Members Reports - April 2006
Here's the April 2006 report -with a strong emphasis on fundraising. There's nothing new to report on the ground front but we expect to be able to talk more on this subject in the next report.
This is quite a long report but that's because there's plenty of news for this issue, including:
You'll see that besides telling you how things are going, we're asking you to help too. There's a dozen things that we need. Please do what you can.
1. Membership Drive
We currently have 218 members of the Supporters Trust. That's good, but not good enough. The more members we have, the more opportunities we have to raise more money and that translates directly into results on the pitch. It doesn't have to cost any more than £10 per annum (£5 for under-16s) to become a member.
Request Number 1 - please ask 3 of your friends, family members, workmates, teammates or whatever to join the Trust. Application forms are available on the Official and Supporters Trust websites.
Request Number 2 - there's still a number of members (28 of them) who have filled out Application Forms but not yet paid their membership fee. Please pay these now. You can pass fees to me at the Leyton or AFC Wimbledon games or send them to Hendon Football Club Supporters Trust, c/o 45 Homefield Road, Radlett, Hertfordshire, WD7 8PX.
2. Donations
A number of members have pledged one-off and/or monthly donations. In total, one-off donations of just under £6,000 have been pledged – of which just over £4,000 has been received.
A total of £1,813 per month has been pledged (that's equivalent to
£21,758 per annum) and a large proportion of that is now being received
on a monthly basis. However, we are still waiting to receive Standing Orders
in respect of £541 per month (that's
nearly £6,500 per annum).
Request Number 3 - if you've pledged donations but not yet paid them, please do so now. These donations, particularly the monthly amounts, are the most critical part of our financial plans: regular monthly income allows us to plan ahead with confidence. Donations and Standing Order forms can be sent to the above address.
Request Number 4 - if you were waiting to see whether the Trust was going to go ahead before committing one-off or monthly donations, please make that commitment now. I hope that you'e all confident that the Trust is moving in the right direction and additional monthly donations could make a lot of difference. Donations and Standing Order forms can be sent to the above address.
3. Events
The Trust has already completed two fundraising events. Our first event was the Sponsored Walk, where we were able to raise around £2,500 in total (and counting), of which 50% is being passed to St Luke's Hospice at the AFC Wimbledon match later in the month (see below).
Last weekend, we organised (with the help of Steve Lytton) a Wrestling Night which was a great success. This event earned the Trust a profit of just under £2,000.
Next up is sponsorship of Phil Rogers' assault on the London Marathon later on in the month and a Race Night to be organised at Claremont Road on 27 May. Other events are planned.
Request Number 5 - if you've still got Sponsored Walk money outstanding, please pass it on as soon as possible. Sponsor money can be sent to the above address.
Request Number 6 - if you'd like to sponsor Phil for the London Marathon, please take a look at the marathon sponsorship page on this site.
Request Number 7 - please let us know if you've got any ideas for fundraising events and, better still, if you're willing - like Steve - to get involved with the organisation of a fundraising event
Request Number 8 - please do all you can to support future fundraising events along with family and friends.
4. Snowball Lottery
Dave Garner recently announced a new monthly Snowball lottery to commence in May. Put simply, the more tickets that are sold, the bigger the prizes will be and the more we'll raise for the Trust.
Each month, there will be a first prize of 30% and a second prize of 15% of that month's lottery fund. A further 15% of the fund will go towards the annual Snowball prize. Full details are available on our Snowball Lottery website page.
Request Number 8 - please support the Snowball lottery and ask your friends and family etc. to do the same. Remember, the more we raise the bigger the prizes. As someone once said, "it could be you!"
5. Internet Shopping
We recently announced the Supporters Trust 'Online Shop?' This gives members (and others) the opportunity to shop at a wide range of retailers and earn commission for the Trust. We?ve already earned over £50 of commission in that way. While that might not seem very much yet, this has been at zero cost: the prices paid for goods/services via our Online Shop are exactly the same as those paid directly to the same retailers.
There are a number of offers that are completely free and which will earn commissions for the Trust. For example, everyone who completes a Consumer Products Survey earns 70p for the Trust - with over 200 members, we can earn over £140 in commission at no cost!
If we can grow the number of people who are prepared to do their online shopping via our Online Shop, there's no limit to the amount of commission that we can receive.
We've also just (this second) created a new opportunity to raise money for the Trust by signing up to and using Bet 365 - the Bet 365 Group Limited is one of the UK's leading betting and gaming groups, with over 500,000 customers in 120 different countries. If you are going to use Bet 365, please sign up through one of the links on the Trust or Official Websites, even if you have an existing account. By doing so, the Trust will recieve 30% of all profits made through bets, poker and other games on their site.
Look out for further online shopping offers coming soon.
Request Number 9 - please start using our Online Shop at www.buy.at/hendonfc and our links to Bet 365.
Request Number 10 - we do need to grow the number of people who are prepared to do their online shopping via our Online Shop or who might be interested in using Bet 365. Please let us have details (names and email addresses) of 10 people you know who might be prepared to do their online shopping via the Trust's Online Shop or who might be interested in using Bet 365. We'll contact them on behalf of the Trust - all we need from you is their names and email addresses.
Request Number 11 - please support our other online shopping offers when they are launched.
6. AFC Wimbledon Match - 22/4/06
Talking of launches, we're going to launch formally the Supporters Trust before the AFC Wimbledon game. While this is not primarily a fundraising initiative, we will be looking out for opportunities to raise money for the Trust. The main reason for the launch, though, is to try to raise awareness for the Supporters Trust and to commemorate what is likely to be the last ever league match at Claremont Road.
Let's make this match as memorable as possible - chances are that AFC Wimbledon will need to win this game to help clinch a play-off spot and we'll need to win it in order to help avoid relegation.
Request Number 12 - please come to this game if at all possible and bring as many people with you as you can. Let's show our colours for the day. Please wear green for that match - green shirts, scarves, hats, banners, flags - let's prove that the future, as well as the past, really is green.
Thanks for getting through to the end of this. Please think about our requests and do whatever you can. The Trust will stand or fall by the efforts of all of our supporters.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know.
Simon Lawrence, On behalf of the Hendon Football Club Supporters Trust Working Group