August 2020 update

Dear Member,

I thought it was time I wrote to you all once again as my last update was in June. I really do hope you are keeping well and managing to keep positive as the weeks go by. Nothing has really changed since June; we are back in lockdown once again with little sign of things improving. I guess like me the novelty of sorting ‘stuff’ out and cleaning cupboards has passed and there are many jobs still on the list.

How are your gardens faring? The mixed weather has played havoc with ours. Some things have done well while others have struggled. I hope you have managed to do at least some flower arranging though I guess most will have been for your own pleasure with no Shows to go to and Church Services only just starting up once again.

With regards to our Flower Club, I am sorry to report that Angela Delporte and Doreen Vincent have sadly lost their husbands over the recent months. We were very sorry to hear the news and our thoughts and love go out to both. Please let me know if I have missed any other member updates and I apologise if I have.

I am also sorry to say we are no further forward with a date for a meeting. Haworth Road Church is still closed and is not looking to re-open until October at the earliest. As we are not allowed to have face to face committee meetings planning for the future is not easy. We had a full programme arranged for this coming season and so we are back cancelling our Demonstrators until we can do a Risk Assessment to ensure our meetings will be ’covid safe’ in the future.

I am aware that in theory our Flower Club Year for 2019-20 should have
ended in July but as we have not had a meeting since March, please do not worry. I would like to re-assure you all that you are still members of Bradford Flower Club. We will be sending our renewal to NAFAS and the NE Area in the near future so our Club will still be affiliated to both.

There have been a couple of updates from NAFAS Headquarters over the months. Since the financial losses at the Diamond Anniversary Events were announced several members have stepped down from their positions and the Articles of Association are to be reviewed. The reasons for the loss have been analysed further. Despite the outstanding exhibition pieces, competition work, educational workshops and the photography it was recognised that the events were over ambitious especially with limited sponsorship. For various reasons costs had not been fully understood and monitored. Thankfully measures have been put in place to prevent such things happening again, though it has caused a serious cash flow problem as there are no reserves now for 2020/21.

The Board is now looking at ways to reduce their spending, seeing if loans are available and bringing forward the planned Feasibility Study from 2022. This will now include a review of the future of Osborne House itself. The Flower Arranger also brings in much needed funds to NAFAS but with the virus, sales and the potential for new sales have also been reduced meaning a further loss of revenue for NAFAS. Not surprising therefore that Head Office is not reducing any of its Affiliation fees, though it is not proposing an increase at the present. It does recommend that Clubs do not reduce their subscriptions.

The NE Area of NAFAS on the other hand propose to help clubs financially as much as they can for one year. They are reducing the cost of their room hire to clubs and subsidising the fees paid to NAFAS from a Special Area Fund and the NE Flower Festival Fund. This I think is a very generous proposal and should help all Clubs including ours.

As a result of these Area changes and once projections for our club running costs for the next twelve months are finalised, Club fees will be communicated to you as soon as possible. Please be reassured we will also take into account that we have not had all the demonstrations planned for 2020.

In the meantime, what can we do? There are plenty of articles on the NE Area website including a newsletter so please have a look, a good read and perhaps even have a go at some of the designs and ideas shown. If any Member has an idea or thoughts on the way forward for our Club, please get in touch and we will see what can be achieved.

Catherine Slack I know has written to members who subscribe to the Flower Arranger with details on how she will be ordering for the next season. If anyone would like to add their names to the order list, can you please contact Catherine or myself with your details.

So, as was said in the last newsletter please bear with us as we try our very best to provide you with floral designs and our AGM as soon as we feel it is safe to do so. Once again, the Committee and I hope you and your families are keeping well and please look after yourselves. We hope we are able to meet once again very soon.

Best wishes and thankyou for your support
Yvonne and the Committee of Bradford Flower Club.