The Cobar Services Club has had a very good year with members advised the club had made a healthy profit at their annual general meeting on Monday night.
The Club’s auditor, Jeff Shanks from the Luka Group, presented a very positive financial report to the AGM announcing the club had made a profit of $123,317 for the 2024/2025 financial year, which is up on last year’s profit of $10,270.
Mr Shanks said the club had turned over almost $2 million during the year compared to the previous financial year’s figure of $1.4 million.
The $400,000 increase in sales were reflected in bar takings (up $250,000 this year) and poker machines (up $170,000 on last year).
The courtesy bus, social media, new staff, patronage by free campers, and volunteer support have also contributed to a good year.
It’s a big turnaround for the club which went into voluntary administration in 2010, and was facing insolvency and possible liquidation in 2012 when secretary/manager Linda Carter stepped into the role.
“Over my 13 years here, I have had to make some hard decisions in the early years that were not popular with some, but the decisions were made in the best interest of the long-term survival of the Club,” Mrs Carter said in her report to Monday night’s meeting.
At times she had to fight “tooth and nail” to keep the club open when it was in a “dire financial situation” in 2018 and was looking at amalgamation with a parent club in 2023 to help solve its financial problems.
“The club is now supported more by the community as well as doing financially better than previous years and hopefully will continue to thrive into the future,” she said.
The new board was elected with Susie Loughran returned as president, John Claus and Charlie Nelson were elected as vice presidents, with Rod Lovegrove, Paddy Jermyn, Shane Josephson, Colleen Boucher, Chris Boucher and Andrew Verevis elected as board members.
Mrs Carter announced she would be finishing at the end of the year, taking her long service leave and not returning.
She said club manager Dale Russell, “who is more than capable”, would be taking over her role.
