We (Trust) were asked recently why we had not posted the Gilmour story as reported on the Club’s official featuring the financial support the Trust had given (HERE) to get his contract extension over the line especially as he is our award-winning player! (HERE)
Well, firstly it was not just the Trust who were behind the monies raised but others which we will come to later.
It seems many months ago now, late one Thursday in winter that members of the Trust Board left a meeting with the club directors, it was a dismal day in many ways, if American tumbleweed grew here then it would have been whistling and blowing through the car park reminiscent of a ghostly western film where hope had all but gone and Armageddon was on the way, and in many ways for us all (club, Trust, fans) it was, we were broke, income streams so vital were drying up and deadlines of going to a wall were being looked at in only a few months.
The sums needed were out of our range, but as a fan-led organisation, we felt we had to get ready somehow, either to get us past the forthcoming months or for an even worse unthinkable scenario.
Several things then started to happen. The Trust board met and after some tweaking from fan involvement our Squad Builder (SB)fund came into existence (HERE) we also had a Fighting Fund (FF)
Within a few days, a phenomenal response saw over 6K with two remarkable large donations to this day we are still in awe.
During these heady days, which if we are being honest still felt as if the grim reaper was still hovering another group of fans pushed on by the inspiration of Mark “Willy” Williams came into the frame. Mark’s concerns, like us, led him to dream up, instigate and with the now-established “crew” bring BOGS (Bring or Goodbye Sale) into being.
Following a meeting with the Trust ( see HERE) where hopefully our skill base was able to assist theirs, the Trust set about facilitating as much as possible
BOGS are a group of fans who also thought outside of the box, we are not sure what box they originally used! but by bringing their brand of entrepreneurship to the idea of “Bring and Buy (or auction! ) they have since played a huge part in raising the figures below and with it being 40% of the monies raised and used so far it has to be seen as simply amazing”
Visit the BOGS PAGE HERE
The Trust has published every month the fund totals, we still do but have not done the season’s opening update as we wanted to post the above first, and we wanted to do it on the opening home game of the new season.
This brings us to the opening line of the article, “Why have we not posted on the award-winning Gilmour story and our contribution, and the answer is simple. We are still pinching ourselves over what has happened to the club over the last six months, from gloom to boom, well at least getting boom in our sights.
Pinching ourselves as the club for us was gone as we knew it, but now…
Pinching Ourselves that our new owners are the Ogden family!
And pinching ourselves that we have never really appreciated the amazing gestures from Chairman, Simon Gauge and Richard Knight without both, we would not have a club for the Ogden’s to renovate, those thanks need to be said now, thank you.
So here we are, new season, new hope and the continuation of working with good friends again.
The Trust continues to operate in all of its established areas, representing fans, liaison with club officials, running the away coach (Big shout here for the Trust chair GB and generosity of the Ogden Family) and to all of its board members who continue in all of our specialist areas which you can read about on our web and in our newsletters and other social media sites. The work load behind the scenes is quiet amazing but worthwhile.
And the Gilmour story, well its every ones story isn’t it, we made it happen, we Daleys have much to be proud of. From the Trust and BOGS, thanks one and all
Join us at the Trust HERE
Contact the Trust info@daletrust.co.uk
And so to the figures you wanted.
As at 7th August 2024
Total SB £25,813.33 of which BOGS is £10,501.10 (40.68%)
Total FF £1025 of which BOGS is £40
Donations made for East and Hayes – 2023/24 £9,500
Donation made for Gilmour (Contract Extension) – £16,000
Total £25,500
Balance £313.33
Donations made through the Club and held in the Club bank account – £638.85
Total Fund Balance £952.18
Not bad is it!