Our club Treasurer John Thompson explains:

‘In December 2024 I made the proposal, agreed by the Committee, that the annual membership subscription would need to be raised from April 2025, in order to continue to cover the increasing costs of running the club. This is the first increase since 2018; during that time compound inflation has been 27%; or, in other words, if a typical item cost £1 in 2018 then it would cost £1.27 today. Our main costs, that of magazine production, materials, and postage have risen significantly however our other costs have also increased during that time.

From 1st April 2025, therefore, our UK Membership annual subscriptions will change from £34 to £42; with European memberships changing from £80 to £100 and Rest of the World memberships changing from £100 to £125. Online European and Rest of the World memberships will change from £34 to £42. The revised subscription costs ensure that the club remains highly competitively priced compared to similar organisations. As such we hope you will appreciate why we need to make these increases and continue to support the club.’

This £8 increase still represents real value for money and for many of our members the costs saving of joining the new club insurance scheme more than offsets the membership fee.

We trust you will all understand why this decision had to be made to enable the club to survive and flourish.