From my friend Vic Mills:
“Hi Stuart,
I reluctantly (bear with me on this) swap cricket for Copperfield and deep fine leg for Dickens with the following quote from Mr Wilkins Micawber: “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen shillings and sixpence, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.”
There is more than a little of the Mr Micawber about Project Front Foot at the moment in that, after preparing the annual Income & Expenditure figures for the Charity Commission for year ending 31/3/23 I can report Income of £1665.01 and Expenditure of £2574.57. While this has not left the trustees and volunteers in a state of abject misery, the loss of £909.56 has sent us in search of a solution.
We have not made a fuss of finances since our founding in 2009. Self-funding and the support of friends has kept us afloat and flourishing these past fifteen years. The project sea change from India to Europe, however, moved the goalposts/wickets somewhat. As such, our main expenses now relate to van hire, insurances, fuel, and ferry tickets. All of which continue to rise. Example: from next year, the cost of taking a hire van out of the country will hike from £125 to £300.
We have enough funds in the project bank account to support one more full year of operations after which it gets a bit problematic. So, for the first time in fifteen years, we have gone down the route of a funding site i.e. Go Fund Me. Our target is a modest £5000 which, with a fair financial wind, should add another couple of years to our shelf life. If you would like to donate then please click on the following link …
I would be grateful too if you could forward this mail/link to all like-minded cricket lovers in your contact list. Thanks so much.
With all good wishes
Vic”
