Welcome to the official recap of the EDGA 2025 Annual General Meeting. Held on November 20th, this meeting brought together board members and the disc golf community to reflect on a transformative year marked by significant structural changes, impressive membership growth, and Team GB’s stellar international appearances. Below, you’ll find the comprehensive notes covering everything from financial updates to our ambitious outreach and competition strategies as we look ahead to an exciting 2026 season.
When: 19:00 – 20:00 Thursday 20th November 2025 Distribution: email Newsletter, social media
Board Members
Executive Board Members:
- Iain McDougall (IM) – National Director
- Connor Harvey-Ward (CHW) – Secretary
- Michael Varrow (MV) – Treasurer
- Vanessa Lancaster (VL) – Communications Director
- Jon Tweed (JT) – Competitions Director
- Paul Stoddart (PS) – Outreach Director
Non-Executive Members:
- Jaimie Cross (JC) – Membership Secretary
Attendees
EDGA Members Present: Adam Mackrory, Alex Gilbert, Bob O’Leary, Elva Preston, Garry Webb, Harry Messenger, James Burton, Jayce Stokes, Joe Brady, Josh Large, Kevin Shorey, Leigh Williams, Mike Beard, Nathan Paul, Paul Holden, Frank Knutton, Rob Nicoll, Steve Lokie, Sue Underwood, Tom Hayek, Tom Sutton, Tony ToddMiller
1. Opening remarks from the National Director – Iain McDougall
- The year was marked by structural change.
- Progress was made, but communication gaps and the loss of two board members created pressure.
- Mandatory EDGA membership for tour events delivered strong data and membership growth, but communication around the change needs improvement.
- Team GB had strong representation at three international events: The World Games, European Championships, and European Masters.
- Priorities for 2026 include stronger governance, clearer board roles, better communication, support for clubs and regional work, a better membership model, and pathways for elite players.
- More volunteers were encouraged to step forward to match the expanding workload.
Download the full report
2. Membership Director’s report – Jaimie Cross
- JC stated that greater focus on membership numbers is part of the move both to get UK Sport to recognise Disc Golf as a sport, and for the EDGA to be recognised as the national governing body.
- The requirement to be an EDGA member to compete at EDGA Tour events in 2025 saw membership numbers increase to 418 from 144 in 2024.
- This number is still below the indicative amount expected by Sport England of 750 members.
- Analysis of Tour Events from 2025 presented in the report shows the discounted Premium membership price for female and junior players is warranted by significantly lower participation.
- This membership structure meets equality act requirements.
- The analysis can be used by the Director of Competitions to inform production of an overall Competition Structure and Tour Plan.
- JC discussed the next steps, gathering feedback from consultations with TDs and players, to add to the analysis of Tour Data.
- There are a couple of projects looking for volunteers to help deliver: 1. Creating a Course Review & Assessment process; 2. Building a UK & Ireland Disc Golf Map to help more people engage with the community.
3. Outreach Director’s report – Paul Stoddart
- Sue Underwood has begun working with clubs to form some evidence on starting and growing clubs.
- Aiming for an affiliation programme with the EDGA.
- PS and the EDGA team are working on a ‘Discover Disc Golf leaflet’.
- Question – is there a policy to do outreach into schools and universities? Answer from PS- Yes for the long term, however the EDGA needs to have people with qualifications in coaching and other needed licences such as child safety.
- Question – have we thought about outreach to scouts and cubs? Answer from PS – Yes we will look to have a programme where scouts can go to the EDGA and ask what clubs/courses best suit their needs.
4. Communications Director Report – Vanessa Lancaster
- VL has modified the newsletter this year in hopes of making it a lot easier to read and has seen an increase in interest.
- Contacted feedback from TDs from events and included them in the news letters.
- VL is working on a dedicated newsletter survey and this will be sent out in the near future.
- Digital outreach – Nick Chan is now helping with social media and Frank Knutton has agreed to help with the EDGA website.
5. Competition Director’s Report – Jon Tweed
- We had some issues at the beginning of the year onboarding Tjing, this improved throughout the year as both players and TDs got more accustomed to using it and with Tjing helping directly.
- Tjing are working to improve the speed in which players can see round ratings.
- A WhatsApp group for Tour TDs was used to provide support through the year.
- TD consultation coming up in the next few weeks.
- Tour standards for 2026 are to be improved, focussing on a better experience for players and TDs.
- Question – Can the survey be sent out again, Answer from JT – Yes.
- Question – Are you considering standardising divisions across the tour and will this mean the end for MA4 within the tour (which I think would be a mistake from a long-term development and membership inclusivity point of view)? Answer – Watch this space, this is being discussed and encouraging players and TDs to fill out the survey to raise their concerns and ideas.
6. Treasurer’s Report – Michael Varrow
- The Treasurer reported that EDGA expects to close the year with around £5,400 in the bank, up from roughly £2,000 at the start of the year.
- Membership income increased, helped by the one-off Founder and Ambassador options.
- The tour operated close to cost-neutral, with targeted support for toilets and prizes.
- Core running costs, including hosting and communication tools, remained modest.
- Future budgets will shift more funding towards clubs, outreach and grassroots activity now that tour costs are better understood.
7. Final Comments and Questions
- The EDGA still requires more help, roles for people to step into, and reach out if you are interested.
- Question – are we doing a calendar on tour dates, if so when will this be made public. Answer – wanted to get done for the end of the year, just a few things to finalise.
Thank you to all the members who attended and contributed to the 2025 AGM. As we move into 2026, the board’s focus will be on strengthening our community, expanding grassroots outreach, and improving the tour experience for players of all levels. As our sport continues to grow, so does the work behind the scenes. If you are passionate about the future of UK disc golf, the EDGA is always looking for dedicated volunteers to help drive these initiatives forward—please reach out if you’d like to get involved!