SVR General Discussion

I have upgraded my membership to lifetime (which effectively brings forwards annual income) and also donated. I don't have an endless pot of money, so I can't support everything, but the transparency has encouraged me this time.

 

Some will pay more. Some will pay less. As long as the average amount per person is around the £50 mark. It will break the back like you say. I do wonder if something like Paypal, Pay in 3. Could be an option. £50-£60 is a lot of money, in the current economy for someone to drop in one go. Spreading it out over 3 months like Paypal offers would definitely ease alot of people.

 

Yes, I'll be supporting the appeal. It would be very poor of me not to after being a frequent visitor to the railway for 40+ years. <BJ>

 

To put it bluntly no. I was a supporter of the SVR until I was no longer a supporter. The turning point was the shareholder debacle and a promise made to myself, "never again", as I don't like being treated like a fair weathered friend. Whilst I don not wish to see the SVR cease trading, my contributions now head to another more deserving railway.

 

I'm erring towards yes I will make a contribution. I have plenty of doubts over decisions that have been made in the last few years, and the information coming with this appeal didn't really tell me anything I don't already know. Everyone knows what is going on in the world at the moment. However, the changes the railway has already made shows there has been some navel gazing and tough decisions made to address the situation they are in. It has given me plenty of enjoyment, and hopefully will continue to do so when I visit this weekend and beyond.

 

I was also in the same boat as you. Fortunately the thought of seeing the railway fold brought me to my senses. <BJ>

 

I have supported the SVR since becoming a member 43 years ago and a shareholder for 35 years I am fortunate to have been able to recently donate two five figure amounts to the charitable trust but my relationship with the SVR has significantly soured under the previous managing director's regime. I do still maintain a monthly contribution to the charitable trust. I am primarily a photographer (and a supporter of 4079) Perhaps the SVR could offer clarity as to whether Thursday's 10.00 am to Kidderminster will be tender first or smoke box first. Makes a difference on a two hour drive.

 

It seems the plan is to turn 4079 Thursday afternoon, the last round trip.

 

Yes I will, because I think the SVR is worth saving, whatever may have happened in the recent past. I'm also paying to travel this year rather than using my shareholder free travel entitlement – every little helps at the moment.

 

You have hit the nail on the head, cash flow seems to be a big problem for them. Are they spending £100,000 on a gala to make £20,000 when they could cut back and spend £50,000 and still make £20,000

 

How many times are members and shareholders prepared to keep bailing them out when the same fundamental problems are still there though?

 

it’s very easy to say ‘this time it will be different’ but for the first time it looks like the right structural moves are being made, by the new MD.

that helps, for me. Plus the issue that unless they’re lying about the finances this time could be terminal without aid. So personally I’ve reached the inflection point where to give nothing is now taking a rusty knife to my nose to spite my face.

 

I think this is the essence of my question.

 

It is definitely a valid pint of view that the current circumstances offer an opportunity to see if galas can be sweated such that they offer the same income for less outlay - or alternatively that some of the costs can be engineered out without the paying customer noticing a loss of value.

however, in the business world, and given the kicking the railway is currently getting on it’s official Facebook from people who think everything can be laid at the door of tickets being too expensive for normal running days, I do wonder if ‘business as usual’ - which is what they’re trying hard to communicate - isn’t indeed the better option.

Not sure value engineering the galas to make more money would overall make enough difference to justify the ‘where’s the spectacle? I’m not paying that’ kicking that would start within about 10 seconds scribbled all over the online promotion.

 

There are some silly figures being quoted here. The return on the investment is much better if you have only invested £50k instead of £100k. However, both ‘make’ £20k so the outcome is exactly the same. What is perhaps more important is the risk associated with that investment. The more you invest, the more you can lose.

 

Especially important to note when costs are fixed and income isn’t.


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Yes, I'll be making a contribution. I have happy memories of visits to the SVR with my grandparents.

 

Indeed, and - in some cases - the less you invest the more risk there is to your expected profit!

No one said it was easy - however, to the direct point about investment and return on diesel galas that has been raised (and noting that money in vs money out is very much the bottom line here), in a world where the galas are one of the demonstrably not broken things in a sea of broken models, it would be a brave management that thought now was the time to potentially break them as well!

Personally, while there are undoubtedly ways to make the galas more profitable, in the current circumstances, I'd be parking that, going for the money we'd expect to make off them with normal jogging, and addressing the bits that lose money as my priority.