The Citizens Trust has an elected Board, but it is run via a committee structure. The founding committees are designed to cover each area of the Trust’s operations. They are:
- Finance and fundraising – Learn about the financial side of the Trust, run fundraising projects and input into finances.
- Campaigns and policy – Influence how The Citizens Trust campaigns, learn how to organise effectively and help us win where we need to win.
- Membership – Ensure that all Trust members are looked after and help grow the membership.
- Community – Have a positive impact in your local area through community organising and events.
- Communications – Help the Trust communicate effectively and put your own stamp on the Trust.
Each committee is open for any paid up member to join, and in fact the Trust relies on members doing so.
This is not an organisation where policy and initiatives are decided at Board level and then handed down. You will not turn up to the committee and be given a list of tasks to complete. (Although sometimes the Board may request something!)
Instead, members are encouraged to bring their own ideas to the committee and get the support you need to make them happen. For example:
- Want to organise coaches for away trips or a hiking trip for members? Bring it to the Membership committee.
- Want to shape our campaigns or help decide how we interact with the club? Help out at the Campaigns and Policy committee.
- Want help organising football summer schools or support a community group in your local area? Come to the Community committee.
- Want to learn comms skills and get involved with pushing our message out into the world? Join the Communications committee.
- Have some fundraising ideas or want to learn how to run a financially healthy Trust? Lend a hand to the Finance and Fundraising committee.
Committees will meet regularly and offer members a chance to truly influence what the Trust does. If you want to get involved, it’s as simple as joining the Trust to become a shareholder, then attending a meeting and helping out.
No one will tell you what to do, it’s all about bringing ideas, working together and deciding collectively for the benefit of members, Manchester City supporters and the communities we live in.
Once an idea has been put together, the Committee lead will then report back to the Board who will:
- Double check that proposed activities do not break the rules of the Trust or the law.
- Offer support where requested.
- Advise on where other people may need to input (i.e. if there are financial implications, one of the Finance team may need to see it).
- Sign the idea off if it is complete and ready to go.
- The Board will at all times aim to sign ideas off rather than block them.
Once an idea is firmed up and signed off, it will go to the next All Members Meeting for a vote of your fellow Trust members. Once approved,
There’s no right or wrong way to do it – all you need are ideas and enthusiasm. The Trust belongs to all of us collectively, we can do whatever we want with it!
The only limit is our energy and willingness to take responsibility. The Trust will be what we all make of it.
Want to get involved? The first step is to join The Citizens Trust – which you can do here.
