Annual General Meeting (AGM)

PLEASE FIND MINUTES FOR OUR AGM - 2026


Derwentside & Gateshead Swim Team AGM 2026 Minutes

Date: Monday 26th January 2026

Attendees: Matthew Grant, Darren Maxwell, Tina Maxwell, Graham Robinson, Paul Woodley, Diane Jamieson, Colin Swinney, Talia Swinney, Fiona McGrother, Joan Edwards, Chris Johnston, Philip Johnston, Helen Clarence, Trish Plews

·         Welcome and introduction from Darren Maxwell. Confirmed no previous AGM minutes as this was the first AGM since to be held since the merger.

Chairmans report: Darren Maxwell

·         Since merger on 1/9/2024 the new club has progressed well – Derwentside and Gateshead have worked seamlessly together.

 

·         Thanks must be given to the work ex co chair Steven Speight put into the merger – which has enable us to be where we were.

 

·         The club works well over a wide catchment area, Gateshead/Stanley/Consett/Birtley and Washington

 

·         If the merger hadn’t have gone through swimming in the Gateshead and Derwentside areas would look a look different.

The future

                The club will always look to progress – The recent collaboration with Sunderland was an eye opener and I’m sure created a lot of gossip around the region.

However, for both clubs this shares top level coaching – 50m training and reduced costs. – Just for Paul to manage.

Thanks to

Paul Woodley and the coaches –

·         We have in my opinion the most professional coaching team Chomp/Jay/ and Chris P are all top coaches  The clubs objective should be to maintain, support and develop this team.

Matthew G

·         Gateshead and now the new club are very lucky to have Matthew – In detail and diligence Matthew provides in looking after the clubs money – All while also being part of the team that have brough Birtley back to life.

Diane J

·         A great example of how two clubs can come together Diane has been excellent in her secretary’s role - always cool and calm

Tina and Bev

·         Put these two together as a double act…..If I was to go through the work they do it would take another meeting I think we are all aware of the dedication and hours they put in – I certainly do as my cleaning duties have increased.

Graham

·         Another one of our club stalwarts who puts the hours in when their child has moved onwards and upwards. Over the years G has been a good source of advice and a sounding board

 

·         Christine Johnston – 

 

Phillip Powell – A great in the history of the club  - always supportive right up to the merger –

Also thanks to Jill Wilson our Welfare Jamie and Susan and the squad reps who a couple are here.

Final Tribute

Kevin Hughes – It was with great sadness to hear of Kevins passing in April – Kevins life was dedicated to Derwentside and to the new club.  As someone relatively new to swimming and being a chairman, Kevin was very supportive of myself.  The sheer amount of working he did for the club was hard to comprehend.

The club should look to a fitting tribute.

Head Coaches Report: Paul Woodley

The inaugural competitive season following the club merger has been extremely successful, and the 2025/26 season has begun with equal enthusiasm and momentum.

I would like to formally recognise the dedication of all members, coaches, volunteers, and committee representatives, both past and present, who contributed to what was a demanding yet highly rewarding transition. Bringing together two established clubs with strong histories required patience, collaboration, and commitment. Throughout the process, the collective focus remained firmly on swimmer welfare, opportunity creation, and the development of a sustainable performance pathway.

Club Growth and Programme Development

Our first season delivered positive outcomes across every level of the programme. Athletes and coaches alike demonstrated professionalism and ambition, resulting in strong performances and steady progression. Skill Development squads grew consistently throughout the year, highlighting a healthy pipeline for the future while also supporting financial targets.

The introduction of Mini Meets proved particularly effective, offering swimmers completing Stages 8–10 an accessible and supportive introduction to competitive swimming.

The Junior League squad produced outstanding results, winning the Division 2 Final and showcasing excellent technical skills, teamwork, and competitive spirit.

Competitive Achievements

County Championships

  • 63 swimmers represented the club
  • 4th overall on the medal table
  • 6th ranked Age Group Club
  • 2nd placed Open Club
    This represented an exceptional outcome in our first competitive year.

Regional Championships

  • Strong qualification numbers
  • Numerous podium finishes
  • Clear evidence of progression across all squads

National and International Success

At the English and British Summer Championships, the team achieved:

  • 6 Gold, 4 Silver, and 8 Bronze medals
  • 34 additional finals appearances

Internationally, the club was well represented:

  • Linköping Water Games (Sweden): Evie O’Halleron
  • World School Games (Serbia):
    • Tia Johnson and Ben Beale represented Team England, both returning with medals
  • European Youth Olympic Festival (North Macedonia):
    • Ben Beale represented Team GB, finishing an impressive 5th in Europe

Scottish Nationals (SNAGs)

  • Aodan Robson Burrell and Conan Swinney both secured medals

Masters Programme

The Masters section continued to demonstrate outstanding performance:

·         5 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals at the British Masters in April 2024

·         1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze at the European Masters in June 2024

·         6 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze at the Swim England masters in October 2024

·         5 British and 1 European record achieved by Colin Ovington at 400, 800 and 1500

Para Swimming

Tia Johnson enjoyed an excellent season, gaining valuable exposure at national-level competitions, achieving multiple podium finishes, and consistently producing high Para point scores. Her progress has been recognised through selection to the GB Aquatics Talent Programme.

Club Ambassador

Our ambassador, Lyndon Longhorne, delivered a remarkable achievement by becoming the first multi-amputee to complete an Ironman event in under 24 hours—an inspiring milestone for the entire club community.

 

2025/26 Season: A Strong Beginning

The current season has commenced extremely positively:

  • Masters Short Course Nationals: 2 Gold, 3 Silver, and 2 Bronze medals
  • BUCS Championships: Talia secured a Bronze medal in the 1500m Freestyle
  • Successfully hosted the club’s first internal gala, featuring an innovative and demanding competition format
  • Regional Championships: Increased medal totals and qualifiers compared with the previous year
  • Scottish Short Course Championships:
    • Two Silver medals for Alice Forrest
    • Junior Gold for Conan Swinney
    • Ben Beale set three County Junior records and one Regional record

 

Looking Ahead

The programme continues to develop positively and gain momentum. While there have been challenges, including coaching transitions, the staff team has worked cohesively to ensure continuity and ongoing athlete development.

I am extremely proud to lead this organisation. The collaboration with City of Sunderland continues to strengthen and presents exciting opportunities for further growth and progression.

Watch this space.

Treasurers Report: Matthew Grant

·         Gateshead & Whickham and Derwentside have been merged since Sept 24. GAW became heavily involved in Birtley Pool following its closure by Gateshead Council. Following a very challenging few years, Birtley Pool is now close to breaking even which is fantastic news. The pool hire costs for Birtley Pool are much cheaper than Dunston Pool which has enabled D&G to retain access to 2 pools in Gateshead.

·         GAW and Derwentside as individual clubs would quite probably have gone under due to their challenging financial situations therefore the merger was the best option for both clubs.

·         In the first 4 months of the merger, the financial situation remained challenging. This was mainly due to the number of swimmers that left the newly formed club.

·         There was a real need to make financial savings and by rationalising coaches, sessions and lane hire we have been able to do this.

·         The collaboration with Sunderland has made a huge financial difference to the club as the coach’s fees for Paul Woodley have been halved between Derwentside and Sunderland. This saving has been partially offset by extra coaching costs for Chris Philpott and a monthly charge from Sunderland, relating to the sessions swum by our Gold swimmers at the Aquatic Centre.  

·         Current financial situation therefore is an overall year to date £7k profit for 25/26 year

·         We are still enjoying reduced lane hire rates at Louisa Centre. This will be in place for the next 2 years on a sliding scale

 

·         The reappointment of Quentin Caisley as the club’s financial examiner was agreed by vote

 

·         The reappointment of Graham Robinson as a trustee was agreed by vote

 

·         A date for our next AGM was agreed for November 2026 with an exact date to be confirmed nearer the time.

 

·         Darren Maxwell thanked everyone for their time and closed the meeting