Updates

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Carl Barnard, a much-loved coach and friend within our badminton community. Carl made a lasting impact on everyone he worked with, not only as a coach but as a mentor, role model, and source of joy both on and off the court. Amanda’s words“I have known Carl for over 30 years, firstly as a player and then as a coach. Carl always had a huge sense of fun and taught so many so much. We, at Eagles, were lucky to have Carl on our coaching books for several years until he moved to Suffolk a few years ago. Over the period he was with us he not only taught youngsters to play but taught others how to coach, giving everyone a sense of his passion for badminton. He had a great way with all the players, knowing what made them tick. Even during his previous illness and with no teeth he would grin at people and laugh at himself. He was a breath of fresh air and had a real sense of humour. He was taken ill on a badminton court while coaching, probably just how he would have wished. His legacy to the badminton world will live on with all the players and coaches he has helped over the years. I would like to offer my condolences to the whole family and know that Eagles has benefitted from having the ‘Carl Affect’ for those years and are in a better place for it.” Adam’s words“I’m deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Carl Barnard. Carl was pivotal in my badminton journey, giving me the opportunity to gain my Level 1 and Level 2 coaching qualifications. I had the privilege of coaching alongside him for many years, and in that time he taught me so much, not just about the game itself, but also about life off the court. His guidance, encouragement, and support played a huge role in shaping the coach and person I am today. He will be greatly missed, but his impact and legacy will continue through the many people he inspired.” Carl’s influence will forever remain within our community, and his spirit will live on through the players and coaches who had the privilege of learning from him. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends. Harrison’s Words “I learned so much from Carl as a coach. He had such a wealth of knowledge and was always willing to share it, helping others to grow and improve. Carl was not only a great coach, but also a great man, and he always brought a brilliant sense of humour to everything he did. He will be greatly missed, but never forgotten.” Rob’s Words “Carl was such an inspiration to me and was a big part of becoming the coach and player I am today. His passion for badminton was unmatched and his sense of humour always made every session fun and engaging for whoever he came in contact with.”

EAGLES BADMINTON CLUB Annual General Meeting 5th June 2025 Held virtually on a Zoom hoping to increase participation Present: Ray Calder, Matt Clark, Amanda Austin, George Williamson, Rob Clark, Arvin Panesar, Asha Patel Apologies: Terry Summers, Brandon Ngooi, Harrison Ansell, Adam Master The minutes of the last meeting were agreed by Ray Calder and seconded by Matt Clark Chairman’s Report Ray reported to the meeting about the growth in the club in the last year. How this time last year we were looking at closing the club as we struggling with the constant stop/ start of hall availability at Emerson Park. How the decision was made to invest in the club despite the precarious position. Harrison Ansell and his company have updated our website, logo and given us an online presence which has made us more modern and visible, in a year it has turned around so much with the new venue, being able to play all year without the breaks, lots of new members, a new Thursday adult class, full classes and waiting lists for the majority of sessions. He reported that having constant sessions made it a better experience for both players and coaches and people seemed happier with the situation. This is still a period of adjustment, but the hall venue and social media have definitely been worthwhile. Ray also reported that there had been no teams or competitions this year so he couldn’t report on that. Secretary’s report Matt said that there was nothing major to report. We had 152 members as of the AGM date which was made up of 54 adults and 98 juniors. This is always fluctuating but if a member leaves, we are able to take someone from the waiting lists. Matt stated that adult sessions vary, people pay but don’t always turn up. All members on joining are registered with Badminton England. Matt explained we have to have maximum numbers and stick to them with juniors but are slightly more flexible with the adults. Treasurer’s report Matt presented his accounts.  Matt explained that as the fees were set at the last AGM before the venue change we knew we would make a loss this year regardless of what we did numbers wise. The hall was 40% more and with courts reducing from 4 to 3 meant we lost a potential of 25% of our income. The only income was from fees and our expenditure was coaches, court hire, shuttles, training equipment, Badminton England affiliation, social media, printing and miscellaneous. We did have Jack Petchey funding but what we could use this money on was very limited. At the AGM last year it was agreed that we could use money from our savings account. The money in this account was from years ago where coaches were all volunteers and the hall hire was free so any fees taken from members in the first five years of Eagles went into this account. Matt explained that some of it had been used in COVID to pay our coaches and we agreed that using some of this was an investment in the future and should be used to try and keep the club going. So in the accounts this was the £4000 that moved from the deposit to current account. Numbers have increased and taking into account the money moved from our deposit account it means that the club made a £3736.83 loss which was a  lot less then we expected and meant that the club had been able to continue up to this point when full closure of the club really could have been the only option. The investment from the deposit account was what was needed whilst numbers increased so wont be something used every year. Election of Officers: All officials stood down and the floor were asked if anyone would like to take on any of the club roles. Ray Calder  stood down after almost ten years in the role of Chairman and Rob Clark agreed to take over. The committee is as follows: Chair: Rob Clark Treasurer: Matt Clark Secretary Matt Clark/Amanda Austin Match Secretary: vacant as no league currently Child Welfare Officer: Terry Summers Media and Newsletter Editor: Amanda Tragen Jack Petchey Coordinator: Amanda Austin Committee member – Arvin Panesar Confirmation of adopting Badminton England’s codes of conduct and policies It was unanimously agreed that as a club we would continue to adopt all policies recommended by Badminton England. These policies are on our website, in our welcome pack but are always on the Badminton England website. Fees There was a lot of discussion about fees. The club needed to be viable and cover all associated costs. The club was never meant to make huge profits but to keep sessions as affordable as possible. It was pointed out that as we were struggling retaining members last year that all junior fees were frozen and adult fees were reduced. Taking this into account and looking at the increases in coaching, shuttles and court hire we would need to implement an increase across the board. It was agreed that for all sessions other than the new Thursday  session fees would go up by £5 a month. This translates as just over a £1 a week and gives us the opportunity to play year round. It was agreed that with playing all year round rather than only being able to adjust fees at an AGM an amendment should be made to the constitution to allow fees to be changed during the year if the situation demands it. It was reported that it is a very fine line between keeping the club viable and keeping the sessions as affordable as possible but we were doing everything we could to ensure both. With the junior sessions being frozen last year it meant that this increase is over two years and with the adults being reduced it actually means that prices are very similar to two years ago. Sessions Whilst transitioning we moved all of

Emerson Eagles Monday session Top Girl – Olivia KillickTop Boy – Jai ChohanMost Improved Player – Jessica Cook Coaches Player of the Year – Aishaan Sujit Players Player of the Year – Ava Musham Emerson Eagles Tuesday session Top Girl –Amber ValentineTop Boy – Jonathan FanMost Improved Player –  Reece Roper Coaches Player of the Year –  Olivia Conaghan Players Player of the Year – Roshan Panesar Emerson Eagles Wednesday session Top Girl – Crystelle JeethuTop Boy – Dhillon Ramdanee Most Improved Player – Charlie Ince Coaches Player of the Year – Hudson Carter Players Player of the Year – Jacob Gunn Emerson Eagles Thursday session Top Girl – Toma MurauskaiteTop Boy – Aadhavan NakkeeranMost Improved Player – Tyler Ellis Coaches Player of the Year – Amanveer Saund Players Player of the Year –  Reuben Sriskandarajah Eagle of the Year: Hayden McGlinchey Jack Petchey Winners September –, Lily Taylor,  October – Reece Roper, November – Eren Tuna, January –  Toby Lesurf, February – Waleed Ameyoud,  March – Fraser Sowerby, May –Adrianna Cheung, June – Melissa Cheung

Emerson Eagles Monday session Top Girl – Coco ThomasTop Boy – Aaron FurniauxMost Improved Player – Tiffany Chan Coaches Player of the Year – Hollie Meek Players Player of the Year – Charlotte Cook Emerson Eagles Tuesday session Top Girl – Amber ValentineTop Boy – Jonathan FanMost Improved Player – Alfie Fan Coaches Player of the Year – James Cattell Players Player of the Year – Josh Valentine Emerson Eagles Wednesday session Top Girl – Neha De SilvaTop Boy – Hayden McGlinchey Most Improved Player – Neha De Silva Coaches Player of the Year – Neha De Silva Players Player of the Year – Neha De Silva Emerson Eagles Thursday session Top Girl – Abby TragenTop Boy – Callum StoneMost Improved Player – Timmy Jupp Coaches Player of the Year – Roshan Panesar Players Player of the Year – Jacob Gunn Eagle of the Year: Jonathan Fan Jack Petchey Winners September – Roshan Panesar, October – Neha De Silva, November – Thomas Cargill, January –  Jonathan Fan, February – Coco Thomas, March – Ava Musham  April – Zain Igot  May – Jacob Gunn June –  Harrison Patis-Stannard