The Future of Marconi Veterans Association
Those attending the Annual Re-Union in April this year will know of the problems we are facing as outlined by our Vice Chairman Peter Turrall. The situation as we go to print is that despite real efforts to get the new Marconi plc, to help us financially to offset our costs in respect of part-time Secretary, accommodation, printing, stationary and postage costs, this has received only minor assistance.
Marconi plc, have advised Marconi Mobile at New Street, to offer storage of our records and for two years to provide us with a very small amount of money which will just about cover our printing and postage costs. After two years this will cease.
We will not be able to carry on in the way we have done in the past unless more financial backing is forthcoming. We have written to BAE SYSTEMS and asked them if they will offer financial assistance and we still await their reply. It is likely that the assistance we get, if any, will be quite small.
Your Committee therefore decided that unless we obtain some financial support from you our Veterans, then we would just have to cut down on our activities. In addition to the expenses incurred as detailed in the opening paragraphs, we send letters of condolences to Veterans families in the event of their passing and also a wreath or a donation to a named charity. We purchase bulk quantities of Veterans Ties, scarves, and badges and for the Annual Re-Union, special Coasters,. Without a sufficient income, most of the activities of our part-time Secretary will cease and we certainly could not stock the above items.
The proposal therefore which was adopted at the Annual General Meeting held in April, following the Re-Union, was to request each Veteran to pay an Annual Subscription of £10. This money will be devoted entirely to offset our Annual Expenditures. Some of you will have already sent in £5, as this was the original figure mentioned in our last Newsletter.
Please send now your Annual Subscription to our Secretary at the Marconi Veterans Office, BAE SYSTEMS, Advanced Technology Centre, West Hanningfield Road, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex , CM2 8HN