Working hard behind the scenes

 

Dons Trust Secretary Tom Brown introduces the team of people who support the Dons Trust Board and tells us about the areas in which they work.

 

What we do

 

The Dons Trust secretariat supports the Board in a number of ways:

  • compiling agendas and minutes for the Board’s meetings each month
  • preparing papers for general meetings and sending them out to members
  • communicating with members via Webjam, Twitter and Facebook
  • keeping the Trust’s website up to date
  • establishing and maintaining good governance practices within the Trust
  • working with the Election Steering Group to run the Trust elections
  • ensuring that the constitution continues to meet the Trust’s needs.

 

The team

 

I joined as Secretary in April this year and have found it a fascinating time to be involved with the Trust. The focus this year has been primarily on the new stadium, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see the Football Club Board and the Dons Trust Board working together at such a pivotal time in our club’s history.

 

Hannah Kitcher worked with the Election Steering Group during the election process last year, and this year has taken on a wider role in the day-to-day running of the Trust. She uses her expertise as a communications officer to put together the summaries of Dons Trust Board meetings that are posted on the Trust Webjam each month, and leads on member communication via the website, Twitter and the Trust Webjam.

 

Andrew Howell, a lawyer with the British Horseracing Authority, has recently joined the secretariat. He has been invaluable in assisting both boards on legal matters at short notice, and this coming year will be taking a central role in looking at governance issues in the Trust.

 

Goodbyes

 

This year we’ve seen significant changes to the secretariat. Rob Crane and Michael Hayes had both served the Trust for some time, in communications and minute-taking respectively, both devoting a lot of their spare time for a number of years. David Reeves, who has worked hard behind the scenes on the Trust website and Webjam, has also stepped down. We’re very grateful to all three of them for the time and effort they’ve put in, and wish them all the best for the New Year.

 

Looking ahead to 2018

 

Communications has often been an issue for the Trust in the past, and we’re always looking at ways in which we can improve the way we engage both with the membership and with the wider fanbase.

 

Shaf Mansour, who works as a digital strategist, has recently come on board and has been looking at making significant improvements to the website, which we’re hoping to implement in the New Year. The changes are designed to make the site far more mobile-friendly and to simplify access to information.

 

We’re also looking at ways to make the general meetings during the year more engaging. At the December AGM we tried to give members more of an opportunity to talk with the Dons Trust Board on a one-on-one basis. At our next general meeting in April we’ll be looking for new ways for Dons Trust members, as the owners of the club, to hold the board to account and hold meaningful conversations about the club’s future direction.

 

Volunteering opportunities

 

The work of the secretariat is vital to the continued success of the Trust, and we’re always looking for more volunteers to help out. In particular, those with experience in IT, social media, PR/comms or minute-taking could help us make a real impact. If you’d like to contribute to the work of the Dons Trust, out please send an email to me at secretary@thedonstrust.org.