This year has been a year of consolidation for Men of Football. Since incorporating as a company limited by guarantee last year, we have obtained charity status for the MOF Trust and our application for deductable gift recipient endorsement is now underway. This application was delayed due to some eligibility criteria we were not initially aware of. Despite these speedbumps, we have provided assistance at a national level from trust funds for those whose need falls outside the ambit of chapter assistance. The ability to raise funds from gifts going forward will provide greater capability and resources.
The Hunter and Central Coast chapters have conducted successful fundraising and awareness events, as well as providing assistance to those in need from the football community.
In the last year we have embarked on developing a better online capability. The revamp of our website, the addition of PayPal for payment purposes, and looking to improve our web based capability, will provide a stronger platform for online interaction for both internal and external users. This will also improve of communication capability and brand awareness.
Growing the chapter base has proved difficult over the past year.
Our hopes for a Sydney chapter to become active have not transpired, though we are now working with a group from the North of Sydney to establish a more localised chapter there. The Brisbane chapter has struggled to gain traction over the past year following the establishment of a steering committee. They have however successfully conducted a targeted fund raising dinner in October that has attracted 60 new members, gained a huge awareness for the chapter and may also have spread the word further afield.
The recent developments in Brisbane and Sydney give us belief that we are well positioned to grow into a truly national entity in the future, and we are actively refining our strategy as we finalise our organisational structure and endorsements.
Financially our position is strong. We have surplus funds as at 30 June 2016 of $25,326, a decrease from the previous year mainly due to less revenue from functions and more expenditure. Two new events did not get the support anticipated, and contributed to this decrease, as well as increased grants provided. There were also new incorporation expenses and some capital purchases adding to overall expenses. Recent functions since the close of financial year have generated strong revenue to bolster our position going forward and both Hunter and CC chapters have a schedule of functions planned over the coming year.
In closing, as an active organisation it is the responsibility of all our members to drive our beliefs, our goals and our future. That is why the Men of Football motto is, “ You’ll never walk alone”.
Yours in Football
Neal Endacott
President
