Administration and Finance
Only a couple of months into the summer it appeared that following a couple of COVID-19 affected seasons we were through the worst of the pandemic and our lives were slowly returning to normal.
The finance team’s core objective for the season was to shift their focus from conservation back to revenue generating activities to capitalise on available opportunities and recover the minor loss that was realised during as a result of COVID-19.
During the previous summer, the club had faired extremely well financially considering the implications of COVID restrictions. Thanks to the hard work of our members, crucial fundraising events such as training camps, merchandise sales, nippers and the special events were scaled back up and, with the assistance of a couple of major grants for capital works, additional funds were received to minimise the club’s contributions. Thanks to these revenue raising teams, the club was able to return a healthy profit this season. This strong financial position has is underpinned by the club’s Development Fund Board which was realised in July 2021 and will assist the club creating enduring wealth and support paying for major capital projects in the medium to long-term future.
Our bookkeeper, James Lester, has continued to closely manage the club accounts and ensure our invoicing is up to date. James’ autonomy and attention to detail has made my time as a Director extremely easy. Thanks James.
Thanks to Terry Aslanidis who has continued to keep Surf Guard up to date and processed thousands of member renewals and certifications.
Carole Irving has revitalised the booking system of the Residence which has recently gained notable traction during the off-season from the external booking website. The revenue that the Residence generates off-season is well-worthy low hanging fruit for periods where the house would otherwise sit vacant. Great work Carole!
Following several years of managing Clubbie Clobber, Fiona Blackmore has decided to step down from her position. Fiona has made a huge contribution to this department of the club allowing our members to proudly wear the green, black and white. Thanks for your help, Fi – you’ll be greatly missed in this role.
Lastly, welcome to Melina van der Weerd-Arceo. Melina started working casually for the Special Events team in 2021 and following exceptional feedback has now taken on the club’s Administration Officer role. Melina has been busy scheduling our new cleaners, liaising with Phillip Island Nature Parks, subcontractors and Western Port Water, obtaining quotes, and minuting Board meetings. Welcome onboard Melina and thanks for your assistance so far.
On behalf of the finance and administration team, thank you to everyone for their support during the year and we look forward to seeing you around the club next season. This will be my final season on the Board. I’d like to say a big thanks to everyone that has helped me over the past two seasons and wish my replacement all the best.
See you next summer,
Adrian Koller
Director of Administration and Finance