This is my annual report presented to the AGM on the RPGA financial position for the 2020 period.
Despite being a terrible year for almost everything and everyone, 2020 was not a financial disaster for the RPGA.
The headline is that the Association made a surplus of Income over Expenditure of £960.69p for the year. Whilst this was a lower surplus than the previous year it is still a healthy sum, and allows me to safely predict that I see no reason why the current rate of basic membership subscription would need to be increased in the foreseeable future. There are indications that both the cost of producing the PGA Diary, and postage costs, will increase in the coming year and therefore I cannot make the same prediction for the subscription rate of those who chose to receive a PGA Diary as part of their membership.
However this needs to be seen in the context that our income from subscriptions reduces every year, for the simple reason that sadly, we lose more members than we gain. If costs are carefully controlled we can sustain the gradual reduction of income for the foreseeable future and I am comfortable that we have a “sufficient” cash balance in the bank to allow for this.
The fact that the committee were unable to meet in person, and instead conducted business via ZOOM meetings, meant that Travel and Subsistence costs for the year were zero. The main reason for the reduction in the surplus is entirely due to the increase in cost or producing, and distribution of the Newsletter. The management committee made a decision at the start of the year that the 40th Anniversary edition of The Newsletter would be the best one ever, and that we would place no financial restrictions on the editor, (Paul Laxton), with regard to size, or quality. There is no doubt that this was money well spent and the 40th edition was indeed “the best ever”.
This leads the committee to the decision that as The Newsletter is our primary means of communication with members, and indeed in many cases, our only means of communication, we decided that we would invest in increased production values for The Newsletter including more colour photos and good quality paper.
There is no doubt that 2021 has seen a move back toward some sort of “normality” but the management committee have tried to allow for continued restrictions or disruption by continuing our subscription to the ZOOM service, thereby giving us the flexibility for future meetings to be either in person, or virtually, via ZOOM.
Below are the audited and certified accounts for the financial year 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020. (Not published on the website) Copies of the original documents are available on request, and as always, I am happy to take questions either directly, by post, Graham Mumby-Croft, 15 Thirsk Drive, Lincoln, LN6 8SZ or email graham.mumbycroft@gmail.com
Graham Mumby-Croft