The Camanachd Association’s annual general meeting took place in the Muthu West End Hotel, Fort William, on Friday November 30. The 2017 accounts showed a £42,346 increase in turnover and a surplus of £32,084, increasing the association’s reserves to £108,046 at December 31.
Having fulfilled its obligations and met its related targets, the association did not suffer any reduction in its £182,000 funding from Sportscotland, its largest single contributor. Overall grant funding increased by £8,892 despite a reduction in local authority-based grants. This, coupled with good management of expenditure and generous sponsorship, has enabled the association to predict a £10,000 surplus for year ending 2018 which will also go towards increasing reserves. The association’s main financial target for 2017 was to attract commercial sponsors and the addition of Tulloch Homes as title sponsor for the Camanachd Cup for four years contributed to an overall increase in sponsorship income. Anderson, Shaw and Gilbert came in as 2017 MacTavish Cup final sponsors, replacing RBS, which did not continue with its sponsorship.
Membership of the Camanachd Association Business Club increased to include five local businesses. Marine Harvest, which agreed a further three-year sponsorship of shinty, were again the game’s principal sponsors.