We need some fresh sources of income

AGM report by Treasurer, 2010/11

By Clifford Jaques, NLCA Treasurer during 2010/11

As in previous years, we are grateful to Mazars for undertaking an independent examination of our accounts.

Expenditure exceeded income

In 2010 expenditure exceeded income by over £1,000. This was because we agreed to use the money from the Warburton fund to produce a leaflet for holiday makers and local residents giving them a guided tour of the North Laine area and a taste for its rich history.

A lot of work went into it

As somebody who was involved with the project, I can tell you that a lot of work went into it and that we have printed enough copies for several years. It is my opinion that his was a good investment that should arouse interest in the North Laine and bring the NLCA to the attention of visitors.

A grant to help with the costs

The actual cost of producing and printing the leaflet was well in excess of the £1,190 that we took out of the Warburton Fund. Fortunately we managed to get a grant of £2,000 from the council to help with this work and we are grateful to Peter Crowhurst for negotiating this for us.

The newsletter covered its costs

The North Laine Runner just about broke even in 2010 if all expenses, income and donations are taken into account. It is not to be regarded as a source of income. In fact the only fund-raising we did this year was to hold a raffle at the Christmas Social. As usual, we are grateful to Jackie Fuller for selling the raffle tickets and to the many organisations and individuals who donated prizes. As there was no fee for the hire of the room this year, we made a minor surplus on the event.

We need an income of about £900 a year

Unfortunately, that is not going to keep us going for very long. Each year we have to pay £360 for the hosting of the website, £330 for the hire of the room and £175 for event insurance. That premium will go up in 2011 because we need to get insurance for the fête that the NLCA is organising. I am looking forward to the fete, of course, and I hope and believe it will be a financial success as well as a boost to the NLCA and the community it serves, but our present insurance policy only covers us for events with 200 or less people. Altogether this means that we need an income of about £900 a year to stay afloat. In 2010 some of these costs were met from part of the grant that we received from Brighton & Hove City Council.

Grants may not be so easily obtained in future

In the days when we met in the Foyer, we had no room hire expenses and the website was much cheaper. We also had successful bric-a-brac sales at Saint Peter's Church summer fair that raised enough money to cover the rest. Now all that has changed. Moreover, in the future we cannot expect to get the grants from the Council so easily that have kept us going in recent years. Government cuts will have an impact on this.

We will need new sources of income

All this means that we need fresh sources of income if we are to survive. The fête is likely to raise at least some of the money and the guided tours of the North Laine will hopefully raise some more. We are also in the process of setting up a mechanism for you all to donate money to the NLCA online. (At the last NLCA meeting, we agreed not to have membership fees, but to encourage members to make voluntary donations to the NLCA of about £10 per year.)

Standing down after four years

Finally, as you know, I will have to stand down at this AGM because I have served the maximum period of four years as your treasurer. It has been a privilege to have been the NLCA treasurer during the period that has seen the launch of our new website and the production of the North Laine history trail leaflet. I wish my successor the very best of luck in raising the requisite income to keep the NLCA going, because it undoubtedly has a role to play for the people of the North Laine, which is likely to be extended under the new government.

[Previously published in the North Laine Runner, No 209, March/April 2011]