Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce - AGM Meeting held 12 May 2025

In attendance:

Phill Holdsworth (President)

Martin Mann (Chief Executive)

Sam Oakes – Vice President and Membership Secretary

Jackie Snape – Vice President

Vicky Findlow – Vice President

John Garbutt – Honorary Treasurer

Tara Stagman – Management Group

Sarah Darbyshire – Management Group

Martin Taylor – Management Group

Ian Howard – Management Group

Kate Rogata – Management Group

Members of the Chamber

Apologies:        Andrew Joy – Action Coach/Management Group and Ian Fozzard - Roosters.                        

1.     Welcome:

The meeting was opened at 6.18 pm by Phill Holdsworth (President). Voting rules were outlined. 

2.    Apologies

There were two apologies from Andrew Joy (Action Coach/Management Group) and Ian Fozzard (Roosters).   

3.    Minutes of the 2024 AGM

A brief report of the previous AGM, held on Monday, May 13th, 2024, was given. There were no queries. Sarah Darbyshire proposed that the minutes be agreed, and Chris Matthewman seconded the minutes. 

4.    President’s Charity

First introduced last year.  Our first charity was HADCA.  We have included their logo and news items on our website and supported them.  They do fantastic work.  Elaine Stevenson was invited to say a few words, but was, unfortunately, unavailable.

The President’s Charity for 2025 – 2026 was announced as Time Together. 

5.    President’s Cup and Chamber Management Group Salver

President, Phill Holdsworth, made two presentations to members of the Chamber.

The President's Cup was presented for the fourth year.  This Cup is awarded to someone who has given a great deal to the town of Harrogate.  I have been amazed by the tenacity of the entire team from this organisation and their determination to place Harrogate on the map.  The President’s Cup was awarded to Matthew Chapman of Harrogate BID.  It was not difficult to choose Matthew and the team as they have done a fantastic job of raising the profile of Harrogate and building pride in the many benefits of the town.  

The President awarded the Chamber Management Group Salver.  The Salver recognises commitment and contribution to the Chamber.  The President believes the Chamber has grown positively and achieved a lot.   One person stood out.  Despite challenges experienced, this person has retained her strong passion for the Chamber.  The Salver was awarded to Vicky Findlow.   

6.     President’s Report

The President gave his annual report as follows:

Thank you all for being here this evening for the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce AGM. It’s wonderful to see so many familiar faces—and a few brave new ones too.

Being your President, this past year has been a tremendous honour. And I must admit, at times it’s felt a bit like starring in a local pantomime—there’s drama, there’s applause, and there’s always someone behind you saying, “You’ve got another meeting in five minutes!” Usually, that person was Martin.

This year, I’ve had the privilege of representing our Chamber at a wonderfully diverse range of events. From attending the Last Night of the Pantomime and joining a Q&A with the cast (they were the real stars), to laying a wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday and attending this month’s VE Day commemoration—each moment reminded me just how rich, engaged, and deeply connected our community really is.

We’ve also proudly supported some truly inspiring celebrations:

The Stray Ferret Awards

Harrogate Mumbler Awards

Your Harrogate Local Heroes Awards

Harrogate Advertiser Business Excellence Awards 

If there’s an award night within a 20-mile radius, chances are we’ll be there—probably clutching a raffle ticket and chatting to everyone at the bar!

Martin and I were also honoured to attend key civic events, including the Menwith Hill Spring Reception, the Assumption of Authority, and their Thanksgiving Dinner. These occasions help strengthen our ties with local institutions and ensure business remains front and centre.

I was invited to sit on the interview panel for the CEO of the new Combined Authority—which, I can tell you, was a serious undertaking! Martin and I also met with Richard Flinton and Carl Les for strategic discussions, and more recently, with David Skaith, Mayor of the Combined Authority, whom we’ve met on several occasions now.

We extended invitations to all Harrogate councillors—and although only three replied, Martin and I were pleased to have excellent conversations with Cllr Chris Aldred, Cllr Phillip Broadbank and Cllr Sam Gibbs. And I’m delighted to say that several councillors are here with us tonight. The invitation remains open, of course—there’s always tea waiting.

We’re also reconnecting internationally through Harrogate’s twinning partnerships: Bagnères-de-Luchon in France, Montecatini Terme in Italy, Barrie in Canada, and Wellington in New Zealand. These relationships offer exciting opportunities for cultural and business exchange. So, if anyone fancies a Chamber field trip, do let me know—passport optional!

On the political front, Martin and I have met several times with Tom Gordon MP and participated in the Harrogate Task Force to ensure our business voices are clearly heard in Westminster.

Supporting our charitable partners has remained a top priority. Frances Elliot and her team at HADCA—this past year’s President’s Charity—continue to do outstanding work in the community, and we’ve been proud to have supported them.

We’ve also played an active role in the Zero Carbon Transport working party, and the Harrogate BID’s Sustainable Harrogate group. And yes—we even made it to the Harrogate Christmas Window Competition awards evening. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to sample the mince pies!

Our own Chamber events have been just as vibrant, with strong attendance and real engagement. Over the past year, we’ve hosted:

AGM – 75 attendees

Hustings – 94 attendees

Marketing for the Future – 71 attendees

Gateway Project Update – 62 attendees

Meet the Mayor of York & North Yorkshire CA – 80 attendees

Menopause at Work – 50 attendees

Bank of England Briefing – 77 attendees

Christmas Safari – 48 attendees

North Yorkshire Council Briefing – 85 attendees

Funding for Your Business – 50 attendees

Marketing & Business Growth – 70 attendees

Spring Safari – 55 attendees

We also take time to remember. This year we lost two remarkable contributors to our community—Brian Dunsby OBE and Martin Gerrard. Their dedication and service will be long remembered.

Now, I’d like to take a personal moment.

Martin Mann, our CEO, has worked tirelessly behind the scenes—organising, communicating, coordinating, and generally keeping me on the rails when I was at risk of flying off them. Martin, you’ve been my rock. There aren’t many people in Harrogate you don’t know—and even fewer who don’t hold you in the highest regard. On behalf of myself and the entire Chamber, thank you. You make this look easy, and I know it’s anything but.

In fact, virtually every meeting and many of the events I’ve attended this year, I’ve done so with Martin by my side. We’ve been like the Lone Ranger and his faithful companion, Tonto—though I’ll leave it to you to decide who’s who!

I also want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our Chamber Management Team. Your dedication, professionalism, and good humour have been the heartbeat of everything we do. Whether setting up and hosting events, supporting our members, or quietly making it all work behind the scenes—it has been a privilege to serve alongside you.

In closing, thank you—to every member, guest, charity, and supporter—for believing in what this Chamber stands for. We’re not just a network of businesses; we’re a community of ambition, collaboration, and good Yorkshire common sense.

Let’s keep building, connecting, and celebrating together.

And who knows—maybe next year we’ll finally win one of those awards we keep sponsoring!

7.    Treasurer’s Report

John Garbutt presented his report, noting that the copies of the accounts had been provided to each table for their review.  He is conscious that numbers are not everyone’s cup of tea so I will keep this section short and sweet. 

The accounts have been included in the table, and he can send a copy to anyone who asks for it.

We have made a profit, and it has been a good year financially. 

The accounts are consistent with those previously presented for the year.

• Turnover is just over £30k. This is almost perfectly in line with the December management accounts average per month.  It is expected to increase by around £2,000.

• I had expected a little higher by year-end, however, I have been a little more strict on April 24 monies received and have not allowed these as deferred income for 1 month, which has reduced the income by £800.

• Costs are up, which is consistent with previously circulated accounts, so we need to be mindful that whilst income has risen over the last 2 years, costs have also increased.  There has been a slight increase in admin costs and sponsorship costs. 

• The year-end surplus is c£3.5k, which is good given the increased costs, and is consistent with Dec management accounts.  This is a good result and allows us to build up reserves after the issues experienced with COVID-19.

• Year-end (and to date) cash is healthy. It was c£37k at the end of March, and currently sits at c£46k

• Cash is currently up and is the highest it has been for the last five years.  Everyone has renewed their subs, and we have had some new members. 

There were no questions received with respect to the accounts.   

8.         Chief Executive’s Report

Martin Mann presented the Chief Executive’s report and started by giving thanks John and Phill for making this year easier.  He reported that:

 I stepped in as Interim Chief Exec during early 2023 when our friend David Simister suffered a stroke, but it very soon became clear he was not going to be able to return to work, so I was asked to become Chief Exec in November 2023.

I can’t lie, the first year was hard work, being only the 4th Chief Exec since the 1990s and no handover possible, but I felt immensely proud to take up the role after both grandfathers were involved in the Chamber from the 50s until the mid 70s when they retired.

Once Phill agreed to become president last May, my role became much easier with us working well together and attending many of the events that Phill has already spoken about together.

In addition to those events, I’ve been to with Phill, I’ve also attended the 4th of July celebrations at Menwith Hill with Vicky Findlow, along with the finals of the Harrogate Competitive Festival for Music, Speech and Drama – something I competed in when I was at school.

I think the most memorable event was attending the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph at the invitation of Cllr Chris Aldred in his role as Charter Mayor of Harrogate, and watching Phill lay a wreath in memory of those who lost their lives. The first President who had been asked to do this.

Pulling the 12 meetings together each year, ensuring we have the continued support of our host venues and continuing to bring relevant and interesting topics to you all can be a challenge sometimes, but we have some wonderful hotels that host us, some of whom are in the room this evening.  Thank you to all of you for your support. We always aim to bring topical meetings together, with the Bank of England, North Yorkshire Council, Combined Authority, along with Cyber Security briefings, HR and Workforce retention, to name a few, all pulled together by the management team.

Thanks to Dan Siddle of The Crown Hotel for hosting. If any of our members have a topic they feel strongly about, then please do talk to one of the management team and let's see if we can put it on the 2026 calendar. We may also be in a position to bring some other ad-hoc business briefing meetings together later in the year, but more on that in due course.

The Chamber continues to grow and we are adding two to three members a month.  Martin is trying to get a one to one with all new members so please do reach out.  We have been sharing items of interest on the website and social media.  Please do share, like and engage with all the other members.

Thoroughly enjoying being Chief Executive.  City of Barry are looking to partner with businesses and towns.  Lord Barry is buried at Ripley, hence the connection.  There is also a Combined Authority grant available to encourage international collaboration. 

Thanks to all of the management team.  We look forward to another year of growth and development. 

9.     Any questions relating to the reports

There were no questions relating to any of the foregoing reports.

10.     Amendment to Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce Constitution

As announced the following amendments to the Constitution are proposed and were circulated to members.  There is a vote on the changes, and only Members are entitled to cast a vote.  Martin read out the following proposed changes:

·       Para 2.1.3:  Replace the word ‘Borough’ with the word ‘Town’. 

·       Para 4.6:    Insertion of sub-para 4.6. As follows: 

“ A Code of Conduct exists for members.  The most up-to-date version is available online and in hard copy.  A requirement of membership is for Chamber members to adhere to the Code of Conduct.

·       Para 5.1:   Removal of words “within the Harrogate District”

·       Para 7:      Insertion of sub-paragraph 7.12  

“A Code of Conduct exists for the Management Committee.  The most up-to-date version is available online and in hard copy.  A requirement of the Management Committee is for members to adhere to the Management Code of Conduct.

The Chamber was canvassed to ensure that all were in agreement with a show of hands being given to formally adopt this amendment, all of which were carried with a two-thirds majority.

11.       Election of Executive Officers

The Executive Officers who are presented for election are as follows.

Election of Vice-Presidents for a further two-year term:

Vicky  Findlow, Bradleys Jewellers,(2023 – 2025)

A show of hands took place, and the re-election was carried with the required two-thirds majority.

Existing Vice-Presidents continuing in office for the remainder of a two-year term

Sam Oakes, Gobo Creative (2024-2026)
Jackie Snape, Disability Action Yorkshire (2024 – 2026)

Re-Election of Existing Management Committee Members for a further two-year term

Tara Stagman, Ake - Humphris Wine Merchants (2023 – 2025)
Sarah Darbyshire - HR Solutions Yorkshire Ltd. (2023 – 2025)
Martin Taylor – XiComms (2023 – 2025)

A show of hands took place, and the re-election was carried with the required two-thirds majority.  

Re-Election of Hon Treasurer for a further two-year term:

John Garbutt, Director of DSC Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers (2023 – 2025)

A show of hands took place, and the re-election was carried with the required two-thirds majority.

Existing Members continuing in office for remainder of a two-year term

Andrew Joy – ActionCOACH (2024-2026)
Ian Howard – Business Doctors (2024 – 2026)
Kate Rogata – Supporting Older People (2024-2026)

12.       Any Other AGM Business

Members raised no further AGM business.

The meeting was adjourned at 6.50 hours.