Guild members descended upon the brand-new Toyota Media Experience Centre in Crawley, Sussex, for the 2025 Annual General Meeting on 11th June, for a day in which the essential formal business was followed by great fun driving cars from both the current and heritage Toyota and Lexus press fleets.

The new facility is certainly impressive. As well as providing a base for the 150 or more vehicles of the press fleets, it also offers state-of-the-art meeting rooms, working areas and a photo studio able to easily accommodate a car. Toyota is keen that journalists needing somewhere to work locally make complimentary use of the centre, while the photo studio will be available for hire at what were described as significantly lower rates than are typical. 

Welcoming members to the centre, Toyota head of PR Charles Holcomb was keen to emphasise how Toyota is investing in facilities to help the media in its work. “We see the value in what we do – this is here for you and colleagues to utilise. You might be going to an event, stopping at Gatwick and you can come here and work. We have a photo studio, a soundproof booth – we can facilitate podcasts, anything you need to do…

“We’ve tried to cater for any facilities you might be undertaking. It’s here, it’s a standing open invitation and you can bring other manufacturers’ cars here – we want to make sure this facility is used as much as possible.”

Nicole Chappell has been appointed as facilities manager of the new centre and she is keen to discuss any requirements members may have – she can be contacted by email.    

The Annual General Meeting approved the Guild officers for 2025 as nominated by the committee, these being President: Nick Mason; Chair: Simon Harris; Vice-Chair: Richard Aucock; Honorary Secretary: Richard Netherwood; Honorary Treasurer: Matthew Carter.

Rule 8 of the Guild constitution requires one-third of the full committee retire each year and as the longest-serving members, Chris Adamson, Tim Beavis, John Brooks, Andrew Noakes and Mike Valente retired and offered themselves for re-election. They were duly re-elected alongside the other committee members Richard Aucock, Andrew Charman, Trinity Francis, John Griffiths, Kevin Haggarthy and Simon Harris. Having served six consecutive years, Jim McGill retired from the Committee.

‘The Guild thrives on participation…’

Addressing attendees, Guild Chair Simon Harris said he did not want to offer just a report, but something of a rallying cry, describing the AGM as a reminder of why we matter, and why the Guild continues to be a vital and vibrant part of our industry.

“We are not some relic of the past, we are a living, breathing, evolving network of professionals. – and the more we engage, the stronger and more valuable this Guild becomes,” Simon said.

He highlighted the restoration of the British Racing Drivers’ Club’s invitation to Guild members for the Friday of the British Grand Prix weekend, which he described as symbolising recognition of the contribution members make to the motorsport and automotive narrative, and our long-standing relationship with the BRDC.

A further positive announcement was the return of the Sir William Lyons Award for young writers aged between 17 and 21. Not presented since 2018, the Award now has its traditional support from Jaguar through JLR and also by Autocar magazine.

“This award has launched careers. It’s more than a trophy: it’s an open door to young talent, and a message that excellence in automotive journalism is still something to strive for, and to celebrate,” Simon said.

Launched in the past year, the Young Members’ Forum has become one of the liveliest corners of the Guild. Simon revealed that the Guild’s younger members are connecting, sharing opportunities, asking questions, and arranging activities that they might not otherwise get near.

“This is peer-to-peer support at its best – it’s organic, it’s modern, and it’s growing,” he said, before pointing out that the Guild does not belong to one generation but all of its members and it is made stronger by participation at every level. “From veterans who have seen the industry change beyond recognition, to digital-first freelancers building a career from reels and reviews, your voice counts.”

Simon challenged members to get more involved, stating that the Guild is worth what members get out of it – but also what they put into it. While acknowledging that the media world is evolving fast he emphasised that one thing hasn’t changed; “Storytelling matters, and those who tell stories about cars, bikes, trucks, racing, design, engineering, and the culture that surrounds them – that’s us – still play a vital role.”

Simon also implored members to investigate the wide-ranging benefits the Guild offers. “These are real-world tools that can make a difference to your working life.

“And if you have ideas on what we can do better? Don’t be shy. Contact me, or any committee member. Propose something. Start a conversation. This Guild is not a monolith – it’s a collaboration.”

Challenging times for all activities

Reflecting on another year of “tireless work keeping things on an even keel” by the committee, Honorary Secretary Richard Netherwood first highlighted the successful launch of two new awards presented at the annual dinner in December. 

“The Award for Fundraising run in conjunction with WOMAC proved to be something of a runaway success,” Richard said, adding that the judges had been pleased by the number and quality of entries, and he was confident of a repeat performance this year.

Similarly the Guild’s new Award honouring an organisation in the automotive sector that has excelled in promoting diversity, inclusion and equality, proved a success with a popular initial winner in Females in Motorsport.

Turning to the 2025 Awards, changes to the presentations at this year’s Dinner will see the Guild’s now life-expired pull-up banner backdrop replaced by the RAC Club’s digital screens, which will both look more professional and allow greater flexibility.

BCA, Bentley, Genesis, Hampson Auctions and Kia have already confirmed continued support of their respective awards, Hampson Auctions stating that “we are proud to support an award that celebrates excellence in automotive journalism, and it remains a great fit for our brand and values”.

As mentioned in the Chair’s presentation, the Sir William Lyons Award makes a welcome return this year and Richard paid tribute to the hard work of all concerned in making this happen, including the award sponsor, Jaguar.

Richard also mentioned a proposal for sponsorship of the President’s Trophy, which was due to be discussed at the committee meeting following the AGM. 

Staying with nominated awards, in recent years Young Driver and Rider of the Year winners have consistently failed to attend the Awards Dinner, for various reasons including longer motorsport seasons meaning their seasons had not ended when the dinner was held. In response to this, at the last committee meeting it was agreed that the word ‘Young’ be removed from the award names and the age restriction of under 30 should be dropped. The criterion that both competitors be British remains.

The committee hopes these changes will allow nominations from a wider selection of current competitors, meaning we probably have a stronger chance of the winners attending the Dinner.

Commenting on the change of the Year Book to a softback cover, Richard commented that today’s print technology allows such books to be produced to a high standard. At a time when the Guild needs to minimise costs, the format succeeded in reducing the print bill, while some overseas members helped further by agreeing to receive their Year Book in a digital format.

“Year Book advertising sales made a modest increase last year but many of our current and former advertisers are now subject to far closer budgetary restraints,” Richard said, adding that it is unrealistic to presume any significant increases in advertising sales will be generated by printed media.

Meanwhile how the Guild makes best use of its website is currently under discussion. “Ideally, we’d like to attract more traffic through it, but we have yet to determine how to achieve this – this is very much a work in progress.”

Moving on to Guild activities and events, Richard described this year’s Big Day Out at Castle Combe race circuit as another great success, but added that only the support of the main sponsor, Suzuki GB, along with additional support from KGM Motors ensured the 2025 event could go ahead.

Richard added that Suzuki has indicated that budgetary restrictions will prevent further support of the event while a rise in Castle Combe’s hire rates have forced the events committee to consider how best to stage the event for 2026. “The good news is that, whilst it’s unlikely they’ll match the £3,000 Suzuki contributed this year, it’s highly likely KGM Motors will participate again.”

Forthcoming events to look forward to include the return in August of what was the Euro Classic. Staged over three days, the West Yorkshire-based event will take in some of the best roads and finest scenery the area has to offer.

Richard ended his presentation by confirming the current membership numbers at 343 Full, 43 Associate, 46 Overseas and 97 Retired, totalling 529.

Another loss, but no slowing in effort

Guild Treasurer Matthew Carter opened his presentation by warning that once again he would be the bearer of bad news as in 2024, the Guild had posted a loss for the fourth year in a row.

A deficit of a mere £50 in 2021 had risen to almost £6,900 in 2022, improved in 2023 to £2,300, but rose again last year to more than £8,000, despite serious savings made in every aspect of the Guild’s operation. “We shaved money off our administrative costs, our accountancy bill, the honoraria we pay to Guild officers, and we even saved money on bank charges.”

Matthew also highlighted reduced expenditure on production of the Year Book, though due to what accountants call “a timing adjustment” the official accounts suggested otherwise; “A cost that should have gone into 2023’s figures was missed and has been lumped onto 2024’s figures.”

He described the overall loss as an inevitable sign of the times. “There simply isn’t as much income around as there used to be. For example, income from advertising in the ’24 Year Book fell by more than £2,200 while increased costs at the RAC for the Guild Dinner meant that the surplus from the Awards evening fell by around £800.”

Funds in 2023 had seen  a welcome income boost of almost £5,400 from the sale of licensing rights to the Guild’s footage from the 1950 British Grand Prix, but there were no sales in 2024 and while there had been hopes that this year’s 75th anniversary of the Formula One World Championship might generate more sales of those rights, there had been no takers so far.

“Perhaps the biggest area of concern, though, is the fall in revenue from subscription fees,” Matthew said, adding that the Guild has been losing members as opportunities in motoring journalism disappear and career paths change, while at the same time the ranks of retired members have grown. The committee is working hard to attract new members and retain existing ones.

Rather than dwell on the past, Matthew looked to the future. While subscription fees in 2025 are running below the level of 2024, the committee is working tirelessly to increase other income and further reduce costs. “Honoraria will be lower again in 2025 and, as Richard has already mentioned, we have been able to make significant savings on printing and distribution of the Year Book. We also took more in advertising revenue in ’25, while our accountant, Brassingtons, has offered to reduce its fees in 2025.”

General admin costs will also be lower, with a focus on the production and distribution of Guild ID cards. “The postage bill for sending these out is more than £500 alone… perhaps it’s time we considered digital ID cards that you can keep in your phone’s wallet. There might be a cost element to set this up – we are investigating – but it will undoubtedly save money in the long term.”

Matthew highlighted the increased revenue from the Big Day Out but also the challenges for the future of this event, already outlined by Richard Netherwood. Again echoing Richard’s comments, Jaguar returning as an Award sponsor is a positive move and other potential sponsors are ready to step into the breach if existing sponsors withdraw.

Matthew concluded his presentation with the comment; “There’s no denying that economic conditions are tough – we all know that – but we are doing everything we can to reverse the losses of the last four years.”

Information to help our members

The final presentation saw Guild Benevolent Fund Trustee Richard Aucock reminding members of the essential role the Fund plays, highlighting initially the series of Information Sheets for members promised at the 2024 AGM. Three of these have so far been produced, distributed directly to members and again through News Briefs.

“The aim and purpose of these is to provide a focal point and remind Guild Members that we are your Benevolent Fund, and are here to offer a first line of support, help and advice for anyone who needs it,” Richard said.

The message from the Fund remains unchanged, that it is here, for all members, when it is needed. In present times, when AI is allowing anyone to be a self-selecting content creator across social media and putting all writers, journalists and photographers under pressure in a world when objective, factual writing and editing seem no longer to be of value, the Benevolent Fund is ready to do what it can for those members feeling under siege and in need of support.

“Obviously who we help, and how we help them, is a confidential matter known only to the people directly involved – suffice to say please do not be shy if you would like to talk to one of the Trustees because you are uncertain as to which way to turn when times are tough,” Richard said.

He added the reminder that the Fund exists for individual Guild members and their immediate families. Each case is judged on its merits but the Fund is not a pension provider, insurance company or a bank – it was established as a charitable trust to assist any Guild member who had fallen on hard times, through accident, illness, loss of income, or other calamity, financial or otherwise.

The Fund’s Trustees and the Guild committee keep an eye out for people who might be in need of assistance, but Richard added: “If you need help yourself, or know of another member who appears to be in trouble, please get in touch with one of the Trustees or the Administrator – contact details are in the Year Book. Each and every approach is treated with the utmost discretion and confidentiality.”

The Fund depends on donations from the Guild – a proportion of subscriptions and surplus from Guild activities and sales of merchandise – as well as individual donations from individuals and companies. Richard highlighted JustGiving as a simple, tax-efficient way to make regular or one-off payments to the Fund, and again asked members to remember the Guild Benevolent Fund when drawing up a will. He also pointed out that keen online shoppers can help the Fund through Give as you Live (see below).

Richard concluded: “Remember please, we are on standby by in case you are in need.”

Following the formal meeting members were given a tour of the Media Experience Centre, which is certainly very impressive with many useful facilities for working journalists and photographers.

Toyota kindly provided 12 vehicles to drive from both the current and heritage fleets, and members took full advantage, some being shoehorned from the cars at the end of an informative and enjoyable event. The Guild offers its thanks to the Toyota team in providing a most suitable venue for this year’s AGM.

All photos by Jeff Bloxham