Saturday 14^th March 2026

Channel Suite - Leas Cliff Hall - Folkestone

Here we go again………………………………….

This is your advance warning for the CS&PF Annual Dinner.

Tickets will go on sale on the 2^nd of January 2025.  Full details will be advertised at www.cspf.co.uk, this is just giving you the time to get organised.

Tickets are £50 person.

Tickets will remain on sale until the 31^st of January unless they sell out sooner.  After that date I would only be able to refund any cancellations if I resell the ticket.

To book your tickets please, for my sanity read the following carefully and only apply for tickets when you have ALL the information.

Information required at the time of booking:

• The name of everyone in your party. 
• If you wish to sit together, book together.
• Tables seat 10.
• If you are booking more than one table, please state who will be sat at which table.
• Dietary requirements – this cannot be accommodated on the night so must be supplied at the time of booking.
• Access requirements / special needs.
• The country you are travelling from if it is outside the UK.
• Swim stories to a maximum of 150 words for each 2025 season solo swimmer.
• Photos for each 2025 solo swimmer, and relay team in your party.
• Please name the file names the solo surname or relay name.

 Thanks

Michelle

For the year ended 31^st December 2025

To be held at

The Channel Suite, Leas Cliff Hall

The Leas, Folkestone

CT20 2DZ

1pm on the 14^th March 2026

Full members of the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation are requested to note that any nominations for CS&PF officers and committee positions and/or notices of motions must  be with the CS&PF secretary, in writing, at least 21 clear days before the AGM. This year that means the deadline is midnight on Friday 20^th February 2026

CS&PF rules state:-

The CS&PF Officers and Committee members, (excluding President and Vice President) to be  elected by rotation with half (1/2) being elected every year over a 2 year period. CS&PF officer positions are to be elected from CS&PF members who are serving or have served on the CS&PF committee.

Officer and committee positions due for election in 2026

The Vice-Chairman

The Treasurer

Four (4) Committee member positions

All persons wishing to stand must be full CS&PF members (please include membership numbers).  Nominations must be proposed and seconded by CS&PF Full Members (please include membership numbers). All nominations must be made within the rules available on the CS&PF web site www.cspf.co.uk (under the ‘about us’ heading) and must be submitted to the CS&PF secretary (email: secretary@cspf.co.uk or by post to 5, Charter House, Camden Crescent, Dover, CT16 1LE) with the names and signatures of the proposer and seconder.

Notices of Motion

Any motions put forward for inclusion in the AGM agenda must be submitted to the CS&PF secretary (email: secretary@cspf.co.uk or by post to 5, Charter House, Camden Crescent, Dover, CT16 1LE) with the names and signatures of the proposer and seconder. The proposer and seconder must be full CS&PF members (including membership numbers).

Voting will be by paper ballot for any contested positions or motions.

• CSPFCommittee@gmail.com 

A new section will be added to the website with more detail soon

Saturday 14^th March 2026

Channel Suite - Leas Cliff Hall - Folkestone

tickets@cspf.co.uk

Tickets are now on sale and are £50 per person.

Tickets will be on sale until the 31^st of January unless they sell out sooner.

To book your tickets please, for my sanity read the following carefully and only apply for tickets when you have ALL the information.

Information required at the time of booking:

• The name of everyone in your party. 
• Make one booking for the whole group.
• Tables seat 10.
• If you are booking more than one table, please state who will be sat at which table.
• Dietary requirements – this cannot be accommodated on the night so must be supplied at the time of booking.
• Access requirements / special needs.
• The country you are travelling from if it is outside the UK.
• Swim stories to a maximum of 150 words for each 2025 season solo swimmer.
• Photos for each 2025 solo swimmer, and relay team in your party.
• Please name the file names the solo surname or relay name.

Once I have ALL the information required to make your booking, I will send you the details to make payment by bank transfer.  When making your transfer please:

• Make one payment for your whole party.
• Use the name that made the booking as the reference on the bank transfer.

I made it through last year without threatening to murder someone at some point in the process, so let’s go for the double ????.

Thanks

Michelle

tickets@cspf.co.uk

Please do take a moment to read this message from Barrie

The sad news of the death of Irene Wakeham

Join us on 25th August, Bank Holiday Monday, celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the first successful Cross Channel Swim by Captain Webb.

Date: Monday 25th August Bank Holiday

Time: 10:00am- 6:30pm

Location: Dover Waterfront and Marina Curve

https://www.portofdover.com/corporate/about/captain-webb-event/

Interesting view of the channel so far this season

Many thanks for all the swimmers, pilots, observers, crews, families, friends and CSPF supporters that came together to make the 2025 CSPF dinner a wonderful celebration of the 2024 season, and an inspiring place from which to look forward to the 2025 season.

For the year ended 31^st December 2024

To be held at

The Channel Suite, Leas Cliff Hall

The Leas, Folkestone

CT20 2DZ

1pm on the 15th March 2025

Officer and committee positions due for election in 2025

President: Mike Ball (nominated by the CS&PF committee)

Vice-President: Michael Oram (nominated by the CS&PF committee)

The Chairman - Eddie Spelling

The Secretary - Kevin Murphy

Two Committee member positions - Paul Foreman & Tony Kenyon

Notices of Motion

Motions:

Motion 1) Proposed by Tony Kenyon; seconded by Eddie Spelling

The committee discussed the need to raise the swim administration fees to cover increasing costs. It was agreed to increase the administration fees by £30. A revised CS&PF rule is required to be ratified at the AGM.

The following rule revision is proposed to reflect the increased administration fee.

Revised Rule

CS&PF fees:

2026 Administration fees payable with all swim applications.
Administration fees cover the costs of running the CS&PF Office and general CS&PF expenses.
Applications submitted to the CS&PF Office before the deadline of 30 April will be charged a discounted administration fee of:

Solo - £200

Relay £240

Applications received by the CS&PF Office after 30 April will be deemed to have exceeded the time allowed for postage and will be charged a full fee of:

Solo £225

Relay £265

Motion 2) Proposed by Kevin Murphy; seconded by Tony Kenyon

This AGM requests the committee to:

1. i) Institute honorariums for the offices of CS&PF Secretary and CS&PF Treasurer;

ii) Consider at what level these honorariums should be set.

Motion 3) Proposed by Tony Kenyon, seconded by Kevin Murphy

Replace the existing Clause “8 Management paragraph B” of the published CS&PF rules. The current wording was found to be unclear by the committee.

Proposed wording:

B. President and Vice President

1. The positions of ‘President’ and ‘Vice President’ shall be nominated by the elected members of the CS&PF Committee. Only the committee nomination for the roles shall be put before the next AGM for ratification.
2. Either or both positions can remain vacant if the committee does not make a nomination, or if a nomination is not ratified by the membership at the next AGM.
3. The Vice President is expected to work in conjunction with the President. When the President completes their term, the Vice President is familiar with the role to step up. A former President is not permitted to be nominated for a future role as Vice President. 
4. If ratified at the AGM the appointment of these positions is for three years from the date of ratification. If they are not ratified, the committee will reconsider their nominations at the next committee meeting.
5. The ‘President’ and the ‘Vice President’ shall be considered full members of the CS&PF Committee. They will receive notice and be invited to each committee meeting and be counted in the quorum with full voting rights.
6. The maximum term for both of these positions is two consecutive appointments. Once this maximum term has been reached the incumbent must step aside from that role for at least three years, preferably six (equivalent to two consecutive terms). Eligibility to be considered for subsequent nomination for either role after the maximum term has been reached is at the discretion of the elected members of the CS&PF Committee.
7. At the discretion of the elected members of the CS&PF Committee a retiring President may be given the honorary title of ‘President Emeritus’. This title is used to denote perpetual status of individuals who made significant contributions to the CS&PF.

Motion 4) Proposed by Cliff Golding, seconded by Mike Ball

Proposed amendments in red 

Assessment swims - (solos)

All swimmers taking part in a solo swim must complete a self assessment swim of at least 6 hours in open water at a temperature of no more than 61F/16C. Such a swim should be carried out either as a training swim or as an organised event which the committee considers (in its discretion) to be a suitable alternative. In either case, the assessment swim should take place no more than 18 calendar months prior to the 1st June in the year of the application. 

Winter Swim Assessments. If a swim is registered to take place between 1 November and 30 April, the qualifying temperature for an assessment swim will be 12c or less, or as defined by the pilot.

Assessment swims - (relays)

All swimmers taking part in a relay swim must complete a self assessment swim of at least 1.5 hours then leave the water for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 1.5 hours at a temperature of no more than 61°F / 16°C.  They must then return to the water and swim for 1 more hour in open water also at a temperature of no more than 61°F / 16°C. These two swims should be carried out either as a training swim or as an organised event which the committee considers (in its discretion) to be a suitable alternative. In either case, the assessment swims should take place no more than 18 calendar months prior to the 1st June in the Year of application. If a relay swimmer carries out a training swim, or takes part in an event lasting 4 hours or more at a temperature of no more than 61°F / 61°C, the Committee will consider that a suitable assessment swim for a Channel relay swim.

Winter Swim Assessments. If a swim is registered to take place between 1 November and 30 April, the qualifying temperature for an assessment swim will be 12c or less, or as defined by the pilot.

Every application for a solo or relay swimmer must complete a Swim Assessment Form available for download from the CS&PF web site and submit this together with supporting proof/ratification of the self-assessment swim or (if an organised event wherein satisfactory participation is a matter of public online record) the website address at which such proof is evident.

Voting will be by paper ballot for any contested positions or motions.

Saturday 15^th  March 2025

Channel Suite - Leas Cliff Hall - Folkestone

Tickets are now on sale and are £50 per person.

Tickets will be on sale until the 8^th of February unless they sell out sooner.

To book your tickets please, for my sanity read the following carefully and only apply for tickets when you have ALL the information.

Information required at the time of booking: tickets@cspf.co.uk

• The name of everyone in your party.
• Make one booking for the whole group.
• Tables seat 10.
• If you are booking more than one table, please state who will be sat at which table.
• Dietary requirements – this cannot be accommodated on the night so must be supplied at the time of booking.
• Access requirements / special needs.
• The country you are travelling from if it is outside the UK.
• Swim stories to a maximum of 200 words for each 2024 season solo swimmer.
• Photos for each 2024 solo swimmer, and relay team in your party.
• Please name the file names the solo surname or relay name.

Once I have ALL the information required to make your booking, I will send you the details to make payment by bank transfer.  When making your transfer please:

• Make one payment for your whole party.
• Use the name that made the booking as the reference on the bank transfer.

Let’s make this the year I don’t threaten murder at some point in the process

Thanks

Michelle

tickets@cspf.co.uk