Where has the “Go Fund Me” money been spent?

Community financial support for FoVGC has gone a long way. Basically, the majority of money spent has gone to provide legal advice and activities. Other money was spent on the establishment and initial costs for JBCSC.

Following the 25 August 2024 EGM where the Country Club members voted overwhelmingly to reject the recategorization and sale of Vincentia, the Country Club shut both the course and the clubhouse. This prompted FoVGC to set up a GFM to pay for legal advice and preparation for future legal action.

Prior to this point FoVGC had been funded entirely by personal donations from the committee. Legal advice and opinion had been provided for free.

With generous support of the community, the GFM raised $65,000 in fairly quick time. It is now over a year since then and a lot of progress has been made. The CC Board has agreed to de-amalgamation; the course has re-opened; JBCSC has been established as a new, separate entity: an EOI was submitted and has now been accepted in principle by the CC. Without the GFM funding, much of this progress would not have been possible.

As mentioned previously, the GFM money has been mostly spent on legal fees of (approximately $40,000). Our lawyer was recommended by Golf NSW as a firm qualified to address our particular issues. They have provided good rates and done a number of activities for free. This included:

·      $11000 spent on legal advice.

·      $7000 spent on legislation advice.

·      $8000 spent on a letter from our lawyers to the Country Club outlining our concerns and irregularities. Note that this letter from our lawyers has not been responded to by the Country Club or their lawyers which is highly irregular in itself.

·      $13,000 spent on de-amalgamation and EOI advice.

Additional GFM money was spent on setting up the JBCSC to allow for an EOI to be submitted. This included ASIC costs, Golf NSW membership costs and website domain hosting. Legal advice regarding de-amalgamation was shared with JBCSC.

The remaining GFM $ are being held in reserve for future legal advice and action should the de-amalgamation process not proceed as expected. Once de-amalgamation is achieved, FoVGC have determined that the remaining funds will go to pay for JBCSC expenses (in accordance with the GFM charter).

There is still a long way to go. Until JBCSC can be established as a registered club, the (likely substantial) costs of achieving regulatory approval and de-amalgamation, as well as on-going costs will need to be funded.  Apart from donations and pledges, there will be community fundraising activities held to provide financial support and enhance the sense of community. The JBCSC website provides details on how you can donate or pledge via a tax deductable mechanism (the Australian Sports Foundation) and what the money will go towards.

Demonstrated community commitment via donations and pledges will directly support the case for de-amalgamation which has to be presented to ILGA. It will also provide support for grant applications to government agencies.

As a community, we want to retain Vincentia Golf course and club in Community hands and we can do it! FoVGC and other community groups are providing ongoing support to JBCSC to achieve de-amalgamation and the establishment of a new club.

The vision for JBCSC is strong, we have excellent volunteers providing skills, expertise and a lot of personal time. Please consider what you can do to help this happen. Donating or pledging money now will underpin essential activities until JBCSC can operate as a club.