| David Hall |
One of the biggest issues in recent years appears to be the falling DT membership. Ironically this contrasts with the continuing success on the field (putting aside the recent FA Trophy defeat!) which has led to larger crowds and more interest in the club. The consequence of the promotion last season and potential promotion this season has meant bringing forward some of our thinking around how we adapt to the next stages of our evolution. I suspect we also need to look at how the DT itself operates both at Board level and through the various working groups to assess whether they are working effectively. So the three things I would suggest at this stage are:
(i) We need to tap into the increased fanbase over the last year or so where possible and try to promote the benefits of becoming a DT member and the importance of this at a crucial stage in the clubs development.
(ii) We need to review those members whose membership has lapsed to find out why and try to address any concerns where appropriate (eg cost of subscription?) Are they still fans?
(iii) It would probably be useful to review how the Board and various Working Groups operate at present and whether there is scope to improve any of their operations. If there are new board members elected this year that might help otherwise it may be helpful to bring in a separate facilitator.
|
| |
|
| Mark Davis |
First, let's not be too hard on ourselves. Taken together, our Trust and club have made a big impact on English football over the past eight years. We've created a club that's the envy of many football supporters, both in non-league and the professional game.
But, yes, there are some issues. We're not great at communication. It's not ideal that, when you look round the room at SGMs, there are so few people and they're arguably not entirely representative of our fan base. And, as with any voluntary organisation, we sometimes suffer because it's not as easy to hold people to account for doing what they said they'd do as it is in a workplace.
So:
" Communications - see Q16;
" Increasing member participation - find a way of managing meetings so that we can deal with the crusty stuff separately from engaging our members in discussions that will interest them (eg open meetings on match days where issues are discussed, and then voted on as a formality at a subsequent SGM);
" Finding ways of creating a culture where people are constructively challenged if they say "I will do X" and fail to do so. There's no easy answer here - it's about people and culture - learning how to challenge people constructively and creating a virtuous circle where that becomes less necessary as people are spurred on to perform.
|
| |
|
| Nicole Hammond |
Declining membership, and people not coming to meetings. Major decisions are made at meetings. The decisions themselves are not the problem. People only come when they perceive something controversial is happening, and we are fortunate that those moments are few and far between these days. But to safeguard the future of the club, we need to increase membership numbers, and get a wider cross-section of members attending meetings. I would suggest having more meetings on matchdays, which would automatically increase attendance.
That image of Marcus Gayle signing up is inspirational - Terry Brown makes sure the players "get it" - and the players are the focus of the club. Some encouragement from them could work wonders.
The main way things like this spread are through word of mouth. I think the relatively high cost of membership would put people off during the "why haven't you joined?" part of the conversation. My instinct for years has been to reduce the cost dramatically, but I know others disagree so I would like to look into this more.
|
| |
|
| Kate Terriere |
I think the biggest problems are lack of participation and understanding. Before I stood as a candidate I hadn't really thought about what the Trust / Board did or how to get involved. We are a club owned and run by the fans so the Trust should be accessible and receptive to the views of everyone. I therefore suggest:
I. New Board members - some different people to offer different opinions. Also some younger members and female ones to truly reflect the body of the fans.
II. Better communication - up-to-date communication with the fans. This could perhaps be done through the match-day programme - short messages / articles about what the Trust is up to. The distribution of flyers could also be organised and be handed out by board members - this would make sure the right messages get to the fans and would also mean the fans see who the members are - encouraging participation and engagement. This could include key issues and action points from meetings rather than formal minutes (although obviously these need to be published elsewhere). Board members could also be available on match days to answer questions / queries. I think if fans were regularly informed about discussions but in summary this may encourage others to get more involved.
III. Establish an informal group - perhaps a more informal group / gathering / forum could be established (with a fresher image) that aimed to engage with the younger fans? There may be some who perhaps don't feel like they can contribute or that its all a bit too formal for them. They would like to offer an opinion but are perhaps nervous of attending a Trust meeting or feel a bit intimidated? This group could be an on-line network or meetings could be held - I think it's important to engage with and listen to the younger fans and encourage them to participate and feel they can be involved. We also need to make sure we keep them as fans and they can help bring new ones.
|
| |
|
| Kris Stewart |
The only issue currently which I might call a serious problem is the issue of where we belong, and where we will end up. I'm concerned that we have been creeping towards resigning ourselves to staying in Kingston, whereas we should be working hard to get home. I hope that the new board will address this.
As for making the organisation more dynamic - I think we need to look at our communications with members to improve the way we work and to ensure that people feel ready, willing and able to contribute in the best way for them. We need to be open to new ideas and new technologies, and never assume that there will be one magic bullet which will solve all of our communications issues.
|
| |
|
| Lee Willett |
I have one answer on this matter. Membership: the Trust needs more AFCW fans to join. I understand membership stands at around 500, yet we pull in 3k+ at home. We would need to make sure that the work of the Trust, its broad-ranging membership, and the opportunities for people to contribute to its work are better understood, and that more people see the benefits of joining. |
| |
|
| Stephen Cooles |
I think the biggest problems facing the Dons Trust are apathy and potential discord.
We are approaching what I believe is a key time in the clubs history, where major decisions will need to be made. These include where our "home" is, and ensuring continued success on the field.
A large part of our membership (I believe) are happy to be members and support a cause they believe in, and play a part in ensuring we remain fan owned. However as with any major decision there will be groups that favour alternatives. Ensuring that these groups can work together, for the benefit of all, will be a significant challenge.
If the Dons Trust is seen to be disunited, then member apathy may set in. This would not be healthy for the Trust, nor the Club.
3 things I would consider to make the Trust more dynamic are:
(a) Improving day to day communications with the membership
(b) Ensuring greater clarity of what the Board are discussing, and involved in
(c) Looking to ensure there is a long term plan for a healthy, vibrant Trust
|
| |
|
| Tom Adam |
Easily the biggest problem is the need to involve Members in the Trust. Members didn’t even turn out for some major changes in the organisation that were voted through at the AGM. As I said in my answer to question 4, it means that vocal minorities can dominate the discussions and that is very unhealthy.
The next biggest issue is advancing our long term aspirations for the higher Football League levels by pro-actively pursuing feasible opportunities in Wimbledon or nearby for a new Stadium. We must do this in a measured way as it is a long term project lasting at least five years even if everything goes well but possibly extending to 10 years. . The Board has made considerable progress towards this aim but there is a very long way to go and anyone who suggests otherwise is kidding themselves as some of the obstacles are substantial
I would take these steps to make the Trust more dynamic:-
a Involve the Members. I said in my answer to question 4 that as a first step we must actively set about securing feedback from Members about the strategy review which we promised to do nearly 8 months ago. There is no discernible progress to report on this important matter despite some Board Members (including me) agitating for action.
b Seek expert advice and do some benchmarking on how other Trusts involve their Members, perhaps Supporters Direct can help with this. The Board doesn’t need to be able to do everything itself and if we decide that we need some outside expertise then we should not hesitate to go out and get it.
c Make the Board more accountable by publishing attendance records, voting records, and the Board’s objectives and how well we are doing compared to them. At the moment no-one outside the Board can tell what is happening and whether it is being run well or badly, since there is almost no reporting even of Minutes.
|
| |
|
| Simon Bath |
Due to the age of the majority of the board members, we face falling behind the times rather than changing with them. I feel that perhaps a burst of energy and invigoration will aide the enthusiasm of some of the longer standing board members. |
| |
|
| David Growns |
Membership is static (although I think it went up slightly this year). We should be looking at why we have 1500 members and over 2500 Season Ticket holders. Do we put membership flyers in with the season tickets ? I know some of the board went on a recruitment drive at a home game and some of the respondents didn't even know what the Dons Trust was. There is a Dons Trust table in the back bar but rarely do you see a board member sitting at it. I have already committed in my manifesto to sit at the table once a month.
Apathy is a continuing problem - the destiny of the club is in the hands of probably 100 people who turn up and vote. We need to look at ways of getting people more involved. If we can broadcast WDON on a Saturday, why can't we broadcast the meeting securely online and give members PIN numbers to gain access, join in the debate, ask questions and to vote ?
We need to do more of the workshop style meetings where the attendees help to solve a challenge.
|
| |
|
| Damian Woodward |
1) Dwindling membership – people have forgotten why they should be a member
2) The DTB has not challenged either the Stadium Working Group or the football club enough on returning to Wimbledon, which is how we were about to adopt Kingston as our community
3) Communication from the Trust out is poor and not enough people feel engaged by it.
My view is as a Board we need to set some clear objectives, review these on a monthly basis and hold members of the Board (either PLC or DTB) accountable for them. I see lots of examples around of where we need to gear ourselves up better for progress and am clear that only by having agreed and measurable objectives are we likely to achieve this. So, I’m prepared to make sure the Trust Board becomes more dynamic, but also accountable to the members whether that be collectively or individually.
|
| |
|
Christopher Gibbs |
The biggest challenge is getting supporters to see the Dons Trust and the football club as effectively the same thing and thereby getting them to see that Dons Trust membership is an obligation and a privilege. That in turn would engender greater engagement (and therefore dynamism.).
Give one board member the key task of maintaining and building DT membership. Use season ticket renewals and ½ year season ticket promotion as opportunities to do that, with DT application tick boxes on the same form as ST applications. One month after a new season ticketholder has received their ticket, write to them to explain why it's essential that they join the Dons Trust. Use the run-up to DT Board elections in the same way. Two months before remind people that it's their club and they can only shape it future if they are DT members
Don't be partisan, ask difficult questions and accept the answers.
Make AGMs entertaining. Promise news on particular developments that will only be available at those meetings
|
