2026 AGM highlights

Thank you to everyone for attending, to Burghfield CSA once again for hosting us, and to the England Team for pulling off the win in normal time allowing us to start our AGM on time (ish).

The Minutes can be viewed here.

Congratulations to all winning teams:

The John Carr Award 

At our 2025 AGM, we announced that the John Carr award for 2026 would be awarded to the Club person of the year. Club captains were asked to present their recommendations, and we received 8 great nominations. As a committee, when reviewing the applications, we decided to focus on Engagement and Tenacity, as these were qualities that John exhibited in his time on the committee.  

It gives me great pleasure to announce that we are supporting Datchet’s nomination and providing this award to Grant Price. 

This was the statement we received from Andy Burrell, Datchet & Eton Club Captain: 

“I am proud to nominate Grant Price for a Berkshire Squash award, a nomination that stands heartily seconded by numerous members of our squash community.

“For more than a decade, Grant has been an extraordinary, relentless champion for local squash infrastructure in the Windsor and Eton areas. What makes Grant truly remarkable is that his high-level advocacy is entirely rooted in his love for the game as an active participant; he is a regular player of both squash and racketball, a familiar face on club nights, and someone who always takes the time to get fully involved in our internal events, including his valued contributions to our annual Internal Summer Team league. His unique combination of grassroots community presence and forensic administrative advocacy has kept the spirit of our sport alive during its most challenging period in Berkshire.

“Grant’s commitment was demonstrated in the final years of the historic Windsor Fitness and Squash Club on Clarence Road. Following its closure and demolition, he worked tirelessly to preserve our fragmented playing community. When a subsequent collaborative proposal emerged between the Windsor Club and the Thames Valley Athletics Centre (TVAC) to build a new regulation court—supplemented by up to £80,000 of the club’s own funding—Grant was at the forefront of the effort. Even when that planning application was unfairly frustrated by council committee errors and a corrupted meeting recording, Grant refused to let the voice of local players be silenced. His most monumental impact, however, lies in his tireless, ongoing battle with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) regarding Section 106 developer contributions.

“In 2012, the demolition of the Windsor Club legally bound the council to a “Reprovision Contribution” of over £270,000 to deliver three or more regulation squash courts as part of a public leisure facility. For over thirteen years, the council left the vast majority of these ring-fenced funds substantially idle. Refusing to allow these resources to be permanently buried or diverted to unrelated leisure projects outside our catchment area, Grant launched a meticulous accountability campaign.

“Through a series of sharp Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, he exposed that £234,980.74 of the uplifted fund remained entirely unallocated. Furthermore, he uncovered that the council lacked an auditable decision trail or internal approval reports for the limited funds it did spend. Armed with these facts, Grant stepped up the pressure on the council’s Place Directorate. He issued formal Letters Before Action, fiercely challenging the council’s attempt to count two mini-courts at a middle school as a fulfilment of their legal obligation to build full-sized facilities.

“He has single-handedly forced senior contract managers to the negotiating table by threatening referrals to the Local Government Ombudsman, the Information Commissioner’s Office, and pursuing independent legal action for judicial review. Simultaneously, Grant has been the community’s primary defence against the creeping loss of existing facilities. When Datchet & Eton Leisure (DEL) abruptly announced the permanent repurposing of two of TVAC’s four squash courts for yoga studios, Grant immediately went to war. He intercepted the council regarding withheld TVAC Management Trust minutes, demanded explicit options appraisals, and aggressively fought for baseline protections to ensure league slots, team matches, and peak-time access were legally safeguarded for local players.

“Grant Price has given our community a powerful voice on the courts and in the council chambers, forced legal accountability onto a negligent local authority, and fiercely protected the physical footprint of squash in Berkshire. He represents the very best of local sports advocacy, and he is deeply deserving of this recognition”. 

The Fiona McLean Award

When considering the applications for the John Carr award, we recognised that there were some other really good candidates too. On this basis, we decided to award the Fiona McLean award to one of the other applications. If you remember, this award focuses on Positive Attitude and Longevity and we agreed that, as Fiona played in the Men’s leagues, the award can be awarded to either gender. On this basis, we are pleased to confirm that we are supporting Reading University’s nomination and providing this award to Mark Chatfield.

This was the statement we received from Vivek Tandon from Reading University: 

“It is my pleasure to nominate Mark Chatfield for the John Carr Squash Award in recognition of his exceptional dedication and longstanding service to squash.

“As Mark approaches his 65^th birthday, it is remarkable to reflect on the contribution he has made to the sport over several decades. Having played squash since his mid 30’s, Mark’s passion for the game has never diminished. Instead, he has continually invested his time, energy, and personal commitment into ensuring that others can enjoy and benefit from the sport as much as he has. For the past 20 years, Mark has been one of the driving forces behind the university squash community. His contribution extends far beyond simply playing the game.

“He has worked tirelessly to organise and run competitions, helping to create opportunities for players of all standards to participate in competitive squash in a welcoming and supportive environment. As Chair of the university squash club, Mark has provided steady leadership and unwavering commitment. Under his guidance, the club has remained active, inclusive, and resilient during periods when many university sports clubs have faced significant pressures and declining participation.

“One of Mark’s notable achievements has been his work supporting and developing the squash leagues. Through his organisation, encouragement, and persistence, the leagues have continued to thrive and provide regular, enjoyable competition for players across the university community. 

“Perhaps most importantly, Mark has been a tireless advocate for the future of squash facilities at the university. He has spent countless hours negotiating with university management to protect the squash courts from closure and to preserve all four courts for future generations of players. Without his determination and persistence, it is highly likely that two of the courts would have been lost. His efforts have safeguarded an important sporting facility and ensured the continued presence of squash within the university.

“In addition to his organisational and leadership contributions, Mark has also generously sponsored events and supported initiatives that have strengthened the squash community and encouraged participation.

“More recently, after slowing down from work commitments, Mark has devoted even more of his personal time to growing the game at grassroots level. Over the past year he has volunteered countless hours providing free coaching sessions for children, ladies, and new adult players. During 2026, Mark has selflessly given up his Friday and Sunday evenings to provide “free” coaching to children, ladies and new adult players; he has worked enthusiastically to encourage new players to take up squash and to help develop the next generation of players in a welcoming and supportive environment.

“This commitment reflects not only Mark’s love for squash, but also his genuine desire to make the sport accessible, inclusive, and sustainable for the future. Mark’s contribution to squash has been sustained, selfless, and deeply impactful. He embodies the spirit of service, sportsmanship, and commitment that the John Carr Squash Award exists to recognise. His influence has been felt by countless players over many years, and the university squash community is stronger because of his dedication. 

“I can think of no more deserving recipient for this award than Mark Chatfield.”

Thanks again to Burghfield CSA for hosting us, and to everyone who attended!

Simon, Luke, Vince & Adrian
The Committee