Torquay United Supporters Trust meeting 8 April

[Torquay Trust]

Torquay United Supporters Trust (TUST) is holding a public meeting on Wednesday 8 April to discuss the future of the club. It's at Torquay Museum between 7pm and 9pm.

It would be great to see as many people there as possible including supporters from throughout the region and members of the football community in Cornwall and Devon.

The story is the supporters' trust was resurrected towards the end of 2014. One of the aims was to investigate the possibility of "community ownership" of the club. This wouldn't just be by regular supporters but the wider community as well: individuals, businesses, organisations, clubs, leagues or whoever.

With the decision of Thea Bristow to stand down, events have moved more quickly than we ever anticipated. Suddenly, along with other interested parties, we have been encouraged to table a bid for the club.

It's early days. If we can obtain the support of the community there are several possible outcomes:

1. TUST takes control of Torquay United.

2. TUST takes a minority share of the club in partnership with other backers.

3. TUST, without necessarily having a significant stake in the club, gains representation on the board.

It's really a blank sheet of paper at this stage. TUST is receiving advice from Supporters DIrect, which has overseen similar projects at other clubs. We're also studying what has happened at those clubs.

Money, of course, is the issue everybody will raise. Membership subscriptions alone are never going to finance a club such as Torquay United. We'll need to generate funds in all sorts of ways. Again we are receiving excellent advice about this from Supporters Direct, a representative of whom will be at Wednesday's meeting. 

The people involved in TUST are all long-standing supporters of Torquay United. Several of us are also keen followers of the game throughout Cornwall and Devon and, given the chance, would love to build closer relationships between the club and football in the region. 

If you've an interest in Torquay United's future we hope to see you at the museum on Wednesday evening. Meanwhile our thanks for taking the trouble to read this message. 

You can find us at www.torquaysupporters.co.uk

You can contact us at info@torquaysupporters.co.uk