Chairmans Report

Chairmans Report

First and foremost, and on behalf of all the Directors, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the staff, particularly Camilla and her team, for their tireless efforts in maintaining Ashlar House’s day to day operations. Keeping the premises clean and presentable, as well as ensuring that the function rooms are prepared for the various events that take place. Brethren, I must say this is no small feat.

Additionally, I would like to extend our thanks to all the staff at Roff Caterers, especially William and Kit for consistently delivering a first-class catering experience for ourselves and our function guests.

I would also like to personally thank those members that show an unwavering commitment to maintaining our building, these collective efforts ensure that the building remains a welcoming and functional space for all.

In particular, I want to recognize the exceptional contributions of two individuals – Bro Andy Martin from Abbot Baldwin Lodge, Andy has worked extremely hard with the displays in the boardroom and the blue room and has transformed these spaces into showcases of our history and values, also WBro Nick Berry from Mildenhall Lodge, Nicks dedication to repairing and maintaining our lodge furniture is invaluable. His craftmanship extends beyond mere repairs, he also crafts new items that are required, with the recent addition of the Warrant Frame holder in the storage room this is a testament to his skill and commitment.

As Chairman, I would like to thank all the Directors, Ian our Treasurer and Nigel Gregory for their unwavering support and tireless efforts in ensuring Ashlar House’s continued success. Our directorial team together with our treasurer have consistently gone above and beyond and I am truly grateful for your exceptional work.

A Big thank you again to all the team from the front of house, the catering staff, and the management team for keeping Ashlar House a safe and thriving venue.

Finally, I would also like to remind the brethren that all the members have a collective responsibility in the upkeep of Ashlar House whether it’s small maintenance jobs, organizing events, gardening etc. Volunteers have and will always positively impact Ashlar House going forward.

During our last Directors meeting in May we reviewed the profit and loss account for the ten months ending April 24, comparing it to the same period in 2023. Unfortunately, we observed a decline of income of approximately £60,000. This decrease was primarily due to reduced income from Private Hire / Non-Masonic Functions as well as catering and general event revenue.

Despite these challenges, our commitment to maintain the building remains unwavering. Expenditure on repairs and renewals has increased compared to last year, but it’s essential to uphold the highest standards for both Masonic and External functions.

Remarkably, even with a decreased income and increased expenditure, we achieved a net profit of £22,581 for the period up to April 24 compared to £44,367 for the same period last year.

Our annual overheads hover around £90,000 to £100,000, whilst Masonic Income stands around £32,000, This underscores the critical role external event income plays in ensuring Ashlar House’s viability.

Regarding our outstanding borrowing, we successfully reduced it last year with a capital repayment of £50,000, We anticipate making another capital repayment of at least £20,000 in November this year, further reducing our outstanding balance (excluding the bounce back loan) to £330,000. Our loan interest rate remains at 3.75%. The Directors long term goal is to enhance the profitability within the business and eventually convert any remaining loan balance to a Capital and Interest Mortgage.

We have also recently with the assistance from an external company reviewed our business rates that we paid from 2017 until 2023, as a result of their negotiations, we have secured a rebate of approximately £12,000.

To capitalize on new business opportunities, the directors will be shortly holding a focused marketing meeting, where we will delve into strategies for promoting Ashlar House with a specific emphasis on the wedding market.

Our Ashlar House web site undergoes continuous updates and improvements to keep it current. Based upon feedback form the last AGM, we have added clear calls to action on each page. Additionally, next month we will introduce a 3D Virtual Tour, allowing potential customers to explore our different rooms, facilities, and dimensions. This feature will also integrate with Google Maps.

To ensure that our members site remains engaging and informative, I would also encourage all members to submit articles and to keep visiting the site as much as possible.

We know from the last AGM that the issue of share distribution is something the members would like to equalise. The Board have been exploring this via a non-statutory clearance request to HMRC through a tax specialist. We are still waiting to hear back from HMRC on this and will report to the members when we have an answer.

In terms of building enhancements, we are excited to announce that we will be installing air conditioning in the Temple at the beginning of July. Thanks to a recent loan from Province’s Building Fund, we have secured an exceptionally favourable interest rate of 1.51% over a 60 Month period. I would like to thank the Provincial Grand Superintendent of Works, WBro Barry Whymark and the Provincial Grand Treasurer, WBro Paul Rayner for their invaluable assistance in securing this funding.

We would also like to express our gratitude to Royal St Edmunds lodge for their generous support and donation towards the renovation of the Pictures and the Artifacts in the Blue Room. Additionally, a heartfelt thank you to St Edmund Chapter Rose Croix No 162 for their generous donation of £2500 to the building fund.

Finally, Brethren, As Chairman, I’m immensely proud to hold this office and I thank you in advance for your continued support.

James Orlopp