Conference kick starts the new Licensed Trade Charity
The newly-formed Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) held its inaugural national conference at the Centre Court Hotel in Basingstoke, Hampshire, on 26 and 27 October.
The event, which coincided with the launch of the new charity, was attended by more than 150 grass-roots supporters of the former SLV (Society of Licensed Victuallers) and the LVNH (Licensed Victuallers National Homes). The two groups merged to form the LTC.
Guests on the first evening were treated to a Champagne reception and a three-course dinner, followed by entertainment from Abba tribute band Abba Inferno.
The business session the following day saw the inauguration of the LTC and the formation of the new trustees.
Speeches were made by the LTC chairman, Eric Morgan, followed by speeches from Ray Russell, chairman of welfare & housing committee, Owen Maund, chairman of the Licensed Victuallers' School governing body, Ray Batty, chairman of the Clevedon House Preparatory School governing body, Maureen Batty, chair of the appeals committee, and finally, Shirley Gill, chair of the regional co-ordinating committee.
After lunch, Alastair Eadie from the Licensed Trade Chari-ties Trust, in support of the LTC, told delegates that the merger between the two long-standing trade charities had formed a body that was relevant to today's licensed trade.
Raising money might continue to be a problem with the consolidation in the trade, but Eadie said he felt that the LTC was off to a flying start as the charity had attracted some of the key players to the launch.
He said the trust would do whatever it could to help with the birth and growth of the new charity and that the licensed trade would benefit from its formation.
John McNamara, chief executive of the BII (British Institute of Innkeeping), said that he was delighted and proud to attend the first conference of the LTC.
"The charity was about real people, real issues, real hardship people with nowhere else to go and no one to ask and we as an industry have to support this. We all need to pull together and stand up for this industry," he said.
He added that the road ahead was long, but the BII would continue to support the LTC and the work it was doing.
Graham Page, a consultant at AC Nielsen, staged a presentation on the strategic drinks market over the last 10 years that highlighted the many changes and trends within the trade.
The final event of the conference was a "Night at the Oscars" with entertainment provided by the band Revival alongside more home-grown talent from within the LTC. Following the success of the conference, delegates said they would gladly commit to taking part in a similar event next year.
