I’ve just read some Joining Instructions for an upcoming AVIP course and it states that “All staff and cadets are required to pay £2 course fee to cover incidental expenses”
Of course, £2 is nothing but can anybody
enlighten me as to what these expenses are and
explain why I should pay to attend a mandatory course when I already give up good time at my own expense every week for parade nights?
to me it would be maybe tea, coffee and biscuits.
the problem you may have is someone using big phrases to describe
something trivial and of course if it is… then its optional!
Could you not just ask them what it’s for?
Nope, they also state that we have to take out own food & drink as there are no facilities. We have to take our own notebook & pens as well, so I can’t see any outlay needed.
I’m drafting a letter to the Wg trg Officer now but thought I’d ask here first.
It will be interesting to see what they say.
The only ‘cost’ we incur is the tea swindle and believe me I can eat a quids worth of biscuits and get through enough tea/coffee to feel like I got my money’s worth.
I suggested we should do it by personal donation and not a forced cost. Didn’t go down well.
Could you not just ping them an email? Save us all waiting to hear what it’s about.
It’s to cover the cost of someone printing the form to tell you there are incidental expenses!
I don’t think there is much need for that.
If the OP is attending a AVIP course, they are clearly not as experienced in how these things operate.
Besides, regardless of how much or how little is asked, I always like to know what my money is paying for. I once attended a Wing weekend event where everyone was charged £10. I thought it was to cover messing and tea and coffee, but it turns out the money went straight to the Wing social fund…
Not on the AVIP course I hope? If they are I would suggest some amendments to the Risk Assessment.
What is a social fund, what is it for and who controls it, is it charity money?
Good question! No idea, but it seemed to be some sort of mess fund - a bit like a canteen fund for grown ups. The description I was given sounded a bit vague, and I understand that the practice was stopped not long after.
My Wing lumps in safeguarding with AVIP so staff needing to attend the former just do the first morning of the course so it’s possible the OP isn’t brand new.
So what happened to it and how much was in the ‘pot’?
The short answer is I don’t know.
The first I knew about it was when I read the JIs:
“…Uniformed staff will be required to pay £5.00 per day messing, CIs £2.50 per day, payable in cash at the weekend…”
I assumed it was a messing contribution (as you would), except it wasn’t. The explanation I had was a bit wooly and vague, and then the practice was stopped a few months after, which makes me think it wasn’t completely above board.
No surprise there then but as I say where did the money go
Sorry, yes I meant email. Hopefully I’ll have an answer on Monday as I sent it from my works email address
No answer yet but I did ask our OC at Friday’s parade and they suggested it might be for printer ink & paper.
Oh, and project123 - I’m 48 years old, as if that’s got anything to do with it? As already mentioned - it’s not the fact that it’s £2 - if, as you suggest it IS for tea & biscuits then it should be optional and not hidden under the guise of a mandatory payment for something else. Would you be happy to be given £2 less change at the supermarket and not told why?
I’d love to know what ink and paper they’re using. If there are 10 people that’s £20 in the beer fund.
Printing should be done at Wing and come out of public funding.
Can we charge every time Wing / HQAC expect us to print something? I’d happily get £2 into the squadron every time we print something off. 
Also, regardless of where the money is coming from if they’re printing £2 of stuff per student then they need to cut down on their printing!