to the Committee. Awaiting the meeting between SP and MB on rebranding. Ongoing.
• Action 3.4: PO to organise and present a refined fundraising strategy for committee review. See agenda item iii. Closed.
• Action 3.5: GP to develop a scope of work for the sub-committee, to be established and circulated to the committee for review. No update had been received from GP, although SP reported that GP had been working with the school on upcoming activities for the summer. Ongoing.
• Action SGM2: MB to arrange a discussion with SP and GB to summarise the opinions of the Committee on both issues and to finalise a suitable Alumni badge design. This has not yet taken place due to other commitments. Following that meeting, TW asked that he and MB discuss the outcome. Ongoing.
• Action SGM3: Following discussions with SP, MB to lead further progress on the rebranding initiative as discussed. Ongoing.
• Action 4.1: TW to ask BW to arrange rugby publicity as soon as possible. Completed.
• Action 4.2: TW to request issue of dinner photos from MB for publication. TW will contact MB to discuss how dinner photos are to be distributed (for example, via Instagram). Ongoing.
• Action 4.3: TW to arrange handover meeting for dinner with RB, GB and RS. To be arranged. Ongoing.
• Action 4.4: PO to issue copy of draft strategy and follow up with TW on way forward. See agenda item iii. Closed.
• Action 4.5: NB, SP and TW to meet and discuss methods of collecting data from various sources as a basis for identifying ex-students who can assist both the School and Alumni. Ongoing.

Report of the Chairperson

TW is seeking additional support to increase committee numbers so that the workload can be shared more evenly. RS will assist with event planning in the interim; however, the roles of Events Lead and Fundraising Lead remain vacant. TW will be in contact with the Comms sub-committee to publicise available roles and asked committee members to approach any likely volunteers through their own networks.

Action 5.1: TW to initiate discussions with MB on committee recruitment publicity.

RS suggested that those who contributed to the last dinner via the Sum-up machine be contacted as potential volunteers. SP confirmed that this information should be available and will provide it.

TW stated that the immediate priorities were to complete discussions on branding by the end of May, to put communications plans in place for upcoming events, to recruit further volunteers by the end of summer, and to review the format and approach of the annual Alumni cricket match as a longer-term action.

Report of the Treasurer

AJ had provided the financial position of the Alumni, included as Attachment 1. The current figures do not yet include income from the rugby match, as AJ is awaiting the bank statement. AJ also provided a copy of the Alumni accounts as at 31 December (Attachment 2). A breakdown of the financial position following the rugby match was requested from AJ.

Report from Sub-Committee Leads

Events Co-ordinator – RB/RS

TW noted that the rugby match event went very well, particularly in respect of logistics, and thanked BW and SP in particular for their efforts in making the day a success. Some issues were noted for improvement in future years.

BW reported that a debrief had taken place after the match. TW proposed that a separate sub-committee meeting be held to consider any issues in detail, rather than reviewing them at this meeting. BW agreed, noting that the handling of donations was more urgent and should be considered sooner.

Newark Rugby Club had donated £500, which can be added to the total for distribution. No further contact had been received from Josh regarding donation distribution. BW's view was that the charity split from previous years should be maintained as far as possible (a total of £2,000), with any remainder (approximately £174) being distributed amongst other good causes or retained in the account for now. In discussion, this split was agreed to be feasible based on income from the latest match. Just under £1,000 in cash was received into buckets during the day and was directly routed to the Children's Bereavement Centre (CBC).

No objections had been raised by anyone to this event becoming an Alumni event going forward.

SP confirmed that the school had kindly written off the cost of the balls and water bottles. Newark Rugby Club's invoice of £500 was effectively offset by their donation of £500. A proposal was made to find an alternative to Ticketsource, whose commission rate of 7% is high compared to the Sum-up machines' rate of 2%. Additionally, the entry price could increase to £10, which would increase income significantly. The school would also be interested in having a merchandising stall at next year's match.

Setting a floor for donations was seen as a sound approach. However, as TW noted, some future events may not be as profitable, which could affect the Alumni's funds if specific donation amounts became established custom and practice. £2,000 remains the target for the foreseeable future, with the aim of improving overall event income.

The Committee agreed that the two charities (The Brain Tumour Charity and CBC) should each receive £1,000 from this year's event. A cheque presentation will be arranged. How the total monies collected will be split in future will be discussed at a later date.

SP noted that the income from the rugby match remained in a school bank account. It was agreed that donations should be issued from the Alumni as part of the Alumni's branding, and SP will transfer the money to the Alumni account for AJ to issue cheques as agreed.

MW noted that oversized cheques provide good publicity for both the Alumni and recipient charities. This will be taken on board. PO suggested using Hive FM to generate publicity for any cheque presentation.

TW had spoken with RB and concluded that RB would not be in a position to remain as sub-committee lead for the immediate future. It had been proposed at the last Alumni meeting that RS would lead the sub-committee until RB is able to return. TW also thanked GB for her efforts in early planning for the dinner and bar arrangements. A handover with RB will be arranged as soon as possible.

The intent is that this year's dinner will celebrate 125 years of the Alumni. A discussion took place about the expectation that attendee numbers will increase and that alternative venues may therefore be needed. NB noted that publicity needs to begin soon, notifying Alumni of the date as a minimum. Ticket sales tend to arrive late in the booking period and this pattern needs to be addressed so that venue planning can take place in good time, as alternative venues are limited in number and may already be booked. A coordination meeting between the events and communications sub-committees is needed soon to formulate a strategy for publicising the dinner.

Action 5.2: MB and RS to arrange a coordination meeting to initiate dinner planning and publicity as soon as possible.

The capacity of the Old School is approximately 96. Other venues were briefly discussed (including the Guildhall, Harlaxton Manor and the Arena), although most venues tend to have a similar maximum capacity of around 100. SP confirmed that the school hall (maximum approximately 120) could be made available, though this would come with its own set of challenges.

An after-dinner speaker has not yet been identified and this must be added to the list of significant items to be resolved.

It was generally agreed that the event should remain in the Old School until numbers make a change unavoidable. Should future events sell out, this could be positioned as an exclusive occasion, which may in turn support an increase in ticket pricing.

BW suggested that there may be an opportunity to hold a dinner associated with the rugby match, which could encourage greater attendance at that event as part of a weekend occasion. This will be discussed further within the sub-committee.

Communications and Communities Co-ordinator – MB

MB said that publicity photographs will greatly assist promotion of this year's events and that a plan for how such occasions are celebrated and communicated is currently in development. TW suggested that a sub-committee meeting be held soon to take this forward.

Fundraising and Development Co-ordinator – PO

PO and TW had discussed the status of this sub-committee. PO stated that he did not have sufficient capacity to coordinate the group and was finding it difficult to formulate a clear strategy for the fundraising scope. PO accordingly requested agreement to step back from the role. TW thanked PO for his efforts to date and for bringing the matter to the committee's attention. A new lead will be required to coordinate fundraising, covering sources, targets and alignment with other groups. PO outlined a number of areas that had been established during his tenure, including the Community Investment Fund, the scholarship concept, school facilities, mental health awareness and digital fundraising via merchandising.

Careers and Mentoring Co-ordinator – GP

GP was unable to be present at the meeting and no update was provided.

Items and Reports for Discussion and Action

No further items were discussed.

Any Other Business

GB is working on networking events to support students, with one event planned for the coming months. A survey has been issued to gauge general interest. TW expressed the Alumni's gratitude to GB for progressing these events. The events foreseen will be jointly supported by the school and the Alumni, as both parties have a vested interest in their success. A future discussion on access to student databases will be of benefit to the Alumni for a number of reasons, and coordination of approaches between school and Alumni is a clear requirement.

Date of Next Meeting

The next Alumni meeting will be on 8 June 2026 at 7.00pm in the library and online. The agenda with online joining instructions will be issued no less than 7 days prior to the date of the meeting. Interim meetings for various sub-committees prior to the next scheduled meeting will probably be individually organised.

Actions Arising

• Action 2.3: TW to issue final version of Comms strategic goals framework to the Committee.
• Action 3.5: GP to develop a scope of work for the sub-committee, to be established and circulated to the committee for review.
• Action SGM2: MB to arrange a discussion with SP and GB to summarise the opinions of the Committee on both issues and to finalise a suitable Alumni badge design.
• Action SGM3: Following discussions with SP, MB to lead further progress on the rebranding initiative as discussed.
• Action 4.2: TW to request issue of dinner photos from MB for publication.
• Action 4.3: TW to arrange handover meeting for dinner with RB, GB and RS.
• Action 4.5: NB, SP and TW to meet and discuss methods of collecting data from various sources as a basis for identifying ex-students who can assist both the School and Alumni.
• Action 5.1: TW to initiate discussions with MB on committee recruitment publicity.
• Action 5.2: MB and RS to arrange a coordination meeting to initiate dinner planning and publicity as soon as possible.