Monday 25th February 2019 - Gunners Fund, Local Initiative, plus Weight Management

Posted 1:45pm

To be honest with this blog, we are in a bit of a dire position financially.  Although we are doing a lot lately, it is all voluntary, certainly for Lazza. I do need to pay our PT for his efforts, and we also have insurance (renews in March), mobile, accounts software, website costs, and some volunteer costs we need to cover. It averages out around £250 a month, and we are struggling (and this with no salary payments)

With that in mind, we have today completed two applications for small running costs. One is with the Gunners Fund managed by the Arsenal Foundation. We want to expand the walks from one to four in a 12 month period, and this would do that. It covers the mobile, volunteer, insurance and website costs.  I do not know if it will happen. I did a spreadsheet with the application, and we have actually met with them before, which we are hoping will put us in good stead, as well as the fact we have been running one walk for over two years.  We are still proud of the fact that we are the only weekly health walk in Islington that is available to anyone to just turn up and join in.  We have sent in the application online, and can only hope. It is a total of around £2400 and would mean a great deal.

We have also completed an application for the Local Initiatives Fund, but I have a horrible feeling we are out of time for the current allocation, which would be very disappointing. We have applied for £900 - this to keep the fitness sessions going on Saturday mornings for a year, the insurance for that, plus some volunteer costs, as we would like to start summer sessions outdoors too.  We are in the hands of the council.  I have contacted my local councillors to let them know - all three have been very supportive of our venture - Osh Gantly, Sue Lukes, and Caroline Russell.

Finally, Lazza is enjoying the weight management course he is on. There are various studio sessions around the borough, and he has done several. He is losing weight (congrats from HMHB), but realises it is his eating habits that really need to change!!!  More info as it evolves.