Slough Town Supporters' Trust News Update

Dear all,

Hello and welcome to another Trust news update. I'm pleased to announce that all of the money raised last summer with the walk to Hampton and Richmond's ground has now been collected. The grand total reached a whopping £3,737, so once again thank you to everyone who walked and donated their hard-earned cash. Not only will this boost the Trust's coffers, it also provides some much needed funds for Wexham Park Hospital's Special Care Baby Unit.

Moving on to the next fundraiser - the annual Christmas Draw and Race Night is to be held on Thursday 13th December at the Polish Club. Kicking off at 7:30pm, the night will feature the usual furious betting on horses as well as the grand draw, which boasts an enormous amount of prizes again this year. Three cash prizes are on offer, starting at £150, followed by £75 and a third prize of £25. There will then be a host of alcoholic prizes, including bottles of gin, vodka, whiskey and a crate of beer, along with the Christmas must-have tins of chocolates. Please help us by spreading the word and bringing along family members and work colleagues.

I'd like to take the opportunity to answer a few questions which a few fans have repeatedly put to me over the past few weeks about the Trust's money. As you know, each year you, the Trust's members, elect representatives to the Trust board each year. Part of their responsibilities include making decisions about how the Trust's money can best serve the club. On some occasions, the board makes the decision to donate some of the funds to local charitable causes, such as local youth football teams or the Wexham Park Children's Accident and Emergency ward.

With the recent publicised money problems of Slough Town Football Club, some members have approached me to ask what the Trust has done or is planning to do about it. Returning to the board members' duties for a moment, the issue of where to spend the Trust's money includes whether or not we donate to the club to help with its running. Prior to the season for example, the Trust wrote off a loan made to the club and paid for the new kit. To clarify the rules, board members can vote to decide how much money should be donated to a cause up to the sum of £2,000. If board members wish to donate any more than that, the Trust board has an obligation to give its members two weeks notice of an organised meeting to ask how they feel about the proposal. The board must stand by its members' decision.

Up to this point, the Board has taken the decision not to offer money to the club because there was no continuing plan in place to provide funds after the proposed amount given by the Trust ran out. The Board believed that it had a duty to its members to retain the funds until a more concrete long-term funding plan was in place, at which point, it would be happy to consider providing temporary funding to fill the interim period. The Board has set £800 to one side to help top up the club's funds if it's needed, at the discretion of the Trust's chairman.

All that's left for me to say is thank you for your support so far this season and have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Charlie Thomas - Communication Officer