Chris Dick of the Guildford Dragon provides a report of the recent Parish Meeting, where the state of the finances of Effingham Village Recreation Trust (EVRT) were discussed, following questions raised by Effingham resident, Simon Bisson. Future funding beyond 2018 needs review, and residents need to be consulted.
Read the full article here
Sounds like an interesting meeting; I regret missing it. One point which was made to me a little while ago, and perhaps is worth mentioning, is that the paradox of the KGV is that it was established for the benefit of Effingham residents but it’s used by people from a much wider area. Would it be true to say that Effingham residents are essentially subsidising this usage by non-Effingham people, when if I use leisure facilities managed by GBC, I’m using something I’ve contributed towards?
The KGV funding position has varied throughout the decades – sometimes residents (through the Parish Council) have subsidised other users, and sometimes vice versa. The challenge as of now is to get a consistent and sustainable funding model in place, to make sure everyone pays fairly for the cost of KGV facilities they use, be it the rugby club, WI or Effingham residents. So the next step must be finding out what residents do want at KGV, and what they are prepared to pay for those facilities through the precept if funding from elsewhere is not available.