How did this start?
A group of young people got involved after the Dons Trust Board (DTB) put out a call for members of the trust aged between 16 and 24 to become part of an informal group who could help them to think about how – and others of our age – they promote and talk about fan ownership. Their first introduction was in the South London Press on 13th October 2023 in the Dons Trust column: Introducing the next generation of AFC Wimbledon owners!
Why did you get involved?
“For years Wimbledon has struggled with attracting a younger demographic of fans. However, since moving to Plough Lane this has changed – a huge increase in the local kids that live in Wimbledon coming to support the club, therefore, i believe that it is influential that they have their views represented from a similar age group to them, that will potentially have similar views to them. With AFC Wimbledon being a fan owned club, it is important that there are younger people in line that are able to take over the reigns in a number of years time. It is all about maintaining the sustainability of the football club.” – Jasper
“I first became a DT member as it seemed to be the next stage from being a junior don. Having enjoyed feeling part of the club, it seemed important to formalise that – and get the added bonus of ‘owning’ my club! I wanted to join the group as it felt important to ensure the voices of the younger generations are heard. It doesn’t seem realistic to expect much younger DT members to run for the actual board – nor would that give the club the experience on the board it requires – so this seemed to be a great staging post for getting my voice heard.” – Robin
Objectives and aims of this group
- To give young adults a voice
- Provide a pathway from Junior Dons into the Dons Trust
- Improve engagement at meetings and events for young adults
- Grow the number of members within the Dons Trust who are young adults