The Co-op are saying they can’t open the bank account
until we’re approved as an official chapter of WMF. I tried to convince
them that we’re an independent organisation and that if the worst came to
the worst and we weren’t approved we’d still continue on with out
charitable work, but they didn’t seem persuadable. I also told them that
our confirmation as an official chapter was now just a formality, but it’s
clearly the formality they are interested in. (TBH if I were in their place I
probably would have made the same decision, since realistically if negotiations
with WMF did break down irredeemably we would end up between somewhere between
permanently tiny and dead.)
The good news on the other hand is that they said everything
else in the application was fine, and that as soon they get our official
confirmation they’ll be able to open the account.
So I’m sorry about any part in this delay caused by my
personal ineptitude. Perhaps had I phrased things slightly differently on the
application form/business plan they would not have realised the importance of
these negotiations for us, but I hope you agree this is far from the end of the
world. We’ll get the official confirmation from WMF in early January,
which puts the AGM in March at the latest, which is still within our self-imposed
6 month timeframe.
Your continued patience is much appreciated…
Tom
(Treasurer)