Dear members,
As owners and supporters of AFC Wimbledon we are a collective, as individuals we all have our own personal stories of how we became Wimbledon fans and Dons Trust members. And we are all united by our passion for Wimbledon and by our responsibilities as its stewards and owners.
Since moving back to Plough Lane, our crowds have nearly doubled, and we’ve attracted waves of new fans of all ages to the club.
For us to be a successful and sustainable club at the highest possible level, we need to keep engaging with you, our members, keep growing our fan base, and keep widening the membership of the Dons Trust.
The more we do that, the greater our chances of building a club with a strong membership, that can ensure Wimbledon is fan-owned for years into the future.
Our aim is that every Wimbledon fan who comes to Plough Lane or watches games online should be a member of the Trust, that they understand how and why that is important and that they take an active role in the future of fan-owned Wimbledon.
This year, as part of the new season ticket offer (launching next week) the Club and the Trust have made the decision to connect season tickets and Dons Trust membership.
We know that currently, one third of season ticket holders are Trust members and we want to provide as many of those remaining fans as possible with a simplified opportunity to be part of the ownership.
Season ticket holders will still be able to opt out of Trust membership if they wish. And we will of course continue to offer memberships to non-season ticket holders.
24/25 is set to be a great season on and off the pitch for the Trust and the Club. We’ve got some exciting and challenging times ahead, ones that as Wimbledon fans we can meet with the passion, guile, and commitment we always do.
On the pitch, the Club will once again be looking for success for our men’s and women’s sides, as well as developing our academy players and engaging with the local community.
We want as many people as possible to be part of that story.
We know that some members have questions about bringing the rights of membership and the benefits of season tickets together. We will be continuing to update our FAQs here with answers to questions that may arise.
We are also committing, in partnership with the Club, to extensive content and events for you and your fellow members, whether existing or new. We will share plans on that soon.
Membership fees, which haven’t increased since we launched 22 years ago, will also be increasing by £5 for both standard and concession memberships to reflect increased costs across the board for all our objectives.
Whilst growing our membership gives us a stronger voice as owners, it also has the benefit of increased funds to spend on our shared priorities including:
- Governing the Club
- Investing in the Academy
- Supporting the growth of AFC Wimbledon Women’s sides
- Reducing the Club’s debt and acquiring more equity (raised as a priority in our recent members’ debt consultation process.)
Most importantly, all of this will help secure our future as a fan-owned club, now and well into the future.
As ever, if you have questions, or want to discuss any of the above, you can contact us in a range of ways including via email: contact@thedonstrust.org, at our upcoming SGM (Monday 22nd April), on the Dons Trust ProBoards, or in person at the Dons Trust kiosk at games.
Come on You Dons,
The Dons Trust Board.