Important update for all members 4th May 2022
The newly formed merged Club has moved to the Sailing Club for our Friday sessions. We, Bill and Pat said that we would run the club for about 4-6 weeks to see if it was viable. This has had to be extended because of circumstances beyond our control, Sailing Club refurbishments, Pat's holiday and subsequent Covid.
The Club has played on 7 occasions with turnouts of between 4 and 7 tables and we have decided that the club may just about be viable but the proposed formation of a Committee and the AGM has been put back by 4 weeks because of the circumstances detailed above.
The ABC website subscription was not renewed last November but the owner of Bridgewebs kindly agreed that we could use it temporarily for notifications despite the fee not having been paid. This site has now been closed. All future results and announcements will be made on this Ace Bridge Club website whose suscription was paid by Ace Bridge Teaching on 31st December at a cost of £42.00.
This website currently serves two purposes -
a. For Ace Bridge Club
b. For Ace Bridge Teaching
A separate Bank account has been opened with Lloyds Bank in the name of Ace Bridge Club and all monies received for the new face to face Club since it opened on 4th March have been paid into this account which is totally separate from Ace Bridge Teaching
Pat and I feel it is important that you all understand the situation with the new Club's finances.
When we started up the club after we moved from the Cricket Club there was no money in the kitty, more on that in a minute. The Club had one set of plastic boards which were falling apart and were only usable because of all the valiant efforts of Liz with her roll of sellotape and tube of superglue. ABC also had about 60 packs of cards all of which were well past their sell by dates. The tables, most of which were very old were split into two lots, those for the dump and those to go to local charity shops.
Back in September when Bill and Jayne met to discuss reopening ABC at the Cricket Club, Jayne told Bill that she was trying hard to get Tony's family to release the £1400-£1800 of Bridge Club monies that Tony had in his Bank account. But his family said "Prove it" and refused point blank to release the money. So this club starts from scratch with nothing in the Bank and no assets.
Pat has agreed to loan Ace Bridge Club some of the Ace Teaching boards and playing cards and to provide Travellers for the time being whilst we see whether the Club can be viable.
The finances
There are a number of setting up costs and a separate set of running costs
Setting up costs first
EBU Annual Subscription £27 which we have paid from table monies to date
EBU Club Insurance £74 which we have paid ditto
Bridgewebs annual costs £42 which have been paid this year by Ace Teaching as we are now sharing this website
Boards and cards £ 0 as these are on loan from Ace Teaching
Travellers £ 0 provided by Ace Teaching so far
Weekly running costs
Rent to the Sailing Club £48 per week We are charged £12 an hour from 1pm till 5pm as this includes setting up and closing the club
EBU playing costs £ 8 per week average The EBU charges £2 per table but this is offset by the benefits of membership. These have been paid from table monies to date
Refreshments £ 4 per week average These have been paid from table monies
Total £60
So, looking at the sums
Income If we get 4 tables 16 players at £4 each £64
Expenditure £60
"Profit" £ 4 Towards paying back the setting up costs including the rent to date before we consider buying a set of boards and cards
If we get 5 tables 20 players at £4 each £80
Expenditure £62
"Profit" £18
So you will see that the new Club is technically on a knife edge as to whether it is viable, or not. If Tony's son had handed over the ABC club monies to Jayne, and she had been able to pass it on to Bill, then the Club would have had reserves to protect it for any weeks where the attendance was only 3 tables where the income then is £48 and the expenses £58
The words of Mr Micawber come to mind
Bill and Pat
|