Message from the Chairman
24th September 2026
Chairman’s Welcome – 2026/27 Seasons
Welcome to the 2026/27 seasons.
I want to start by saying how proud I am to have been elected Chairman of Grasshoppers Sports & Social Club.
I’ve been part of Grasshoppers for many years – as a parent, coach, section chair and committee member – so the Club means a great deal to me personally. To now have the opportunity to serve as Chairman is a real privilege, and I’m genuinely excited about what we can achieve together.
My focus is simple: One Club.
Grasshoppers is much more than any one team or section. We have rugby, netball and a busy social side, but ultimately we are one community club. I want everyone, whichever section they belong to, to feel that they have a voice and are part of where Grasshoppers is heading.
With that in mind, we now have a new committee with every section of the club represented, creating opportunities for all to be involved in discussions and decisions that affect Grasshoppers and, importantly, help us communicate a clear and consistent message across the whole Club.
There has already been plenty happening behind the scenes over the summer.
We have moved forward with plans for four covered padel courts. This is an exciting opportunity to introduce another sport at Grasshoppers, bring new people into the Club and create an additional source of income that can help support rugby, netball and the wider Club for years to come.
After around eight years of inactivity, the solar panels on the clubhouse roof are finally working, meaning the Club can at last start benefiting properly from an investment that has been sitting on our roof for far too long. We’ll continue looking closely at where we can reduce costs and make better use of what we already have.
We’re also getting a much tighter grip on our finances and administration. We have appointed a new bookkeeper, and one of our priorities is to better understand exactly where the Club’s money is going and make sure we are getting value from every pound we spend.
There are changes happening in the clubhouse too. We are working with a new chef and developing a new menu and food offering. I want members and visitors to be able to come to Grasshoppers, enjoy good food and drink and see the clubhouse as somewhere they genuinely want to spend time.
On the rugby side, it’s great to welcome Clive See back as Senior Coach. Clive knows Grasshoppers extremely well, and his experience and enthusiasm will be a real asset to the Club.
I’m very pleased to welcome Hannah Murray as our new Netball Chair. Hannah will play an important role in helping us continue to develop netball and make sure it is properly represented as we move forward. At the same time, I want to personally thank Emillie Wardle for the huge amount of time, energy and commitment she has given to the role over many years.
I’m also delighted that Laura Batchelor will be joining us as Strategic Advisor to the Board. Laura has been part of Grasshoppers for many years through netball, so she already knows the Club and understands what makes it special. She also brings a wealth of business and project management experience, and I’m really pleased that she has offered her time and expertise to help us.
Another area we know needs attention is communication. We’re working on a refreshed social media strategy and improvements to the Club website, and hopefully you’ll start to see the difference over the coming months. There are so many good things happening at Grasshoppers, and we need to get much better at telling people about them and celebrating the achievements of our teams, players, coaches and volunteers.
There is still a lot to do, and I’m under no illusion that everything will change overnight. We have some challenges to deal with, and there will undoubtedly be a few bumps along the way. What I can promise is that we will keep asking questions, looking at how we operate and challenging ourselves to do things better.
We also need your help.
Like every community sports club, Grasshoppers relies heavily on volunteers. Whether you can coach, help at an event, find a sponsor, support fundraising, lend a hand on a match day or simply give us a couple of hours occasionally, it all makes a difference.
Above everything else, I want Grasshoppers to be a Club that people are proud to be part of. Somewhere our children can grow up enjoying their sport, our senior teams can compete and succeed, families and friends feel welcome, and rugby and netball support each other rather than operating as separate clubs under the same roof.
We have fantastic facilities, a proud history and some brilliant people who care deeply about Grasshoppers.
There’s plenty of work ahead, but there’s also a huge amount of potential.
I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and to seeing what we can achieve together.
One Club. One Grasshoppers.
Leroy Arbouine
Chairman
Grasshoppers Sports & Social Club
