I understand through the grapevine that the proposed change to the annual membership fee (rising to £20) has not been well received. It is worth noting that the proposal from the Trustees at the AGM, to which all members are invited, was to go to £15; the floor of the meeting proposed, and the 50+ attendees unanimously voted for, to increase the fee to £20 as there was recognition that it remains good value at less than 50p/week and it was better and more equable as a ‘one off’ than increasing the section attendance fees,.
However, given the unofficial, but nevertheless important feedback we have received as Trustees we have decided to review how we fund the costs of operating the HCA prior to the new membership year. In doing so it should be noted that the HCA cannot continue to run at a loss as we will eventually have no operational capital and as advised by our accountants holding our investment pool ‘for a rainy day’ is important due to the cost of maintaining Greystones House.
We are already exploring how we may obtain other investments, such as Government funds to charities, into HCA and we will look at all aspects of costs prior to the new year to see where we can make savings, but please be aware with the cost of living increases affecting us all also impacting on the cost of running the HCA we cannot guarantee no cost increases.
I am happy to take onboard any ideas that may be forthcoming from members but please be aware that our objective is to cover costs by increasing revenue and/or reducing costs with the least possible impact to our members. My contact details are below for any ideas you may have.
Cliff Putterford
Chairman
07720 467695
