Karen Sutton wrote:That would depend on the proposed changes to the Constitution. If it was to allow the Club to merge with the Trust I'd still vote against it.
If it was to convert the Club to a charity that would be OK.
Regarding donations from the Club to the Trust: the finances may not allow very large donations. I have heard that the Club is not bringing in enough income to cover its running costs. If that is the case then either the subscriptions will have to go up by a considerable amount, or the Club stops making large "subventions" to the Trust.
Those proposing the merger are suggesting this as a smokescreen. It is total BS and the opposite is the case - the Trust does not make enough money to cover its costs whereas the Club makes a profit.
The Trust will be losing most of its funding streams over hte next year. It will become even more dependant on the Club to prop it up. But even the profit-making Club doesn't have enough income to cover all the Trust's costs (unless there was to be some serious rationalisation at the Trust).
Which is possibly why there was a proposal at the last Council meeting that the membership fee should go up to £42 this year - a 13½% increase!