The following list of priorities were identified by the Bees United board as a result of the Trust's Strategy day held at Griffin Park on 25 November 2006.
1. Refinancing
BU is responsible for repaying debts totalling £550k in January 2009 and our top priority is to ensure that we will have the finance in place in order to do this.
The BFC Board are expected by the BU Board to arrange for the Club’s debt repayments to be covered.
2. More efficient working by the BU Board
It is obvious to the BU Board members that we could and should be working more efficiently. Part of the reason for meeting for a half-day strategy discussion was to look at the areas that the Board felt deserved most of their attention. Our own internal workings clearly need to be root and branch reviewed in some areas (membership), remodelled to be fit for purpose (constitution) and kick-started in others (community involvement).
Natasha Judge had presented a fundraising strategy document to the BU Board, which had approved her three recommendations for action; Allison Franklin will complete a membership strategy document by the end of January 2007; and there is a Governance Group which is working to an action [plan approved by the BU Board.
The strategy documents will go first to the BU Board for comment and review and then when signed off will be put on the BU website and we would welcome your feedback about them and any additional ideas that you have.
3. Improvement in communication
Mark Chapman has written a communications policy part of which recommends the adoption of two volunteers to assist with communication – a Website Co-ordinator and a Press Officer.
In addition, Mark and Trevor are redesigning the BU Forum (the message board accessed by BU Board members) and the BU website will be undergoing a redesign and relaunch in 2007.
4. Community Involvement Plan
Natasha Judge has formed a steering group from the original Fundraising Group in order to capture the non-fundraising ideas that were being raised at their meetings. The group membership is a mixture of volunteers and BFC staff and from this Natasha will develop a Community Involvement Plan for the BU Board.
5. Increase shareholding
We think that if opportunities arise every attempt should be made to buy shares currently held by Martin Lange and Peter Wheatley so that BU can strengthen its position as majority shareholder.
However, we also believe that we should have an ongoing debate: Should Bees United continue to be majority shareholder in BFC?
In a sense, this is not a priority issue in that the BU Board feels action needs to be taken but that we shouldn’t close down debate about the best model for the existence of BFC given the Club’s extremely difficult financial position.
We emphasise: this is about ensuring that the ownership model that was right for the Club in 2005 remains so. We do not want to sleep walk into administration or worse because we refuse to acknowledge alternative methods of ownership and funding of BFC. Neither do we think we are facing this situation – this is simply about keeping our options open and checking our position as steward of BFC against the harsh financial realities that we face.
6. Fundraising and membership
We want to increase both but the reality is that our financial situation and that of the Club will not be substantially altered by fundraising events alone. The Board do want these events to continue and they do make an impact – standing orders are being used to repay the £250,000 loan from Barclays Bank and contributions to the players fund, for example, have been utilised to good effect in the past but some refinancing will also be required to deal with pressing debt repayment obligations for Bees United.
Similarly, we want membership to increase so that Bees United grows stronger as an organisation and develops into a more representative organisation. We intend to keep Brentford Football Club in Brentford as an active part of the local community and with a strong sense of ownership and participation shared by BU members.
The Bees United Board