Saturday afternoon's TUST meeting - before the Macclesfield game - will now be in the GULLS' NEST between 3.30pm and 4.30pm.
Apologies for the late change.
Open to members and non-members.
TUST members please bring your membership card. We need you to vote to validate the new rules. Thank you in advance of this.
Main purpose of the afternoon is to update you on recent events and to discuss the route ahead for TUST.
Everybody is welcome. It's a good opportunity to keep momentum going before the season finishes.
TUST meeting, Saturday 25 April 3.30pm
There was an encouraging turnout for today's TUST meeting. Thank you to all who attended and contributed. In many respects it was an awkward time and place. We appreciate both your active participation and good grace.
There was a strong sense that the feelings of the supporters gathered pretty much matched the views of TUST's officers and helpers. There is a role for TUST. It mustn't fade away; it should seek a dialogue with the new owners; it needs to bring Torquay United closer to the local community.
TUST should especially reach out to encourage younger supporters. But, at the same time, it shouldn't lose sight of the needs and concerns of all who follow the club.
There was discussion of various categories of membership subscription (could some supporters afford to pay more than £2 per month?); how Torquay United represents all of the TQ postcode area; how TUST's lottery should be promoted and encouraged.
We also looked at the past history of TUST and how interest gradually tailed off beyond 2007/08. Maybe this was because people thought "all's well" as the club went on to have good times between 2007 and 2012? The lesson from this might be that a supporters' trust is needed for times both good and bad.
The immediate challenge for TUST is to keep the momentum going and take advantage of all opportunities which arise. And, just like Torquay United itself, this particular close season will be vital for TUST.
Key messages from TUST's officers included:
1. An early meeting with the new owners will be sought. TUST has absolutely no idea of the identity of those behind the current bid. An email to TUST from Kelvin Thomas confirmed that talks are ongoing and a resolution is expected to occur "around the end of this month or the first half of May".
2. TUST will endeavour to adopt a strong community focus in all that it does. This should build a healthier club as well as paving the way towards generating different types of income. Partnerships could be built with individuals, schools, colleges, the business community and local sporting organisations. As raised by questions today, there would be a strong emphasis on encouraging the fans of the future. The aim is that the club becomes more outward looking than at present.
These are outline ideas at present; more work will need to be devoted to this strategy over the next few months. Your thoughts and suggestions are invited.
3. TUST must start on a serious fundraising drive. This has two purposes. Firstly, to enable TUST to go about meeting its various aims and objectives (including its community strategy). Secondly, to have an "insurance policy" should TUST ever be presented with another opportunity to bid for control of Torquay United. This is in keeping with TUST's declared intention to keep open the long-term possibility of supporter ownership.
To this end, TUST's officers will be proposing the establishment of the FOREVER YELLOW fund. Fuller details to be made available soon.
Finally, our thanks to those members who volunteered their time and expertise in helping TUST. Further offers of help, ideas, suggestions and possible contacts can be made to [email protected].
There was a strong sense that the feelings of the supporters gathered pretty much matched the views of TUST's officers and helpers. There is a role for TUST. It mustn't fade away; it should seek a dialogue with the new owners; it needs to bring Torquay United closer to the local community.
TUST should especially reach out to encourage younger supporters. But, at the same time, it shouldn't lose sight of the needs and concerns of all who follow the club.
There was discussion of various categories of membership subscription (could some supporters afford to pay more than £2 per month?); how Torquay United represents all of the TQ postcode area; how TUST's lottery should be promoted and encouraged.
We also looked at the past history of TUST and how interest gradually tailed off beyond 2007/08. Maybe this was because people thought "all's well" as the club went on to have good times between 2007 and 2012? The lesson from this might be that a supporters' trust is needed for times both good and bad.
The immediate challenge for TUST is to keep the momentum going and take advantage of all opportunities which arise. And, just like Torquay United itself, this particular close season will be vital for TUST.
Key messages from TUST's officers included:
1. An early meeting with the new owners will be sought. TUST has absolutely no idea of the identity of those behind the current bid. An email to TUST from Kelvin Thomas confirmed that talks are ongoing and a resolution is expected to occur "around the end of this month or the first half of May".
2. TUST will endeavour to adopt a strong community focus in all that it does. This should build a healthier club as well as paving the way towards generating different types of income. Partnerships could be built with individuals, schools, colleges, the business community and local sporting organisations. As raised by questions today, there would be a strong emphasis on encouraging the fans of the future. The aim is that the club becomes more outward looking than at present.
These are outline ideas at present; more work will need to be devoted to this strategy over the next few months. Your thoughts and suggestions are invited.
3. TUST must start on a serious fundraising drive. This has two purposes. Firstly, to enable TUST to go about meeting its various aims and objectives (including its community strategy). Secondly, to have an "insurance policy" should TUST ever be presented with another opportunity to bid for control of Torquay United. This is in keeping with TUST's declared intention to keep open the long-term possibility of supporter ownership.
To this end, TUST's officers will be proposing the establishment of the FOREVER YELLOW fund. Fuller details to be made available soon.
Finally, our thanks to those members who volunteered their time and expertise in helping TUST. Further offers of help, ideas, suggestions and possible contacts can be made to [email protected].
Having attended this meeting and the last game of my 52nd season supporting the Gulls, I have to say I am impressed with the work so far undertaken by this trust in so short a time. I feel this is a move in the right direction and the drive, enthusiasm and motives behind the trust are worthy of our full support. It gives me great heart that there is an organisation whose aim is to safeguard the future of the only football club I care about, run by good people who are giving up their own time. I strongly recommend all supporters to get behind TUST and join. We, the supporters, are the only consistency.
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