BII annual report shows decline in membership
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Prime Minister promises aid for‘ community assets’
PUBS
L ast week, Prime Minister David C a m e r o n announced a funding package that would enable people to take over and run buildings and institutions of local interest- a move which could help safeguard pubs, bingo halls and even amusement arcades.
Of the £ 250m that will be made available by the Big Lottery Fund and Society Capital over the next ten years, £ 50m will go into a“ Community Assets Fund” providing loans and grants to start projects that could be commercially viable over a period of time.
Neil Walker, a Campaign for Real Ale spokesperson, said:“ CAMRA’ s List Your Local campaign aims to get 300 pubs listed as‘ assets of community value’ around the UK- meaning should the pub be put up for sale the community has six months to generate the funds to buy the pub before it is sold off, or even worse, converted into flats or a supermarket. We hope this £ 250m fund will be made easily available to communities looking to save their local pub and will have a positive impact on the number of community pubs being lost across the UK.”
Kate Nicholls, strategic affairs director, Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers added:“ Access to funding and investment is an acute problem across the sector as a whole and we support any measures which can help businesses maintain their vitality and viability where they are responding to real consumer and market demand.”
Brigid Simmonds, BBPA CEO, concluded:“ We’ ve always supported the community right to bid in the Localism Act, to keep valued community pubs open. Grants and loans could help local residents with this process.”
B BJUNE 14- JUNE 20, 2013
BII annual report shows decline in membership
PUBS
he number of British Institute of Innkeepers
Tmembers declined from 11,816 to 10,432 in 2012- a net reduction of 1,384. Some 2,299 new members were recruited during the year and 3,683 were lost, many of whom, the BII reported, were licensees leaving the industry.
In his foreword to the Annual Report and Financial Statement issued in advance of this week’ s AGM, BII chairman Bernard Brindley said:“ The UK economy has been weak in recent years with growth flat since 2010 and a recent double-dip recession which was the longest and deepest for 50 years between Q4 2011 and Q2 2012. This has been a difficult time for our industry and for the Institute with a continuing high level of pub closures that reduces the number of potential members.”
Membership income fell by 9.4 per cent from £ 0.939m to £ 0.851m and income from the sale of qualifications declined by 7.2 per cent from £ 2.351m to £ 2.182m. Total income fell from £ 4.374m to £ 4,219m; and while total expenditure was reduced by more than £ 550,000 to £ 4.305m, including a cut of more than £ 300,000 in staffing costs( employee numbers fell from 50.4 full-time equivalent employees to 39.8), the BII still incurred a deficit of £ 86,048.
Brindley said:“ Whilst it is disappointing to have incurred a deficit at all this is a significant improvement on 2011( deficit of £ 484,563) and on 2010( deficit of £ 296,396). Cash resources decreased by only £ 31,203 in the year. It is the intention to at least break even in 2013.”
Profits up for Fuller’ s
PUBS
Brewer and pub operator Fuller,
Smith and Turner has reported a five per cent rise in full-year profits, boosted by new pub acquisitions.
According to the group, pre-tax profits for the year to March 30 totalled £ 31.7m, up five per cent on £ 30.3m in 2012.
The profit rise comes after the acquisition of more sites that helped boost the group. Fuller’ s now has around 400 pubs, located primarily in London and the south-east.
New pubs boosted the performance of its largest division, managed pubs and hotels, with total sales rising nine per cent in the period.
“ Trading for the current year has started positively and like for like sales in our managed pubs and hotels were up seven per cent,” said Fuller’ s chairman, Michael Turner.“ We look forward to the prospect of a year less blighted by the weather.”
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