Information Page
Dear Members,
Alas, Pride comes before a Fall, and I have fallen. Not very badly, but a little.
When I wrote to you this time last year we had, to our astonishment, done so well during 2009 that we felt we were in danger of making too large a surplus. We aim to make between 2-4% of turnover, but we were looking at a surplus before special expenses of about 7%. So we did not put up sub rates even though VAT had gone up by 2.5%. And we eliminated guest charges at lunch time. The Board did have reservations but went along with my confidence. The Board have been proved right. We effectively threw away £40,000 of income just as we headed into the most difficult trading weather I can remember. In consequence, instead of having the brilliant result we were expecting, we are probably only going to have one merely in line with the good results of the last few years.
This does mean that next year we have to put up our prices in line with our costs. In practise this means 5% on our subs to cover the two increases in Vat, plus 2% on all our other services, to cover anticipated price increases. This year, the new head chef (Daniel Budden) and our wine buyer (Hamish Anderson who also advises the Tate Gallery Restaurants) have managed to hold or even cut the cost of our supplies. But they can only cut so far, and unfortunately, if input prices rise faster than 2%, so will ours.
Looking forward the main problem for the club is the long anticipated ending of the year by year increase of the membership. Now that it is happening, the Club is going to be fractionally more difficult to manage with the easy going attitude towards money which I hope has characterised my management to date. So please expect to hear me occasionally use a word I do not think I have ever had to use before: No
The first 'No' will be to situation where the bar food is being sold for less than real cost at the expense of the dining room. We will be putting about 30p on each food item sold in the bar and reducing the price of the dining room lunch for Members to £15.75. Members from now on will be able to eat at either end of the building at lunch time for the same sort of price apart from service charges. We will pay for cheaper meals in the dining room by the reinstating the guest charge.
I continue to try to offer you the best possible value for money in London. Our drink and food prices are 70% of those elsewhere. I think atmosphere and price are the most important factors which attract you to the Club. But I think the wines being provided by Hamish are as good as in any other restaurant and our finer wines are among the finest; I love Marjo's homely cooking; and I was very pleased to secure Daniel from Upstairs about whom I have been writing to you. But as always the golden rule applies. If you aren't satisfied, send me an email telling me why, and I will invite you to come next time free. If it happens a second time, I will invite you to supper personally!
Thank you for your continuing support.
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Please note that we are now e-mailing members with details of events as they occur.
(Conscientious objectors permitted)
(We need this information to ensure we are maintaining the correct ratio of ordinary to associate members.)
I am renewing my Membership as (please select)
Town Member (£485) Country Member (£335) Overseas Member (£305) Junior Member (under 30, £190) Retired Member (Aged 65 with 15 year membership membership subject to the permission of the Council. Please write to the council of the Club to request this) Elected Life Member Subscribing Life Member Honorary Member Ex-OfficioN.B.: All Honorary Memberships except ex officio Honorary Memberships are for one year only. I wish to continue my Spouse Membership at a cost of one half of my partner's subscription. (You must have already been elected a spouse member to do this. To be eligible for spouse membership you have to apply in your own right.)
Note: if you want to pay by card, please call the office on 020 7376 3311.
Please select here if you want a receipt for tax or VAT purposes.
The Club now supports two charities. Roughly speaking the first supports Artists who have fallen on hard times; the second supports young people with scholarships. Please give as generously as you can. We will collect on your behalf by the same means as you pay your sub.
I would like to donate £ to the AGBI (if paying by cheque please make payable to "Chelsea Arts Club - AGBI") and to the Chelsea Arts Club Trust (if paying by cheque please make payable to "Chelsea Arts Club Trust").
Registered charity number 212667
I am a UK taxpayer. Please treat all donations I make to Chelsea Arts Club AGBI as Gift Aid donations. It doesn't matter what rate of tax you pay as long as you pay an amount of income or capital gains tax (e.g. Tax on savings, investments and pensions) equal to the amount of tax we claim back. Please remember to inform us of any change to your tax status.
I wish to have copies of the yearbook at £15 each
I wish to have 10 copies of the yearbook at £125
I wish you to send them to me at a cost of c.£6.00 for the first copy, an extra c.£3.00 for every extra copy thereafter in the UK, c.£8.50 in Europe per yearbook and c.£14.00 per copy elsewhere. Those who order 10 or more copies, will have their name on their Birthday included if they select their Date of Birth here:
Birthday information must reach the office by May 1st 2011.
N.B. We will charge you for this order by the same means as you have paid your subscription. Delivery is scheduled for the 1st November.
We intend to provide both in the Yearbook 'Yellow Pages' and on the Internet Noticeboard a comprehensive list of anything that you might be doing which might be of use to other members or to the general public. Please tell us in 50 words the service you wish to offer them:
Is there a unique place or experience you would like to recommend to your fellow members for inclusion in the Purple Pages of the Year Book?
Please ensure we have this information by May 1st 2010. Please include a contact no. . You must order a year book in order to be included. Once you have an ad with us we shall repeat it until further notification.
I would like to purchase a season ticket for 20 Sunday night events to be specified:
Single £80 Double £125
You might like to support these events even if you cannot come to all of them. All proceeds minus VAT go to the performers.
Please select your interests to enable us to keep you informed of what particularly interests you:
Do you work for an art school, and if so, which one?
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