BILLY THORPE WAS MORE THAN JUST A GREAT ARTIST - HE WAS A HUMANITARIAN. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO BILLY WROTE TO THE SAL BOARD AS SET OUT BELOW

Dear Meryl and Jim,

As you know I have been planning an idea for an annual ’super benefit’ to raise funds for SAL. This would ideally take place around Christmas and be of the same scale at LWTTT.

SAL is the obvious organization to be involved with the “super benefit” and quite frankly I have never considered doing it with anyone else. And I certainly don’t want to go it alone. I have never considered the big benefit as means to raise funds to be dispersed at my sole discretion and it goes without saying that a healthy percentage of whatever is raised can go into the general SAL fund.

One of my main reasons for the benefit idea is to help fill SAL’s coffers with some serious funds ASAP that can both elevate SAL and its effectiveness as an organization and be used to give applicants a more significant amount if money when needed. It was partially my experience with SAL to get Lobby some emergency funds prior to his benefit when he was destitute and about to evicted and seeing him allocated $3K that made me realise the need for a much larger fund that is able to deliver sufficient funds to keep people going for an extended time if necessary. And I mean no disrespect about the $3K donation. I have total respect and admiration for what you have been doing with SAL and for the fact that you set it up in the first place. And of course every penny helps when you are in need. But the fact remains that without the benefit Lobby would be in serious trouble now. Combined with the facts that there are going to be plenty more Lobby and Pete’s in the not to distant future and the public will soon grow weary of fund raisers for old musicians, I felt something needed to be done now that affords more meaningful grants to those who genuinely need it. Particular terminal applicants. And that takes real money. Hence the idea of a super benefit that produces a super SAL fund and negates the necessity of doing a benefit every time one of our musical brothers or sisters goes down.

The long term idea of a Musicians Home is just that at the moment. An idea. And one I believe needs to be examined from every angle before even committing to going down that road. There are so many variables. There’s much thinking needs to be done and its a way off yet. But some of the money raised at the super benefit can go towards exploring it in a professional and effective way and in a manner that gets the attention of the kind of business players and politicians it would need to get something of that size up and running. The super benefit however can be in 2007 and with a bit of luck SAL could be sitting on some serious money by this time next year. The bank interest alone on a $ 1mill is enough to keep several people going. And it could be more than $1mill and we can do better than bank interest.

A large fund will change SAL, its operation and effectiveness dramatically. As we discussed, if the benefit was to be super successful, there may even be a need for an office/part time/full time salaried person (persons) to facilitate a large fund. I don’t know. I’m just guessing because I haven’t been down this road before. But if the benefit is successful things will definitely change at SAL and I would very much like to participate in those changes as a voting board member. Not as a Patron. And I would also like to explore your suggestion of setting up a Billy Thorpe trust fund under the SAL umbrella if for no other reason than as the brand name on which to hang the super benefit.

Meryl, your kind offer of the SAL chairmanship was somewhat overwhelming. I am both flattered and honoured but it isn’t necessary. I wouldn’t even know where to start. Just a say on the board will be fine. I am sure I will need both your and Jim’s council, experience and guidance in the near future. I look forward to a meeting with you, Michael and Amanda prior to meeting with the SAL board. See you at Parliament house tomorrow at 12 noon.

Kind Regards
Billy Thorpe

HELP US MAKE THIS DREAM COME TRUE

The SAL Board is Meryl Gross (Chair), Michael Chugg AM, Alex Coroneos, Brett Cottle, Jane English,
Sally Howland, Michael McMartin, Geoff Rudd, Billy Thorpe, Jim White, Lynne Small (Secretary)
Patron: Renee Geyer

Contributions can be made as follows: Bank: St George Banking Corporation
Account Name: Moneypenny Business & Taxation Services P/L Trust Account - Billy Thorpe
BSB: 112-879 | A/C: 455015743