Trust new chair, SOS for staff

[underdog]

Trust announces new chair, gives an honest assessment of itself and puts out an SOS for staff. 

 

The time is now, help to make change if you can and make it a better Trust...get involved

 

https://trustoldham.co.uk/2020/06/11/introducing-your-new-chair-and-desperately-seeking-new-directors/

 

KEY VACANCIES but they want to hear from anyone who is interested

 

Events & Fund Raising
Supporter Liaison
Business Development
HR / Legal

[disjointed]

Good luck to her and everyone else involved, she seems well qualified to take on the role. 

[al_bro]

49 minutes ago, disjointed said:

Good luck to her and everyone else involved, she seems well qualified to take on the role. 

I wonder what she makes of the accounts which show a £6m profit.

[singe]

17 minutes ago, al_bro said:

I wonder what she makes of the accounts which show a £6m profit.

4.01 - DR ran through change information submitted and he will have a separate chat to get up to speed with PW. PW expressed disappointment that there is still no commitment to complete a Companies Act checklist to ensure that the content and scope of the revised 2017/18 accounts complies with the requirements of FRS 102 as outlined in the Appendix to our letter of December 2019.

https://trustoldham.co.uk/2020/06/02/trust-oldham-may-2020-meeting-notes/
 

[Ackey]

17 hours ago, underdog said:

Trust announces new chair...

Christ, I don't think I've ever seen someone more over-qualified or over-achieving. Can we just replace Mo with her now and have done with it? We'd be up by Christmas!

[underdog]

5 hours ago, Ackey said:

Christ, I don't think I've ever seen someone more over-qualified or over-achieving. Can we just replace Mo with her now and have done with it? We'd be up by Christmas!

She is wayyyyyyy on another level to me. Elaine too is well qualified  but is now on  a sabbatical, I hope she gets better soon. Either would make a good Trust Rep to the board.

 

However, I really hope she can shoulder all the responsibilities of it all, and not go under. Being battered on all sides, She needs help but specifically in the right places or history will repeat, 50% of trust staff gone this year. lots of knowledge lost and in danger of re-repeating as there is not many left to say...been there, done that... Honesty is the key now.

 

 

[Ackey]

Change, especially to culture, comes from the top. If she can set the right tone, correct the processes and behaviours which alienate people, etc. then I am sure she can put the Trust on a solid footing. No more secrecy, no more Owners before Club, Friendships before Fans, etc. and we're on a better road.

[BP1960]

Definitely one to be reckoned with, AL won't pull the wool over her eyes,.maybe PTB can now join forces with the Trust under her leadership?

[underdog]

Andy B who has not been on here for a while and even Darren wanted a whole review of the Trust, rip it up and start again....just did not have time with the other grenade juggling that was being done in the last 12 month

 

Club, FLG, Landlord and all the stuff surround it all.

 

I would urge fans to try and get over the "personas" that has lead to this crisis....that includes me, as part of its current plight I have to take ownership of  my contribution.

 

Look at what it is (minus the people) and how to build upon the foundation already there.

 

1) A company already set up - it needs to maintain the basics in order for it to keep going, annual accounts, AGM's ect. This credance opens up doorways - EFL, council are examples

 

2) Its share holding entitlement - lets face it its 3% and it has basic shareholder rights under the Companies act 2006. The right to full accounts, the right to approve those accounts,  consent if they are are to be published as abridged/unabridged at Companies house,  to see the shareholding register and how the request  to see this gave the club to update the other shareholder in the club, (yes there are 3 shareholders) to be contacted if the club held an AGM, to vote at that AGM......Think I have covered most of it.

 

3) shareholding add ons - (even FSA were impressed and CAST Charlton rep too). The right to appoint its own/remove its own rep to the board of OAFC, equal parity voting at club board level, the right to be consulted and to vote on that if the business of OAFC was to be discontinued ( in other words there was a meeting about it...where you not told?, aww shame you were unable to vote on this.

 

4) ACV -  the only one successfully applied for and registered even now in the borough of Oldham and it is on the footprint of BP and little wembly. The advance notice it gives us fans if the landlord wants to change its usage. It gives the Trust time to raise awareness with fans so we don;t all rock up one day to find BP sold for housing - worse case scenario. Think all those public buildings like libraries that have been lost. This is up for renewal in March 2022 and needs to be dusted off and get that process rolling.

 

Added: Factor in the potential loss of little wembly. Originally was to be built over as part of the 2009 planning application, but SPort England but a value on it/alternate compensation. a section 106 I think.  If this is still on a future agenda, it needs to be looked at

 

5) FSA - Its membership allows an outside organisation to give its own impartial advice, a route to escalate  on a national level and legal advice too

 

6) EFL - As a company with a share holding in an EFL club, escalation route. We already have given our opinion of Owners fit and proper and how EFL clubs should be consistent in their annual accounts with what should be in them.

 

The Trust is different from PTB and there is no reason why fans cannot have both 

 

It is also good to see that both have a dialogue with each other too.

 

I hope fans are not put off by the negative, personal comments about Trust staff and ex staff on some social media platforms. I have been sent some copies of vile comments made on and off for several years, posted on Trust Twitter primarily.  I don't get the nastiness of name calling a fellow human being, especially via a keyboard, would you to their face if you could see the damage you cause...just horrible. What a world we live in sometimes Human and being in the same sentance should not be used to describe some folk

 

 

[JohnG123]

As Alan Hardy once said

"The problem with social media, which is so accessible, is that people can write completely untrue things on there — and other users believe it."

Alan Hardy, Oldham Chronicle 31st May 2011.

 

[Ackey]

38 minutes ago, underdog said:

2) Its share holding entitlement - lets face it its 3% and it has basic shareholder rights under the Companies act 2006. The right to full accounts, the right to approve those accounts,  consent if they are are to be published as abridged/unabridged at Companies house,  to see the shareholding register and how the request  to see this gave the club to update the other shareholder in the club, (yes there are 3 shareholders) to be contacted if the club held an AGM, to vote at that AGM......Think I have covered most of it.

[My Emphasis]

 

Does this mean the Trust has previously / continually approved the publishing of abridge accounts? And if so, the question is surely why!?

[Dave_Og]

40 minutes ago, Ackey said:

[My Emphasis]

 

Does this mean the Trust has previously / continually approved the publishing of abridge accounts? And if so, the question is surely why!?

Why not? The company is entitled to publish them. No point insisting it does something for which it has no obligation. 

[underdog]

1 hour ago, Ackey said:

[My Emphasis]

 

Does this mean the Trust has previously / continually approved the publishing of abridge accounts? And if so, the question is surely why!?

It just highlight the actual knowledge (legal) the trust has to have and why new people with skills like Philiippa are so determined it is right. Bearing in mind, the accounts are published in our case 12 months after the financial year ended. Stuff that you need to know to hold the bigger company to account.The amount of stuff I have learned in research alone….EFL regulations, Share holder rights etc.

 

Philippa has been quite dogged with the 17/18 accounts as it is the transistional year from one owner to another and set the foundation to compare against. Yet they contain “less” information that the previous year (corney’s last full year) that the new owner signed off on. Below is from the Trust letter to the club dated 6th December and published on the club site on 23rd December. Phillippa's technical language and wording is class.

 

“Club Accounts for 2017/18 The Trust’s rights as a Shareholder have been utterly ignored by the Club in respect of the 2017/18 Accounts. On Page 4 of the Accounts there are two statements, both of which are demonstrably wrong. On Page 4 there is a statement that all members have agreed to the preparation of abridged accounts. This is simply untrue. On May 3rd, the Trust Board notified the Club that it wished to exercise its right as a Shareholder to receive full accounts. Additionally, a Cash Flow Statement was requested. In any event, as the attached ICAEW Technical Release makes clear, FRS (Financial Reporting Standard) 102 Schedule 1A (Small Company Accounts) requires the Club to request and receive positive written assent from EVERY member EVERY year to the production of abridged accounts instead of full accounts. This assent was not sought from, or given by, the Trust and the Trust demands that the Club produce full accounts forthwith. “To prepare abridged accounts the company must actively seek the consent of its members and have evidence of their agreement. The consent can be sought only after the year end and before the accounts have been approved and must be obtained for each and every year the company wishes to prepare an abridged balance sheet and/or profit and loss account.” Source: ICAEW Financial Reporting Faculty Guide FAQ’s “Filing Options for Small Companies”

 

Accounts 18/19 - are due at Companies house now on 26th June. There should be a club board meeting first then rolled out to the two other shareholders. We have already served notice to the club (same letter) that we exercised our right to FULL accounts, quote letter:

 

"Other Trust Shareholder Rights under the Companies Act 2006: We request the following confirmation and information: • Confirmation that the Trust has been entered in the company’s Register of Members (section 113); • We request to inspect the Register of Members (shareholders) for free (section 116); • The Trust gives notice that it exercises its entitlement as a member to receive Full Accounts for 2018/19.

 

I am also fairly confident that teh trust people in situ at the time would have openly spoke up if there was anything wrong.....one being the trust treasurer who had a senior role full time as an accountant. Just looking at Companies house now to cross reference. Gone back to 2014/15 and no mention that they are unabridged.

 

I know there are more qualified people on here than I and I am crap at explaining things which does not help

 

 

 

[underdog]

Trust site being updated with bio's/profiles of the current team.

 

Putting names to faces and I hope, planting in fans minds that they are human beings....be kind

 

There is an updated today on Kevin Boden. Kevin has co-opted for nearly at year now and will be up for election at the AGM, Catch up with Kevin....

 

https://trustoldham.co.uk/2020/06/11/kev-boden/

 

and they are catching up on those missing months trust meeting notes. December now published. So leading up to the AGM they have so far;

 

Aug, Sept (void as met with FSA), October, Nov, Dec.........March, April and May

 

Still to  be approve Jan and Feb. Trust new chair is working on these missing two but it must be hard to get them proposed and seconded as the staff who were there at the time for them have since left. December meeting notes below

 

https://trustoldham.co.uk/2019/12/31/board-meeting-december-2019/

[al_bro]

2 hours ago, underdog said:

It just highlight the actual knowledge (legal) the trust has to have and why new people with skills like Philiippa are so determined it is right. Bearing in mind, the accounts are published in our case 12 months after the financial year ended. Stuff that you need to know to hold the bigger company to account.The amount of stuff I have learned in research alone….EFL regulations, Share holder rights etc.

 

Philippa has been quite dogged with the 17/18 accounts as it is the transistional year from one owner to another and set the foundation to compare against. Yet they contain “less” information that the previous year (corney’s last full year) that the new owner signed off on. Below is from the Trust letter to the club dated 6th December and published on the club site on 23rd December. Phillippa's technical language and wording is class.

 

“Club Accounts for 2017/18 The Trust’s rights as a Shareholder have been utterly ignored by the Club in respect of the 2017/18 Accounts. On Page 4 of the Accounts there are two statements, both of which are demonstrably wrong. On Page 4 there is a statement that all members have agreed to the preparation of abridged accounts. This is simply untrue. On May 3rd, the Trust Board notified the Club that it wished to exercise its right as a Shareholder to receive full accounts. Additionally, a Cash Flow Statement was requested. In any event, as the attached ICAEW Technical Release makes clear, FRS (Financial Reporting Standard) 102 Schedule 1A (Small Company Accounts) requires the Club to request and receive positive written assent from EVERY member EVERY year to the production of abridged accounts instead of full accounts. This assent was not sought from, or given by, the Trust and the Trust demands that the Club produce full accounts forthwith. “To prepare abridged accounts the company must actively seek the consent of its members and have evidence of their agreement. The consent can be sought only after the year end and before the accounts have been approved and must be obtained for each and every year the company wishes to prepare an abridged balance sheet and/or profit and loss account.” Source: ICAEW Financial Reporting Faculty Guide FAQ’s “Filing Options for Small Companies”

 

Accounts 18/19 - are due at Companies house now on 26th June. There should be a club board meeting first then rolled out to the two other shareholders. We have already served notice to the club (same letter) that we exercised our right to FULL accounts, quote letter:

 

"Other Trust Shareholder Rights under the Companies Act 2006: We request the following confirmation and information: • Confirmation that the Trust has been entered in the company’s Register of Members (section 113); • We request to inspect the Register of Members (shareholders) for free (section 116); • The Trust gives notice that it exercises its entitlement as a member to receive Full Accounts for 2018/19.

 

I am also fairly confident that teh trust people in situ at the time would have openly spoke up if there was anything wrong.....one being the trust treasurer who had a senior role full time as an accountant. Just looking at Companies house now to cross reference. Gone back to 2014/15 and no mention that they are unabridged.

 

I know there are more qualified people on here than I and I am crap at explaining things which does not help

 

 

 

What can they do if the club carries on refusing these requests, which won't put the club in jeapordy?

[underdog]

34 minutes ago, al_bro said:

What can they do if the club carries on refusing these requests, which won't put the club in jeapordy?

There are routes of escalation.

 

Companies house being one.

 

I am not an accountant/legal minded but via the FSA there is legal advice.

 

I hope the club realise and respects this now. The measure is the 2018/19 accounts end of the month

 

Lets hope

[singe]

I can't help but think that if we'd been lucky enough to have Phillipa had been there from the start things might have been quite different.

[Crusoe]

The signs look positive but I would be inclined to wait little and see what actually happens. What happened to the rumoured dubious appointees, for a start?

[latics22]

Shes trust lead not the owner, cant see what change she will make.

[oafc1955]

?????

[singe]

15 hours ago, Crusoe said:

The signs look positive but I would be inclined to wait little and see what actually happens. What happened to the rumoured dubious appointees, for a start?

 

15 hours ago, latics22 said:

Shes trust lead not the owner, cant see what change she will make.

 

Agree proof is in action not words, said it quite a  few times. but already by the minutes you can she that she is ploughing a pretty lonely furrow.

 

 

The dubious appointees were appointed.

Partington was never an option, too controversial with the complaints of aggression against him.

https://trustoldham.co.uk/2020/06/11/kev-boden/

https://trustoldham.co.uk/2020/06/10/introducing-our-new-board-members/

 

So with the Rep that is 4 Trust Directors that seem to be patsy's for the owner.

 

But the North Korean style approval of only fluff comments is in full flow,  check out Partington's reply that got approved.

Stephen

10 June 2020

Great to see that Trust Oldham is now in good hands and I will certainly rejoin the Trust. It will definitely benefit the Club and hopefully will have a good membership with better communication and ideas as to promote a more prosperous and family feeling around the Club as it was years ago.

 

 

And Kenny's reply to PTB.

http://pushtheboundary.co.uk/trust-response-11-06-2020

 

[singe]

After Trust Chair intervened, the accounts needed to be amended as they were not compliant.

To June 2018.

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04989487/filing-history/MzI2NzE4ODY4NWFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0

 

[underdog]

1 hour ago, singe said:

After Trust Chair intervened, the accounts needed to be amended as they were not compliant.

To June 2018.

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04989487/filing-history/MzI2NzE4ODY4NWFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0

 

Its at least some vindication that..what was the message now ..oh yes "some of the Trust were lying"

 

 

Its key knowledge like this that the Trust desperatly needs for it to govern itself and to hold a bigger company to account.

 

And a danger at the AGM that a membership vote will confirm or reject her tenure as chair. She will be up for a vote with the the other three candidates who have stepped up.worth noting is that Kevin Boden has served 11 month as a co-optee. The other two Mike and Paul it will be 1 month as co-opteed.

 

 Be interesting to see if there is an i flux of new members pre-AGM.

 

I know personally, sticking your head above the trenches and in the public domain, opens you up to the critics.

 

But please anyone, do consider maybe an advisory role too...a go to kind of role. The Trust needs contacts, legal, corporate, land, share holding rights, HR for stuff like job specs, disciplinaries...any.kind if good governance kind if roles

 

As well as business contacts.

 

Looks good on a cv too

 

 

[singe]

Briefly, the initial accounts were wrong by:

Assets corrected down from £3m  to £1.6m.

Debtors corrected to show we are owed owed £138k not £1.2m

Creditors we owe, liable within a year, revised up by £500,000 to £4m.

On the plus side Creditors due 1 yr + has been corrected to show it's £4m not £4.4m

Assts - Liabilities revised so we are £6m in the red, not £3.5m

 

This isn't 2017 to 2018, it's Phillipa correcting the 2018 accounts to make them compliant.

 

 

Buying BP would add £6m to that debt, if it happens.

 

Hire Purchase and Finance leases now revealed up to £1.7m instead of £666 in 2017.

Directors Loans now shown, was £700k under Corney, £717k now. £60k per month equivalent owed, but not £60k every month.
 

to 2018

 

to 2018 revised after Trust chair intervention.

 

 

[al_bro]

3 hours ago, singe said:

After Trust Chair intervened, the accounts needed to be amended as they were not compliant.

To June 2018.

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04989487/filing-history/MzI2NzE4ODY4NWFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0

 

Where is the land the club owns?