SDV AGM Sunday 26 January 2025 – A Letter from our Chairman

First off, I want to extend a huge thank you to all of you who’ve joined us today, and a special shout-out to our active members who’ve stayed engaged throughout the past year. It's truly been a pleasure to be part of the team that helps to organize our rides and events. Seeing all of you get out there, challenge yourselves, and create unforgettable memories together has been one of the highlights of my year.

Reflecting on the last twelve months, there’s one experience that stands out to me—our Southdown Velo trip to Majorca. It was such a great week, and to have nearly 20 members out there, with some of them experiencing it for the first time, was simply amazing. Even though the weather wasn’t always perfect, the spirit of the trip and the fun we had completely made up for it. I’m hopeful we can do something similar in the future.

This year, so many of our members pushed themselves to new heights, and I want to give a big shout-out to everyone who stepped out of their comfort zones. For me, it was taking on the Dragon Ride and the King Alfred’s Way. But we also saw some incredible feats from other members—Shaun, Neil, Phil Philips, Phil Wise, and Jake took on the grueling Chase the Sun, a 330 km challenge that truly tested their limits. Then there’s Fran, our amazing secretary, who cycled from the top to the bottom of New Zealand—a 3000 km, 30-day journey across multiple terrains, truly the trip of a lifetime! And let's not forget Deb Smith, who tackled the Maratona with over 4000 meters of elevation—just thinking about that makes my legs ache!

While these challenges were incredible, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who shows up week after week to support our regular club rides. It’s not always easy getting out there, especially with the wet weekends we had last year. I admit my own attendance has been a little lacking recently, but I’m committed to being more present this year—if only there was a day in the week just for cycling, right?!
A huge thank you also goes to Shaun Smart and all the volunteers who made both of the SDV 10-mile time trials along the A27 such a success. It was fantastic to see so many people from different clubs come together, it’s clear that this event remains popular only because of the hard work that goes into ensuring it runs smoothly. This year, we introduced a racing and time trial subsidy, offering £10 to any member who completes a race or open time trial. We plan to continue this initiative in 2025, encouraging more people to get involved in racing and supporting those who continue to push themselves.

As I reflect on my two years as Chairman, I’m continually inspired by the personal milestones so many of you have achieved. Whether it's conquering new rides, improving your times, or simply being there for the club, you’ve all embraced what cycling has to offer in such an inspiring way. Let's take all these memories and moments with us as we head into another year of challenges, growth, and most importantly, fun.

Here’s to another year of rides, races, and plenty of smiling faces in red. I’m looking forward to what we’ll achieve together in 2025!
Cheers, everyone!

If you’d like to see more detail of the AGM please look at files on Spond where you will find the full minutes. 

Southdown Velo 2025 AGM Presentations

2024 Strava Top Trump Awards

Harrison Clark - Most Miles

Deb Smith -Most Elevation

Jake Davies - Longest Ride

Louis Davis - Most Elevation

Segment Award

Harrison Clark and Fran Blake

Presentation of Awards

Road Race Champion - Victoria Lovett

Most Improved Rider - Tom Bridle

Most Improved Rider - Kate  Fairbrass

Best Club Time Trialist - Deb Smith