It's normally very difficult to find too many facts on the rather secretive British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) but the release of minutes from their recently held AGM perhaps gives us a little insight into the kind of challenges even BALI, let alone its members, have faced in the last twelve months.
Paul Cowell's chairman's report told of the upheaval at the BALI HQ - I assume when Sandra Loton-Jones left her post - whilst the treasurer's report stated that BALI only made a profit because it no longer employed a CEO.
The sponsorship of the third year of the World Skills Challenge lost BALI £10,000 and bizarrely a contract for a lease on a photocopier took £5,000 from the bottom line.
There's no denying that trading conditions are extremely tough but rhetoric from landscaping trade associations tends to gives the impression that their members are 'above the clouds' and immune from the difficulties of us lesser mortals.
Trade association members are as mortal as the rest of us
It's now obvious that association membership doesn't seem to provide any special solution or protection. The BALI AGM report reveals that 'several member companies had closed down this year' and there had been a big churn of membership 'historically 50-60 companies each year' - that equates to 10% of BALI's membership.
BALI expects to make a loss in its current financial year.
Good article. nice to see some honesty. it's hard times out there
Posted by: Elspeth | Sep 29, 2011 at 07:00 PM