David Cameron at our Annual Lunch
7/03/2008
David Cameron was the guest at the Charity's annual lunch at Simpsons-in-the-Strand, London, on March 6, which had a record attendance of 120.
He complimented the Charity on its work, made a witty speech and answered questions from the guests;
Thanking him, Chairman Robert Warren commended members and friends who had helped the charity and urged the others to do their bit too.
Explaining how costs had risen rapidly he stressed that the charity needed to establish an income. His January letter to members had produced magnificent results and increased the charity's income in a stroke by £11,000 a year because many of them had committed themselves to regular direct debits.
"I hope that today will have a similar result - and that will make a brilliant start to fund raising in
2008'" he said.
Cheques were presented on behalf of the London Press Club Ball and the Scottish Region.
An additional £1030 was raised from the Raffle.
David Newell won two premium Zoom Airline tickets
Jack Irvine a case of fine claret kindly donated by Berry Bros.&Rudd
Carole Walker won a pair of West End theatre tickets kindly donated by Cameron Mackintosh
Extracts from Chairman Robert Warren's speech
First I must give you a brief account of what your charity has achieved over the year.
Our new care homes at Dorking were completed and started taking in residents in June. They are the very best in care and an example to a nation which is not coping well in the rapidly expanding field of care for the elderly. They were formally opened by the Countess of Wessex in September and are up for a number of significant architectural awards.
We are building a new, friendly and caring community there and now we have 14 residents in Pickering House and five in Harmsworth House, the close-care facility.
Down the road is another community of sheltered housing where 26 old journalists and dependants live happily in cottages and flats, which we run at an annual loss of £38,026.70p which might help to explain my money grabbing attitude today.
Meanwhile we are handing out £335,000 a year - an increase of £85,000 - in grants to journalists and dependants, young and old, who desperately need help as some live longer while their pensions shrink. Consequently the charity - your charity - has been compelled to step up its fund raising activities and establish an income. A letter to members earlier this year provoked mixed reactions, because it asked them to consider making a regular donation.
Your council felt that the £50 membership fee which, if it had kept pace with inflation would be worth £420 today, was peanuts. But to charge new members £420 was not. So we are asking new members to make a commitment to the charity that looks after all journalists and their dependants by paying a trifling £5 a month or more for a minimum of two years - but hopefully forever. That can incorporate the benefit of Gift Aid.
I am delighted to say the outcome from that letter was quite magnificent as many current members pitched in and our annual income was, in a stroke, increased by £11,000. I hope today will have a similar result - the forms are there for, you to fill in - and that will make a brilliant start to fundraising in 2008.
We could not have achieved what we have achieved without the generous support of the principal news groups; News International, Associated Newspapers, Telegraph Newspapers, Guardian Media Group, Sir Ray Tindle, Gannett Foundation, Reuters and Wireless Group, all of whom have pledged or paid five or six figure sums.
The Ambassador of Ireland has again shown enormous generosity, giving us an autumn reception at the Embassy, which many of you attended, for a second year.
Many others have pitched in and to all of them I say a big thank you, which will shortly be posted on our website. Please keep an eye on it...I hope you will find your own name there
The London Press Club have again helped us generously and their annual Ball has raised £120,000 over the last three years, which is an example of what journalists can do for themselves.
Our districts, particularly in the West Midlands and Scotland, have again come up with (almost) £70,000 between them
But we are still £1million short of our target.
A special thank you to the sponsors of this lunch: The Press Golfing Society and Trinity Mirror. The PGS has been a steady supporter. They hold a lively auction at the 19th hole after their Christmas meeting.
They sell whatever they can scrounge off their contacts: golfing holidays, golf gear...anything goes. A deep fat fryer, containing a note saying Happy Christmas Dad, sells for peanuts every year - and comes back to be sold again and again, having been firmly rejected by her indoors...
The PGS has raised £100,000 since the auctions started..
Photos by Phil Colley