The Dons Trust Board (DTB) runs the Trust and is elected by the Trust’s members. The DTB and Football Club Board (FCB) work closely to give the Trust and the club unified, strategic leadership and direction.
There is a clear line of accountability running from the football club’s directors, through the club’s CEO, and up to the fully elected DTB which is, in turn, accountable to the membership as a whole. Discover more about our corporate structure.
The role of the DTB is to set and agree the club’s strategic direction and to scrutinise the performance of the FCB.
The DTB consists of nine elected members (plus currently an additional co-opted member). The Chair (or Co-Chairs) and Vice-Chair are both responsible for representing the Trust at monthly Football Club Board meetings and for the day-to-day liaison between the two boards.
The board usually meets once a month and minutes of board meetings are published, along with regular summaries of their discussions.
The Dons Trust Board is supported by a number of working groups, outlined below. We rely on the support of our fans. Get in touch via volunteerofficer@afcwimbledon.ltd.uk if you would like to find out about how you could get involved.
Board members are listed below. Each board member has a specific area of responsibility for 2021, which focus specifically on the priorities we agreed as a board at the beginning of the year.
You can meet board members on matchdays at the Dons Trust kiosk, or at one of the general meetings held throughout the year. You can also pose direct questions to the board via The Dons Trust proboards forum or by emailing a particular member of the board using the email address alongside their name below.
2020/21 board members
Jane Lonsdale (Co-Chair)
(jane.lonsdale@thedonstrust.org or chair@thedonstrust.org)
Elected: December 2019 (for 2 years)
Responsibilities: Chairing Dons Trust Board meetings, liaison with the Football Club Board and the FSA. Jane also leads the Diversity & Inclusion and Junior Dons working groups.
Xavier Wiggins (Co-Chair)
(xavier.wiggins@thedonstrust.org or chair@thedonstrust.org)
Elected: December 2020 (for 2 years)
Responsibilities: Liasion with the Football Club Board, leading a restructuring of the Club’s volunteering framework a review of the Club strategy. Xavier also leads Board liaison with DLAG.
Charlie Talbot (Vice-Chair)
(charlie.talbot@thedonstrust.org)
Elected: December 2020 (for 2 years)
Responsibilities: Leading the Club’s structural and governance review and a member of the Communications working group.
Niall Couper
(niall.couper@thedonstrust.org)
Elected: December 2020 (for 1 year)
Responsibilities: Supporting the Club strategy review, the restructuring of the Club’s volunteering framework, and the Diversity & Inclusion working group. Niall is also a member of the Communications working group and the primary liaison with WiSH.
Tim Hillyer
(tim.hillyer@thedonstrust.org)
Elected: December 2019 (for 2 years)
Responsibilities: Supporting the Club’s structural and governance review and primary liaison with wider bodies including NCVO, Merton voluntary services, National Football Museum.
Hannah Kitcher
(hannah.kitcher@thedonstrust.org)
Elected: December 2020 (for 2 years)
Responsibilities: Supporting the Club strategy review, the restructuring of the Club’s volunteering framework, and a member of the Communications working group. Hannah is also the Trust’s primary liaison with the Membership Secretary and will support the integration of the AFC Wimbledon Ladies with the rest of the Club and Trust.
Edward Leek
(edward.leek@thedonstrust.org)
Elected: December 2019 (for 2 years)
Responsibilities: Leading the Club’s Finance Committee and supporting the Club’s structural and governance review. Ed also chairs the stadium committee, through to the finalisation of the construction work at Plough Lane.
Luke Mackenzie
(luke.mackenzie@thedonstrust.org)
Elected: December 2020 (for 2 years)
Responsibilities: Honours committee lead, member of the stadium committee and responsible for members surveys. Also involved in the project to restructure of the Club’s volunteering framework.
Graham Stacey
(graham.stacey@thedonstrust.org)
Elected: December 2019 (for 2 years)
Responsibilities: Supporting the Club’s strategy review and member of the Communications working group.
The board is supported by a Secretariat including:
David Growns
(secretary@thedonstrust.org)
Secretary and the Trust’s Data Protection Officer
Michele Little Treasurer
Conor Daly Minutes
Roger Edmonds-Brown Minutes
The Dons Trust’s membership secretary is John Stembridge (membership@thedonstrust.org).