Today marks the relaunch of the Clarets Trust following the Covid-19 pandemic, marking the dawn of a new era for the Trust with new aims, a fresh vision, a new logo, a short film, and a new Chairperson. We have released a series of articles to coincide with this launch, mainly to achieve three aims:
• To increase the awareness of the Clarets Trust
• To encourage more people to become Clarets Trust Members
• To find new Members to join the Clarets Trust Board.
In a separate article, you will find our pitch to you – why you should join the Clarets Trust. But now it’s time to set out how we will achieve our four core objectives:
- To empower fans by giving them a voice at the highest [possible] level of the club
- To inform fans of the national picture
- To inform fans of the latest updates from the club
- To commit to promoting and embedding the Trust’s values within the fan community
Most of the work that the Clarets Trust carries out is undertaken by the Clarets Trust Board, with the help of volunteers from time to time. But what is the Clarets Trust board?
The Clarets Trust now has a committee consisting of a Chair, vice-Chair, Elected Board Members and co-opted Members.
The Board has the following representatives:
1 x Chair
1 x Vice-Chair
1 x President
1 x Treasurer
1 x Secretary
We also have various Ex-Officio Board Members:
1 x Rep from Burnley FC – Fan Experience Manager
1 x Chairman of Burnley Football Club (when required)
When and where do the Clarets Trust meet?
The Trust Board meets at least four times a season (often every month or two) and also holds an Annual General Meeting at Turf Moor. At the AGM, Members can be elected, and shareholders are informed of key decisions and activities.
In addition to the AGMs, Trust keeps in touch via regular newsletters, monthly Zoom calls and a WhatsApp group, ensuring that no news or good matchday gossip goes unmissed!
Finally, we also regularly have a presence in the Fanzone on matchdays at home.
How will the Clarets Trust carry out our goals?
By liaising with fans online and via email, working with colleagues across multiple high-profile organisations, exploring opportunities and utilising our press connections.
We work with:
• First and foremost, always – you, the Clarets! We welcome your ideas, your issues, your feedback on anything and everything that we’re doing – contact us on claretstrust@gmail.com to ask any questions or to find out more about any of our ongoing campaigns.
• The Football Supporter’s Association and regularly meet with representatives from the Premier League.
• Burnley FC In the Community to align community-based activities and ensure we understand and can bring benefits to the people of Burnley beyond Turf Moor
• Football Supporter’s Association
• We work with Sustainable Clarets to support their role in the club’s sustainability journey.
• We regularly appear in local press, including The Burnley Express.
• We engage with local politicians, for example regarding the Fan Led Review of Football Governance in 2021.
How will the Clarets Trust keep in touch with our members?
A major failing of the Clarets Trust in the past has been the lack of communication between the Board and our members. The Clarets Trust Members have simply been unaware of our campaigns and any communication is often a one-way street. Well that ends today. This is a new dawn for the Clarets Trust and an opportunity to start anew.
As of today, we are pledging to undergo a review into how we will best keep our Members in the loop. But for the time being, some of the ideas already discussed include:
• A monthly newsletter
• A regular feature on the No Nay Never Podcast to update everybody
• A private Facebook group only for Clarets Trust Members
• Monthly email roundups
• A regular online Q&A with the Clarets Trust Board
• Regular articles on the refreshed Clarets Trust website
If you have any great ideas or a certain preference from the list above, please email us (claretstrust@gmail.com) or contact us on social media! It would be great to gather your input as we embark on the new era of the Clarets Trust.
It is of our highest priority to ensure that the communication between the Clarets Trust Board and our Members becomes second nature and a two-way conversation.
2 Responses
I am a Life Member from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. I attended your Zoom AGM two years ago when Liam was Chair. I offered to help as Board Member but got a negative response. Might there still be a need for help?
Good evening Jeffrey, it is really nice to hear from an international Claret!! I am sorry you received a negative response a couple of years ago, but delighted to hear that you are back in touch with us. We would love any help we can receive and I am particularly interested in your experience as a fan from afar. As such, it would be wonderful to see you at a meeting soon. We are holding a Financial Sign-Off and Q&A Meeting on Monday night at 6pm BST, but we are also holding our AGM in the next couple of months – announcement incoming. But please feel free to get in touch with me sooner over email at claretstrust@gmail.com