The Smalltown Culture and Arts Manager (SCAM), Debby Karmary, has confirmed that, rather than bother trying to fill the White Elephant Enclosure (WEE) with people, she actually spends her time sitting around trying to think of ways to encourage Smalltown and Dullbridge Town Councillors to spend more Council Tax Payer cash on the failing enterprise.
Latest figures for the WEE show that the ‘business’ has been operating on a loss of £7,700 per month so far this year, which brings the total cost of the project during the 10 years of SaD Town Council ownership nudging closer to having cost residents £1 million. The SCAM also confirmed that over the last 180 days 4200 people have visited the WEE, which equates to 23 visitors a day, although this figure is double the number who visited during the same period last year – when the WEE was partly-closed due to the Corvid pandemic (something the SCAM fails to mention).
Undaunted the SCAM will tonight request further cash to fund a few more ideas. A new fridge for the cafe will cost £600, replacement of the LED lighting fitted four years ago will need £1225 of finance – with the SCAM claiming it is essential because not replacing it will mean ‘losing contracts with new and quality event providers, something we have worked hard over the past year and a half to build.’ Since the WEE has most recently been operating mostly as a second-rate cinema, showing old films, it is hard to see who or what these new and quality event providers have actually brought to the WEE.
However it is the request for new office furniture which is raising eyebrows amongst residents. The current office furniture is claimed to be over 30 years old and it is planned to replace this with bespoke fitted units, so that the four staff who use the office can make better use of the space.
One has to wonder what the four staff actually do on a day-to-day basis considering that most use for the WEE comes from hiring it out as a venue for classes and not from providing world-class entertainment. However the SCAM insists that new desks would have a ‘big impact in terms of staff morale and demonstrates the care the Council has for their hard work.’.
Whilst the Council may care it is fair to say that the vast majority of Smalltown and Dullbridge Town residents, who actually pay for this, don’t, and would far rather see their money spent on something more beneficial.