Until the mid 1990’s all our membership, flying and account data was paper based. Just imagine the time it used to take for example:

• using paper logs, to prepare and post paper statements each month to members; and then
• to update by hand paper based member accounts with credits in the form, in those days, of cash and cheques.

To give a perspective, with an annual Club turnover of a little under £200,000, there some 10,000 financial transactions, 5,000 log records and over 300 full and temporary members to track each year. Keeping a handle on that lot on just paper would be a huge task.

The Club’s current computer data system has been developed, by Club members, over some 30 years. It now comprises a set of integrated programs (modules by another name) written mostly in MS Access or Excel. This dedicated website was added mid 2024.

It is no exageration to say that:

• our Club has one of the best, if not THE best, data system of all UK gliding clubs and quite posisbly even further afield; and
• as a result, both members and the Management Committee have excellent information readily to hand to manage their affairs.

Plans are afoot gradually to move in a phased transition, over a period of years, from a largely PC based data system to a cloud base one. This website is the first step in that direction. Coupled to that is work now in progress to manage student SPL training records, currently paper based.