TUST STATEMENT JANUARY 2022

TUST

JANUARY NEWSLETTER

Chairman’s introduction Dear members and supporters, Firstly, hoping everyone has a less challenging, healthy and joyful New Year.Wishing the same for all at our football club, TUFC, including the management, staff and players. The summary of our recent meeting, as follows, updates you on all the different actions and initiatives that TUST have been implementing and planning in the last month or so. It is very encouraging that so many different board members are, voluntarily, taking on many different tasks in supporting our football club and its wider community on your behalf. Recently we have been taking stock of the numerous TUST achievements over the last two or three years, often despite covid restrictions and other travails. We will be reminding our club community of these accomplishments in the coming months. A huge thank you goes to all of those members whose continuing subscriptions have enabled us to fulfil these. We have also reflected that, when many supporters pull together, good deeds can be done to support our club, its fan base and the community it serves. All this for just a basic TUST subscription fee of only 50p a week….. Please consider joining us, if you are not already a member! Again, we wish success, memorable moments, togetherness and a healthy futurefor all things TUFC. COYY! Michel Thomason behalf of TUST

SUMMARY OF BOARD MEETING Relations with TUFCWe are sad to report that our request for a meeting of TUST board members with the Club’s Media & Supporter Liaison Co-ordinator (Dom Mee) has been declined ‘for the foreseeable future’. We have asked what it is that TUST has to do for meetings to resume and are awaiting a response. The board expressed its continuing concern at the failure of the Club to engage with its main democratic, independent supporters’ group. Local councillorsA group of TUST board members met with Councillors Steve Darling (Leader) and Darren Cowell (Deputy Leader) on 8^th January to update them on the Fan-Led Review and TUST’s achievements. The councillors had been very supportive of the FLR proposals and TUST’s activities. They were disappointed to learn of the Club’s refusal to engage meaningfully with TUST and to involve it in its own community focused events. Steve Darling would raise this with the Club’s directors and seek to arrange a joint meeting with TUFC, TUST, Torquay United Community Sports Trust and council representatives in due course. In the meantime, TUST Chair, Michel Thomas, will attend the next Sport Torbay meeting on 26^th January. Fan-Led ReviewWe are delighted to advise our members that Kevin Foster MP has arranged for a delegation from TUST to join him in a meeting with Tracey Crouch MP at the Houses of Parliament in March to discuss the implications of her FLR for non-league clubs and TUFC in particular. Community Sports Trust (TUCST)We are pleased to continue our close relationship with TUCST and to provide financial support for its excellent work in the community. TUST’s latest contribution has been the purchase of goals for the Minis Under-7 group. We are now in discussion about a proposal to allocate TUST funding to establish a Junior Inspirations league for young disabled players and how we can help with a return of the pre-match Fan Zones in the Spring. Women’s TeamTUST has provided sponsorship for new tracksuits for the womens’ squad and it’s great to see the team doing so well on the pitch! Membership campaignThe board have been hugely impressed that membership has held up and actually increased slightly during the past couple of difficult years. However, there is strength in numbers and following discussions at previous meetings, a plan for a recruitment drive has been agreed. There will be many elements to this but it will include a poster explaining the role of TUST, digital, radio and press advertising, emphasis on TUST’s community contributions, a banner for display at games, an interview for a Talking Torquay podcast and updating the TUST website. The campaign will highlight that membership costs less than 50p per week. Current members can play their part by encouraging friends and family to join!