Bluebirds Trust AGM

[PRR]

Plenty of members were arsed and disagreed with the decision that the committee had already made prior to the AGM.

Thats hard to read that.

How was the decision made without the trust members being consulted first?

Someone needs to resign

Trust member's money withdrawn, not the trust's

[Lancaster Branch]

Aye, such a cover up that it was discussed for getting on for 2 hours at the AGM in the Cross Bar.

Yet no one seemed to have actually been arsed that supporters donations have funded someones lifestyle outside of the trust.


Where do i apply for my interest free cash loan?

Come on Az, do you really think that folk who give up their free time, miss chunks of games due to being on Trust duty etc wouldn't be bothered when something like this happens?

Be sensible.

[The Real Slim Azza]

Yet no one seemed to have actually been arsed that supporters donations have funded someones lifestyle outside of the trust.


Where do i apply for my interest free cash loan?

Come on Az, do you really think that folk who give up their free time, miss chunks of games due to being on Trust duty etc wouldn't be bothered when something like this happens?

Be sensible.

The sensible thing would be for whoever let this happen to resign.

We are talking about thousands of £s worth of donations here.

[mulholland]

Doesn't read well any of the above, however, as a member of the trust this is my only source of information about what's gone on. I didn't, and admittedly don't, attend any meetings but do appreciate the efforts of those that do. Like everyone else on here I think this unfortunate matter could and should've been handled a lot better.
1) Any chance of a some sort of 'official' explanation, on here, as to what has gone on and who exactly decided that the monthly instalments were ok?
2) What's the plan should this former-treasurer default on any of the payments?
3) If there's mitigating circumstances we should be told. At the end of the day it's other people's money and he knew what he was doing.
4) Get it sorted so this can't ever happen again.
Thanks

[barrowaberdeen]

I think what they are trying to do (I'm not on the board but I do go to the odd meeting and went to the AGM) is handle a difficult situation where someone may well have done wrong but all independent advice ( from a company director, a lawyer and the auditor etc unconnected to the Trust Board) was that they were unlikely to get any money back going the legal route.

You have someone offering to pay it back while denying he's done anything criminally wrong and playing the depression card (sorry of his pals and bleeding hearts on here don't like that but that's my opinion, I found his whole statement abhorrent frankly as someone who has direct experience of severe depression in my family..it doesn't make you nip back and forth to the cashpoint in confusion). I know for a fact he has paid back a fair chunk of the money already to be fair though I refuse to thank him for paying back cash he shouldn't have taken in the first place!

Personally, given that he works in business that relies on reputation, I would draw my own conclusions re that and so should anyone connected to the club IMO. That is where any 'punishment' is likely to hit hardest.

Hoss at some point in this long thread says something about well meaning people getting over their head and I think he's right, but it was hardly their fault; and to be honest Az, for once instead of winding people up on here for a laugh think about the people who were involved. They knew and trusted this man, had worked with him at Barrow in the BDF and the like for years...imagine how betrayed they felt.

I'm not sure how much better all these experts with hindsight would have done on here.

[Bigfathoss]

I think that what is needed now is a re-think and then a re-issue of the mission statement of the Trust set-up. It should be accompanied by the brief resumes of the appropriate Trust board members with their appropriate responsibilities outlined.
What are the 12 month - 3 yr - 5 yr targets?
What is the precise nature of the tie-in with the club?
Right now I am not going to renew my Trust membership...I need convincing.

As an aside, and with hindsight, I believe that the associations made at the outset of this venture were the wrong ones. At the big launch at the Crossbar I expected Billy Bragg to walk in with a coalminer and start belting out the Red Flag.

[Lancaster Branch]

Come on Az, do you really think that folk who give up their free time, miss chunks of games due to being on Trust duty etc wouldn't be bothered when something like this happens?

Be sensible.

The sensible thing would be for whoever let this happen to resign.

We are talking about thousands of £s worth of donations here.

Separate issue - I was answering the comment that nobody was bothered.

[barrowfan]

If a statement is issued this forum is not the place to do it. In the first instance it should go to all paid-up members of the Trust.

I have no doubt it will appear on here when one of the members posts it but it should firstly go direct to members.

[barrowaberdeen]

Hoss, I am the polar opposite of you politically but agree that the Woodcock thing was wrong 100%.

And I agree re the whole purpose of the Trust needing looking at.

The relationship with the club is actually quite good in my limited opinion..bit of a balancing act though as you don't want to be to0 close. I'd like to see a bit more challenge in there to be fair but that's partly the kind of things I'm interested in and views I hold that make me say that I suppose.

Money going into the community coaching side of things is good, as are the various causes and discounts for members. A lot of good work goes on maintaining the ground. Much of this happened before but it brought all theses little groups together when the make up of the club changed and we were bought out. The travel is carrying more than ever before, and if we can I think it's good that remains independent of the club. Add all that up folk do OK for a tenner.

Long term aims are more difficult. A Supporters Trust is meant to be looking to buy shares etc to eventually be in a position to take control. As things stand, I don't see that happening at all. But if you look to the continent say you do see supporters groups taking more control overall over decision making and supporting the wider fanbase to take an active part in how the club is run day to day.I 'd like a bit more of that, but again that's just my own opinion.

[mulholland]

RE: barrowfan, a statement should go (or should have gone ) to all members, but it didn't in the first instance concerning this issue so to save a lot of unnecessary expense and time etc. it'd be better posted on here.

[tictactoe]

Right, near the beginning of the trust I was asked to help with the accounts which I did but thankfully this didn't last long. At the time doing any type of accounts was impossible due to there being no receipts, lack of bank statements etc etc and it got to a point where I couldn't do it anymore as I had a feeling something like this was going to happen. I walked away and that year went to the Agm and was appalled when the accounts were offered and they had been approved by a co-worker of the person involved here. I couldn't agree them on the evening when a count was taken and that ended my membership with the trust as it wasn't being run right imo. Lessons should have been learned then but obviously weren't.

I have nothing bad to say about the person involved and don't think anything was done intentionally but it shouldn't have been allowed to happen at all .

With regards to the trust in general they do a great job especially on the travel side but if you really think I ultimately you will end up with shares in the club that is delusion imo.

[Middleton Nick]

Just a couple of points. I was treasurer of an association and when I moved up to Cumbria I handed over to a trusted member. I was responsible for cash flow and any issued cheques required two signatures.
With this type of business/trust, cash is held in a treasurers account or something similar and no interest is earned.( Point made earlier in the thread about lost interest )
However, it came to light months later that the new treasurer was using our funds for gambling purposes.The money involved was significantly more than is involved here.
There are two options, you report the crime and go through the procedure and risk getting nothing back or you give the person responsible a chance of paying the cash back without police involvement.
The committee at the time gave the person the opportunity to pay the money back which thankfully was done.
I think the Trust has made the correct decision in this case and I also admire them for giving up their free time to run it.My membership stays intact.
Finally the cost of posting details to trust members would have been in excess of £160 which in my opinion is excessive and the money could be put to better use.

[Bigfathoss]

E-mails cost nothing and would reach all, or very nearly all, members. I think it is the relative down-play of this situation that has, ironically, raised the profile.

[Bigfathoss]

Just received and read the Trust minutes and accounts. I am somewhat relieved that PC has stated that shares in the club would not be available. it removes the main unrealistic part of what the Trust was targeting. They can now concentrate on being BDF2 - which I believe is of real value to the 'club'.
I would dissolve the original mandate and Trust set-up, and concentrate on what you/they have proven to be very good at doing.
Personally, I have been left with a bad taste following this situation (and, I have to say, the revelation that Trust members get advance dibs on cup tickets along with Season Ticket holders) and that's a shame because the people involved clearly have good intentions.

[blue nige]

I would like to know what Paul Casson`s plans are for the future stability of the club, it states no long term plan to sell shares in the club and if they were the trust could not afford them!
I thought his intentions were to give the community a share in the club`s future or is this another broken promise?

When the trust was formed Paul Casson made a big play on this, i`m not ungrateful for where Paul Casson has now taken us but i fear if he loses interest or god forbid becomes unwell in the future where does that leave us?