George Hotel Museum not going ahead (Merged Threads)

[Scubby]

13 minutes ago, del capo said:

Check out the accounts and attached reports for Rugby League Cares at Companies House . 2020 being the latest.

Good luck with trying to run  a museum attraction in a place like Huddersfield where in the medium term the expenditure will far outweigh the income and at the same time help  look after our  seriously injured ( both mind and body ) players.

Tough choices ahead ?

They are running it, as in administrating it, as opposed to funding it. The funding will be done by Kirklees Council who won the bid - RL Cares is simply facilitating the winning bid.

[M j M]

1 hour ago, del capo said:

Check out the accounts and attached reports for Rugby League Cares at Companies House . 2020 being the latest.

Good luck with trying to run  a museum attraction in a place like Huddersfield where in the medium term the expenditure will far outweigh the income and at the same time help  look after our  seriously injured ( both mind and body ) players.

Tough choices ahead ?

It appears you haven't researched the funding structure of the Rugby League museum.

[JohnM]

Exactly. It was his words about using all RLC's assets. 

RUGBY LEAGUE CARES - 1150763 (charitycommission.gov.uk)

THE RFL BENEVOLENT FUND - 1109858 (charitycommission.gov.uk)

I'm not a fan of siting it at The George, though.   Better in my view to locate it where there are large numbers of people, fans, followers and general public. Just a small proportion of a large number will in my view, be better than a place of pilgrimage maybe..for a few. The faithful will make that pilgrimage wherever the museum is.

[Blind side johnny]

12 hours ago, Scubby said:

They are running it, as in administrating it, as opposed to funding it. The funding will be done by Kirklees Council who won the bid - RL Cares is simply facilitating the winning bid.

And there you have it. Kirklees Council are no wealthier than any other in the deprived and under-resourced North. The local populance are relatively uninterested in RL. Any move to fund the running costs of the museum in the medium term from local taxpayers money will be suicide for a local politician anywhere.

I love RL, but this museum has such a limited future in Kirklees (and maybe anywhere) that a serious rethink is required. 

[JohnM]

Wherevery it is sited, if the local authority is funding it, it's not just the council tax payer who will be paying. As I've pointed out, around 25% of local authority income is from govt (I. E. general taxpayer) grant. Thus, whether you live in Kent or Kornwall,  youll be paying in part, to Kirklees.

[Blind side johnny]

7 hours ago, JohnM said:

Wherevery it is sited, if the local authority is funding it, it's not just the council tax payer who will be paying. As I've pointed out, around 25% of local authority income is from govt (I. E. general taxpayer) grant. Thus, whether you live in Kent or Kornwall,  youll be paying in part, to Kirklees.

And 60% of LA spending goes to social services, shifted there from central government by Osbourne.

You can equally claim that my taxes go to fund whatever passes as a national treasure in your neck of the woods. It isn't a nett zero calculation. 

[JohnM]

Nevertheless, a proportion of my income tax finds it way to Kirklees, so as a funder of Kirklees, I have a right to comment as an interested party.  

[Blind side johnny]

On 30/11/2021 at 11:01, JohnM said:

Nevertheless, a proportion of my income tax finds it way to Kirklees, so as a funder of Kirklees, I have a right to comment as an interested party.  

No doubt. Of course, what you could do, as an interested party, is to lobby the RFL to commit an annual payment towards the running of this museum, wherever it is situated. This could come out of the broadcast coffers.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Blind side johnny

[JohnM]

I'm happy to leave it to Rugby League Cares as they have the skill, ability, knowledge, experience, focus, influence, access, resources, personnel etc, probably more that us contributors to this forum.

[Padge]

6 minutes ago, JohnM said:

I'm happy to leave it to Rugby League Cares as they have the skill, ability, knowledge, experience, focus, influence, access, resources, personnel etc, probably more that us contributors to this forum.

Or link up with an existing museum who has experience in putting on Rugby League exhibitions.

[JohnM]

1 hour ago, Padge said:

Or link up with an existing museum who has experience in putting on Rugby League exhibitions.

What? Is there one already? I think we should be told!

[theswanmcr]

10 minutes ago, JohnM said:

What? Is there one already? I think we should be told!

https://www.wigantoday.net/whats-on/things-to-do/gallery-take-a-look-at-wigans-brand-new-rugby-exhibition-3473521
 

[JohnM]

6 minutes ago, theswanmcr said:

https://www.wigantoday.net/whats-on/things-to-do/gallery-take-a-look-at-wigans-brand-new-rugby-exhibition-3473521
 

Well I never! Just fancy that!        

[Padge]

3 hours ago, JohnM said:

What? Is there one already? I think we should be told!

 

[Just Browny]

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/monumental-mistake-over-rugby-league-22417106?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Sounds like a bit of a depressing farce.

[tms]

Rugby league cares

https://www.rugbyleaguecares.org/news/general/statement-national-rugby-league-museum-at-the-george-hotel/

[Martyn Sadler]

1 hour ago, Just Browny said:

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/monumental-mistake-over-rugby-league-22417106?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Sounds like a bit of a depressing farce.

One of the problems for the George is that in the modern age it is hardly viable as a hotel, which is why it closed in the first place.

The RFL should long ago have bought the building and located the museum within it while occupying the rest of it as office space.

The public space in front of the hotel in St George's Square is one of the best town public spaces in the north of England and it would be ideal for the RFL to run regular mini-festivals of Rugby League linked to events in the museum.

Unfortunately there seems to be no one involved in this project with the vision to make it happen.

[JohnM]

Kirklees Council has no business in creating, owning or even running a hotel. It's a council not a commercial concern.

However, if they are now in breach of their agreement to locate the museum there, RLC should reopen the tendering process, and reclaim costs from Kirklees. 

The museum should be located in my view where there is huge cultural opportunity in an already vibrant and busy area. This means only central Leeds or Manchester Central, Media City or Etihad campus. 

We hardened fans will undertake pilgrimages to the museum wherever it may be but if we want a wider public to be attracted and impressed, it has to be in a busy location.

[Devon Ram]

'Monumental mistake' over Rugby League museum at Huddersfield hotel - YorkshireLive (examinerlive.co.uk)

Have Kirklees Council been giving funding on its commitment to the George hotel & Rugby League museum ? if so then the money should be paid back & RLC should open the tendering once again.

[Blind side johnny]

Undoubtedly the tendering process should be reopened and Kirklees excluded from the application. Trying to recover any costs from the council would be wishful thinking, in my view.

Of course, at the heart of all of this lies the question: just how much interest is there in a RL museum and what is the business plan for it? As others have stated previously the Museum of Football struggles to make ends meet and that has a much greater potential customer base.

I apologise already for dismissing a "lack of vision" as being any part of a credible argument.

[gingerjon]

15 minutes ago, Blind side johnny said:

Undoubtedly the tendering process should be reopened and Kirklees excluded from the application. Trying to recover any costs from the council would be wishful thinking, in my view.

Of course, at the heart of all of this lies the question: just how much interest is there in a RL museum and what is the business plan for it? As others have stated previously the Museum of Football struggles to make ends meet and that has a much greater potential customer base.

I apologise already for dismissing a "lack of vision" as being any part of a credible argument.

The RFL should have bought a failing hotel and turned into something else because it's on a nice square.

[JohnM]

delete "failing" - insert" failed" 

[Mattrhino]

On 29/11/2021 at 23:06, Blind side johnny said:

And there you have it. Kirklees Council are no wealthier than any other in the deprived and under-resourced North. The local populance are relatively uninterested in RL. Any move to fund the running costs of the museum in the medium term from local taxpayers money will be suicide for a local politician anywhere.

I love RL, but this museum has such a limited future in Kirklees (and maybe anywhere) that a serious rethink is required. 

My under resourced council (wakey) raises its council tax by the maximum 5% every single year.

Probably to pay another diversity coach 150k a year.

[Damien]

7 minutes ago, Mattrhino said:

My under resourced council (wakey) raises its council tax by the maximum 5% every single year.

Probably to pay another diversity coach 150k a year.

Or to give £6 million to 3 professional RL clubs....

[M j M]

50 minutes ago, Mattrhino said:

My under resourced council (wakey) raises its council tax by the maximum 5% every single year.

Probably to pay another diversity coach 150k a year.

This is going over to the politics forum but you started it with a silly point - do you not think, just maybe, increases are to offset the huge reduction in the central government funding they've received since 2010?