Staff woes

The Office team has felt under some health pressure over the last few months: Peter Armon, our Overseas Support Secretary broke his leg in February, and is only now beginning to travel in to the office from the South coast where he lives – email contact has been invaluable to keep much of his activity going. He will be in Sydney at the World Congress in July. Joan Arnold, whom many will have spoken to on the CMF phone, has been recovering after surgery, while Wai-Ting So, our Publications Assistant has come out of hospital after not swallowing some oriental chicken wings – not a good idea! Please pray for the office team as we continue to service all the requirements of the Fellowship, and rise to the challenge of a 2nd office move in three years.

Regional Staff

The joy of an increasing Regional Staffworker team leads inexorably to their departure after a two year stint: Richard Knox has actually done three years, the first as a Relay worker, and then two years as the RSW in the West Midlands covering Birmingham, Leicester and Warwick. Tim Hinks has also reached the end of his time, covering Oxford, Southampton and Imperial, while also leading summer teams to both St Petersburg and Albania. Thank you Richard and Tim for all you have contributed to the spiritual lives of many students and juniors.

Mirroring the trend throughout medicine, our Regional team is moving in a female direction, with the appointment of two new staff from this summer. Helen Lane follows in Richard Knox's steps, moving from her Relay post in Birmingham to become the Regional Staff worker covering Birmingham,Warwick and Keele, and making a formidable team with Roxy Whelan covering Nottingham, Leicester and Derby. Kerrie Bavidge hopes to start in August, medical job permitting, covering the Scottish Medical Schools.

So as from this summer we have an all female Regional Staff worker team. Helen, Roxy and Kerrie will join Sarah Gwynne in the West Country and South Wales and Charlotte Hattersley in The North East, all supported by local, regional funding, for which we are very grateful.We would love to see this team grow, have some male representation, and cover more of the UK and Ireland – do you know someone for whom it would be a good move?

Finances

The General Committee met in June and accepted the 2005 accounts. These showed a deficit of just over £130,000. This deficit has arisen as a result of specific decisions taken by the Executive in relation to the employment of staff, the merger with MMA in 2004, and the consequent short term lease entered into at Partnership House to accommodate the growing staff. Plans are now being laid by the Executive to bring the budget back into balance during 2006 and 2007.

1st Qtr accounts

The first quarter accounts for 2006 show a very healthy short-term position, with a surplus of just under £100,000. However, these figures have been helped dramatically by the receipt of legacies totalling more than £140,000 during the first three months of the year.We still expect a deficit at the year-end. In acknowledging the generosity of these legacy gifts might I encourage you to write a will and consider making CMF a beneficiary?

Subscription reminders

We are now much more up to date asking the 2,000 graduates and 1,000 medical students who pay their subscription annually, to make their annual contribution. If every single member pays at least the current year's subscription, and possibly previous years as well, our immediate financial difficulties in 2006 would be resolved at a stroke! In the meantime thank you again to all those who continue to wait for direct debit, and contribute by way of regular Bank standing orders, annually, quarterly, or monthly. This regular flow of income is really helpful, and enables us to pay our bills much more easily. Gordon Brown continues to be by far the most generous donor to the Fellowship, allowing us to reclaim nearly £140,000 of tax during 2005, and this should be increased in 2006.