Gruffy, these links should explain what an IPS is. Basically, they're cooperatives or community benefit societies.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industri ... nt_society

www.fsa.gov.uk/doing/small_firms/msr/societies

Gruffy, these links should explain what an IPS is. Basically, they're cooperatives or community benefit societies.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industri ... nt_society

www.fsa.gov.uk/doing/small_firms/msr/societies

Couldn't agree more. I apologise for not being around to respond for a few days, so I'm going to attempt to answer a few questions then lock this thread because I'm sick of reading bitching when we need fans to put personal differences to one side for the good of having a club to watch.

How Many Members in Forever Reds:
I'm not membership secretary so don't have exact numbers, but it's about 90-100. It's not good really, and pretty embarrassing that Swinton have more members in their Trust than ours despite having gates of less than a fifth of ours. We (FR) have to admit we've not been efficient at notifying of renewals in the past and plenty of people have lapsed whilst still being supportive of the Trust (I think we peaked at around 350 members near official formation)

You can join here - foreverreds.co.uk/membership

Forever Reds is a Clique/Old Boys Group:
It really isn't. There's people that I only know through Forever Reds and only see at meetings, and other than that I know nothing about them. Sure, people who have been in the same group for years will get pally, but there's plenty of differences of opinion in the Trust. The Trust is constantly trying to recruit new members (not really the actions of a clique). The Trust has a 9 person board, half of which has to be re-elected every year, with any member being eligible to stand for election (subject to some legal limitations). All members are notified of this every year. In the last 6 years, nobody has come forward for election, despite, in most of those years being pretty much guaranteed a place as there were unfilled places on the board. The current Trust board are the only people who've put their hand up and offered to do it. The board is made up of 9 people and decisions are made democratically. As Company Secretary, I (backed by advice from Supporters Direct) have to make sure that due process is followed.

Why isn't Forever Reds a Charity?
There are now over 180 supporters trusts helped into existence by Supporters Direct. All adopt the Industrial & Provident Society Model - essentially a not-for-profit mutual society, owned by the members. By and large, unless a supporters trust is exclusively funding amateur sports they cannot be a charity, that is laid out in Charities legislation (www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Pu ... /cc21.aspx)

And finally, I personally don't know whether members of the trust board who provide lodgings to Theo are recompensed by the club and it's none of my business. My business is making sure that all board members follow the Trusts rules.

Couldn't agree more. I apologise for not being around to respond for a few days, so I'm going to attempt to answer a few questions then lock this thread because I'm sick of reading bitching when we need fans to put personal differences to one side for the good of having a club to watch.

How Many Members in Forever Reds:
I'm not membership secretary so don't have exact numbers, but it's about 90-100. It's not good really, and pretty embarrassing that Swinton have more members in their Trust than ours despite having gates of less than a fifth of ours. We (FR) have to admit we've not been efficient at notifying of renewals in the past and plenty of people have lapsed whilst still being supportive of the Trust (I think we peaked at around 350 members near official formation)

You can join here - foreverreds.co.uk/membership

Forever Reds is a Clique/Old Boys Group:
It really isn't. There's people that I only know through Forever Reds and only see at meetings, and other than that I know nothing about them. Sure, people who have been in the same group for years will get pally, but there's plenty of differences of opinion in the Trust. The Trust is constantly trying to recruit new members (not really the actions of a clique). The Trust has a 9 person board, half of which has to be re-elected every year, with any member being eligible to stand for election (subject to some legal limitations). All members are notified of this every year. In the last 6 years, nobody has come forward for election, despite, in most of those years being pretty much guaranteed a place as there were unfilled places on the board. The current Trust board are the only people who've put their hand up and offered to do it. The board is made up of 9 people and decisions are made democratically. As Company Secretary, I (backed by advice from Supporters Direct) have to make sure that due process is followed.

Why isn't Forever Reds a Charity?
There are now over 180 supporters trusts helped into existence by Supporters Direct. All adopt the Industrial & Provident Society Model - essentially a not-for-profit mutual society, owned by the members. By and large, unless a supporters trust is exclusively funding amateur sports they cannot be a charity, that is laid out in Charities legislation (www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Pu ... /cc21.aspx)

And finally, I personally don't know whether members of the trust board who provide lodgings to Theo are recompensed by the club and it's none of my business. My business is making sure that all board members follow the Trusts rules.