F&GP Meeting November 2017

Finance and General Purposes Committee.

November 2017.

General Secretary’s Report.

Private and confidential to F&GP Members only.

Introduction.

1 This is a complicated and busy period. Weekly telephone contact between the President, Vice President and myself have proved very helpful. Issues prior to the new build are accumulating and are quite involved. 2 The purpose of this report is to try and bring F&GP members up to date concisely with the big issues and to recognise that there may be a level of decision making that may be delegated to the Officers’ Group as we move forward.

Income generation.

3 The purpose of our strategy is to diversity income streams to pay for the work of the Educational Trust. GFTU, ET, Hotel and Nursery Profit and Loss accounts are attached.

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We are also in the period of budget setting for the future.

5 Future budget setting at the hotel has become complicated by three factors: firstly whether we extend the Goodacre Suite or not, secondly whether we proceed with a new nursery or not and thirdly whether we are able to strike a deal with our neighbouring farmer about access via his road. 6 In relation to the Goodacre Suite a final decision may not be possible as the alternative models are being worked on by Tim. If the Goodacre is properly extended as we all want it will cost in the region of £130k+ and new hotel offices will have to be built in the reception area at a likely cost of around £15k-£20k. 7 The nursery budget could be further complicated by the potential need to employer a site manager. 8 To everyone’s surprise, the local council having said originally our new designs did not require new planning permission then changed their minds and said they did. We are challenging this informally and I hope to be able to report at the meeting. 9 I requested that a group meet to consider the future income generation of the nursery to ensure we are on track for £70k a year. This work is ongoing, but you will see from the 2018 budget attached that the income generation expected of the nursery is unlikely to achieve the results we want. This has led to a difficult discussion about alternative use of the new nursery building as a hotel extension for training, conference and other activities. The F&GP will need to give due consideration, perhaps at our December meeting as to the future viability of the nursery. 10 I am having an informal meeting with our neighbouring farmer on November 1 st . We are seeking maximum permanent access and of course he will be seeking recompense for this. A

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