The Rotorua Commercial Travellers' Club is looking for new members to improve its financial position. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Anonymous members have saved a 50-year-old Rotorua club from a financial bind, offering a loan so it can pay its bills until it gets back on its feet.
The Rotorua Commercial Travellers’ Club on Moncur Dr is a bar, restaurant and gaming facility, which also boasts a pool and function spaces.
Known as the CT Club, it has 1300 members paying up to $90 a year to belong, but has been losing money post-pandemic.
Newly elected club president Paul Kinsella said the club had a monthly expenses shortfall of $6000 and needed a cash injection of more than $60,000 to stay on top of mounting debt.
The situation prompted an emergency meeting this month to find solutions.
Kinsella said the club, which had been at the current site since 1983 but had been operating since the 1970s, had a strong network of loyal members.
He said they were thrilled when a couple of members came forward anonymously to lend the club the money to ensure it could stay afloat.
He said the loan of more than $60,000 was on interest-free terms with minimum repayments.
“They have asked to be anonymous but it is just amazing.”
He said in the meantime, club members were swinging into action to cut costs and raise money to ensure the institution’s viability in decades to come.
One of the initiatives mooted was inviting members to “buy a brick” for $1000.
Kinsella said in return, the members would have their name displayed on a commemorative wall called “Saving the CT Club in 2025″.
Kinsella said options for paying off the $1000 could be made available for those who didn’t have the immediate means to pay but still wanted to help.
Kinsella said the club’s money woes started after the Covid-19 pandemic, but had been exacerbated recently by the rising costs of operating, coupled with members not having as much disposable income.
He said it was clear locals were tightening their belts and cutting out luxuries, such as spending time eating and drinking at the club, or even affording memberships.
He said the price of everything had gone up – including rates, insurance, Sky television, power and alcohol.
This had added to the difficulty and resulted in the incoming money not keeping pace with the outgoings.
“It’s noticeable that there are people who were more present five years ago. A lot of the same people are still here but they aren’t staying as long.
“On our club night on a Thursday, people used to stay until closing at 10.30pm or 11pm, but now it’s more 9pm.”
Kinsella said newly-appointed manager, Manda Stevens, had already made significant cost savings in areas such as cleaning, plant watering, overheads and wages, which would save the club $64,000 a year.
The club employed seven full-time and part-time staff members.
The catering, which used to be in-house, was outsourced several months ago in a cost-saving measure. No one else had lost their jobs as a result of cost-cutting.
Kinsella said the club was planning a membership marketing drive and hoped to attract more families with its pool opening Labour Weekend.
Kinsella said the club was humbled by the response of its members, who felt passionately about the club.
He said membership rates would not be increased as the committee felt there were many other ways to raise funds.
“The financial situation is far from dire, but it requires people being motivated to make sure things are stricter.”
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
Editor’s note
The author and other members of the Rotorua Daily Post team are former or current members of the CT Club. This did not influence our reporting.