LEEDS – Dec. 20, 2004 – English Ladies Golf Association (ELGA) subscriptions will rise for the first time in six years when a £1 increase comes into force in January. The increase, to £6 per member, was approved at the association’s annual meeting in Leeds recently.

But further proposals for future increases failed to gain the necessary two-thirds majority. These would have increased the subscription to £7.50 in January 2006, and annually by the rate of the inflation from January 2007. Afterwards, chief executive officer Pauline Perla said: “This is hugely disappointing because it means we haven’t been able to get our message across to the members. This is what we will have to concentrate on next year.”

Accountant Russell Beddoe told the meeting: “The increases we are asking for are small in individual terms but vital to support the future of ladies’ golf.” The £1 rise approved for January was necessary for ELGA to continue with its planned program after recording a deficit of £92,000 in the last financial year.

Reasons for this included a drop in subscription income; a loss on sale of shares when investments were switched to unit trusts; the costs of staging the European Lady Juniors Team Championship; and administration costs, including a bigger salary bill caused mainly by an increase in staff from 10 to 13.

Meanwhile, ELGA has formed the English Golf Partnership with the English Golf Union and the Professional Golfers’ Association and this also has financial implications.

The partnership is creating a whole sport plan designed to make England the leading golfing nation in the world by providing more opportunities for players to start, stay and succeed in the game.

It will receive lottery funding but the amount will not be known until late January. In the meantime ELGA has received half of last year’s allocation from Sport England - a sum, which does not reflect the fact that more money is spent during the winter months. As a result the association is underpinning the training programs by £40,000.

ELGA will have to make significant contributions to the development of the sport and this led to the proposal to increase the subscriptions to £7.50 in January 2006. The third resolution was designed to maintain the real value of the subscription.