The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

Actually it is more a question than actual news.

This foilows comments at the last AFC Fans Forum from several AFC R & D fans who are also R & D Trust members about the distinct lack of information coming from the Trust Board.

I understood a letter was sent to the R & D Trust Board with over 50 signatures requesting an EGM to discuss the situation and gain support for AFC R & D. I do not remember the constitutional position in the regard?

Does anyone know what is happening?

Similarly if anyone can answer the following questions with a positive answer i'd be pleasantly surprised.

- Was a trust meeting ever held regarding AFC R&D and transfer of monies to from the trust to AFC R&D? If not why not?
- What has happened to monies from bucket collections?
- What has happened to monies from car-boot sales?
- What has happened to monies raised from the fans football game?

I think we'd all like to know that. I've forwarded further requests to the Trust Board that people have submitted via the Trust Website, but not received any reply. I've told them I'm ready to publish any statement they care to make on the demise of R&DFC, the rise of AFC R&D or the Youth Team funding. I'm a Trust Member myself and haven't had any communication from them since the Diamonds went into Adminstration.

The question about the Trust funds is obviously a major one, especially given earlier comments that these funds might be used for ongoing support of the Youth Team members who were first year scholars last season. At one point it looked like many of them were going to join Corby's youth system, but it now appears there wasn't a terrific take-up of that idea.

I know one of those answers.

The money that was raised at the car boot sales by volunteers following donations of items from supporters was ring fenced. It never went to the club (KC) or trust and is being retained by Dazzler.

I believe it was in the range of £400 for the three boots sales conducted. I'm sure Dazzler will confirm the exact amount. This money was never part of the trust monies and I'm sure will be added to the AFC fund in due course.

As for any of the trust monies ...... ?????

On Trust news, I am aware that there is a board meeting taking place shortly, as a few of the board members have been on holiday over the last few weeks, and the AFC representatives are organising a meeting to discuss the existing Trust's funds with them. So this is ongoing, and has not been forgotten.

I am also aware the Trust Board were sent a letter signed by a number of Fans after the last AFC Fans Forum at Raunds, as the AFC was cc'd on the letter which was sent to the AFC as part of our normal post (which is mostly Replica Shirt Orders currently, thanks!).

I have posted a number of times that all monies from the bucket collections, from Pemberton Centre AFC Meeting onward, including Party in the Park [so not including the first one at Nene Park], and all the car boot sales that we did are with the AFC Funds. I don't have the figures to hand at this moment and am working right now, but most amounts were published as a matter of record on the forum soon after as I recall. But I can assure you that we do have those monies.

BartonRaz wrote:Similarly if anyone can answer the following questions with a positive answer i'd be pleasantly surprised.
- Was a trust meeting ever held regarding AFC R&D and transfer of monies to from the trust to AFC R&D? If not why not?
- What has happened to monies from bucket collections?
- What has happened to monies from car-boot sales?
- What has happened to monies raised from the fans football game?

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1/ Was a trust meeting ever held regarding AFC R&D and transfer of monies to from the trust to AFC R&D? If not why not?
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As per my last post - the R&D Trust Board are meeting shortly after a number of the members have been on holiday. The AFC committee or representatives thereof are also planning to meet with them shortly also - this has been requested, and indeed was discussed at the weekend.

These next answers have been answered before on earlier threads:

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2/ What has happened to monies from bucket collections?
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The AFC/myself (as acting treasurer) have all the monies from the AFC Pemberton centre meetings (seems a long time ago now!), and all subsequent collections (other Forum meetings, and Party in the Park Stall we had. We did not do a collection at OG's - that was an information point only.)

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3/ What has happened to monies from car-boot sales?
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The AFC have the monies from the car-boot sales that we did.

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4/ What has happened to monies raised from the fans football game?
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I believe (but would need to confirm) this was paid into R&D Trust, so would be part of those monies.

There are some really useful replies here - and perhaps for completeness it's worth adding a note that there are other monies not mentioned above - notably those that were raised before the Trust established the account to hold pledges / collection money - e.g. the collection of cash at Cousins' Fans meeting, or the initial bucket collections.

We need the Trust Board to confirm whether any of these have reached the Trust-managed account or not (I suspect they may not have done) so their whereabouts can be established.

I know that the Trust was working to ensure certain funds were protected, and did an excellent job to ensure the funds raised from sales of the Kidderminster programme were ringfenced to reach Dale's Fund (managed by his parents).

Many thanks for the replies and some answers.

I have to say Trust Board members must have had the longest holidays on record. Obviously to another Planet with the lack of information being provided to Trust members over the last few months!

Perhaps we will learn when the Trust Board is due to meet from someone; and most importantly when they intend to consult members.

The one thing our AFC Club Committee has learnt very early on is the benefit of good communication and most of all transparency.

You are absolutely right about the need for communication - and thankfully the approach adopted by the AFC Committee is the polar opposite of that of the R&D Supporters Trust.

As I've said before, one of the reasons the Trust failed to run the football club was because of the siege mentality adopted by certain Trust Board members, discouraging communication with us "rank and file" Trust members.

To be fair to them they have probably been holidaying at different times and as we have discovered ourselves, its tough to get people together for meetings at the right time. I don't know what the Quorum is for Trust Board meetings, but I'd guess its 3 from 5 and given the importance of what is being discussed they really all need to be there........I'm as anxious as the next man to see the money transferred over, but a little patience is all that is required, good things come to those who wait

I hope the money raised by bucket collections at the two fans forums meetings hosted by KC didn't go into the black hole that was R&DFC's bank account, I was under the impression that it was being held outside of that, certainly that was the impression given by KC, who, lets remember, was not owner of the club at the time so the money should be in the Trusts coffers.

I'm just hoping this can be resolved as soon as possible with the outcome being that R&DFC Supporters Trust money goes to the rightful place - and that has to be with AFC R&D, the only organisation that has a real and rightful claim to the money.