Minutes of the AGM, Monday 24th November 2025 at 7pm

The Lochcarron Leisure Centre Ltd. AGM
Monday 24th November 2025 at 7pm
Lochcarron Upper Village Hall
 
 

Agenda
 
Welcome
Apologies
Chair’s report
Treasurers’ Report
Appointment of Directors ( if any)
Appointment of Officers
Age Policy
AOB
Close (Date of next meeting)
 

 
Minutes
Present: Board:- Avril Mackenzie (Sec & Minutes), David Murray, Karen Molloy, Dee Gilks ( Chair/ Treasurer), Helen Murchison (Community Council Rep)
Members: Kenny Murray, Campbell Macleod, David Chambers, Ann Friend, Diane  Mackenzie.
Also Callum Dean Morrice & Owen Mackenzie (Previous members)
This was a very disappointing turnout and the meeting was only just quorate so we could proceed with the AGM. The Board were disheartened and deeply disappointed by the lack of interest and support shown by all but the 5 members who attended given that so many benefit from their extensive efforts.

Age Policy
In order to address the age policy with the previous members present, we opened the meeting with a discussion on the current Age Policy which is that all members must be 18 years old. This was based on the insurance terms in place since opening. Further clarification had been sought and received from the Insurers NFU that amendments to our Age Policy
The chair informed the meeting of the increasing interest from younger members of the community and of a number of recent incidents where young non members had been found to be in the gym, some facilitated by adult members. This had also exposed the lack of knowledge in the community about the current adult only policy. 
Two changes were proposed:
Youth membership for 13-16 year olds accompanied by an adult member. Reduction of membership age to 16
These options were discussed and an extensive debate took place. Views were sought and expressed from everyone present.
It was unanimously agreed that currently 13-15 year olds should not be invited to become members.
It was unanimously agreed that a reduction in the age limit from 18 to 16 would enable the young adults in the area to become members, manage their fitness and  enjoy the facilities.  Policy will be amended and publicised.
Calum and Owen left the meeting.

The Chair’s Report as attached was delivered and discussed. Since opening members have visited the gym on nearly 5,500 occasions, almost 3000 in the current financial year. We benefitted from both non-resident workers in the area and from the closure of the Kyle Gym due to a fire as well as regular visitors and tourists.
The dampness and maintenance issues were discussed and thank were offered to both David Chambers for fixing the flashing and also to Ian the Joiner who donated and fitted blown windows earlier in the year.   
The Chair also appealed on behalf of the Board for assistance with both administrative and practical assistance. A request was also made for new Board members to come forward as the Board is at minimal level required to operate legally and needs to be reinforced. If new Board members don’t come forward the gym will not be able to operate.

The Treasurer’s Report showed the Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet as attached. The finances are very healthy with both steady income and money in the bank for equipment replacement,  building maintenance and other contingencies.  There is no immediate pressure on the finances and so no changes to the current fees is proposed. Corporate and Blue Light memberships are also now in operation.
There was a short discussion about the administrative processes which support the running of the gym and support to its members. Ann Friend volunteered to assist and to consider becoming a Board member.

Appointment of Directors: In the absence of any immediate candidates the current Directors agreed to continue for the forthcoming year. However, The chair indicated her intention to step back from the Board by the next AGM. Unless the Board can be maintained long term at least 5/6 members the future of the gym is at risk.

Appointment of Officers: As with the Board itself the current office holders will continue however both Chair and Treasurer roles will become vacant when the current chair/ treasurer steps down. There must be a transition during the next 12 months to secure the future of the gym.

Other Business
Personal Trainers : discussed the lack of availability of personal trainers for induction. There are currently no qualified trainers in the area with the capacity to conduct induction. This is not something we can address.  Individuals have responsibility for their own education on the use of equipment.
Publicity & Leaflets: Discussed the possibility of producing leaflets and information for visitors to be put in holiday accommodation and hotels.

Date of the next AGM :  Monday 23 November 2026

The Lochcarron Leisure Centre  AGM 27th November 2025
 

Treasurers Report for y.e.31^st March  2025
The attached accounts are a true representation of the income and expenditure of the Company/ Charity in the year ending 31 March 2025. They have not yet been independently verified but this will be completed before submission to Companies House. All details and supporting documents are available for inspection by members. A detailed breakdown of the expenditure is also attached. These figures represent the first full year of operations and show that we continue to be financially viable.
The membership fee is now the only source of income with between 50 and 60 members being the average  monthly active memberships.  This continues to  exceed our original business plan.
Lochcarron Leisure Centre Ltd,  is still a registered charity and benefits from charitable exemptions such as reduced rates and water charges. We continue to be in a healthy financial position and are actively building reserves to ensure that there are funds for replacement of equipment and repairs and maintenance of the building. 
Our main expense is maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of the premises and equipment and of course  the ever increasing energy costs. The automated nature of the operation allows us to minimise cost and maximise access while ensuring that the facility is safe and functional.
We also have support contracts for equipment servicing and maintenance as well as IT support.
We have had 356 people register with us since we started. In the year to 31/3/25 there were 2727 visits from members. In total, from opening to 19^th November 2025 members have visited 5649 times.  Some will be one time users, others will be holiday makers or visitors and yet others will be non-local workers who use the gym while they are in the area. We have introduced a variety of membership plans including the very popular pay as you go and some corporate supported packages. We also offer a blue light plan which is only available to our emergency services crews living locally to enable them to maintain fitness and continue to keep our community safe. 
There is no intention or need to alter the membership plans or fee levels in the coming year.
 
Dee Gilks
Treasurer & Chair


The Lochcarron Leisure Centre  AGM 27th November 2025

Chair’s Report for y.e.31^st March  2025
It was clear last year that the first year of operation of the community gym has been incredibly successful and of huge benefit to the community and in particular to the many regular gym users.
 The current Board of the Lochcarron Leisure Centre Ltd continues to develop and promote the aims of providing a facility for all. We continue to offer a range of membership plans and payment options and are  very well supported by the community. 

Membership
We continue to use Clubright to manage our memberships and to supporting members in managing their own plans. Occasional issues with technical glitches are also supported well by them and our IT support who can access our IT system remotely.
We have developed a couple of corporate membership packages with local employers and are also working to provide a ‘Blue Light’ package for community based emergency and out of hours health care workers. We have been in discussions with the surgery regarding prescription based memberships but are still struggling with privacy insurance issues.
We have had a rise in interest from younger members of the community and have now received clarification from our insurers regarding their requirements to maintain adequate cover. This has been tabled for discussion later on the AGM Agenda.
The use of a membership app linked directly to the door access system works well in ensuring that only members with active membership gain access. This reduces the human involvement in day to day management to a minimum and gives users the ability to manage their own memberships.

Building & Maintenance
We have received many compliments on the building, equipment and environment  and have been pleased to see such a variety of members of all ages and capabilities using the facilities.
The regular attendance of our cleaners makes the whole operation viable and maintains the high standards of hygiene and cleanliness. Our original team resigned earlier this year but have been ably replaced by our current cleaning expert. Thank you , Stella McKinney.
Thanks also to Ian the joiner for donating and fixing the windows which had blown and needed repair/ replacement.
There is an ongoing issue with condensation and dampness on the western side of the building. As this is the prevailing wind and rain direction it is proving difficult to combat. We have received advice from Portakabin regarding how to address the causes of this is and it will require some extensive work in the spring or whenever the weather is warmer and drier. Meanwhile we are acquiring a dehumidifier to try to prevent the problem worsening. We will be seeking help from members when work can proceed.

Hygiene, Security and Safety
We continue to try to ensure the safety of all members are safe while in the gym . As well as the existing CCTV system which has proved invaluable, we are planning to implement an alarm system which would enable assistance to be called in an emergency. Meanwhile,  in accordance with our insurance requirements, we expect all members to have access to a mobile phone to call for assistance if necessary.
We continue to remind members of the need for basic hygiene such as wiping down before and after use – particularly when sweat ends up on the equipment – not just on basic touch points. Members could help us more in this area. We know from the low level of wipes used that this is not being done as well or as often as would be helpful.
We have had a number of tailgating incidents and members sharing membership access with non-members or members who do not have current access. Where we have found this we have addressed it but we need members to help us to ensure that all this facility is not abused by non-paying users. 

General Management
Membership management and finances are managed online including payment of regular bills by direct debits.  This hands-off structure makes the overall management of the business side of the project as simplified as possible.
We continue to work with and for the community to meet their needs for a fitness facility and welcome all the support we have received. Our fame has spread and we have spoken to other community gyms that are being developed to share our experiences and ideas.

The Future
As chair, I would like to encourage anyone who is interested  in helping us and contributing to the management and running of the gym to come and join us either as a volunteer or as a member of the Board. The current Board is at minimum operational level and failure to maintain the minimum number of Board members would mean that we will be unable to operate legally.

Dee Gilks
Chair.