I went to the South Molton Tourist Information Centre AGM on Tuesday.

They ran at a loss last year and things are going to be worse this year. Partly because an increasing number of people are booking things on-line, but primarily because North Devon+ have withdrawn all their funding!

Their biggest items of expenditure are staff costs, rent  and gas and electricity.

Their sources of income are:

• members subscriptions;
• sales in their shop;
• sales of advertisements in their ‘mini’ guide;
• National Express coach ticket sales; and
• sales of tickets to other events e.g. the North Devon show.

In 2013/2104 they received just one grant – £1,500 from SMTC.

Why no grants from surrounding parishes, NDDC or DCC, or indeed Somerset County Council or even the EU ?