Notice of BST AGM 7th Dec 2024 12.30pm

B

BlackpoolSupportersTrust

Well-known member
This note contains important information relating to the AGM, which is this year taking place before our home game with Rotherham United on 7 December 2024.

A free beer / wine / soft drink will be available to all members and anyone who joins or re-joins BST on the day.

https://www.blackpoolsupporterstrust.com/join-us

Time and Location

The meeting will be held in the Armfield Club, and will commence at 12.30 p.m.

Please note : we will be distributing voting cards to BST Members as you arrive ; please allow a few extra minutes to avoid having to queue, if you possibly can.

The Agenda

Is as follows :

1. Welcome and minutes of last meeting (Annex 2)

2. BST Election results 2024

3. BST Accounts (year ending 30 June 2024)

4. Motions from the Committee (attached as Annex 1)

- disapplying audit

- reallocation of Committee vacancy

5. Any Other Business (AOB) / Complimentary Drinks / Informal Discussion


1. Welcome and Minutes of last meeting

The minutes of the last AGM (November 2023) are attached as Annex 2. Anyone who wishes to watch the video recording of the event to check their authenticity can do so by visiting the BST website ; a link to the recording is also in Annex 2.

2. BST Election results 2024

You may recall that we had five posts up for election this year, comprised of :

• three posts (previously occupied by Mark Turner, Neil Holden and Tim Fielding ) as part of our normal three year cycle (for a term until the AGM of 2027) ; and

• two posts which have become vacant due to the retirement of both Francis Charlesworth and Tony Wilkinson. These posts runs through to the AGM of 2025 - essentially, one year posts.

This year, we had three candidates for the five posts available. As a result, we will be asking you to affirm (by a simple card vote) that :

Mark Turner

Richard Showan and

Laurence Kelly

each serve a three year term through to the AGM of 2027

We also have a piece of technical business arising from the resignation of Steve Melrose in year. Steve had been due to serve for three years ; simultaneously Mike Latham, who was elected at the same time as Steve last year, indicated that he would be willing to move into the post vacated by Steve and serve the remainder of his term (i.e. until the AGM of 2026).

This makes strong operational sense for us, and following consultation with the FSA we will also be asking you to vote on a motion to give this effect. Details of the motion appear in Annex 1 below.

Finally, we would like put on record our thanks to Francis Charlesworth, Tony Wilkinson and Tim Fielding, as they stand down.

Francis has served as Membership Secretary since BST was formed in 2015 ; Tony has also given the Trust several years of distinguished service as Committee Member, Deputy Chair and in recent years has been an FSA stalwart in a number of senior roles, including at Board level. Tim will always be fondly remembered as of the key leaders of the boycott, and has served BST for two separate periods as both Committee Member and Chair.

Francis, Tony, Tim : you will all be sorely missed by us all personally as well as professionally. Thank you and please stay in touch.

3. BST Accounts (year ending 30 June, 2024)

Our Acting Treasurer Richard Shown will present the accounts to the meeting. As usual, they have been independently scrutinised and will show a healthy underlying position with an increase in the size of reserves and increased income.

A copy of the accounts can be found on our website here :

https://www.blackpoolsupporterstrust.com/accounts-for-2024-agm

and Richard will be happy to field any queries on the day.

4. Motions from the Committee

We have two motions which the Committee wish to bring to the AGM for your approval.

• the first of these is a technical motion around the way in which we audit / scrutinise our accounts. You may recall that we asked your approval for an identical motion last year - FSA advice is that as a matter of good practice we should seek your continuing approval at every AGM ;

• the second is to effectively allow Mike Latham to move sideways out of a one year term which he took up last year by mutual agreement with colleagues, to serve the remaining two years of a three year term that was last year assigned to Steve MeIrose. This makes good operational sense for us, as it will allows Mike to continue the vital work that he does on communications, monthly round up, website management and a lot more

The two motions, each with a short explanatory note, appear as an Annex at the end of this notice.

They have also been placed on our website, here :

https://www.blackpoolsupporterstrust.com/motion-1-for-2024-agm

https://www.blackpoolsupporterstrust.com/motion-2-for-2024-agm

5. Any Other Business / Complimentary Drinks / Informal Discussion

This will be an opportunity to share current news items, talk about more social activities that we would like to undertake in 2024, and answer questions that you may have for us.

We will be providing a complimentary drink to every BST Member who attends at the end of the meeting ; we hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity to meet and mingle with Members of the Committee (and friends), and share your thoughts about priorities for the coming year.

Secretary

BST Committee

November 2024
 
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BST AGM : ANNEX 1 TO THE MAIN NOTICE (MOTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE)

1. Disapplying audit

The motion :

It is hereby resolved that subject to the provisions of section 4A of the 2014 Cooperative and Community Benefit Societies Act, the members of the Society shall not require an audit for the accounts covering the financial year ending on 30 June 2024 when they are presented to the AGM held on 7 December 2024.

The members of the Society agree that the Accounts for the financial year ending on 30 June 2024 and for which reports will be laid before the following AGM do not require a full audit provided that:

• an Independent Examination of those accounts is carried out in place of the full Audit

• the Independent Examination is carried out in line with the best practice of the FSA as set out in their Guidance Notes.

• any relevant comment from the Independent Examiner is included within the Accounts and circulated to members.

The Society :

• notes that the Independent Examination does not carry the same weight as a full Audit ; but

• Instructs the Board to continue its current practice of identifying a suitably qualified practitioner to undertake the examination ; and

• stipulates that the Board shall agree the appointment of the examiner and shall agree the terms of that appointment in writing

Note to Members:

This resolution must be passed by 80% of the members voting in person and by proxy, and only comes into force if it is passed by that margin AND the numbers voting against do not equal more than 10% of those members eligible to vote.

This resolution applies only to the accounts presented by the Trust Board to this AGM. A resolution similar, to this, will need to be passed at every AGM to secure members approval for waiving the requirement for full audit for each subsequent year.

If that resolution is not approved at the AGM in any financial year, then the default position is that the Trust must have a full audit.

2. Blackpool Supporters Trust - reallocation of post

The Motion

• the Committee reminds Members that following the AGM in 2023, when both were elected by affirmation, Steve Melrose and Mike Latham entered Into a voluntary arrangement whereby Steve occupied a post through to the AGM of 2026, with Mike occupying one until the AGM of 2024

• Committee asks that Members note that Steve Melrose has decided to stand down ;

• and that Members further note that Mike Latham is willing and able to continue through to the AGM of 2026

As a result of these changed personal circumstances, this motion has been brought to the AGM to ask that members :

• agree that Mike Latham should move into the post formerly occupied by Steve Melrose, until the AGM of 2026

• and that Members note that this motion has been previously consulted upon with the Football Supporters Association, who are content with it.

Motion to be carried by a simple card vote.

Note to Members

A brief explanation of the need for this Motion is set out in the main body of this Notice.

When we held last year’s elections, we had four candidates for four posts. These posts were comprised of three lasting for three years, and one post for one year.

Rather than deciding who got which post via the drawing of lots, the four successful candidates mutually agreed that Mike Latham would take the one year post, and that Andy Higgins, Christine Seddon and Steve Melrose occupy those for three years.

Personal circumstances do change, and Steve has resigned as he felt unable to devote the time needed to the role. Conversely, Mike is able and willing to commit to the remaining two years for this post.

It makes sound operational sense to make this change. But as we are a democracy, and having taken advice about the proprieties from the FSA, we feel it is right that Members are given an opportunity to endorse our proposed handling of this matter.

BST AGM : ANNEX 2 TO THE MAIN NOTICE : MINUTES OF 2023 AGM

BST AGM AND ELECTIONS 2023

“For Blackpool Fans, our Club and our Community”

Dear member

Elections

We are pleased to confirm that Andy Higgins, Christine Seddon and Steve Melrose were all elected to serve three year terms (until the AGM of 2026). Mike Latham, after a very successful stint as a co-opted member of the Committee, was elected to serve until the AGM of 2024.

All the above were elected by a process of affirmation at the AGM, as the number of candidates this year exactly matched the number of posts, removing the need for a formal vote.

There is always turnover in the membership of any Committee, but we are particularly sad that Tony Hodgson’s time in the team has come to an end. Tony has been a stalwart of the Committee over a prolonged period, and we will miss his dedication and his talent very much. Stay in touch, Tony.

Tony’s departure means we are on the look out for a new Treasurer. If you have relevant experience, and would like to help us with that aspect of the business, do get in touch with us at :

listening@blackpoolsupporterstrust.com

Finally, since the AGM, we have on 12 December co-opted Tom Ghee onto the Committee. Tom will lead our efforts to better engage with younger supporters, in particular those in the 16-30 age range. He starts his BST career by representing us at the FSE/FSA funded Future of Football event being held in Brussels on 15-16 December.

The AGM

This year the Committee brought three motions to the AGM for Member approval, which you were kind enough to give. These were :

1) to allow the Committee to submit the 2023 Accounts to independent examination (as we do now) rather than subject them to a full audit.

This is essentially permission to do what we already do ; but FSA advice is that we need to get your specific approval for this approach every year, and not take it for granted that you support it carrying on indefinitely. We will bring a similar motion to the AGM next year.

2) to raise the limit on the amount that the Committee can spend on any one item from its previous level (£500) to a new level of either £3,000 or 20% of reserves (whichever is lower)

Our existing limit was set nearly a decade ago, and increasingly out of date and impractical. We asked you to agree a new limit that would

• allow you to retain a measure of control

• give the Committee the operational freedom it needs

• remain appropriate for some time to come ; and

• give the Treasurer the last say on what the levels are

3) to endorse the revised aims and values set out on the website ; and mandate the Committee to take the actions needed to deliver them

Again, many of our aims and values were set a decade ago, when we were a protest organisation looking to secure regime change at the club. We are in a very different place now ; with legislation looking increasingly likely, and a much more functional relationship with the club now in place, we needed to bring our priorities up to date. You agreed to give us the tools to do so, for which we are grateful.

If you want to watch a recording of the 2023 AGM, you can do so here :

https://www.blackpoolsupporterstrust.com/video-agm-9th-dec-2023

We are still looking for Blackpool fans - BST Members or not - who can help us to do all the work we feel we need to do in 2024 and beyond. Details of the areas where we are looking for support are here :

https://www.blackpoolsupporterstrust.com/jobs-bst

BST Committee

UTMP, Always!
 
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