Wednesday night was a busy one for meetings, as well as the Stop the Cuts and Winter Gardens public meetings, staff and Friends of the Ventnor Botanic Garden (VBG) met with the newly-formed VBG Advisory Group.
Following a meeting back in December with George Brown and Isle of Wight council (IWC) officers, the group, which includes Mike Fitt OBE (Royal Parks), Phil Le May (Chair of the Friends), Simon Dabell, David Grist and William Bailey (Royal Hotel), have been discussing the future of the VBG.
Realistic financial support needed
The good news is that the Group confirmed that they’re happy to proceed and develop a strategy for the future running of VBG.
However (and it’s a big however), they all agreed that the time constraints being imposed by the IWC for the operation to become fully sustainable (ie. no funding from the IWC within 3-6 months) was completely unrealistic and untenable.
The Group have been scrutinising the accounts for the operation and forecast substantial losses in the first few years. Their acceptance to work on the project was on the basis that the IWC provide funding to the new entity for a minimum period of three years.
We understand that the Advisory Group will be meeting with council representatives again shortly and we’ll let you know if we hear anything in the meantime.
