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CHAIR’S REPORT, December 2020 – Wiltshire LDWA
Hello to all Wilts members. I hope I find you all well and in good spirits.
As there’s no AGM this December this report is by email, so no drinks and turkey unless you have them to hand.
You may have noticed that it’s been a very difficult year but as I write there’s some optimism about. And now (spoiler alert!) we can start walking together again in groups of up to 30.
Your committee’s first tasks were to prepare for the Pewsey Downsaround challenge and to manage the implementation of a proposed new Wilts 50 challenge. The 2020 PDA was a victim of Covid. We very reluctantly aborted the 50 planning when it became clear that our views on the control and manning of the event and those of the proposer were irreconcilable. We know that a few of you are unhappy with our position and I’m very sorry for that but an LDWA challenge event must be approvable by the elected Wilts committee. Our decision was based on the sound, unanimous judgement of the committee of four and we remain comfortable that the decision was correct.
Thereafter, things got worse when Covid forced us to cancel every other event.
As soon as some group walking was allowed our main concern was to reach all of you with offers of some kind of walk, also to represent your views on what was offered. You won’t have seen the amount of our time this took up, with changes in rules and guidelines for walking in groups, plus restrictions from data protection and other rules, but I want to thank Bruce, Richard, Clive and Carol for the time and support they gave during what was a difficult time for everybody.
It was so gratifying, once the guidelines opened up, to see so many walks by so many leaders listed. Another lockdown interrupted that but Bruce has a really good program just about to start again.
It has been very unhelpful that, without walks, we’ve been unable to talk about our issues with many members. We’ve heard views from those we have met but want other members to have an opportunity, in the absence of an AGM, to put theirs. Paul is leading a 16-mile “walk and talk” on 6th December for up to 30 walkers so that you can talk to officers without breaking any Covid rules. Carol and Janette are providing mince pies, in case you need another incentive.
By 10th Dec we’ll have some changes to the committee:
Bruce will move to Secretary, Rosie Nelstrop will be co-opted as Walks Secretary, Richard has kindly agreed to remain as Treasurer and I will remain as Chair. Carol, who has been so supportive standing in as Secretary, will stand down. Huge thanks to all and I look forward to working with you in a better year.
For the future, we just want to go back to the past! Let’s not forget how good it was.
Best wishes to all,
Graham Instrell
Chair, Wilts LDWA
Treasurer's Notes
We started the financial year with a balance of £4195.64. This included some Xmas Dinner deposits for Dec 2019.
We ended the financial year with a balance of £3208.10 plus deposits held by Avebury Hall and a coach company which we may or may not be able to use in the future.
Our largest unintentional net cost was the cancelled PDA event. £295.44. We fully refunded all payments for cancelled events and coaches. We covered Sientries and Stripe fees from our funds.
Particular thanks are due to former club officers and members whose work and wise decisions (including our Sientries contract) over many years allowed us to survive the virus-affected year with reasonable funds and the ability to refund incoming payments without a huge amount of effort on the financial side.
Christmas dinner December 2019 accounts are not ideal. Our subsidy system for those who had contributed significantly to the group during the previous 12 months, the complex meal and extras pricing system, the pub insisting on cash only and the hand-written receipt made it impossible to keep records to the standard I would like. This is not a criticism of the event organisers who put a tremendous effort into the event, made more difficult by unhelpful pub management. The subsidy from the group was £236.08.
For more details on the group accounts, please see the chronological cash flow spreadsheet available from the treasurer - or ask the treasurer for the information about which you would like more details. I am happy to email copies of any (or all) receipts to anyone who would like to see them.
Richard Hotchkiss
LDWA Wiltshire 2019/20 Summary annual accounts 4/11/19 to 23/11/20
Debits Credits Net
04/11/19 4195.64 From last financial year. Bank account shows
£4195.64+£30.00= £4225.64 St Nicholas Ch.
cheque not yet cleared.
731.50 348.35 383.15 Xmas meal. Note £127.07 deposits last year accounts
Net cost after sale of excess menu cards £236.08
20.00 -20.00 Clare Staff (for excess AGM menu cards)
87.70 87.70 Gifts for retiring Chairman and others who had
worked exceptionally hard for group
7814.00 7739.24 74.76 HF Holiday Note £200 deposit paid out last FY so
real net cost £274.76
405.00 253.96 151.04 Capital Challenge Coach Coach company holding £145
for future booking
40.00 40.00 Avebury Hall deposit for PDA, transferred to 2021
10.00 10.00 2019 Mid Wilts Way refund for member who had to cancel
2920.96 2625.52 295.44 PDA event (cancelled) (excludes Avebury Hall deposit)
30.00 -30.00 Bank error on 2019 PDA donation cheque, cashed by
church. Bank may recover this in future
50.00 47.30 2.70 Clarendon Way (with Stripe collection of fees)
12.00 -12.00 Donation (from Carolyn Thomson Easter)
4.75 4.75 Get well card for member
23/11/20 3208.10 Brought forward to next financial year £3,208.10
Tot. 15272.01 15272.01
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