COMMUNITY GROUP REPORTS 2026
as presented to the Annual Parish Meeting, May 2026
Brill Sports and Social Club
Purpose
The Objects of the Club are to promote for the benefit of the inhabitants of Brill and the wider community, the provision of amateur sport, the provision of facilities for recreation and other leisure time occupations for individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or social or economic circumstances and in the interests of social welfare with the object of improving life for said inhabitants and the public at large.
Achievements
Taken from Chairman’s report to BSSC AGM:
As always, I’d like to kick off on behalf of all our members to thank your Club Committee for all their support and efforts over the last 12 months. As I say each year this support is vital and without which the Club wouldn’t be able to run in its current format, so thank-you Ryan, Michelle, Kim, Sarah, Mike, Jon and Jules.
We’ve provided handouts of our financial performances, I can take any questions on this shortly, but I wanted to start with some high-level insight which I hope provides some helpful context and understanding in how your club operates.
The Clubs overall turnover for the last 3 years was £114K in 2023, £165K in 2024 (this included our football foundation maintenance equipement grant) and last year in 2025 it was £135.5K. Business threshold for VAT payment qualification was increased in the Autumn 2025 budget from the previous £85,000 to £90,000 so the Club continues to pay VAT under the flat rate scheme at 6.5% on our trading income.
I guess on one hand our turnover trading figures do sound positive, and many of you will know they are a step-change on past years. However, this is much needed as the Clubs basic standing operating costs before we even open to customers are in the region of £20,000. This would include things like ground lease rent, water, waste, heat, light, required licences (Sky, tv, music, premise), broadband, building insurance, financial support services, and building equipment certification. Please note this excludes the cost of purchasing our drink stock, sundries and consumables.
When the Club actual opens, we then need to pay our steward, other bar staff helpers, cleaning staff, together with our bank and card machine fees and annually this costs us around another £30,000. I know when I first got involved four years ago and before we were VAT registered, the Club needed to trade approximately between £80k+ for it to just break even. Today this is more likely to be in excess of £120k+. This for me highlights the importance of both existing & new members, support from our aligned sporting sections and our calendar of events which can’t be underestimated in underpinning the club’s on-going security existence and its ability to re-invest in its infrastructure and support our aligned supporting sections.
Over the last three years the Club has made significant investments, our ground maintenance equipment, new sheds, a brand new deck area, our new commercial BBQ, a new CCTV system. Last year we spent significant money on the playing field and refurbished the Ladies & Gents toilets (thank-you Mike and Robbie) and in 2026 we have a “not yet agreed” expenditure shopping list which includes replacement of our downstairs bar chairs, new outside furniture, new bar glasswasher and back bar fridges. The latter have now been purchased and installed with grateful financial support from the Houghton family in memory of our good friend Ted. Also, we are exploring the possibility of exchanging our ageing cash till which could be potentially replaced by an EPOS / new cash register equipment. Finally in 2025 we made c£2,700K of charitable and sporting section donations including £475 to Action Medical research, £300 to Give as you live, £500 Donation to BFC, £500 Donation to BCC, £100 to Cancer UK and £811.35 to BUYFC.
This incremental expenditure can only be funded by events and with this in mind it our key traditional annual event is the Festival and, as 2027 will see the 60th anniversary of the founding of Brill Sports and Social Club, our aim is to commemorate this amazing milestone by holding a Celebration Festival with a refreshed organisational format which recognises its growth and success over recent years. Our 2025 event was again very successful, but it’s not getting any easier to organise so hopefully we can recruit the additional - and hopefully younger - organisers and helpers to deliver a top-class Festival in 2027.
As we have already announced for this year, whilst we are working on the 2027 Festival, the Club committee has decided to still hold a Brill Club village event this year. This will be a one-day event, scheduled to be held on Sunday 30th August, with drinks, food, music and family fun and we look forward to confirming the exact details nearer the date.
Jon and the Festival team have started work on Festival 2027 and I know would welcome any ideas and suggestions from individuals, families or groups to make this the best Brill Festival yet. So anybody who is just itching to get involved please get in touch with Jon Vaile or Jo at the Club.
Finally, some thank-you’s in no particular order from all members and myself:
• Communications – Elaine • The 2025 Festival Team – Jon, Maddison, Jules, Michelle, Mike, Jo • The Maintenance Team – Mike & Robbie • Our Club Steward - Jo • Our Club Cleaner – India • Our Bar helpers – Cleo, Jon, Mike, India, Chelle, Paddy, Sarah and anyone else I have forgotten to mention – apologies for this • Our Event Cooks – Mark, Andy, Terry and Carol • Our Monthly Open Mic Organiser - Trent • Our Xmas Tree collector – Jon • Our Sporting sections leads – Chris, Lee, Phil, Jeff, Mike, Jon, Dave, Jamie, Steve again apologies for anyone else I should have mentioned • Quiz Masters – too many to mention but thank-you all • Meat Draw – Jon • Statutory Accounts - Gareth.
Challenges
Extended delays and decision making for previous S137 grant application and production of playing field MoU between BPC and BSSC.
How can BPC support?
Adopting a more pro-active community based focus in support of village organisations, whilst conducting interactions and decision making in a more timely fashion.
Age Concern Bernwode
Purpose
Giving lifts to medical appointments.
Achievements
Forty volunteer drivers took 33 different clients and covered 84 lifts/168 journeys, destinations ranging from High Wycombe, Oxford, Aylesbury, Amersham, Banbury, even Abingdon (April 2025 to March 2026).
Challenges (overcome!)
After a concerted effort we recruited none new volunteer drivers.
How can BPC support?
By supporting our fund raising event, our Coffee morning in the Sports and Social Club on Saturday July 25th. 10am to 12noon.
Brill Foodbank Collection
Purpose
We work with North Bucks Food Drive to organise monthly collections to support Aylesbury Vineyard Storehouse, a charity which provides furniture, household goods, children’s clothing, child and baby equipment and emergency food parcels, free of charge, to those in crisis situations and financial hardship.
Please leave donations in the yellow boxes in the bus shelter on The Square by 9am on the first Saturday in every month. See posters on community notice boards for more information.