Where has all the money gone??

[Kari Gosnay-Jones]

Last season, the ELA was awarded a fair sum of cash.

As I understand it, (which could be totally wrong), the WPC have been given some of that cash to allocate out.

Last season, I was asked for ideas on how this money could be and should be spent. I have obliged with a raft of ideas that could enhance Junior Club teams like mine.

I haven't heard anything since. I am trying to find out if there is a grant that can be applied for.

Does anyone know anything on how this money is going to spent and how the grass roots can actually get their hands on it!!

Grrrr!

[the pom]

Well take in to account the admin costs ECT there is probably about £10 left.

Does the ela have to make its accounts public? or at least to the players it represents It would be interesting to see what money goes in and what comes out. where is the cash spent?

I found out recently that a couple of large uk charities approx 70% of the money taken in goes on admin and running the charity is lacrosse the same?

also a good few posts today from kari

[Kari Gosnay-Jones]

POM you make an interesting point.

How many people are on the ELA payroll? I understand this "appears" to have grown significantly in the last 12 months. The Manchester region seems to now have a number of full time employed development officers, can i use use these people? Can I tap into this resource? Can I request them to do work for my club? What do they do 5 days a week? Does my club have to then pay them for this development work?

Transparency
There is a theme appearing in many of my posts and when I talk to other people, I believe that I am not alone in my concerns. People on the ground are fed up and annoyed. Many people seem to be concerned about the level of transparency of the ELA. Where is this 2.2 million is being spent?

Transparency does NOT mean tucked away in some corner of the website on the minutes of some meeting. Transparency is on the front page of the website, announcing "Look this is how we are spending the grant money, isn't great what we are doing".

Can anyone publish some numbers on here so we can begin the campaign for transparency?

[robbo]

Does the ela have to make its accounts public? or at least to the players it represents It would be interesting to see what money goes in and what comes out. where is the cash spent?

Yes, and they are available on the Companies House website.

[Blind Zebra]

The company accounts are available on the ELA website. However, they do not show how the money is spent - only consolidated numbers for the whole operation.

The ELA does prepare management accounts which are detailed and helpful in understanding the financial challenges and opportunities the sport faces. As far as I know these are not published to the membership.

BeeZee.

[dmiddie]

The company accounts are available on the ELA website. However, they do not show how the money is spent - only consolidated numbers for the whole operation.

The ELA does prepare management accounts which are detailed and helpful in understanding the financial challenges and opportunities the sport faces. As far as I know these are not published to the membership.

BeeZee.

Why not?

[Kari Gosnay-Jones]

I agree, why not?

There are a great number of sceptics in the lacrosse world, that believe that money is wasted and scaundered by governing bodies and organisations, look at the example the Pom gave, "about 70% of a charities money being spent on administration".

A lot of people of in the lacrosse community give a so much of their time for FREE, so are initially elated when a massive sum of money comes into the sport and rapily get disheartened when it appears that nothing is changing and the money is being spent on more people coaching POP LACROSSE.

It is very important for organisations that represent so many hard working volunteers to be honest, transparent and open about where the money is being spent and what benefits the money will bring the sport. We should not have to go digging around on companies website or digging into minutes of meeting, there needs to be an article on the home page on the website that says, "We got all this money, this is what we are going to do with it, this is why lacrosse life is going to be better", with an opportunity to comment at the bottom of it.

[Kari Gosnay-Jones]

I have had some correspondence with Paul Coups from the ELA.

Unforunately, I am unable to print the content of the email due to the disclaimer on the email.

However, he has explained to me that the 2.2 million has been allocated to offset the costs of the Head office. It is also required to off set the costs of the Website and also the Lacrosse Talk magazine.

So POM it looks like you were right. What a shame.

Does anyone else think that 2.2 million is a lot of money on administration?

What a kick in the face to volunteers across the sport.

[FrustratedLaxer]

I don't understand why they are allowed to spend all of this money on adminstration costs.

People always talk about putting money back into the game, it don't think people expect it to go into adminstrators salaries.

[the pom]

well 1.1 mil on a flash office and 20 employees on 50k each plus an extra 100k to spend on stationary

[fizz]

Brilliant.

I can totally see where the money has gone now. It has definitely gone to help the severe lack of referees in manchester lacrosse, a bit has also gone to help sort out the serious lack of juniors playing. As Kari mentions early a great deal has gone in to actively support those that spend most of their free time volunteering. Emphasis being on free here.

I really appreciate having to pay the exorborant subs. Didn't really realise that lacrosse was a big enough sport to have full time paid employees.

The ELA really needs to give a breakdown of where this money has gone, i am not talking about every penny, just percentages would be nice. I as a financial member I feel the need to know this.

The POM is right charities are a complete farce with 70% going on admin. Is the ELA on the same boat.

Website - ok we need this as a central point. Head office - well that must be pretty flash. The magazine, sorry can't see the need in the money going here. Whilst it is nice and all. So there is 3 things was that really 700k each?

Transparency please.

[Kari Gosnay-Jones]

WPC has informed me that 28K was allocated to them by the Executive Committee for this financial year.

WPC decided to prioritise its funding to the territories, a contribution to the England World Cup squad, funding to FIL for a share in the expenses of the World Cup umpires and training of coaches/umpires.

WPC has informed me that information was sent round about the small grants scheme. Trying to find out who this information was sent to. I sure this should have included the North Committee members.

So I am now talking to Dave Coldwell (ELA) who has responsibilities for clubs (Thought this was Alex Carnegie-Brown) at Head Office to find out where the North Territory allocation of money was made. I would have thought that this should have been allocated to women club lacrosse projects if the money was allocated to WPC.

I will let you know what I find out.

[Kari Gosnay-Jones]

So far, I have found out that each territory was allocated £200. (No, I haven't made a mistake it is two hundred pounds)

So that is £1000 accounted for.

[Kari Gosnay-Jones]

I have asked Dave Coldwell of the ELA to publish his facts and figures to this thread.

However this is what I have found out....28K (of the 2.2 million) was awarded to WPC and then allocated the money as per my previous post.

The money that was allocated for the "Territories", went back to the ELA into the Minor Grants Award, which was annouced in May and also ended in May, see link below.

http://englishlacrosse.co.uk/vsite/vcon ... em,00.html

Dave has told me that some of this money has been awarded to North Clubs including Sheffield, Stockport, Timperley and Brooklands, some of it has gone to South funding bodies at Cobham, Bromley and Kent, through applications to the Minor Grants Award program.

Only another 2,172,000 to account for now.

Hopefully someone will pubish some figures on this thread.

[VGrimes]

I have become very interested in this post. Please keep the information coming when obtained. Cheers.

[fizz]

Time to bring this chestunt back to the fore.

It would appear that the Territoral Tournament has been cancelled this weekend. Obviously those territories that reside south of Birmingham don't really have a problem with this as they have no financial implications. We however in the north have to now pay for accommodation that will go unused.

I beleive that this financial loss should not be incurred by the players but by the ELA.......

Thoughts????

[chippie]

why do you think the players should not be responsible?

Who chooses where you stay? what was the plan for canceling the tournie......does this need to be looked at?

or maybe find a venue which can host and accommodate all...like a mini world-cup with a 'players-village'...(ok...obv in dream land there)

does the tournament itself need to be looked at, what about 4 days in different regions instead of 2 weekends, make it a bit fairer on players and locations and makes it easier on schedule

[Monkey10]

Kari,

This post has been long over due. The money to the territories as a priority is laughable. West are still wearing 1960's crisps green dresses!!

I think we could generate more money if we set up a separate federation!

[plainnash]

I'm joining the queue of people wanting to see these accounts, I'm sure they'd make for some interesting reading.
In regards to the running costs of the website, I'm pretty certain they should be a drop in the ocean when compared to the £2.2m sum, correct?

[dmiddie]

As the ELA is a 'public body' in that it has access to government funding, it is subject to the 'freedom of information act' and anyone can request information be made public!