1. Disapplying audit

 

The motion:

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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 2023 when they are presented to the  AGM held on 9 December 2023.

 

The members of the Society agree that the Accounts for the financial year ending on 30 June 2023 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 the Guidance Notes.

•   a report 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

•   the members of the Trust instruct the Board to continue its current practice of identifying a suitably qualified practitioner to undertake the examination

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

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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 the next 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 that financial year, then the default position is that the Trust must have a full audit. 

 

2. Blackpool Supporters Trust - approved spending limits

 

The motion

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Members note that the Society’s rules on permitted Expenditure by the Committee are out of date, and impeding the Committee’s ability to carry out normal business.

Members  also note that a combination of inflation, and changing patterns of expenditure, suggest a significant rise in the limit is needed in order that :

•   the Committee can perform its role, and

•   we reduce the need for this issue to be addressed again in the immediate future.

Members agree to the following proposal :

•   that the permitted expenditure limit for the Committee be raised from the current £500  to EITHER £3,000 OR 20% of the Society’s reserves at the time of the expenditure in question ;

•   and that it will be for the Society’s Treasurer to monitor reserves and advise the Committee of what the 20% ceiling is as and when necessary

 

Note to Members

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Our current rules were set when the Trust was formed in 2014, and they provide that the Committee can only spend up to £500 on individual items without prior Member approval.

This rule is increasingly dated. Ten years of inflation have significantly reduced what £500 can buy. We are also now in a position where we not only continue to raise significant sums of money ourselves, but also want to invest much of that money in various initiatives connected to the football club. This was clearly not the position in 2014.

More generally, the reality is that the current limit is increasingly making it more difficult to do even routine things. Spending on big items - like mascots, and the festive fundraiser - come in much bigger chunks.

We are therefore looking for your approval for a significant uplift in this number, to make operating more efficient and avoid us having to come back to you to on this issue again in the foreseeable future.

Our proposal for an approach based upon a combination of

 

•   an absolute amount and/or

•   a proportion of reserves

 

is designed to give the Committee some operational freedom, within a clear limit that is managed by the Society’s Treasurer. As such, it will also be examined every year by our independent auditor.

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3. Blackpool Supporters Trust - Revised Aims

 

The motion

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The Society notes that the Board has been working on an appropriate response to the comprehensive Supporter Survey held in 2022 ;

It further notes that, whilst suggesting no changes to the Society’s Rules, the Board do suggest that operational aims need to be updated to be more appropriate for the current operating environment, and possible future changes to the law ;

The revised aims as set out in this motion are consistent with the Society’s overall objectives as set out in section 4 of the Constitution, and with its powers as described at section 5 ;

• it therefore broadly supports the Board’s recommendations that the  aims laid out below should be adopted ; and

• mandates the Board to carry out whatever work is needed to support and promote them

 

The revised aims are as follows :

 

Ultimate Aim

 

To be valued by everybody involved with Blackpool Football

 

for Blackpool Fans

 

   •     to represent and campaign on issues decided by the members and, by extension, the supporters of Blackpool Football Club

   •     to be a democratic and representative fans group for Blackpool FC supporters

   •     to be an advocate for supporters interests to the club, in accordance with legislation arising from the fan led review.

 

for our Club

 

   •     to provide the club with honest and constructive feedback at all times.

   •     to help Blackpool FC engage better with the fans

   •     to influence Blackpool FC in a positive way

 

for our Community

 

   •     to strengthen the bonds between the Club and the community which it serves and to represent the interests of the community in the running of the Club

   •     to support local community initiatives that help grow the fanbase, support youth welfare and grass roots sport

   •     to manage whatever rights and duties are placed upon BST via any future legislation.

 

Note to Members

 

When we conducted a Survey of Blackpool supporters in 2022, you told us that :

• you wanted us to be a voice for fans and represent your interests to the club

 

• a strong priority for you was growing the fan base, especially by focusing on young people

 

• non-Members thought that an overhaul of our aims that made fan priorities more prominent might lead them to rejoin.

 

• you thought that community initiatives and football governance remained important - but the main focus should be on the club and on fans.

 

Arising out of that feedback, the Trust’s Committee has undertaken a root and branch review of what we do, how we do it, and what we think our day-to-day priorities should be.

A proposed set of Aims are set out in the Motion, for which we are seeking Member endorsement. They are designed to broadly support the Objectives set out in the Constitution, which remain unchanged. But they do:

 

• more closely reflect the way that the Committee feels we need to organise ourselves and our work.

• provide a better basis for strong, collaborative working with the football club.