VCT INVESTORS GROUP Update and report on 23 March 2021 webinar

ShareSoc News Item by Cliff Weight, Director

117 people registered for our 23 March 2021 webinar and at least 94 attended, much higher than the 26 the previous year at the East India Club. The organisers received much positive feedback, for which they are grateful, and indicates that similar future events should be planned. At the webinar:

• Cliff Weight did a brief introduction of why the VCT Investors Group was formed and why it exists – to lobby on poor performance, poor governance, high fees, directors with long tenure and questionable independence; and to improve the VCT investment experience.
• Mark Lauber presented very interesting data on historic returns and discussed the question of whether VCTs remain a good investment.
• Nick Curtis presented on the Campaign against the Ventus VCTs, how he became a director and updated us on the latest development, which involve a plan to dispose of all the remaining assets and close the funds so as to maximise shareholder value.
• We then had a panel, which included the presenters, who were joined by VCT experts Tim Grattan and Roger Lawson, for a debate and lots of questions and answers.