AGM 2018 

Headlines:

• Increase in membership and interest
• Finances - spending more than raising
• Big increase in administration
• Ambitious sports activities planned 

As I look back at the last year of JSAD operations I was particularly pleased that the move away from a multi-sport games weekend to a Disability Sports Awareness Day worked so well and we were also able to incorporate our Annual Awards event into the same weekend. All of our award winners were very deserving and truly reflected some stunning performances and achievements in the year of review.
 

Most areas of our service offering have reported an increase in membership and general interest which is of course very encouraging, provided funds are available to continue to support the services we offer. Our Honorary Treasurer will no doubt have a line or two in his Annual Report highlighting that JSAD continue to spend more than we raise, this is becoming an annual trend and clearly not a sustainable trend. This is one of the challenges facing us in the year ahead.
 

The year ahead has some new challenges for JSAD, firstly there will be the registration of our Association under the Jersey Charity Law. Good progress so far on this point as we volunteered to be one of the charities to undergo a pre-registration process where we emerged with no areas requiring work before the formal registration process begins later in 2018. There is of course the introduction of new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) looming so a good deal of administration time and effort will need to be allocated to making sure JSAD comply with the new regulations.
 

We have also seen the launch of the new overseeing body for sport in Jersey in the form of Jersey Sport. JSAD have taken part in a number of consultative processes that culminated in the move of sports administration and grants from the Advisory Council for Sport to Jersey Sport. Once again JSAD are in a good place here but the administrative overhead in getting there was again significant.
 

With all this talk of administrative overhead and regulations it may be easy for us to forget that the reason JSAD exists is to support our membership in participating in sport. Unfortunately these days in many ways no organisation like JSAD can exist without complying with an ever increasing administrative workload.
 

Our actual sports activities planned for 2018 are nevertheless extensive and, in cases, ambitious and I still get a buzz when I see what is planned for each sporting year.
 

The success of JSAD over time is down to great and active members, dedicated volunteers and many wonderful supporters. To all I thank you.

May all our endeavors in the coming year be successful ones.
 

Paul Patterson MBE

Chairman