Geoff Cotton - His Legacy to Chippenham RFC

By MATTHEW STEPHEN

It was a little over a year ago, that a good friend and past player of Chippenham RFC, Geoff Cotton past away at the age of 67.

Our Legacy

At the recent open evening updating the club members on the RFU AGP coming to Chippenham RFC there was one section ‘Our Legacy’ this was an addition to the presentation, to bring to the attention of the members, of a Legacy left by a past player of the club.

It was a little over a year ago, that a good friend, and past player of Chippenham RFC Geoff Cotton past away at the age of 67.

Geoff had first played for the club on the 22nd March 1968 whilst he was doing an apprenticeship at Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co., he continued playing right through to the late 1980’s and also on the occasional Vets tour in the 1990’s.
During this time Geoff had also been involved on the clubs management committee.
After rugby Geoff played bowls for Westinghouse, but continued to support the club.

Geoff retired from work in his 50’s when he was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, which was hereditary and his father had suffered from.

Geoff never married, it could be said that the club and those who had played with him and the friendships that had developed through it were in a way family.

I was contacted during the year by one of Geoff’s close friends who was acting as Executor to his will, to say that the club was one of the Beneficiary’s.

When it was finally completed it turned out that the club was in fact the main Beneficiary in Geoff’s will, being left the sum of £112,000.

The Bequest was left “For the benefit of all members, for the improvement and development of current and future facilities for them all.”

Geoff had seen how the Mini and Junior sections had grown and developed from their inception back in the 1980’s with players eventually going on to play in the senior teams both at Birch Grove and Allington Fields and I am sure this is what he saw his Legacy helping to support and continue in the future.

The Legacy has been invested in a high interest account, and held in Trust to be managed by the club Executive and used as per the Bequest for the “improvement and development of club facilities”

We have set down two clear objectives;
(a) That we future proof what we do for the benefit of members.
(b) Provide at least in part an element of income generation to be reinvested in the club.
Any ideas would be shared with members in an open forum.

Stuart Murrow
President
Chippenham RFC

Updated 07:10 - 30 Aug 2019 by Steve Whitehead

Where next?

Six Nations Tickets for collection & Hospitality!! For those that have ordered, we now have the tickets for the England home matches. We also have great Hospitality for Volunteers
Many thanks for all your support for the Salvation Army Appeal We have had a fantastic response to our appeal for donations to the Salvation Army Toys and Tins appeal.

Schedule
Thu 28 Mar
h
U 13 Training
Training 18:00
Sun 31 Mar
h
Friendly 09:30
h
MINIs U7 thru' U11 No Rugby - Happy Easter
Training 09:30
h
Training 09:30
Thu 4 Apr
h
U 13 Training
Training 18:00
Sat 6 Apr
h
2nd XV Calne
League TBC
a
3rd XV Fairford
League TBC
a
1st XV Trowbridge
League 15:00

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