20 November
2007
Supporters' Trust Re-Elects Chair
The Board of Society (BoS) of the ECFC Supporters’ Trust is pleased
to announce the re-election of chairman Denise Watts. Following a vote of
Trustees at Octobers Society meeting, the BoS unanimously re-elected Denise
Watts back into the chair. This vote was procedural in nature following Ms
Watts previously serving 2 years in the chair.
The BoS is pleased with Denise’s reappointment and we all hope that
together our new BoS will flourish under the chairmanship of our re-appointed
chair.
The Board of Society
Exeter City Supporters' Trust
19 November 2007
Trust Data Web Site Launch
The Exeter City Supporters’ Trust is please to announce the completion
of a new data management tool hosted on the Supporters’ Trust official
website. For several months, the Trust has been looking at ways in which it
can streamline its operation and enhance the professionalism of various parts
of its administration. Following initial discussions with a number of our
members, who have skills in the field of data management, we set about designing
a system that would benefit the Trust and its members. The culmination of
this work can be seen on the Supporters’ Trust website at www.ecfcst.org.uk/members.
The design of this system has been tailored in order to allow Trust members
the opportunity to view, and alter their personal details securely from the
comfort of their own home. This system also has a number of administrative
tools that will doubtlessly assist Supporters’ Trust administrators
with dealing with membership processing.
The Supporters’ Trust is indebted to Matt Parker for all the time and
hard work that he has put into the creation and continual development of this
system, and we would urge all Trust members with internet access to create
a login account on this website in order for the Trust to maximise communication
to all our members.
The next step in development of this site will be the implementation of a
new member’s only Supporters’ Trust Forum that will be linked
to the Trust’s new website and hosted on the unofficial fans website
Exeweb.com. For more information on this development and all Trust & Club
news stay tuned to the official Trust and Club (www.exetercityfc.co.uk)
web sites.
The Board of Society
Exeter City Supporters' Trust
16 November
2007
Red Card Loans - Update
In 2003 the Trust asked for loans to enable the Club to trade through to
the start of the season, which resulted in loans and season ticket arrangements,
which amounted to £22,680.
These loans are due for repayment during the financial year 2008-2009, and
all those who have loaned money have been contacted with regard to their wishes
for the loan. Three options are emerging, repayment in full, donation for
a specific capital project or donation without specification of the use of
the money.
It is no exaggeration to say that without these generous loans, and other
fundraising activities it is doubtful that the Club would have survived to
start season 2003-2004. The Trustees wish to place on record their appreciation
of the donor’s generosity.
There will be regular updates about the repayments, and also the sum donated
to provide capital for a project, which currently stands at £5,250.
16 November
2007
Latest Winner of Director's Box Places
Trust member, Graham Tiley, is the latest winner of 2 places in the Director's
Box, and will take advantage of them at the Conference match against Burton
on Saturday 17th November.
The Trust Board of Society and the Club Board have agreed to make two Director's
Box places available at each home game.
The two places will be for Trust members and are allocated by way of a random
draw from the membership database.
14 November 2007
Drumming Up Support – Update
This project is phase 1 of a 3 phase project being developed between the
Trust and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. The phase 1 project
vision is to work with Wren Musicians and Oral History experts to engage the
supporters of Exeter City Football Club in developing song, chant and drumming
to support the football team.
There is also a wealth of knowledge, information, stories, memories and tales
at the club amongst our fans. The ‘Drumming Up Support’ working
group are aiming to develop this as a community resource to further develop
the sense of ownership for the fans over the club, in addition we feel that
the process of working with older fans memories and younger people strengthens
the sense of community and belonging for the younger fans and builds trust
and understanding between generations in Exeter. We feel very strongly that
it is vital that the stories and experiences which are part of our supporters’
heritage is passed on and shared to the next generation.
The musicians we will be working with are Paul Wilson and Matt Norman of
Wren Music. Paul has 25 years experience of working with communities, documenting
songs and stories and supporting participants to create their own music. Matt
Norman is a young folk musician who specializes in researching oral traditions
and has been trained by Wren Music. Wren has a commitment to participatory
and community based work. We felt that their skills and ethos reflected the
trust’s approach to working with communities and their track record
is exceptional. If you would like to know more about Wren please view their
website www.wrenmusic.co.uk.
The project will be monitored on a monthly basis to ensure that everything
is running smoothly, and is of the highest quality, we will hold staff meetings,
reflect upon feedback from participants and ensure that the workshops are
adjusted to accommodate the needs of the group.
To launch the project, we will hold a gathering evening where supporters
old and young can come to tell stories, exchange memories and sing club songs.
This evening will provide the base for the project. Wren Oral History workers
will circulate through the crowd recording conversations, songs and memories
to hard disk. These recordings will be used to inform the songwriting for
phase 1 and will also be used as material for phase 2, an interactive oral
history exhibition about the club.
The artists will then attend three football matches to document and record
current chants and singing and to fully scope the opportunities for musical
engagement by the crowd. We currently have a section of the stadium painted
with a heart, which is used to “sing your heart out”. The Wren
workers will go to this area and listen, record and join in with the current
singing fans.
We will then run five sessions for fans and young people to come, share chants,
and create new chants. These sessions will be facilitated by Wren staff with
an empowerment ethos. The fans will be supported in deciding what types of
songs they want to use (i.e. traditional folk structures, songs from the current
radio playlist, songs particularly appropriate to Exeter - The Wurzels for
example) and what they want the content of the chants to be (for example,
a song for each player, a song for the manager, a goal song, a song which
encourages the players when they are losing etc.) The chants will be written
and structured by the fans with support from the Wren team.
Once the songs are written we will then hold four drumming workshops with
young people (these may be current supporters or people who have not attended
before). The Wren staff will work with the songs which have been written,
current chants and chants which have come up from the memory talks. The Wren
staff will work with the young people to devise a series of drum patterns
which fit each chant. These patterns will not require a leader and will have
very simple ‘start’ triggers which any of the drummers can play.
This is very important as it allows the drumming to be owned by the drummers
rather than rely on a conductor. In addition to this, the way in which musicians
perform at football matches is very different from typical performances. On
any given match there will be varied attendance by the drummers so it is important
that the rhythms can be performed with any ensemble of people present. The
drums will belong to the football club and will be funded through direct sponsorship
from a drum making company. These drums will then be made available to drummers
at every match and can be taken on the
Supporters’ coach to away games if appropriate.
The rationale behind the project is to support people who would not normally
take part in the arts to engage with singing, song writing and drumming in
an environment in which they feel comfortable and passionate. The sessions
will have an empowerment focus so that the participants are controlling the
decisions made. The process will be supported by Wren to ensure that the participants
achieve an outcome they are proud of.
Mary Godwin from Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum is working with
us to develop a three phase oral history project of which this is the first
phase. As the Royal Albert Memorial Museum is closing for a 3 year refurbishment,
Mary’s role is to develop heritage projects outside of the usual museums
environment. Her vision and support in developing this project will be invaluable
to the Oral History part of the project.
Wren music has 25 years of experience working on community music projects.
Their ethos perfectly fits the trust’s commitment to empowerment and
community democracy. Paul Wilson has extensive knowledge and expertise in
supporting people’s learning and confidence through music.
Funding for the project will be a combination of sponsorship e.g. drums,
some will be ‘in-kind’, and the rest will be subject to a successful
grants application to the Arts Council and/or Esmee Fairburn Charitable Trust.
No money will be required from Trust funds. If all goes to plan we would hope
to start some elements of the project perhaps in March 2008 and conclude in
Sep/Oct 2008. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a successful funding
bid!
8 November 2007
Exeter City Supporters' Trust Board of Society – Press Release
Resignation of Pete Martin from the Board of Society.
The Board of Society (BOS) of the ECFC Supporters’ Trust is sad to
announce the resignation of ECFC stalwart Pete Martin from the Trust board.
Pete joined the Supporters’ Trust board as a co-opted Trustee in 2005
and in this time he has served the Club and Trust in various capacities, such
as assisting the chairman on the chairman’s advisory panel and in representing
the Trust on the interview panel for the Clubs newly appointed Senior Commercial
Manager to name but a few.
In his time Pete has also been a fully active member of the clubs prosperous
commercial board.
The energy and devotion that Pete has put into ECFC and the Supporters’
Trust will be sorely missed by us all on the BOS, as too will his friendly
and engaging personality at board meetings. The Board of Society would like
to wish Pete all the best for the future and we all hope that at some point
in the not too distant future we will be able to work with Pete again in some
guise or another.
Following Pete’s decision to resign from BOS, the Trust board will
discuss at the next Society meeting (13/11/07 in the St James Centre) the
vacancy now left on the board. A press release concerning these details will
follow this meeting.
The Board of Society
ECFC Supporters Trust
8 November 2007
Latest Winner of Director's Box Places
Trust member, Fiona Nelligan, is the latest winner of 2 places in the Director's
Box, and will take advantage of them at the FA Cup match against Stevenage
on Saturday 10th November.
The Trust Board of Society and the Club Board have agreed to make two Director's
Box places available at each home game.
The two places will be for Trust members and are allocated by way of a random
draw from the membership database.
