President's Report
Dear Members
As you will have read on the SPSBS Website we are sadly unable to hold a Council Meeting in July, Government restrictions on travel and on social distancing prevent us. It is very disappointing and I felt that you would all like to be kept in touch with what news we have from 22 York Place so I decided to write a sort of Presidents Report but actually more of a newsletter.
As you know Claire and Victoria are now back from furlough, we are lucky in that the size of the office enables us to keep to the required social distancing rules, and Claire and Victoria can work together without being physically close. Kate and Pauline are still on furlough, and until we have more information regarding workplace safety measures they will continue to stay at home. Claire reports that the Office have very few telephone calls, and the post is largely requests for foal registration forms which is encouraging as I hope that many of you are able to enjoy seeing new life at this difficult time. The office has got lots of microchips which can be ordered by telephone and vets should be able to implant them but obviously that does depend on your own particular vet.
Shetland Pony Trading still continues via the Trading Website page and Victoria can take orders as usual.
Again, you will all know that sadly the 2020 Breed Show has had to be cancelled, as have most, or all, other shows including the International Show with the ISPC Meeting. This will now take place in 2021 hosted by France and I hope will be a real humdinger of a show to make up for the loss of this year. Many of us were looking forward to going and I was looking forward to our annual meeting with our Daughter Stud Book Societies.
I have spoken to a representative of OSCR (the Scottish Charities Board) who have been very helpful and explained that due to Covid 19 we are not obliged to have the three meetings required in the Constitution nor are we compelled to hold an AGM, we have to submit our audited accounts which our accountants Johnston Carmichael are in the middle of preparing and which OSCR are happy to accept with an email signature from me. This is a ‘one off’ dispensation from OSCR and the English Charities Commission’s Covid 19 guidelines echo the same sentiments for Charities based in England and Wales.
I am still very much hoping that our Society sales will be able to take place in the Autumn and that we might be able to hold an AGM at the Worcester Sale on 19th October, but, again, this must depend on what Government restrictions are or are not in place, as with everyone else in the UK we have to abide by the rules set by the Prime Minister and no one knows where the country will be in October, we can only hope things are better.
New Council Members for 2021 will be announced after June 1st as there is a vote for the three English places, English members will get their voting papers this week, please vote and return them to York Place by June 1st. Scotland had two Council applications for two places and so will not have a vote this year.
It is very hard for everyone and all of you must be facing problems which you never thought would happen, probably some of you have friends or relations who have had or who have got the virus and you must be worried sick, isolation is causing difficulties for so many families, while we can all see the reasons for it that does not make it any easier. Some of you will have not seen much loved children or grandchildren for such a long time and that, again, is heart breaking. Some of you will be worried about jobs, companies going under, hardships that we have never seen before and I can only remind you all of The Queen’s Message that ‘We Will Succeed and Better Days Will Come’.
With my very best wishes to you all
Anne
(Countess De La Warr, President SPSBS)
