The Annual General Meeting of Cherry Lodge Cancer Care was held at Howard House, 23 Union Street, Barnet on Tuesday 15th May 2018.
Margaret Clark, chairman of Cherry Lodge, opened the proceedings with a warm welcome to the assembled group of individuals – members, volunteers, therapists, staff, trustees and well wishers – who all have a common interest in our charity. The minutes of last year’s AGM had been posted on the CL noticeboard and were formally agreed. Margaret then gave special mention to various topics included in this year’s Annual Report: CL continues to be very busy, with some 4,763 visits to the centre and 232 new members in 2017; group activities, including exercise classes and the singing and art groups are very popular; our outreach work is very important especially in the west of the borough; the Sunflower Group in Burnt Oak was reborn as a Cherry Lodge outreach group, now called the Cornflower Group; and there is increased demand for our services, notably counselling, massage and acupuncture, which people have difficulty accessing elsewhere.
Copies of the Annual Report were available on the night and the report can be accessed by clicking here.
The Cherry Lodge auditor, Andrew Geary (photo 1, below), began his slot by thanking Carole (treasurer) and Tina and Nisha (administration and fundraising) for their excellent work relating to CL finances. He then went on to talk people through the Abbreviated Accounts (Summary Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 December 2017). The overall income for 2017 was approximately £400,000 while expenditure was around £450,000, representing an operating loss of £50,000. This shortfall was expected and is typical for charities such as ours. Fortunately, Cherry Lodge receives considerable legacies in some years, which mean that Cherry Lodge has liquid reserves in excess of £1 million, creating a more even long-term financial picture. CL’s previous grant from Barnet Health Authority ceased in May 2017. Cherry Lodge’s own fundraising initiatives, after costs, raised approximately £100,000, with the Magic of Motown ball being a particular success. Charity shops currently face a difficult environment and income from both shops was down for the year. 2017 was a good year for third party fundraising, with special mention given to Summer Soulstice (CL’s largest fundraiser), runners in the London Marathon and Alan Cox’s Golf Day.
As in previous years, the AGM was followed by a talk, given this year by Janet Doyle Blunden on Finding Hope on the Journey through Cancer. This was followed by refreshments and time to socialise with fellow supporters and friends.
Click on the small images below to see larger, complete photographs.
