TrustSTFC - direction & AGM

[Nemo]

This gets discussed a bit in the New Beginnings thread, but I suppose we can probably stretch to separate threads for the two basket case organisations in our lives and leave that thread to the actual club administration, fans forums and so on.

To summarise where we're at:

The Trust AGM is on 28th Feb

This also includes election of board members. A huge number are resigning including Steve Mytton (Chair), James Spencer & Alex Pollock (co vice-chairs) and Scott Curtis (treasurer). That means all the officers are going apart from the Secretary.

That leaves just five board members in post of which three are up for re-election

Up for re-election:
Neil Hutchings
Paul Hedges
Tom Paris

Not up for re-election
Sharon Brinsdon (Trust Secretary)
Bazil Solomon


To quote myself in the other thread, Clearly at the moment there is a divide in the Trust board (not itk here, just going on what's been said and done publicly).

There's a "ruling faction" if you will represented by the Chair and vice Chairs, all of whom are standing down, who are the closest to Clem (and the longest serving on the Trust, the two things not being unrelated!) and then the rest of the board are either a bit more sceptical of Clem or just "go with the flow" types.

Will hopefully be clear from the statements accompanying re-election campaigns where individuals sit within that, so members at least know what they're voting for. Obviously with the Chair, Treasurer and both Vice-Chairs standing down at once, that's a big hit to the "continuity" faction, but I imagine they won't want the Trust to lurch the other way entirely and will have some succession planning in place.

The challenge for the "Change" faction, for want of a better name, is that many of the members who would vote for them have ragequit the Trust over the last few months.


So... does anyone care? is anyone standing? There's clearly a lot of dissatisfaction on here with the Trust, but it does have procedures in place to allow the general fan to change its direction more than the club does.


My personal view is that with the Joint Venture in place (and the retiring administration deserve credit for getting that done, no matter what else they've got wrong) the Trust matters and can't just be left to die and be replaced. I'm keen to back candidates who will restore a healthy distance between club and Trust, and have thought about standing myself but don't really want to.

[reeves4england]

I care. If done right, this is the perfect opportunity for the Trust to restructure, refocus and regain all the support it has lost over the past couple of years.

If done badly, we lose all hope of holding those running the club [whoever that might be] to account without a 'Not a Penny More' style protest.

[Nemo]

If people haven't already seen, it's clearly starting to get a bit underhand already, with this interesting new poster on the other thread the other night - https://thetownend.com/index.php?action=profile;u=12837

hi all this is my first post and I am an older fan so please be gentle with me.. I waned to talk about the fact there has been a great deal of talk over the supporters trust and there ability to represent fans recently. I was discussing this with a mate at he weekend and was tempted to apply for a board position in the agm next month myself. I have financial experience and thought i could help them, but after hearing about the current situation at the trust i have decided i don't want to be part of it. My mate said that one of the current board who was secretary (neil hutchinson) quit the role last month and really threw the trust into complete disaray he was the guy responsible apparently for pushing the car crash of the financial review, but he resigned as secretary just before christmas to avoid having to arrange and run the agm for the trust and left the rest of them to pick up the pieces but remains on the board letting everyone else pick up the role he should be doing. My mate says he has been telling everyone that he will be the new trust chairman come the agm. How can someone have the arrogance and behaves in that way have the belief he can actually be the chairman. In my view if this is a representation of how things are with the trust then i dont want to be part of it, my mate also thought he might stand for the board as he has experience of digital media but given the situation with them at the moment and what he described he also felt he didnt want to be associated with that too.  I actually thought i could help them but i dont want to be involved if characters like the ex secretary are the sort of people i would be working with. Has anyone here applied and do they think i should change my mind and apply or have i done the right thing. Welcome opinions.

Perhaps Mr. 2024 would have some further interesting views for us outsiders.

[joeydubya]

A small point, but the Trust allowed Bazil Solomon to pose for warm room pictures last year when that was running, which he used for purposes to promote himself as a Conservative councillor.

Not saying people involved in local politics can't be involved in the Trust, but this shouldn't be allowed whatever the party.

[Bennett]

I'd agree there. You wear one hat at a time

[Nemo]

Did the warm room have anything to do with the Trust? Wasn't that one fan's initiative supported by the Community Foundation? Doesn't sound like ideal behaviour but I don't think it's a conflict of interest as such?

[TailBetweenLegs]

Warm room was nothing to do with the Trust, he turned up on numerous times unexpected. First few times was agreed through the club

[joeydubya]

Warm room was nothing to do with the Trust, he turned up on numerous times unexpected. First few times was agreed through the club

And perhaps there was a genuine interest, and i'm not dragging him for his support.

But as a representative of the Trust (and his party); he should have either been more mindful to not use that for self promotion, or the Trust should have asked him not to use his status within for his own benefit.  One hat.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

What is warm room?

[Bennett]

What is warm room?

https://www.warmwelcome.uk/

[Bogus Dave]

Bazil Solomon is an opportunistic prick so it doesn’t suprise me

[Cookie]

Whichever way the wind blows Brazil Solomon follows.

[tans]

Didn't he stand as a Tory and then defect to labour or something?

[Bennett]

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/18175762.labour-councillor-bazil-solomon-switches-conservative-party/

[tans]

Bloody hell