[Wendy:] Er... there you go. okay.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Emmy:] Where do we switch it off if we want to switch it off?
[Wendy:] Erm you just press the press the stop button. They're
[Emmy:] Okay.
[Wendy:] all labelled and then press the red button again to get it going.
[Emmy:] Okay fine [LAUGHTER] just for sake because she's going to write the erm minutes from that tape. Apologies, er Virginia and Jess. And so here this rural craft er thing which I wrote for which you asked me which is arriving from the last minutes, is I'll read it out to you. [reading] All work on display must be British of origin. We appreciate that raw materials may be foreign but it must not exceed thirty five percent of the finished product. This rule is being rigorously enforced this year. Work outside these limits must be removed. [] And they say you have to send in some of your product and then they come round to your stand and if it doesn't comply they just take it off your stand which is our whole merchandise really.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Emmy:] So I think this is a great shame. Yes. Right well I'm coming back to this subject later on when we talk about er marketing. Right, that's matters arising from the last minutes, any other matters arising from the last minutes?
[speaker005:] Yeah well there's one one point on the letter received from the Charity Commission.
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker005:] Can you send them
[Emmy:] Yes well when you weren't here last time,
[speaker005:] Mm.
[Emmy:] we have had a letter back and it's exactly the same as I got when I rang them up, if they just say it must not exceed a certain amount and they won't be tied down to tell me. There is a letter here. They won't they they they just said, if it exceeds a certain margin, we recommend that you establish another trading company. And they won't tell you what the safe margin is, they just don't.
[speaker005:] Mm copy next meeting that's all.
[Emmy:] Yes well who has got the copy, has Jess got it then?
[speaker005:] I don't know it's just
[Emmy:] I think we sent the copy to Jess and Jess I think has the copy. Yes and yeah we'll have to give you that copy. Can we make a note of that Jess, that erm we will need
[speaker005:] Well it's already in the minutes.
[Emmy:] a copy.
[speaker005:] It's in the minutes last time.
[Emmy:] Yes last time we talked about it.
[speaker005:] Oh I see.
[Emmy:] But I don't think we have the copy here did we, we didn't see the letter. No.
[speaker005:] Sorry I
[Emmy:] So I think
[speaker005:] I think what I'm trying to say is, in the minutes that we produced for the last meeting, it says that a copy of it will be available for the next meeting
[Emmy:] Right.
[speaker005:] that is today.
[Emmy:] Yeah. Which Jessica isn't here today.
[speaker005:] Ah I see, so that's
[Emmy:] And she might have, she may well be
[speaker004:] was going to bring them today.
[Emmy:] Because she only rang up very shortly before the meeting saying that she couldn't come. It's er er somebody on business is visiting and they the wife has come and she has to entertain the wife. Er something she didn't expect and that's why she couldn't come. So er that has to just wait now until the next meeting. Any other things?... No, shall I go onto the manager's report then?
[speaker002:] Mhm.
[Emmy:] Which they know all about. Erm... the sixth of the twelve we had Radio York here and actually it was very nice because they just introduce our people here, you know the craft workers and th you've heard the tape.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Emmy:] And they spoke for themselves and I think they promoted us well. And [LAUGHTER] they also [] three times that day, very early in the morning, at nine o'clock and at lunch time, and always just between the weather forecast and the news I mean when people are switching on.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Emmy:] Or is it the road conditions or something but peak times.
[speaker004:] I heard it certainly I heard it just going on in the car.
[Emmy:] And people have heard it which I think helps us in the long run. But the business we got from it won't be big, one lady rang up and said I heard about you on Radio York. Can I come and buy one cracker. I said, of course you can. And when she came she actually bought three. And that's the only customer after all that so I mean
[speaker002:] Mm.
[Emmy:] No easy answer. Then Des and I went to the wine selling party at and at you know made great a great effort and we did very well. Sold quite a few boxes of crackers there too. Did very well there, getting on for five hundred pounds. But everything is harder you know, everything is harder. It's not er you have to push for it now. Eleventh of the twelfth, Conservative Party Fair, well that one wasn't much good at all. You know they were sort of they were cheap stalls and and the people who came were the bargain hunters. Or some people like the s and you know who knew us and had bought already from us. Erm I think I sold twenty crackers. Lots of gifts. the rest was all gifts. Erm then on the seventeenth erm we had our part at my house, it was very enjoyable as always, but to be honest I almost collapsed, I really had had it by then. And er Mark 's sister and her partner, they are professional musicians and they do sort of Irish er Irish music. And they entertained us and then some carol singers came and we asked them in and they sang carols and the food was nice and everybody really was very happy and that was the start of our Christmas holiday. And then I came back on the forth to start off with the stocktaking which is not on the agenda I think. But let me just tell you we it's all counted, it's all written down. one thing Pat, I still need to know erm what stock we started all the selling. You will know what you made before the Christmas Fair.
[speaker006:] Mm.
[Emmy:] Yeah that's a figure I need to know.
[speaker006:] Okay.
[Emmy:] But otherwise everything's written down and we have bought the e of the computer but Wendy is familiarizing herself with it and it's quite hard work. Erm and it'll take us a little bit of touch actually now the computer evaluated.... Oh yes er er yes and or well I came back and organized the workshop you know did the displays and things like that. And tidied up. And then Wendy came back on the Wednesday, the day after It's just a meeting R
[speaker002:] Er excuse me please, can I have the car keys?
[speaker006:] You moving your blue car No
[Emmy:] No he will take the er the other one
[speaker006:] The one in the way.
[Emmy:] So Wendy came on the Wednesday and we got going with all the office work here. Er mainly the proposal and then everybody came back on the sixth which is quite a long break in Christmas but we do need that break till we organize ourselves after Christmas
[speaker005:] Yes I know
[Emmy:] I mean things like unpacking the boxes and taking it all out of the erm cracker er paper or all that, you know just takes time. And then we went to the er Pat and I went to the toy fair in Harrogate and one little thing has already come. We found a very nice you know we once had this push up horse, we now found a push up doll which is sort of quite nicely coloured and this little spinning top which I think is quite nice. We were going to buy something else but you couldn't do it so I think this is going to be very nice. I mean I feel quite hopeful about our gifts, it's always a big problem but I think we'll be all right. Erm then er I introduced somebody on the seventeenth for this teaching post, for the sewing club which Noel unofficially told me and Donald also rang up and said that we were going to get the money so I I've already employed somebody, I haven't got the letter yet. But erm I've I've told them, I haven't got the letter but it it should be coming.
[speaker005:] Have you got the money though?
[Emmy:] I know. [LAUGHTER] But super super person we've got, unfortunately she might be offered a job at prison to take their sewing on and then she can't do ours. But she's setting it up and she will find us somebody to carry on. And I'm really excited about it and there's lots of interest, I think this places are taken up already. It's going to be six people. Erm then for of our administration well Celia really you should report Well you are saying it later on in your report aren't you about the administration skills course?
[speaker004:] Mhm. Well well I can say it now really four have taken the R S A one exam, and and did very well though very nervous but er er and but they sat there and they did it which was superb I mean we were as nervous as they were sitting in here.
[Emmy:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Erm but we won't get the results till mid March which is a shame.
[Emmy:] But we think that possibly three passed and maybe and one failed.
[speaker004:] But we don't know. Shirley
[Emmy:] We don't know but somebody had a look at it, Shirley, the teacher. Er but they did so much better I mean you know nerves really got a bit the better of them didn't it
[speaker004:] Well that's it's all about exams isn't it
[Emmy:] Oh yes I mean Then er we had the Christmas Fair meeting of which maybe you want to look at the minutes now. And the minutes were taken by one of the Admin students and it was typed
[speaker004:] No there.
[Emmy:] It's part it's part of your pack Desmond, I gave you papers and you should have in it erm
[speaker005:] Oh yes. I've got it I've got it
[Emmy:] and again, just look at the work you know.
[speaker005:] Can I make a point please?
[Emmy:] Yeah.
[speaker005:] I think you should have a tw a twelfth clause on it, appoint a treasurer for the event. And have somebody who deals with all the income, all the banking and all the payments out. So you've got the all the cash being handled by one person rather than being bonded together and any other situation where we get
[Emmy:] Y y y you mean on the minutes?
[speaker005:] Actually on this. In other words
[Emmy:] Yes so we'll have that as a point.
[speaker005:] As a point. I think you need somebody there
[Emmy:] I I I
[speaker005:] to deal with it totally.
[Emmy:] Yes. Can you after the meeting dictate that point to Celia please. Erm
[speaker005:] Yeah I'll just put it in. Appoint treasurer for the event. All aspects.
[Emmy:] Yeah. Mhm. Could you write that down Celia just underneath
[speaker005:] Detail all receipts and banking.
[Emmy:] your that we've put that in as a recommendation.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker005:] Payment of expenses and provision of floats.
[Emmy:] Yes yes. I agree with you. It was done by too many people. I agree with you wholeheartedly as I really always do yes.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker005:] Can I have a talk to you afterwards?
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Emmy:] Future events, erm this Saturday, a wedding service for Jim or the Sunday, Jim. And a wedding for that's Pat's cousin.
[speaker006:] Mm. Thank you.
[Emmy:] And er I haven't actually rung her yet to confirm that. So that's the manager's report. Then marketing and advertising. Well we've just heard we were had decided to go to the Harrogate Fair which we can't because our product isn't British enough. Erm it will I think leave a bit of a gap. Now I have decided and I hope you'll back that up to reduce our cracker production. Erm by a bit because we have now moved, the Monday morning we are going to have the sewing and the people from the Monday morning, we have put onto the the three other days when we make crackers. The people who make crackers on a Monday morning, we have moved to the other three days so that the Monday morning is free for the sewing. The teacher can only only come on a Monday morning. Also it suits me because all the other days weren't always completely full. We are one supervisor short for one day. So now we have a supervisor every day. And er we mightn't produce any less but I would quite like to produce a bit less. I haven't written it completely down here but erm and I want to do more boxed next year. Just I'm just talking about you know, two hundred less, something like that. Erm... I mean we we have some left but I mean they're mainly empty which doesn't matter a lot I mean I'll them for next year. But it's been very very hard work selling what we've sold. You know I men sort of you know, for very little, like the Conservative Party you know, it was hard work lugging all the you know, you pack it all up, you lug it all there. And I really and truly, when Christmas came,i the first year I really thought, Oh I can't do this next year, it's getting a bit too much. So I don't want it to depend so much on last minute sales. And what I'm saying is that we make less cracker but... with the advertising we're doing doing at the moment, in the magazine and Yellow Pages and I just want to kind I'm going to talk to you about what other ways of advertising. Well let me just start again. We have sold what we did through a lot of physical effort er of a few. You know, physical hard work, last minute. And I think, yes we will do all that but not quite to the extreme and we should try now and sell more during the year and really see how the flow goes. So instead of pushing pushing pushing, let's just see how much comes more or less naturally through advertising.
[Wendy:] There's the figures. The Christmas Fair account I'm typing now.
[Emmy:] Fine.
[Wendy:] Okay?
[Emmy:] Fine, yes. And we have been quite heartened by Where's my little list? We've had I think forty five enquiries and definitely one lady wants seventy from Sussex or somewhere, wants seventy crackers for one wedding. Now I'm hoping we get a bit more of that. And what we're doing is if you just look at your pack now, everybody who writes to us, it doesn't matter what they want, whether it's favours of crackers, they're getting a brochure which you know our brochure, which has the favours and crackers on. Ooh I need... [shouting] Wendy? [] Wendy, that letter we are sending to all new enquiries Erm so they get the brochure which has the er crackers and the favours. And then they get er D I Y pack which these two I know you saw that before but this is at the back of it. Okay, so this is not the price list you're used to, this is the D I Y price list. And in the D I Y price list, they can buy here a little pr er trial pack. Now on the trial pack we make a bit of money and it would employ somebody you know, somebody who's been ill. And people can just buy favours and then the instructions to make the favours are on the reverse side. I don't know how big the uptake is because actually it doesn't make a lot of sense you know, it's not that much cheaper. But competitors are doing it. So I think it's a good thing to offer it. And people might actually decide to buy crackers. Then we're sending a letter which erm, well let me just say, we are then also sending, now here with the D I Y, the numbers er coincide Here the numbers coincide with the illustrations, so if I talk about a certain you have to look at paper one, paper two paper three or A B C. And you see what they look like. Okay. And then as I say they can write off for a pack and they get examples which cost them. And then we are sending this. This is how they can fill crackers themselves. So somewhere there's a big party and o or somebody who wants three or four crackers and put their own gifts in. They can do it this way. And then I'm going to 's on Monday, they're going to photograph our Bridal box and they're going to get a photograph with printed on of our bridal box as well. So everybody gets all that. And then a letter saying, you know it's personalized saying, [reading] Dear Mrs Smith, thank you for your enquiry, I'm sending you the information you requested and also thought that you might like to have a l a leaflet about our bridal box. Favours are given to female guests only, crackers could be supplied for your whole wedding party, your females guests [] Oh gosh it's gusts. Must tell her that. [reading] Guests [LAUGHTER] or for selected guests only. We can enclose your ow we can enclose your own presents in crackers, but you can also choose from the gifts we supply. See brochure. Crackers A B C can easily be filled by yourself, see enclosed instructions. The charg the charge per cracker is then one pound eighty. [] Erm [reading] It is possible to coordinate most crackers in colour and style with favours []. You know I'm trying to push more you know. [reading] I hope er that you will be able to choose from our wide range of crackers and favours, just what you want to enhance your special day. Otherwise please send me a colour sample and I will come up with some [] I was doing it very much I you know, the designer's worrying about you. [reading] Me a colour sample and I will come up with some more design suggestions. I look forward to hearing from you. [] So they're getting this whole pack which I hope will pay. Now do you know, could you do me a favour and tell Wendy about that gust because she's just just sending them off. [LAUGHTER] Now there is another way of advertising and with Harrogate not coming off, I must say I'm quite keen on this. This is a firm and they've been going for a number of years. They're advertising, we'll see them in the Yellow Pages. All Yellow Pages, all bridal magazines and as you know there are quite a few. And customers of all the Pro Nuptia and Berkentex shops. The assistants try and make them fill this in. [reading] Tick services in this area you want. [] Now... so we would be here under favours and if we're doing this I think I'm going to say him, Yes I'll do it if you mention crackers as well. You know tick both. He's quite keen on that hasn't got another favour person. And you can have it it is is it a two hundred mile radius?
[speaker002:] Er take a hundred
[Emmy:] Hundred mile radius he says, but you can argue with that. And then everything in our area erm no They will send hundred mile area, our address to these people and they will tell us that they'll send to these people so we then contact the people as well. And they want the telephone number and he says the best thing is to ring us. And then you can also for the same money which by the way I think is er No I'll let me come to that later. For the same money y they will also tell you of any enquiry in your area, because somebody might not have mentioned favours, but anybody they know and it's a photographer here as well because they're fundamentally photographers, erm they will tell you everybody they know who's going to have er a wedding coming up and then you can write to them. That's in the area. And the shop. I've talked to your cousin, she does it with them. Yes and she said, I can recommend it. Our in Langdale where we go for our timeshare which is an absolutely super place, they do it. And they are happy with it. Er it's a fifty percent uptake but it co and he says, Don't you can ch you can just do it for six months of the Year. But he's told me the main months. And and then you get all these enquiries. Now half year costs including V A T, two hundred and eleven pound fifty. Which I know is all a lot of money and let me just tell you here, what we have spent this year on advertising. Er Brides and Setting up Home, no that's not the whole year, that oh she's just talking what we've spent so far. Brides and Setting up Home is something like five hundred pounds isn't it.
[speaker006:] We got funded for that one though.
[Emmy:] We got funding for one year but next year we're left with it. I think it's something isn't it getting on for five hundred for the whole year wasn't it.
[speaker005:] I think it was something like that.
[Emmy:] Ah let's ask Wendy. Yellow Pages, we pay two hundred and ninety three, three hundred pounds. Bridal Fairs I go to, we have to pay either a fee for going or put an advert in. Er comes easily well we have here two hundred and forty eight but you know, say two hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds. So it is a lot of money we're talking about I mean we're five hundred, eight hundred, if we do this as well, we're coming out to one thousand... between one thousand three hundred to one thousand four hundred pounds for advertising. Yeah well, the point is that this is going to generate sales we didn't have up to date. I think that we can
[speaker004:] Mm But that's weddings I mean that's you're going for weddings
[Emmy:] Weddings weddings but I'm keen on weddings.
[speaker004:] Yes I know but I mean th th ce you're talking about selling The Harrogate Fair we're losing on Christmas.
[Emmy:] But it doesn't matter does it whether we make Christmas crackers or wedding crackers. We don't mind as long as we make I mean I prefer this because it is to order, we don't make them to stock. But it is a lot of advertising but then... we have to generate the business somehow. We can make in our favour or we can easily make six thousand crackers favours and we've made a thousand.
[speaker005:] How are you going to evaluate?
[Emmy:] Well erm
[speaker005:] Cos that's vital you can
[Emmy:] Yes well quite simply, I mean we know all the replies from the bridal magazines, I mean we know what we sell at the Christmas fair and what we sell Christmas cracker-wise.
[speaker006:] Mhm.
[Emmy:] We can easily evaluate erm what we sell through the magazine because we've got all the enquiries and we know how much uptake there was and
[speaker007:] But it's There isn't a problem there, because you're gonna find out aren't you.
[Emmy:] If we have the money which really
[speaker005:] What doesn't pay you won't do again.
[speaker007:] You see the problem the problem to generate. You attract so much business that you can't meet.
[Emmy:] You just say sorry.
[speaker005:] Success is er
[speaker007:] Yeah but then you against the advertising say I'm sorry we can't do it.
[Emmy:] W well
[speaker005:] No but I think Success problem.
[Emmy:] Easy thing to cope with yes.
[speaker005:] It's easier to cope with than failure.
[Emmy:] Would you
[speaker007:] dangerous spending far too much on advertising, the product won't bear it.
[speaker005:] Yes well there I'd agree with you there
[Emmy:] No the favours do bear it. The favours do bear it
[speaker007:] well.
[Emmy:] And and Ian we haven't got much profit margin on our Christmas crackers
[speaker007:] Mm.
[Emmy:] but we have a wider profit margin on our wedding crackers. They're differently priced. But I would say to you Well the point is this is spending on hope. It's not on something we do at the moment, it's wanting to get into a different market increasing. We have the cap we have the capability of of producing it. Erm we don't so and the way I feel like saying, well let's first do the bridal magazine, now I've seen how far that goes. Another side of me says, well let's go for it now. We're all set up, we've got it all everything is going, let's go for it.
[speaker007:] got the money.
[Emmy:] No but
[speaker005:] No but you evaluate the return
[Emmy:] we what I would say is could you possibly give Ian, Zain and me the authority to work that one out. That we sit down with the figures and it might be another thing like we did with the bridal magazines, that we go to somebody and say, look we would like to do this to increase our turnover, will you fund us for half a year? And again like we no we're not paying er personally for our bridal magazine for a year
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Emmy:] and get another person to sponsor us for that
[speaker006:] How many adverts
[speaker007:] That's the one that's the one danger that I see, that instead of being led by the turnover of the product, we're being led by the funding we can obtain which I think is a is a weakness in the system.
[Emmy:] It is not really because I was just Noel and I just had a chat this morning. I think you have to appreciate here that what we are doing is mainly therapy. And we must make it pay as much as we can. But and we must really work on it, but we will have our limits, due to the slowness of people, due to the wastage. I mean the product might might work for you and me and it might not it will work the same for them, even if we try our hardest. And but as we were saying earlier on, the work in itself is a therapy and that will need funding and we are a charity. And we will always have to be helped.
[speaker007:] Yeah but but the point I'm trying to make is that it seems to me that if we're continually spending money on advertising, we're creating another problem elsewhere. In other words, on we can establish that we yes that's true, but we can't necessarily meet it because we are limited on what we can produce.
[Emmy:] No.
[speaker004:] No we haven't met that yet.
[Emmy:] We still have a lot of capacity left. The the
[speaker005:] That was the point I was making.
[Emmy:] Yeah but the favour we're only touching on what we can do. We have now one girl there once a week. I mean there's a lot more we can do that is fairly profitable the and the whole object of what we're doing here is to get people occupied you know
[speaker007:] Yeah I'm not I'm not disputing that, all I'm saying is the question is, whether we're using the monies we're being given to fund it in the right way.
[Emmy:] No.
[speaker007:] By spending it on advertising if it's not successful.
[Emmy:] No no no no. Because we would it would be No. No. No
[speaker006:] You don't know that do you
[speaker007:] No we don't know that
[speaker006:] know that so you give it
[Emmy:] No but we would This money we spend at the moment er on the bridal magazine was specifically given to test the market by this advertising.
[speaker007:] Mm.
[Emmy:] And I would again ask to have money given specifically for this you know, for this purpose. And not for buying a machine or something. You know it's specific.
[speaker007:] Right.
[speaker004:] How many times do we advertise in the bridal magazine?
[Emmy:] Twice.
[speaker004:] Twice.
[Emmy:] The trouble is that we didn't have our leaflets ready because when you d er depend on large firms to help you, you know they're always just so busy when you need them, so it was dragged out.
[speaker005:] How many enquiries did you have?
[Emmy:] Forty five.
[speaker004:] And you've got the leaflets out now?
[Emmy:] The leaflets are out today.
[speaker006:] how many orders have we had from it?
[Emmy:] Because the leaflets are the enquiries are going to be answered today because only today did the second leaflet come.
[speaker004:] It's very difficult as well because when
[Emmy:] We couldn't answer.
[speaker004:] you you know the thing, you do have a wedding in your family you sometimes enquire about these things a year before you actually decide to order six months later.
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker004:] So it's going to be very difficult to
[Emmy:] To evaluate it.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] I think the
[Emmy:] You're quite right.
[speaker007:] I think the thing that we need to establish is that before you embark on any advertising, whatever it is, that you have funding for it.
[Emmy:] Oh yes.
[speaker007:] And and then evaluate it from there. But
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker007:] you cannot embark on an advertising program that isn't being funded by the higher profit made by the product
[Emmy:] No.
[speaker007:] Or by funds obtained
[Emmy:] No.
[speaker007:] by grants. So therefore that you need what you need is a clear understanding
[Emmy:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] that any advertising must be funded independently.
[Emmy:] Yes. Yes. Yes. Unless with the bridal magazine we've had funding for one year. Erm the crunch will come in in a year we should You see I'm hoping that I mean the favours are important. And I'm hoping that next year we can afford our advertising. I'm hoping that. But as Celia says, the trouble is that so many people, they will only buy it in a year. They ask now and they buy in a year. But on the other hand a
[speaker004:] But you should have I mean you should be able to I would have though in a year
[Emmy:] Well I've had some telephone enquiries. One as I say for seventy crackers.
[speaker005:] Does that seventy crackers. Is she going to follow it up?
[Emmy:] Yes well she's definitely I mean she's ordered. I'll have to Yes she's definitely getting them. And I had three more telephone enquiries e and they were by telephone, they're in a hurry, you know, can you do it until the fifteenth of May, or can you do it until February something. You always get that last minute person too don't you. But
[speaker006:] Well I think most of them will be within the two months of the wedding but there'll be enquiries now perhaps for a wedding at Christmas or even next spring. That
[speaker005:] Wouldn't it make wouldn't it make sense to set aside a figure annually for advertising beyond which you don't go. You agree a figure based on what you
[Emmy:] We haven't got the money at the moment we have
[speaker007:] Well that that that's the that this is the real crunch. We haven't got the cash to do that so therefore I think the criteria must be, have we got funding before we embark on advertising.
[Emmy:] The criteria is I think, will somebody give us the funding to do this? Now I mean I would hate to use the money we've got. We have to get somebody who will pay us this.
[speaker006:] Well then I should let that be your criteria then erm
[Emmy:] Yes because at the end of the day
[speaker004:] But then you you also have to evaluate what what your priorities are because you can only go to so many people for funding can't you. So you know once you've gone to them No once you've gone to them for advertising you can't go to that person for something else.
[speaker006:] Bits and pieces of equipment.
[speaker004:] Mm so you have you know decide don't you what you want to spend the money on.
[Emmy:] Yes. I know. I know.
[speaker005:] But there isn't any reason why I suppose if you were looking at the the local authority grant it couldn't go into that for advertising. Because without advertising.
[Emmy:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker007:] Unless you can do it by reputation
[speaker005:] Well no but that that takes
[Emmy:] It's too
[speaker005:] some time to do
[speaker007:] It does yes.
[Emmy:] It's too slow.
[speaker005:] You you do need to
[speaker007:] Oh I I think it is I think it's essential that you don't take other funds and spend the money on advertising and then
[speaker005:] That's right.
[speaker007:] and then not meet
[Emmy:] I think that is fully understood, we can't do that. Because all our funding is in a way allocated isn't it. Erm I mean in another year er hopefully it comes out of the profit margin. I mean eventually eventually, sooner or later and it might be later if somebody else will still it has to come out of the profit margin. But it's a chicken and the egg. The business is out there, we are set up to do it, and I've worked it out and and Zain and Ian and I of course we have to go through it, that eventually we will be able to meet it. But it all stands and falls by it. Do you know, I mean for so long now we've done it very much on personal effort. And now we're sort of letting it run how a business would. You know if this was my business, I would have budgeted for this amount of advertising to be ab I mean you can't sit it by getting at home er you can't get it by sitting at home. Erm you need somewhere don't you.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker006:] Mm.
[Emmy:] And I would have budgeted for that in my own business otherwise it wouldn't come. It's a lot of money for what we're doing. At the same time if we were have a little shop. The Christmas Fair is the best way of marketing we do but it's limited. You know we will only do so much and we need to do more. So would you give us the authority
[speaker006:] It's not worth How much is it to go I'm just thinking of the differe the cost of advertising
[Emmy:] I don't know it's a hundred and fifty or something.
[speaker006:] Ah ah against.
[speaker004:] Yes that's right I think that's a quite valid point.
[speaker006:] Erm you know if you're going to use your two hundred pounds, for your advertising. Er granted that's weddings and and Christmas isn't it you know it's Christmas crackers
[speaker004:] Have we ever
[speaker002:] we've never been to
[Emmy:] We I have enquired about
[speaker006:] But it's always been too expensive you said I think.
[Emmy:] Well it is you see if you want we would need aside No I mean it's a compared with the Harrogate one it is not. I doubt you're going to be there for three days though. It's expensive for what you get. I feel again that it's a lot of our actual customers are the same people coming like we had in Allerton
[speaker006:] Yeah well I did wonder about that
[Emmy:] that we're not actually and the thing is, with advertising here, we're selling more than Christmas crackers. I mean we hope to sell our erm favours, we hope to sell other things. I don't know we could look into that. Should we would you like Ian, Zain and I and does anybody else want to be involved. I think decision has to be made after er consideration and and of a few people putting heads together.
[speaker004:] It's just I'm thinking that you've got your bridal magazine which you're obviously going into and you're going to your bridal sales. Erm you are fairly well saturating that specific advertising
[speaker006:] I would have thought so myself
[speaker004:] Er and erm and I just wonder whether you'll get that much more. I mean until you've had a go at the two you can't know.
[Emmy:] You can't It is so much easier when the business actually comes through the letter box.
[speaker006:] Well that's right yes.
[speaker004:] Yes I'm sure.
[Emmy:] And if it comes through the year and we work to order.
[speaker004:] Mhm.
[Emmy:] Much less nerve wracking. I mean this is always dreadful the worry at the end. You know how much have I left and what do I do now.
[speaker005:] But if but if Emmy gets the funding nothing to worry about.
[speaker004:] No that's true.
[Emmy:] But we have to see. But I had had quite er if you want funding erm there's only so many people out there, you better make a success of what you're doing. Er if you want to go back to the same people. So even if other people pay for it, we will have to be pretty convinced that it will be successful.
[speaker005:] Yes but what you're saying is that if you stay how you are now you're not going to get enough orders.
[Emmy:] I feel that erm well I think we could cope erm... twenty four en enquiries, that's two adverts. Erm I don't know. I think it it needs a bit of discussion to see,
[speaker005:] what I told Emmy though that that the other people advertising, they're dealing in the wedding dresses, so one enquiry could pay for the whole lot, for her she's dealing in nothing.
[Emmy:] I know but then that's our game.
[speaker006:] Well that's just the problem isn't it.
[speaker005:] That's the problem.
[speaker006:] It's a very small product.
[Emmy:] I know I know
[speaker005:] It's it's
[speaker006:] It's a lot of money Well this is that Ian was making in the first place isn't it, product actually
[speaker007:] Can it carry it?
[speaker006:] Yeah can it carry it.
[Emmy:] But that's the only product
[speaker005:] It's tuppence ha'penny stuffy really isn't it.
[Emmy:] we know we can make to that standard.
[speaker007:] Well if we're looking in the wrong Emmy, if we're looking at at general er spread-shot advertising,i we're in a market which is much tougher than we we sometimes appreciate. Whereas if we go on the back of something else or somebody else as as you were saying on on the back of a wedding er brochure or something like that, in other words, go down down a specialized avenue rather than a general one, you might achieve something better.
[Emmy:] But this is
[speaker007:] But you see, unless you've got first of all as you quite rightly said, unless we've tried it, we don't know. But th that of itself, necessitates evaluating the results of what we're doing. And if in fact we haven't got anything and we've advertised in the Yellow Pages, Evening Press, we've advertised in in quite a number of other er bridal magazines, but have we got information as to the the the benefits derived from each one of those? And if we haven't, we're not really in a strong position to advertise something else
[speaker002:] We have
[Emmy:] We can evaluate what we have done. The point is that when I go The best thing is wedding fairs where you are seen and talk to people, but again that is a lot of effort depends very much
[speaker005:] Costly
[Emmy:] Sorry?
[speaker005:] It's costly too.
[Emmy:] It's costly but we have to do that as well. But
[speaker007:] But is it is it effective, that's the main thing.
[Emmy:] . But then there are a lot of wedding fairs and it's in the end you know, brides I mean there can't be any keener than brides, they just go to extremes in their preparation. And they go to all the wedding fairs. So i if you go to three in the spring, the main hotels and three at autumn, then very likely all the brides have seen you. And you can't expand that more. You know there is a limit to how far you get. But all I can say is we people who see us I mean it's not as if everybody has to have favours with their wedding, it's still a fairly new thing. We do have You know we sold a thousand favours this way, it's not bad. And I just have the feeling w the point is w what that is proving is we're good enough, we can compete. Now people don't come here and say, Oh I'll have a look at somebody else, they come here and buy.
[speaker004:] I think it's
[Emmy:] Very seldom have we had somebody come in
[speaker004:] I mean I wonder if we should be spending this much money on another wedding type advertising until we've really had time to evaluate what we're getting from the bridal magazine.
[Emmy:] Well this is this is the this is the point you can make. This is what I wonder. Should we not first see how this or should we say, look let's go for it now because I mean you know, we've been going now some years, what another year because with weddings, if you don't do it now you've lost
[speaker005:] The time lag's terrific isn't it.
[Emmy:] this year again you know.
[speaker004:] And I think it's got to have one year of really high exposure.
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker004:] People get to know your name then as well. I think if you're seen at all the wedding fairs no good just going to one wedding fair. And the same perhaps if you're exposed over a
[Emmy:] Mm.
[speaker004:] a a in in magazines and at wedding fairs, you get to be known then.
[speaker008:] When you're actually get an order do you actually
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker008:] So if do you have that information on your computer, I was think that if you did that consistently over a year.
[Emmy:] Yes well it's mainly wedding fairs.
[speaker008:] Then you just ask the computer at the end of the year and you'll see whether your advertising
[Emmy:] I'm telling I'm telling you, it's wedding fairs. Mainly. There's some Yellow Pages. But then there's a funny thing, Yellow Pages are some people you get a contact through Yellow Pages er which is not actually selling crackers but somebody wanted to know about you for something else you know, like. But wedding fairs as I say, they are at the end of the day, limited. You know you'll only you will only get that much for wedding fairs and we are getting that.
[speaker005:] But at the end of the day
[speaker004:] You don't Yes. you don't think the other thing is that people who erm you know there there is everybody's got wedding fairs in their own area, first of all, they're going to go to those anyway and buy from their own local person. Rather than looking in a magazine and buying something that that erm
[Emmy:] I was thinking that but the I'm surprised I mean yes. What forty fi well we have a bit more, Say we have forty eight replies by now. Well forty eight people know they wrote away for something. And a lot of people are advertising favours so
[speaker005:] But that doesn't mean a thing.
[Emmy:] No no And I can't tell you
[speaker005:] Doesn't mean anything.
[speaker007:] They might have ticked it, they might write to every
[speaker006:] Yeah that's quite true.
[Emmy:] Oh I know Desmond I'm repeating myself, we've just said that. We will not know that in a hurry. I do know though that we've got some definite orders from it already.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Emmy:] You know. But
[speaker008:] Yeah if you follow the sort of logic you were saying though the main business comes from wedding fairs, just three in the Autumn and three in the Winter. It's the around it would it would pay you so what you were saying do six in the Autumn and six in the Winter and don't do anything else.
[Emmy:] Pay no no no no no. One costs fifty to sixty pounds.
[speaker005:] No because it's the same people
[Emmy:] No it's the same people going round.
[speaker005:] It's the same people who who who go round, six hotels
[speaker008:] Yeah u
[speaker005:] er so you're just
[Emmy:] You're not gaining.
[speaker005:] And costs you money
[Emmy:] There is an optimum figure. And it does cost you. You know you can easily spend three hundred pounds er doing that. And and I'm all in favour as I say getting more through the letter box, it's easier for us and it But I I think I mean I'm quite happy to leave this now and just carry on with the bridal But we have to make this pay itself
[speaker005:] Yes but I
[Emmy:] I mean at the end of the year, we need to have sold a Because these people, they need to come for funding purposes. I can't I can't lay off. Because that's the whole object, they have to come. They're churning out crackers and they're churning them out and they have to be sold. And at the end of the year, today in a year, we will sit here and we have to have sold it. And we have to get into that market, we can't afford too much to to hang back. And if I'm saying I really want to do less for the cracker bar now, because that was hard pushed. Erm then It is though let me just say quickly It is a recognized fact for weddings that you do sell through the magazines. The brides as I say, nothing is too much trouble for them. They read them and yes they send away to several and then you have to score, you have to have something better than somebody else. And I think we can compete. But shall we can go on forever, shall we leave it for Zain, Ian and I
[speaker005:] I think that's the best thing.
[Emmy:] to make that decision. And we might very well decide against it, but I think one day I would quite like to
[speaker005:] Yeah but there's a Yes but at the same time, this way I agree with you, I I personally would do it if you have the funding and you're going to evaluate it because you cannot lose. But you've got to be strict with yourself. And really make some decisions, is it worth.
[speaker008:] And you've got to know the source of your funds to do it.
[Emmy:] Right so that's that on marketing and. And then the Christmas Fair accounts, if you want to take one. Here you go, and they've been slightly redone by Ian be for the accountants you know. And I think we still haven't taken the telephone yes we have done now..
[speaker006:] Well yeah, I haven't really kept that yet but
[Emmy:] No.
[speaker006:] Christmas Fair accounts.
[speaker007:] There are one or two Well there are two items in there which haven't really been resolved at this point and that's the i the erm ins er where am I. It's the breakages which is one, the twenty one twenty one pounds there. And the telephone calls, the forty five ninety two, they haven't effectively been paid yet, but they are included in the result presumably this hasn't er been finally settled as regards the cash but this is the result.
[speaker006:] But the breakages have been paid for haven't they, we have.
[speaker004:] Have we?
[speaker006:] That went today.
[speaker007:] Yeah it wasn't included Well in fact it showed it as an outstanding amount.
[speaker006:] Mm yeah.
[speaker007:] This is why and one of the the real problems with this is it's not that I'm criticising, it's just that if in fact you've got somebody who was appointed as a treasurer, you can in fact get more information out of it, instead of having to guess what we got from where and how it came in. At the moment I've had to er shall we say adjust certain figures, because in fact er I haven't got the details. But this is the result and I I think it's very creditable.
[Emmy:] What we are not sure is that at the end of the day it doesn't matter all that much what exactly was the raffle and what exactly was the entrance fee because we didn't keep a note of that. Erm I have a feeling the entrance fee was
[speaker005:] It doesn't change the bottom line.
[Emmy:] It doesn't change it it doesn't matter so much, the only thing is it'll be interest how many people came.
[speaker007:] Yeah well that'll have to be adjusted
[Emmy:] Erm
[speaker007:] let's put it that way.
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker004:] Well it would have to be very strictly adhered to then next year.
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker004:] Somehow. I mean the thing happened, the float indeed was just split.
[Emmy:] Well Ian is quite irked it happened because people Zain and Desmond got the job on the day and it wasn't quite clearly said, my fault, not quite clearly said exactly, count the money religiously and [break in recording]
[speaker006:] Yes she was m waylaid
[Emmy:] It comes with a letter which I can't find you know, telling them about us.
[speaker005:] Ah.
[Emmy:] These are our figures now and then Zain can take over. Erm
[speaker005:] We're on number six now aren't we?
[Emmy:] This you should have had you should have had this with the manager's report. They're late. Okay, this is part of the manager's report. Oh you've got one.... Oh... She does does she.
[speaker007:] the one that you were talking about
[Emmy:] No this is was part of the manager's report.
[speaker009:] You've got one are you looking at the Christmas fair?
[Emmy:] No no this is late
[speaker004:] We've had that now.
[Emmy:] this is part these are the figures you'd normally have with your
[speaker009:] Yes.
[Emmy:] with your erm.
[speaker008:] Oh I've I've got two.
[speaker007:] he's got mine then.
[Emmy:] I've got I've lost everything now. I've lost my
[speaker009:] Are we still at the erm trading accounts for the Christmas Fair or have we move on?
[Emmy:] We have to come back to that in a minute okay. Because er we had not my accounts, the trading accounts. Okay.
[speaker009:] Right well the next one Well seven and eight actually are one and the same.
[Emmy:] What is that I've lost my
[speaker009:] It's to do with self employment
[Emmy:] Yeah, just an update and the sewing. Should I quickly do that?
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[Emmy:] Erm well as you know, Noel came and said there's spare money, have you got an idea. And I said, yes, this self employment. Now Zain has given me great help and everybody sort of helped er you know I've discussed it with everybody and we've almost finished erm a really good proposal I think. I think it's really really well written and and I'm very happy about it because I've got it out of my system because when I first started that that was my aim. So as soon as it's ready we will sent you a copy and please read it. I will send you a copy before it actually goes off and read it and ring me aft if if there's anything you don't understand or you don't agree with okay?
[speaker009:] Is everyone fully aware of what the self employment
[Emmy:] Well I explained it last time didn't I. And the sewing course I mentioned earlier, we are getting the money and we've discussed that already and it's all set out. Erm... Yeah.
[speaker009:] You don't want to say anything more on the self employment?
[Emmy:] No but I just know that I've forgotten something to say.
[speaker009:] questionnaire to go with that
[Emmy:] Oh very good questionnaire Zain did and we've almost done it. We'll send you a sample of all that. Very very well done I think it all Erm there was one other thing I thought I would ask. It will hopefully come back to me. Right okay.
[speaker009:] Fine. Well the next one is er ignore number eight because it's. Training for for Wendy.
[Emmy:] Yes. Now... Wendy... is struggling hard with the book-keeping. And with the er stock control. It's very hard work for her er you know she has to sort of get a get all the systems She has to you know it's it's very hard work to get the systems going. Now she is g has put herself down no no Zain. She has put she's put herself down for one day at the end of her accounts to learn about accountancy and as Ian pointed out, it's it's it's not a lot. Er to learn accountancy but
[speaker007:] [LAUGHTER] it was a bit a bit m a bit stronger than that but carry on
[Emmy:] But she's a very intelligent girl and she's got a head start because Ian has taught and she's self taught her through TAS. Erm and this man said, you know what we are very aware of is trial balance sheets you have, she needs to know the exact format. And I think she can learn a lot there and I mean s you know, she is she is erm
[speaker009:] this is a this is a new item, how did this come about? Are you saying that the package
[Emmy:] The pack the TAS package has arrived
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[Emmy:] But it's mainly to erm present it to this committee, the trial balance sheet, She doesn't quite know how to do that and altogether she feels she just wants she says, how she's doing it now, at least she wants to check out with somebody, is she doing it how they would do it. So she's going for a day there. And I mean this is what self employed people do, you know they go and they get taught there and then that's it and then they the rest they have to teach themselves. So I'm very pleased you know I suggested it to Wendy and Wendy agreed that
[speaker009:] What what is that costing?
[Emmy:] It's costing nothing, the day. It's just the day it takes you know.
[speaker009:] Right.
[Emmy:] That's where Right fine. And the other thing is, I am really asking you to give Wendy two more hours a week for the next three months and then review it. Because once she has got the disciplines in place, she it should l take less time, but at the moment she is really overburdened. She does work seventeen to nineteen hours here a week and she takes her work home.
[speaker009:] Mm.
[Emmy:] And she's paid for eleven hours. And she's working very hard I mean,wh yesterday she was here at six o'clock, so I was long home and Wendy rang from here and she was still here. So please will you consider for three months out of our funds which has to be the to pay her that amount of money or else we cannot cope. Because I can't take it off her, I don't know how to do it. Nobody is there who can She has to do it. But she also has to learn it. And it's asking too much at the moment.
[speaker009:] I was gonna ask is you know that he ha she has to do all these long hours. Er these hours th just developed over time or is just the work that's go
[Emmy:] The work.
[speaker009:] increased.
[Emmy:] Oh yeah.
[speaker009:] Are we asking her to do things that we weren't
[Emmy:] Oh yes. Oh yes. I mean... we've tried to write down everything she does but it's so varied I mean, telephone calls and she has to do telephone calls. At the moment she has typed this proposal for me. You might think well that's not take long. But I mean we've been going over and over that proposal. You know it's not just once typed. You know we've corrected it and gone on about it and discussed it. We have things like appraisals to do, she has e I mean I can't tell you, all I can is I'm working at the side of her, she works all the time, she's very fast, she's very intelligent. She can't cope with the time she she has. But we want to review it after a few months because as I say, once she's got herself organized, it might be alright. Also if we do this self employment, I'll ask for more admin time.
[speaker009:] So you're saying after three months the work will get
[Emmy:] Easier hopefully. We will have to see. See at the moment she has to learn about TAS you know. She had to learn about accountancy,
[speaker009:] Mm.
[Emmy:] now she has to learn about stock control. Erm but once she's got it in place what do you think Ian? I mean hopefully then it will take up less time.
[speaker007:] Well Yes I suppose that the thing is if she's having to work extra hours, she ought to be paid for them.
[Emmy:] Mm. We can't expect her I mean she's very good hearted
[speaker007:] It's as simple as that I mean we can't expect her to do it.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Emmy:] And I think she'll still do lots of time on top. But er I think we can't nobody else can do it and it has to be done.
[speaker006:] Is is there room for payment from the erm money that we're getting from
[Emmy:] No not really Er yes already she's already got two hours
[speaker006:] she does she does she cos she does work
[speaker004:] We've already got to pay her two hours.
[speaker009:] The the money is not specific to any
[speaker004:] No exactly
[speaker009:] It's overall you know so if we choose to direct some money for
[Emmy:] Yes but then we are short in the admin course.
[speaker006:] Yeah. Or or the rest I mean in general
[Emmy:] You know er it has to come really out of the Christmas Fair or Sir 's donations, something unallocated. We have the money. And then we have to review it again and er
[speaker004:] Well I think as Ian says, there's no real choice is there.
[speaker007:] No there isn't a choice no.
[speaker009:] Well are we agreed then? Okay. Anything else on That's it on the
[Emmy:] That's it.
[speaker009:] So you're saying after three months you want to review it.
[Emmy:] Review it after three months and see how we are coping then.
[speaker004:] But that'll take up some.
[Emmy:] She's now eleven, that will be thirteen thirteen paid hours. Also we are hoping to get people from the admin course to help with the. But unless she's got it in place, you can't do it.
[speaker004:] They cannot work on their own.
[Emmy:] No. And they can only work once it's properly set out.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[Emmy:] It's not helped that
[speaker004:] They couldn't come and run the office on their own if somebody else wasn't here, not yet.
[speaker009:] So really the admin course doesn't really make is not going to reduce any hours anyway?
[speaker006:] It could do depending how much how much they could be delegated. But I don't think they could you couldn't say come here unlock your door you know. Right there'll be some work for you to do. like a junior typist
[speaker009:] Yes.
[speaker006:] they'd need erm
[Emmy:] But ano but what I think would happen when we get maybe Mike or Chris or somebody helping, it's not that they're taking work off Wendy, but that we will do more physical checks, do you know what I mean, with the stock control. Wendy will do the computer bit and they'll do the counting bit. That kind of thing. And erm somebody like Mike of Chris is perfectly capable of get their bits of paper to check to tick off things like that but Wendy will have to check it and put it you know they could do some of the legwork but not yet.
[speaker004:] No.
[Emmy:] It has to be ready for that okay?
[speaker007:] Yeah I think any anything that's on the computer needs to have the input prepared beforehand. Now some of the inputs been prepared production of crackers, the production of sewing material things like that. Incoming material for stock, movements of stock, they can all be done by people on the admin course providing you can set a form up and say, go and do this. And then Wendy's just go to put it in the machine and the list of it.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Emmy:] Mhm.
[speaker006:] Okay.
[speaker009:] Right, you've already covered the sewing Ian treasurer's report.
[speaker007:] Well I think there is the the only report that I've got is the fact that the financial summary er you've seen at the same time as I have.
[Emmy:] You see this is what we haven't got at the moment. Erm we need erm this er trial balance sheet, I recommend every second committee making which makes it every three months. That's normal and that's what Wendy has to learn to do or else it's you know it's it's difficult for somebody else to if Ian did it he would have to get all the figures first. So that's what Wendy has, she's going quite soon.
[speaker007:] I think the the truth of the matter is that what the committee needs is this information that we've got in front of us.
[Emmy:] Mm.
[speaker007:] It's a question of the format of it.
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker007:] In other words we need to know what we've received, what we've spent and where it belongs i within the organization.
[Emmy:] Right and that's what she doesn't know at the moment.
[speaker007:] And we also need a you know, the stocks that we're holding, at the end of every month. Because in fact if we're holding far too much stock we ought to do something about reducing it because it's all
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker007:] tying up cash. And it's the cash flow
[Emmy:] I would recommend every three months. That we have a trial balance sheet every three months.
[speaker006:] But you'll naturally have more stock won't you at the beginning of the year.
[Emmy:] We have times though before er before our Christmas Fair we have maximum stock.
[speaker005:] It builds up to that.
[Emmy:] Now we are low on stock.
[speaker005:] And it builds up
[Emmy:] Now we're low on stock.
[speaker006:] Mm.
[Emmy:] But you know the the the most we have is before Christmas. Can I just quickly erm I know what you mean I know what you mean.
[speaker006:] sometimes it'll look worse than it is.
[Emmy:] Yes and the committee has to learn to adjust themselves to that to that to not worry
[speaker007:] Well there's an explanation for it.
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker006:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] But we ought to be aware of what values we're holding in in various
[Emmy:] Yes. Because it will be er it will be cut down is the word into finished products and raw stock. So if I before Christmas you should have a lot of finished products which won't worry you.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker006:] Mm.
[Emmy:] Because it's just a matter of selling them.
[speaker009:] Can I just go back on this I mean you say this is how we want it, does this
[Emmy:] No.
[speaker009:] actually tell me what the cash flow is?
[Emmy:] No No that's just what we're saying. This is some information which is useful for you but we need a trial balance sheet every three months which Wendy at the moment
[speaker009:] Well why why do we have wait three months?
[speaker008:] Yes it should be it should be available every time we meet.
[Emmy:] Because that is
[speaker007:] The thing is that what we need and what's missing from this is in fact the balance that was available at the time we started this period. In other words, over the last six weeks.
[Emmy:] I know.
[speaker007:] Er and that's what missing and in fact we've now got a balance figure at the end there but er I'm not too sure what it means.
[Emmy:] No.
[speaker007:] But if in fact we knew where we were starting from, we could see the movement from the last period, the period and we've got an explanation of what that means
[Emmy:] Yes I know. We we are very aware of that. That's what we're aiming at and that's what hopefully she will come up with. This is very quickly which I didn't have before, my way of doing the trading account and Ian was going to sympathize because he said there's no need to put exactly but for us it's quite interesting to see that. If you want a quick look at that. That's the Christmas Fair only and next time I will give you the the rest of all the selling parties. I've always done that....
[speaker004:] These little Smarties, the go round don't they the
[Emmy:] Yes we did go round.
[speaker009:] Did you work these back from the stocks in? How did you work them out?
[Emmy:] Well I counted ev this is only the Christmas Fair okay.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[Emmy:] I counted er well Tom counted everything going out. But I also counted the crackers going out. Er because that was easy, there was always full boxes. And er then everything after the Fair went to my home and I counted every, everything. I wrote it down but I c I did only do that for the Christmas Fair. Erm the rest is going to be more difficult. But so I spent quite some time over that. And it was quite interesting to see. Erm Tom has a different er starting number of crackers but that is because I filled some more up. But I have a note of that.
[speaker009:] So what was the overall income on the er
[Emmy:] Two thousand sixty eight
[speaker009:] No there was also income from the doors.
[Emmy:] Oh well yes you were away. Oh well you will have a little when you're dealing with little items you do get a difference. No but I mean things broke. And you somebody said you thought you saw somebody steal something.
[speaker004:] Oh yes. I couldn't believe it but
[speaker005:] Adult or child?
[speaker006:] Pardon?
[speaker005:] Adult or child.
[speaker006:] Pardon?
[speaker004:] Mm.
[speaker006:] Really, something of ours?
[speaker004:] Mm yes oh in fact the favours
[Emmy:] Because that was super light and they took them.
[speaker006:] Er and was it said she saw somebody take a cake.
[speaker005:] A kilt?
[speaker002:] A cake.
[Emmy:] Gosh, wee geriatrics, it can't get any worse now. [LAUGHTER] Right I'm in a hurry, can we get on. It's I would like to spend some money, can I mention that now then?
[speaker009:] I'm trying to I'm trying to tie this this erm...
[speaker005:] Actually that's something you're gonna have to watch isn't it?
[Emmy:] Mm?
[speaker005:] Theft
[speaker006:] You wouldn't think it'd pay to come in that they would steal
[speaker005:] Oh.
[speaker006:] I mean the pound in can't be worth the
[speaker005:] Stealing's unbelievable.
[speaker004:] Mm it just eases
[speaker005:] Be a shopkeeper and then you find out.
[speaker004:] Yes.
[speaker006:] Yes.
[speaker009:] Can I just on on this Christmas Fair, I know some of the sort of accounting of money was erm... well not exactly brilliant. I Are you likely through next this coming year set up
[Emmy:] No Ian has just mentioned that.
[speaker004:] We have one person in charge of ever
[Emmy:] with you and Desmond may I say
[speaker004:] hassle about. Raffle and door.
[Emmy:] And it is not a serious mistake because all we are not sure about is what was raffle, what was door. That's the only thing. Er which at the end of the day, cause all the money was bagged. Erm
[speaker004:] It wasn't as though any went missing.
[Emmy:] and it's either in the raffle money or in the door money. The two together are in correct amount. It's doesn't matter but Ian has suggested that next time we appoint a treasurer who has the account
[speaker005:] In actual fact, there was no mistake made, I was just purely asked to bag the money.
[speaker009:] Well I think that's what we were doing.
[speaker007:] And we did it and we did it jointly for for security, that we agreed the figure
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] No mistake was made. Because I was never asked to.
[speaker006:] I mean I was asked to keep my sewing money, completely separate. I provided my own float, I had nothing to do with any of the money.
[speaker007:] No.
[Emmy:] Right.
[speaker006:] And then but then at the end er you know I think you said, Oh but Emmy says it all has to put together.
[speaker007:] Yes.
[speaker006:] But fortunately I did write down
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker006:] what mine Because I I mean I because she had asked me originally to keep it but I keep mine all separate until you asked me for it.
[Emmy:] Yes. No no no no
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Emmy:] It was all bagged together.
[speaker004:] She was very concerned then.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker007:] Are you trying to tell me it was somebody's fault?
[speaker004:] No it was nobody's fault.
[speaker007:] I can believe that.
[speaker004:] It was it was that everybody needed the money, then we and it all went in one pot.
[Emmy:] Ian is correct it was the chairman's fault
[speaker002:] so next nest year
[Emmy:] he should have known or whoever organized the fair should have known so really it doesn't work unless you make one person responsible for that job.
[speaker005:] But you I think I think w er well it's no good saying it now but I don't think you can ask one person under the heat of all that to count up separate
[Emmy:] No no no no no. No no no no no Nobody's saying that.
[speaker005:] I think it could be the individual person.
[Emmy:] No no no no no.
[speaker005:] No.
[Emmy:] No. No no no no no no no no
[speaker007:] No no no what what Can I can I just say well I'm What what the treasurer of an event like this needs to do is to note down the source of the cash he receives, to note where it's coming from different products, how much is being received from that
[speaker004:] Yes but that's I think that Desmond's quite right, what should have happened was just as Emmy said to me originally, you keep your sewing money separate.
[speaker007:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] The person doing the raffle should have their money separate,
[speaker007:] Yes fine.
[speaker004:] the person doing the door. The that's how it should happen and and one person is simply in charge of taking that and making a note of their amount.
[speaker007:] they say is the door,
[speaker006:] needs to receive all those things.
[speaker005:] But you wouldn't have time to count each individual pot
[speaker006:] Well the raffle people certainly wouldn't.
[speaker005:] with the person.
[Emmy:] No but
[speaker006:] But the person is responsible for their
[Emmy:] The person keeps.
[speaker006:] I was responsible for mine. I counted mine completely. I had
[Emmy:] Pat had the same as the trading people, we knew what we took.
[speaker007:] Yes.
[Emmy:] So we could give it all to you and you could bank it.
[speaker005:] Yes but it's rather um
[speaker006:] And then the person doing the raffle the person in the door should have been the same.
[speaker005:] But it's rather unfair on the person if he's given all this money from five different sources and one person makes a mistake of ten pounds which is easy to do. You add it up and there's ten pounds missing. And everybody says, Well I gave you a hundred, I gave him five, you
[Emmy:] Can I please because I have to be off in a few minutes.
[speaker007:] Well I am I am I am quite sure that the person who's actually if you appointed them treasurer has got the authority to be able to say, there was ten pounds difference, I'm knocking it off the door and that's it.
[Emmy:] we're going around in circles
[speaker009:] All we we've agreed that we're going to need someone to control it at the next fair.
[speaker006:] Yes I think that's fair enough.
[speaker009:] Okay.
[speaker007:] You'll definitely need somebody to appoint.
[speaker009:] Right erm.
[speaker006:] Ian Ian Ian's going to be best at it.
[Emmy:] I have to be off so soon, come on what now. Erm sorry sorry to come back again to to this financial summary.
[speaker009:] So are we saying after all these balances are done, that statement at the very end end of December therefore. Therefore the cash flow situation isn't four thousand in trading committee, trading account of seven thousand seven hundred in the committee account at this moment.
[Emmy:] Well no we're not saying any such thing, we're saying that this format is not very helpful and that Wendy is learning, is going to learn format that is better.
[speaker009:] And who is deciding on the format?
[Emmy:] There is a set formula to do it and she has to learn it. She don't know how to do it. And she has to learn how to do it.
[speaker007:] Basically all all we is that the the movement from the various accounts should be known. In other words you've got the trading account which is how 's trading, the committee account, the petty cash and the wages box are part and parcel of the trading but they're kept as separate entities within the organization.
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[speaker007:] Now then all we're doing, what we should have done is that we should have had an opening balance at the beginni or the end of December when the di information was first struck. And then any movement since then is identified either as expenditure or as income.
[speaker009:] Right.
[speaker007:] And the final balance represents the position at the end of the or should do. That's basically what we're aiming for. Now this is the first time I've seen these and I can't say whether they're right, wrong bad of indifferent, All I can say is that this was the intention. So that the committee are aware of the the movement of cash from one period to the next.
[speaker009:] So you haven't had sight of this before today?
[Emmy:] No it's only just come. Okay.
[speaker009:] Oh well okay, the other we've got to do is be in the situation where you've had a look at it before we all see it.
[Emmy:] Yeah well why that happened,... Oh I think it was just pressure of work you know, she had so much else to do. And it needed to be entered before she knew.
[speaker009:] Okay but all I was just saying is that it would be helpful that before we that Ian has seen through these
[Emmy:] Look every time we've done it that's what we also do it goes out on the manager's report w with the minutes or with the agenda. This was the first time and it was pressure of work that we haven't done it for you to see it earlier, this is not normal so just forgive this one time and we needn't spend any more thought on it because next time it it going to be different and it always has been different. Okay.
[speaker007:] But this is the format
[speaker009:] Okay.
[Emmy:] Yes I know. Yes.
[speaker009:] Right.
[Emmy:] Erm.
[speaker009:] Last item, we wanted
[Emmy:] What is it?
[speaker009:] You wanted to erm propose some purchase
[Emmy:] Yes but should first Celia report on the admin.
[speaker004:] Well erm
[Emmy:] And let me just say one thing, before Celia talks about the admin course and that is
[speaker004:] Not a lot to say really
[Emmy:] Let me but let me just say one thing. I really want you to know what a fantastic job Celia's done. That admin course is fantastic, a re er you know I was in this r building yesterday, and I can tell you, the attendance is good I mean they have to have a real reason before they don't come. Their faces change, they're gaining so much, they're contributing. The way they react. We've got one chap who's autistic can you imagine, and he takes part. We have another chap who's just joined who is so shy, I mean Desmond knows him, and he's contributing and sitting there and typing. I as a result of that exam, unless you know the scene you don't know what they have achieved. Er er and that they sit two hours doing e and exam you know for somebody who can watch at all. Because their concentration is so bad. It's been wonderful and it is a lot of we have got two super teachers, that they are enthused by Celia. And Celia comes and she's cheerful and she does the admin with them, she organizes it and I just personally I'm just so grateful the best thing which has happened to me. And I I really want officially to thank Celia for what she's done.
[speaker004:] That's nice of you. It it's a group effort as most things are here and er Pat will realize for all the volunteers that come in. Can I just say Margaret started and she's going to be brilliant. She fits in so well.
[speaker002:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Erm she's doing numeracy power with them at the moment before she gets on to the because I believe she's got to sort out some programs for as yet. And sort out the computers but the thing is she may be able to get some more up to date computers.
[speaker009:] Well strange enough rang me up
[speaker004:] Oh really?
[speaker009:] last week or the week before, who works at Rowntrees
[Emmy:] [LAUGHTER]
[speaker009:] got this erm phone call. We actually haven't got any erm machines now because all the ones
[speaker004:] I didn't know they were coming from She never said she sai just said I'm just holding out for some
[speaker009:] Oh well her husband works in the
[speaker004:] Yeah yeah.
[speaker009:] ring me up and asking I understand you Anyway to cut a long story short, he was basically saying well do you know of any computers? And I said, well we've already asked before and the ones that we got were the ones that were thrown out. Any other ones, I've already put in a request through Peter, and as and when they become available, they will be given out.
[Emmy:] Mm.
[speaker009:] Erm but there aren't any specific ones that I'm aware anyway that er
[speaker004:] And those were the ones that Margaret was after. Oh well that's now we know. Er well she can work on these but she just thought if we could get some more up to date ones.
[speaker009:] Mm.
[speaker004:] Erm sh because apparently if they do go in an office, they'll find these are far slower than anything else they would ever work on,
[speaker009:] Yes.
[speaker004:] in any other office now. The thing is they are slow, you've you've got to remember to wait and you you know you
[speaker009:] Yeah I mean, they're upgrading all of the machines at work but what they're doing is instead of throwing them out, those who don't use P Cs that often are being given the slower machines and those that as part of their job function, they need something much faster have been given the the newer machines. So unfortunately there isn't a a scrapheap of redundant P Cs
[speaker004:] Well I mean in a way it would be nice to have one more new one
[Emmy:] Which possibly
[speaker004:] if funding here'll run to it. Because when Margaret gets going we'll have the good on in the office which super but it would be rather nice to have another one.
[Emmy:] Which er can I possibly carry on from there and if you we have to talk about. Now as far as they know their money is coming. Er we have sent them you know a as you've said, just sent the letter back. We haven't heard since then. Er Zain has tried to ring, I have tried to ring, we have had no you know, we never got the person in. I think it'll all go ahead and we'll get the money but meanwhile before we knew about, we did do a lot of fund raising and we got some money in er I suppose something like a thousand pounds. And we've written back that we might get money from but can we use it for I E buying chairs and other things or for the general welfare. And they've said yes we can keep the money. And I would like... to buy two chairs for the favour room, you know chairs to sit on cos at the moment we have to always go and get them from the er cracker room. And so you know we just need to chairs up there. The other thing is that the cars in the yard have been bre broken into. And that you know, is worrying me. I mean our building wasn't touched but I I somehow always thought they wouldn't come there because they were so trapped, but they did and they spent quite a lot of time trying to get those cars going.
[speaker009:] When when when did this happen?
[Emmy:] Over the weekend.
[speaker009:] This weekend
[speaker004:] Really.
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker005:] Yes.
[Emmy:] And it worried me to that extent that I almost went without your okay and rang up Terry and said, please fix those blinds, because we have got blinds which cost almost two hundred pounds or something and or a hundred and nineteen pounds, and it seems they can't fix them. It seems I keep running them under Tom's nose
[speaker004:] Well what are they for then are they
[Emmy:] They are these plastic blinds and they need cuttin cutting at the side.
[speaker009:] They're just venetian
[Emmy:] And and also I mean I don't want a zigzag and I really recommend we get somebody for Well I don't want to Tom to cut the sides like that with scissors you know, it has to be neat. And I'm recommending that we get er Terry to fix them. Also we do need a shelf you know in the office, Wendy has a shelf above her at the side, above and we really need another shelf underneath to store things. Erm and I was thinking or Desmond was thinking of a bell in your
[speaker005:] Internal bell just to frighten them off. Because otherwise they could ba Well well once they get in here
[speaker004:] Yes yes well you mean not an actual alarm.
[speaker005:] They're home and dry. They'd just smash the whole place up.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker005:] But a bell
[speaker008:] where you're talking about an alarm.
[speaker005:] Oh no not an alarm it's it's be too expensive, no just an internal bell to frighten the hell out of them.
[Emmy:] And I think Terry would
[speaker005:] It wouldn't it wouldn't interfere with the neighbours.
[speaker009:] So what do you mean by a bell, trying to visualize what you mean
[speaker005:] Yes. Well like I mean we all know what a bell is, a bell which is set off by by a human body coming in.
[Emmy:] By the lock if possible.
[speaker009:] Oh oh it's like on the front door. Every time somebody walked in.
[Emmy:] or the best thing is they
[speaker005:] Yes.
[speaker006:] What happens if she does it on a weekend, will we just have a key?
[Emmy:] Well hopefully with the key because otherwise
[speaker006:] Yes.
[Emmy:] the people can't get themselves in.
[speaker006:] Exactly
[speaker005:] I would think
[Emmy:] The front door key. If you open the front door
[speaker005:] The front door key, close it and then and then resets it. And I take it it would have to be infrared. You'd have to have a sensor going down the corridor and one in the back because they'd come in the back, they wouldn't come through the
[speaker006:] Yes that's right I just can't think how you'd
[Emmy:] Erm we have an idea about that. Erm we have a burglar alarm.
[speaker006:] Well it's fine as long as you actually tell people. Everybody who had a key I mean if there was a number to or something to do they have to know.
[Emmy:] Yes but but er can you just
[speaker005:] There's nothing to key in
[Emmy:] switch that off a minute. Can you just switch the machine off. Erm [break in recording]
[speaker004:] er if it's in the hall er we've got it in our hall and you just plug in and set it on and then if anybody opens a window, the alarm bell goes off. It just and it just switches off you know,
[speaker005:] It's a bit too sophisticated for here. Every window to be wired up.
[speaker004:] Oh no you don't wire anything up. It's just plugged in.
[speaker005:] I thought you I thought you said if you opened the window.
[speaker004:] Yes but it isn't from that. Erm it's just a change in erm atmosphere in the house.
[speaker006:] But not the front door
[speaker005:] No well that's infra red really.
[speaker006:] What about the door.
[speaker004:] Er well it does it's not connected to anything. All it is it's plugged in in in the hall and it is just a box a little box about this big and we just er it's just worked on the different just a movement of air, really that's all it is. Therefore once you everything settles and you switch it on at night or in the day, anytime, as soon as somebody opens the door, the bell will go off. It's not wired to anything, that's why we
[speaker006:] Well how do you stop I mean how do you put it off though when you somebody
[speaker004:] Well you just switch it it's a switch on the top.
[Emmy:] But you see it doesn't help us because anybody getting in who knows about the box
[speaker006:] Will just switch it off.
[Emmy:] Gets in and switches it off. It has to be connected with the front door key. That you need the front door key. Because goes for the key
[speaker007:] Ah but wait a se oh because they wouldn't have the key
[speaker004:] What about a pad under the front under both mats at the
[Emmy:] Yeah but again people who aren't here Too many people would know that it
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Emmy:] But again we can go on forever. Can I would you give me permission to.
[speaker005:] But do make it simple
[Emmy:] Simple
[speaker005:] Because you could soon run into five or six hundred quid.
[Emmy:] I know I know.
[speaker007:] And you mustn't have outside bells, mustn't have outside bells here because you'd you'd get so much opposition from those people
[Emmy:] Because they go off at everything.
[speaker007:] Yeah it wants to be just enough inside here that it frightens them.
[Emmy:] I I agree. And I say let's get Terry Wilson to do it because you know he's on the
[speaker005:] No i well it's Oh he has an electrician?
[Emmy:] Yeah.
[speaker004:] Yeah.
[speaker005:] Oh well he most probably
[Emmy:] And it's three little jobs and let him do it. get costings
[speaker009:] Do you a do you know exactly what it's going to cost you?
[speaker006:] You'll just have to get them to give you a quote.
[Emmy:] But I am so worried now that I really would say, okay I'll discuss it with Zain but let's not wait until the committee meeting, next committee meeting, let's do it as soon as we can.
[speaker005:] And and also I think now now that that's happened, I don't think it'll be long before there'll be another.
[Emmy:] No.
[speaker004:] Is everything insured?
[Emmy:] Everything's insured but just thing the mess they could make.
[speaker008:] it's the vandalism.
[Emmy:] You know.
[speaker004:] the computers
[Emmy:] They are insured
[speaker009:] They're all co
[Emmy:] I don't think the cheap ones are? Our good one is.
[speaker009:] I though we'd specified that
[Emmy:] Maybe we have yes.
[speaker009:] But we need to check
[Emmy:] Well I mean you have to get them it's it's the little money you would get for those you'd have a job finding I mean everything would be in a mess. I mean you want to avoid
[speaker008:] Don't forget Emmy, do have it at the back. It's the office and and it's those two rear
[Emmy:] Oh I know I know
[speaker008:] rooms.
[Emmy:] Well I will ask you when the time comes. Now I'm just thinking, so we got a thousand pounds here, I would like to spend this money.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Emmy:] But what is worrying me is is talking about a specific period, at the moment I hope you realize that the committee is paying all the admin costs in the hope that we are getting the money from. I mean we we had a definite offer and it's all paid much later, that the money is coming and then the committee will get the money back. Er And nothing should happen but we haven't heard, but also after that date we are high and dry again so I would quite like to keep as much in the kitty from the money we've raised, for the admin course you know, the future of the admin course, as possible. At the same time, this needs spending.
[speaker009:] Where has this thousand pounds come from?
[Emmy:] We have applied to General Accident, to erm oh oh oh a few people
[speaker009:] Yeah.
[Emmy:] I don't know the exact figure, a thousand pounds is r it's round about that.
[speaker009:] And it wasn't earmarked for any specific items?
[Emmy:] It was earmarked for the admin course, we asked will you fund a student for the admin course. And then we wrote back to them and said we are very likely getting funding from, in which case can we use your money for other purposes er Well one reason specifically said chairs.
[speaker004:] Erm ta we need tables more than chairs. In there they can't get their legs under those tables.
[Emmy:] Oh that is so true.
[speaker004:] The the tables are very erm old fashioned wooden ones and sort of you know how you get your legs under sort of well like a bottom lip. And that really it's all the chairs are good office chairs in there, the tables are bad.
[Emmy:] Right. Er can you Well hopefully in the minutes I need to can somebody make a note, we have to fund raise for that. Erm we need tables, I mean chaps like like Mike and Roger with their big legs they just can't under them.
[speaker004:] They just can't get their knees in.
[Emmy:] And we have to do that, we must get tables.
[speaker008:] Rowntrees must have hundreds of tables.
[speaker004:] the sort of metal tables that have just got the four legs
[speaker008:] I would try there.
[Emmy:] to get the proper computer tables sorted out.
[speaker004:] Except if you got computer tables, it just seats one computer on it, don't forget we have we we're really better with bench tables like that, then we can put either typewriters
[Emmy:] anyhow we can go into that.
[speaker009:] These are these are tables we got from somewhere
[speaker008:] Oh I wouldn't mind loaning out.
[Emmy:] No no no.
[speaker004:] we needs to look I mean
[Emmy:] No.
[speaker004:] just two like that, metal tables, but metal with nothing underneath.
[Emmy:] But Celia, let us look at at tables because I saw some which can take typewriters and computers. And there was a track, electric track and all that. I think er it's it's Desmond, why I say no to that, the we Tom and I have measured it out and Celia. It's very tight to get in what we need to get in and we have to buy just the right tables. So I think for the time being, if you allow us, we will find out which tables we want and then we will fund raise for them and get the money for them, okay.
[speaker004:] We we we also Sally and I were talking about this last week, we said often you know you get you can get bankrupt stock
[Emmy:] Oh you do Now we need an optimistic accountant, can somebody look out for an optimistic accountant
[speaker006:] [LAUGHTER] There isn't such a thing.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Emmy:] No no but Celia, Ruby Ruby told me her husband has to do with bankrupt office stock
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Emmy:] remind me okay. There's some possibility there. No
[speaker009:] So wh are you saying that all this stuff you want for the admin course, you're gonna raise money separately or do you want to
[speaker004:] Well we're just I'm just we might have to ask for some money for it.
[Emmy:] No the money I want to spend, I've partly already written back and said, can I use this money as we don't need it can I buy chairs, I was specific. Cos that was a big amount, and they said yes. And others, there's money here which we got for the admin course which which can spend. All the Christmas Fair money. But I think this is the big thing we want to fund raise for. And we would very likely get it. I know who's going to give it us. we'll get it.
[speaker004:] We we need we need
[Emmy:] Yeah. The other thing is, you know Noel came, they had some money, what do you want, actually I could ask them because he also said things. We must make a list but
[speaker004:] A long one.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Emmy:] The point is
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Emmy:] that this will happen, people will come to us occasionally and say, do you need money for what specific and I think, as a committee we must have a future, a list for the future of things we might want and also of ideas we have. Like now luckily I had these two ideas running in my head anyhow.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Emmy:] Do you know, but you have to be so quick and you have to be precise and you must know that that's what you want. So I think we should learn to plan to have a plan a future plan. Sort of things we can tick off as we need them.
[speaker009:] But didn't we do this
[speaker006:] So that when comes up we've always got an answer.
[speaker009:] Well no I mean, two years ago when we did this, we actually had a list of things that you identified
[Emmy:] Yes.
[speaker009:] you wanted. I think perhaps we need to do that as part of the planning for each year's budget. I mean I I know in that budget thing that we put together towards the end of last year, we didn't really look at it
[Emmy:] Yeah well we did actually. Both those ideas now said were in our future targets.
[speaker009:] No no no I'm talking about I'm talking about bits and pieces for the place, we did
[Emmy:] Yeah bits and pieces. Yeah. Yeah.
[speaker009:] set aside an amount of money or identified that we would need to spend an amount of money and perhaps we need to do that sooner.
[Emmy:] Yeah we have to we shall do that quite soon I think. And if I may just, that's the last thing I need to say is the Christmas Fair dates somehow were muddled up and somebody put the wrong dates to the day, it's Wednesday the sixteenth and Thursday the seventeenth. Okay
[speaker008:] Sixteenth and seventeenth.
[speaker006:] Can you just give me the name of the person who has the
[Emmy:] Oh.
[speaker006:] ?
[Emmy:] Mr....
[speaker009:] Where is
[Emmy:] The.
[speaker004:] Opposite,.
[Emmy:] I'm leaving all my mess here because I'm coming back after my meeting. Is there anything else erm... you know Zain which we should do or pass on?
[speaker009:] Erm no. Well we're not having much joy with these people from I mean I've rung them about four times in the last er week. The lady who I was trying to get hold of who's actually got the contract that er we want amended, for some reason I. I did try, I was gonna try before I came here but I was. So I'll try again but I think you're gonna have to telephone Erm not telephone, write to Mr directly. We're not you know we're not getting anywhere.
[speaker004:] It's not moving very quickly is it.
[Emmy:] No.
[speaker006:] that's a long time since they said we could have it.
[Emmy:] Oh well it was er this committee meeting, er when you were away.
[speaker006:] Before Christmas.
[speaker008:] No no er the money had been sanctioned long long time November, it was October.
[Emmy:] Ah ah it was but it was sanctioned but we had to sign a contract with them.
[speaker009:] Yeah okay. And then the solicitor asked us to advised us to have certain things amended and Mr had no problem when I told him over the telephone, he just said send it back and we'll just amend it. Well it sounded so simple when he said it over the telephone about two months ago. But
[Emmy:] And somebody has been er is dealing with it.
[speaker009:] Well they have a contracts department that deals with all these these are funding issues. And I presume it's just sitting on someone's desk which is still being processed.
[speaker006:] It'll be a nice lump sum when we get it won't it.
[Emmy:] Yeah but as I say, don't forget we're spending it already. Erm
[speaker009:] Right is that is that all?
[Emmy:] Is that all Right, I've put that here because I'm coming back you see.
[speaker006:] When are we meeting again?
[Emmy:] Oh yeah, good question.
[speaker009:] Another six weeks.
[speaker005:] When is that?
[speaker009:] of March.
[speaker005:] Oh sh
[Emmy:] And thank you so much everybody and mainly for putting up with me.
[speaker005:] Cos you're going away in March aren't you? To Germany?
[Emmy:] I just hope Virginia doesn't get Ah yes, I'm going to Germany. You could have one committee meeting without me then.
[speaker006:] We'd have to have another one
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Emmy:] tonight.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER]
[Emmy:] [counting in german].... Yes I leave on the eleventh of March so can we have it on the eight of March? Is that okay.
[speaker009:] because I've got now Wednesdays
[speaker004:] That's a Tuesday the eighth isn't it.
[Emmy:] Oh no Wednesday the ninth, sorry I got wrong. Well yes you can
[speaker009:] I I will
[speaker008:] Zain can't do it on a Wednesday any more.
[speaker009:] No there will be Wednesdays now that I won't be able to come at all.
[speaker008:] Yeah. You can't come on a Wednesday.
[Emmy:] Which day can you come?
[speaker008:] No it's it works every two weeks, I have to check it doesn't fall into that
[Emmy:] otherwise we have it a week.... Yeah.... Well thank you so much. Thank you. I know it's a dreadful uphill struggle with us but... I it ca it just is that hard.
[speaker004:] Mm.
[Emmy:] You know.
[speaker006:] It's probably going to get harder.
[Emmy:] I'm telling you we work hard, I know we can get better organized, but we do work very hard and we have to work on so many fronts.
[speaker005:] Well you're running a full blown business with erm
[Emmy:] Not only is
[speaker005:] and and a rehabilitation centre. You know and it's erm
[Emmy:] And the fund raising, all the fund raising.
[speaker005:] And a college so no wonder it's hard.
[Emmy:] Yes. It's very very hard.
[speaker006:] Switch this off shall I.
[speaker009:] It's still going round.
[Emmy:] Well I have to dash [recording ends]