Minutes of the Trusts A.G.M. a Tribute to Terry Bly Supporters Direct
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PLEASE DO NOT THROW THIS NEWSLETTER ON THE FLOOR! Recycle if no longer required Members of Supporters Direct, and Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service NEWSLETTER No 31 December 2009 Minutes of The Trusts A.G.M. A Tribute to Terry Bly Supporters Direct Keeps the Faith If you are Shopping On-Line this Christmas please Help the Trust fundraising effort by using the link on our website to many High Street Shops, Internet Stores and Service Providers. ‘CHARTERS’ and ‘OAKHAM ALES’ are proud sponsors of THE POSH SUPPORTERS’ TRUST The Posh Supporters’ Trust, P O Box 587, Peterborough. PE4 5XL. Website: www.theposhtrust.co.uk E-mail: [email protected] THE POSH SUPPORTERS’ TRUST Registered in England and Wales with the Financial Services Authority as an Industrial & Provident Society. Registration number: 29533R. \Member of The Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service. The Posh Supporters’ Trust is a democratic not-for-profit organisation of supporters, committed to strengthening the voice of supporters in the decision-making process at the Peterborough United Football Club. We seek to improve the links between the club and the community it serves, and help the club to grow to the highest level. Acting Chair -- Barry Bennett, Secretary -- John Henson, Treasurer -- Geoff Callen Directors -- Richard Bellamy, Ray Cole, Paul Froggitt, Keith Jennings, Paul Little, Walter Moore, Adrian Woolley. Consultant -- Peter Lloyd. OUR AIMS To bring Peterborough United Football Club, Posh fans and the local community closer together. To help disadvantaged and deserving fans to go to a match for free under the "Smile Ticket" scheme. To help the football club by increasing the Posh fan base through our "New Posh Fans Initiative." To support football related activities locally through sponsorship and donations whenever possible. To have a substantial membership in order to represent the views of fans at meetings with the football club and to promote their interests. To have a Supporters' Trust representative on the board of the football club representing the interests of all fans. To build up funds to support our activities and create a reserve to help the club in the longer term in the event of a crisis. Help Us to Help You! Become a member – subscription details on the back pages. Make a donation to the Trust. (pay-pal facility on website www.theposhtrust.co.uk) Play the Gold Bond Super Draw lottery every week. Use your membership card at the local businesses that provide excellent discounts to members (listed in this newsletter). Shop at Westgate Department Stores, AHF Home Furnishing Superstores and Westgate Optical, asking for the dividend to be credited to the Trust’s share number 473432. Visit and patronise our Stall on the concourse on match days! Browse the old Posh programmes, various books and magazines. Join or re-new your membership, and take part in the various competitions we will feature. Offer your services to the Trust, if you have any professional or other skills, e g in fund-raising, accountancy, business management, the law etc. Make use of our on-line shopping facility, buy.at/theposhtrust. We thank all those who continue to support the Trust, however they do it. Published by The Posh Supporters’ Trust, P O Box 587, Peterborough PE4 5XL. Printed by Printing Matters, Unit 12c, Brookside Industrial Estate, Sawtry, Cambridgeshire PE28 5SB. CHAIRMANS MESSAGE Welcome to our latest newsletter. Following their recent retirements at our AGM, I would like to thank Peter Lloyd and Jessica Weaver for their valuable contribution, whilst serving on the Trust Board. Peter has agreed to remain as a consultant to the Trust, to enable us to call upon his wealth of experience and knowledge in the future. I would also like to welcome Ray Cole, Paul Froggitt, and Adrian Woolley, on their appointments to the Board. Their fresh Ideas, skills and enthusiasm will enhance and strengthen your Board. The Posh has come a long way in a short period of time, with back to back promotions in the last 2 seasons. The step up into the Championship has been a mammoth one for everyone at the club, and we have seen some excellent endeavor and competed well against very strong teams, but concentration and leaking goals has cost us dearly. Like most Posh fans, I was most surprised when Darren Ferguson left the club recently and would like to thank both Darren and Kevin Russell for the entertaining football and success they have given us in the last 2 seasons. On behalf of the Posh Supporters’ Trust, I would like to welcome Mark Cooper and Nicky Eaden to our football club and wish them every success in the future. Darragh MacAnthony has invested millions in the Posh, his vision and judgment to date have been impeccable, so like most posh fans, I share his enthusiasm and judgment with the appointment of the new management team, and I am confident that with their experience in defense, Mark and Nicky will stop the leaking of silly goals and positive results will soon secure our future in the Championship. We are delighted to report that the Trust will once again implement a ‘New Posh Fan’s Initiative’ to introduce more new supporters to the football club. We will be giving 750 tickets away to new fans for the home fixture against Coventry on 6th March. We will distribute 3000 leaflets in the Stanground area for residents to apply for tickets, and we are looking for volunteers to help us and the football club with the door to door distribution on Sunday 24th January. If you can spare an hour or so to help us from 10am then please give me a call. 07710 283776, we will finish by 12-00 noon latest. As before there will be no cost to the Trust for this initiative, as the football club will be supplying the tickets, and the cost of printing / postage will be covered by sponsors. Following a campaign from PISA and The Trust on the very lengthy delay for the authorities to agree the location to build a new stadium, it has been confirmed that the Council is negotiating with PUHL with a view of possibly purchasing the London Road Stadium. The Leader of the Council said that he was optimistic that a decision would be announced before Christmas. At the time of writing my column, no news has yet emerged from the Council. The football club’s lease from PUHL is due to expire in 2013 so the urgency for a decision soon is becoming crucial. Finally, I wish You and your Family, the Players, Staff and Management of the Posh, a very Happy Christmas, and a Prosperous and Healthy New Year. Up the POSH Barry Bennett Acting Chairman The ‘Posh Smile Tickets’ scheme, provides free match tickets to watch Peterborough United play at London Rd, as a special treat for nominated people. Local community groups and disadvantaged fans can apply for Posh Smile Tickets so they can enjoy watching a game of football which perhaps they would otherwise be unable to enjoy. Fans can also nominate individuals or groups for a special “Posh Smile Ticket Treat” as a means of acknowledging hard work, selfless acts and a commitment to their local community - this could be anything from cleaning up litter to helping elderly people, or indeed a treat for someone who is seriously ill and their carer. To give someone you know a Smile Ticket “Christmas” Treat ! Contact Barry Now! 07710 283676 DISCOUNTS FOR TRUST MEMBERS Members of the Posh Supporters Trust can save ????’s on local services and purchases! As Members of The Posh Supporters’ Trust, you will (on production of your membership card) receive discounts and benefits generously given by many businesses in and around Peterborough. Please patronise all the businesses that provide these discounts, because they help the Trust to maintain and build its membership base. We are currently updating all the current discount sponsors details, and also adding new services to save you even more money. A new list will be published in the next newsletter. In the meantime, you can see all the discounts currently available on our Website. www.theposhtrust.co.uk The Trust thanks all these businesses for their support. If you own or are involved with a business that would like join our discount scheme, please contact us at :- The Posh Supporters’ Trust, P O Box 587, Peterborough PE4 5XL. TRIBUTE TO PETER LLOYD By Peter Williams, Secretary of Trust, 2002-07 At 7.30pm on 10 March 2003, almost exactly five months after the idea of a trust was mooted at an open meeting, between three and four hundred Posh fans gathered at The Cresset, Bretton for the all-important official launch of The Posh Supporters’ Trust. It was the culmination of four months of planning and hard work by the Working Group, later to become the Trust Board. As the secretary, I was, like all my colleagues, anxious to talk to as many dedicated fans as possible. Of all those I met that evening one person in particular stood out: I was astounded when he advised me that he had travelled to Peterborough from London to attend the launch. His name was Peter Lloyd. A few months later, when we held our first members’ meeting in the football club’s Starlite Suite (as it was known then), I noticed that Peter was again present, having once again travelled from London. His passion for Peterborough United and belief in the concept of a supporters’ trust were self-evident. Since the Trust was (as ever) seeking people willing to provide any form of assistance, especially someone with a particular expertise, we quickly decided to co-opt him on to the Board; he joined in November 2003 as the director responsible for financial affairs.