Winter Ball criples Vanbrugh finances

Last year’s Vanbrugh JCRC splashed over £13,000 on their 2012 Winter Ball and threw the college into debt, new figures reveal.

Around 200 people attended the ball at £28 a ticket, indicating a £5,600 taking; less than 44% of the total event expenditure.

The event, held at the National Railway Museum, was expected to make a loss, but according to JCRC predictions and budgeting, it should have left the committee in a similar financial position to when they formed earlier in the year.

Instead, their colossal overspending left the college in serious debt.

Concerns were initially raised at the lack of communication between the JCRC team, which was made up of Chair Matt Stephenson, Entertainment Rep Ben Rodin, Kate Elliot as Welfare Rep and Treasurer Daniel Whitmore.

Harry Morgan, who was part of the Entertainment team throughout the organisation of the Winter Ball, told Vision: “Basically, the event was projected to run at an acceptable level of loss which we could absorb due to fresher’s profits.

“The crux of it in my view is societies and JCRCs aren’t given enough financial training, and I’ve raised this several times.”

For £28 a ticket, Winter Ball guests were promised a three-course meal, a Christmas cocktail, tea and coffee, live music and DJs until midnight and ‘lots of complimentary wine’.

In February, Vision reported how a substantial amount of money was stolen from Vanbrugh JCRC after a Volume event last year.

The JCRC office was reported to have inefficient safety precautions, which led to the theft. The money, which amounted to £550, went missing on the 2nd February and was never returned.

After the theft, current Chair Josh Treacy stated that Vanbrugh is “financially secure,” despite the £12,000 loss months before at the Winter Ball.

It has been revealed the committee only became aware of the total cost of the ball – and therefore their level of debt – in May this year.

The college aims to recover as much money as possible over the remainder of the committee’s term.

Joshua Treacy said: “After a very successful Freshers’ Week, we have -£3,000 in our account. We also have approximately £3,000 in merchandise stock which we expect to shift given time.

“With our expected sponsorship income and the support YUSU has given us, we are very confident about how we will progress over the coming year, and are pretty certain that all will be back to normal come the end of Freshers’ Week 2014.

“We are planning this year’s winter ball very carefully.”