Imperial - loss runner?

[Dangermouse]

Perhaps someone can set the record straight,

I have a colleague who is adamant that the Imperial runs at a loss, although he can not tell me what his sources are.

Can anyone deny or confirm this?

DM

[karen]

Crap!

Some people in the past have claimed it loses money because all the staff costs hadn't been attributed to the Imperial Meeting budget. Obviously some should be but the claims at the time were rather over the top!

However they hadn't accounted for the Estate income which must be included - one twelfth of all the clubs, huts and other buildings and about one tenth of all the caravan income. Without the Imperial most of those would not be there!

Love
Karen

[Dangermouse]

Thanks Karen,

I will be interested to see how the current climate affects this years entries, if at all.

On the subject of clubs and their finances. Do club houses come up for sale and if so is there much interest in them?
Personally speaking, and I know I am not alone, I am amazed at the low quality of facilities provided by the club houses that I have used. You can not help wondering if with a fresh and more modern outlook, it would be difficult to turn a club house into a good little business, and not for just one month a year,

DM

[rox]

On the subject of clubs and their finances. Do club houses come up for sale and if so is there much interest in them?
Personally speaking, and I know I am not alone, I am amazed at the low quality of facilities provided by the club houses that I have used. You can not help wondering if with a fresh and more modern outlook, it would be difficult to turn a club house into a good little business, and not for just one month a year,

Leases might become available once in a blue moon, but not clubs for sale.

How much would you be prepared to pay per annum to join a club with better facilities?

Which ones have you used that are so disappointing?

..

[Dangermouse]

How much would I be prepared to pay per annum?
Clearly a difficult decision, but currently I pay £120 to two clubs who do not have a club house, so possibly would see £120 to one that did offer good facilities as a fair price.

However due to too many cold nights in beds well past their best and using bathrooms which were only just bearable, I took the decision to move into the local area so as not to have to rely on what was available on camp. The cost of that, as you will know, is not cheap. I could easy get a nice pile of bricks elsewhere in the country for the 3 bed terrace I have here. That was my decision and I live with it.

I am not prepared to name club's as I do not feel that would be fair. However I know that I am not alone in my experiences and it is a common talk on the firing point. We can joke about having to have a few drinks the night before to get off to sleep, but really the condition of many is past a joke. As part of the Bisley experience I believe the condition of some of the rooms and bathrooms does as much to keep people away as any prices that are charged.
I would suggest that you have to be reasonably hard core to use them.
Although to date I have not used any of the rooms that the NRA has available I believe that they also do not escape criticism.

Should I be allowed to smoke my pipe and dream a little, I would like to see the NRA/NSC have a club house. How they have not is beyond me. The sleeping arrangements would be modelled on the travel lodge design with each room having an on suite, up to date TV with at least free-view available and Internet access in each room. Some form of soundproofing between rooms would be nice - snoring is no fun for those laying awake listening to it etc.
There should be an armoury with adequate facilities for guests to store their firearms as well as members who wish to rent a safe. A suitably equipped cleaning room, of course consumables can never be provided free but items should be available to purchase on site. Basic items like a good work bench, vice and good lighting should be a very minimum.
Dining facilities should be able to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner and when called upon a silver service menu should be available.
To assist with the running costs, beside the normal bar etc, I would expect to see the club drumming up it's own business both with customers from the range and where possible from outside the camp.
To date I have not seen any crèche facilities on camp - I, or at least my children, have used the local one in the Spar in Pirbright. There is money to be made there not just in the children but also in the shooting their families are doing on camp. To push my dream I would like to see a crèche facility so that families could attend and parents could spend some quality time together. During the half terms and summer holidays would be a bare minimum.

Bump!

Bake to reality,

DM

[dromia]

The problem for a lot of the clubs is that their earning capacity is limited to the few weeks and weekend of meetings when Bisley is heaving. Be around Bisley on the Sunday evening or the Monday after the Trafalgar and it is dead. Not even any lights on anywhere no drink, no food because there isn't enough custom for them to open and there are many weeks in the year like that. The clubs have to make hay whilst the sun shines on the few times when Bisley is busy. You can go during the week and yes people are shooting but they are mostly local and don't use the facilities. I do know clubs there that also try very hard to cater for corporate and private hires but things are tight now and also access and lighting are an issue for clubs in the winter time trying to attract business. Finally I also believe some clubs have their earning capacity restricted by debentures that means accommodation is tied up annually without generating any new money.

Bisley and the NRA are on their knees it will take some real management, the expulsion of the vested interest, along with radical thinking and delivery to generate the investment it needs to make it more that the treasured and nostalgic trip into the past (which is what I enjoy about my visits and I do like the huts, but take your own bedding).

A national shooting organisation with only 6,000 members out of nigh on quarter of a million FAC holders,that surely tells the tale.

[Dangermouse]

I agree that striking the balance between nostalgia and moving on is not easy, it will raise criticism whatever is done,

DM

[rox]

Finally I also believe some clubs have their earning capacity restricted by debentures that means accommodation is tied up annually without generating any new money.

Ours offers an annual room rent (which is pretty good value for regular users) but you have to nominate the nights you'll stay, and the rooms are available for others when not in use by the 'tenant'. Apart from the main meetings there are almost always rooms available, so they are not particularly big revenue generators in the scheme of things.

..

[karen]

Think there are a couple of clubhouses/buildings to be advertised in next Journal

HAC is one which would make a great club if run properly!

Sorry not got any more details than that

Love

karen

[karen]

Dangermouse you are so right

We need an NRA clubhouse - in fact I was talking about exactly the same thing today

If we ever take the Pavilion back it would make a great corporate centre, NRA clubhouse, upmarket restaurant etc

However that is all up to others . . .

Love

Karen