RW Board freezes subscriptions for 2011
Among the various decisions to come from a recent meeting of the Board of The Ringing World Ltd was one very much in keeping with the prevailing weather conditions as Directors agreed to freeze all RW subscriptions and advertising rates at 2010 levels for the coming year.
Facing journeys made difficult by temperatures hovering around zero degrees and with occasional snow flurries, Directors held their regular late autumn Board meeting on Saturday, 27th November in Andover. The Agenda was wide ranging, covering merchandise and product sales, remuneration of paid staff, the Website and on-line business, and it inevitably included a review of progress of the arrangements for the many activities being prepared for the Centenary celebrations on Saturday, 26th March 2011. These events are all well in hand; ticket sales are ahead of expectations for this stage, with the all inclusive Maximus ticket particularly going fast; and the day looks set to be a tremendous festival of all that is best in bells and bell ringing.
The Board also undertook the annual full review of the Company’s strategic Risk Register, a vital document for any business and key for an organisation which relies on third parties for both the content and a major part of the production of its flagship product. Some adjustments were made to the red, amber, green ‘dashboard’ used to provide headline indicators of the perceived level of exposure for each risk. These mainly involve ongoing monitoring of The Ringing World’s supply chain, (which includes both commercial printers and the Royal Mail) and of the continuing slow decline in subscription levels, a position faced by all printed media businesses. This will form the focus for a special working group which will meet in the New Year.
Another regular feature of the November meeting is the annual review of forecast financial out-turn and consideration of the budget for the coming year. While the gradual lowering of revenue from subscriptions, and the inexorable rise in costs is a continued management focus for the Board, Directors fully recognised the challenging economic situation facing many of our subscribers and readers.
As a result the Board agreed unanimously to hold all subscriptions and advertising rates to The Ringing World at 2010 levels for 2011.
The Board sincerely hopes that ringers everywhere will acknowledge and appreciate this gesture of goodwill to the Exercise at this difficult economic time. In the year when we celebrate 100 years of continuous publication of the only newspaper produced by ringers, for ringers and about bells, ringers and ringing, we hope that you will all, in turn, continue to support The Ringing World by continuing to subscribe, and wherever possible will actively assist the Company in its efforts to find new subscribers by promoting the printed magazine or the new ‘on-line only’ subscription to all ringing colleagues.
Phil Watts
