Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

Events, Conferences and
Banqueting
Events business at the Club has
continued to increase steadily during
2007. This business is of particular
importance, since it enables the RCS to
maintain competitive membership rates
and the Club to adopt preferential pricing
policies for the members’ restaurant.
Members are also offered highly
preferential rates for events-hire and
catering. The events hosted by the Club
now extend far beyond only business
meetings and conferences to include
weddings, drinks receptions and birthday
parties for members.
People
In recognition of its extensive training
and development policies, the Club has
recently retained its ‘Investors in People’
award for a further three years. The focus
of this training in 2007 was customer
The stylish Members’ Lounge bar
Award-winning food at the
Commonwealth Club
care, its benefits now being enjoyed by
both staff and members alike.
The big success story of 2007 was
the triumph of Josh Duncan, the Club’s
Chef de Partie, in winning best-in-class in
the finals of the ‘Academy of Culinary Arts
Awards of Excellence’. Early 2008 saw
Head Chef, Mark Page, and Sous-Chef,
Chris Cloke, complete ten years of service
at the Club. In recognition of this
milestone, both were presented with a
‘Red Letter Day’ voucher. They intend to
use this gift, given in good faith, to jump
out of an aeroplane with only a piece of
cloth to slow their descent – something
for which the Commonwealth Club
cannot be held responsible!
In 2007, the Club said its sad farewells to
several long-serving staff members: Jason
Barlass, Joe Ogden, Wasilatu Busari and
Renata Wardle. Despite these departures,
the average length of staff service at the
Club remains over three years.
Membership Profile
During 2007, the RCS welcomed 587 new
individual and corporate members. The
The new Business Area, housing the link
to the RCS Collections at Cambridge
University Library
total membership now stands at 5789.
Since its refurbishment in January 2006,
the RCS has not only maintained its high
retention levels, but with its stylish new
interiors, has also attracted members
from increasingly diverse professional and
cultural backgrounds. The outstanding
Club facilities, which reflect our vision of a
young and modern Commonwealth, now
welcome an exciting mix of young
professionals and students. The steady
growth in young members (those under
the age of 26) has led to the formation of
an RCS Youth Committee and youth
representation on the RCS Council.
Feedback from the 2007 members’
survey made it clear that members
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