ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - 2024
The Annual General Meeting of the Trust took place on Wednesday 21st February 2024 and was held online via Zoom video-conferencing.
Thank you to those members who either joined the meeting or submitted proxy voting forms in advance of the meeting.
All resolutions were passed on the night, as follows:
Resolution 1: To receive and adopt the Directors’ Report and Detailed Financial Statements for the 12 month period ending 31st August 2023
Resolution 2: That West Ham United Supporters’ Trust disapplies the appointment of auditors for the year ending 31 August 2024
Resolution 3: That Steve Hale of Perrys Accountants Limited is to be appointed as the Society's Independent Examiner for the annual accounts year ending 31st August 2024
Resolution 4: That the election of Andrew Byrne, Mark Inskipp, Gary Marling and Chris Wheal to the Board of the West Ham United Supporters’ Trust is hereby approved.
Following the AGM, the WHUST Board now consists of Andy Byrne, Nick Drane, Richard Elliott, Kevin Hind, Mark Inskipp, Gary Marling, Rachel McFetridge, Terry Reynolds and Chris Wheal.
Board positions will be agreed at the first meeting of the new Board.
As per the Model Rules of the Society:
The Society shall have a Board of Directors comprising not less than 6 and not more than 10 persons.
We asked our members at the AGM whether we should fill the vacant position. The general consensus was that we should seek to fill the position. We will discuss this at the first meeting of the new board.
That concludes the AGM process for this year. Thank you for your continued support.
WHUST Board
21st February 2024
The documentation for the AGM process are detailed below.
As per the Convening Notice, issued on 19th January 2024, the Ironworks 1895 Supporters Society Limited, trading as the West Ham United Supporters’ Trust, will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 21st February at 19:00 via Zoom video conferencing.
To attend the AGM via Zoom, you will need to register your attendance at:
Zoom Registration Link
before midday on Wednesday 21st February 2024, using your shareholder number included in the email sent to shareholders.
It is important that eligible trust members either participate and vote at the Zoom session or that you use your proxy vote if you are not going to attend.
So that's either:
~ Attend the virtual AGM on 21 February and vote in person
~ Complete the online proxy form on the website by 18:00 on Tuesday 20th February 2024 Proxy voting has now closed
We urge you to cast your vote, have your say in your trust.
The business of the meeting covers statutory procedures and compliance with the rules of the society, the Football Supporters' Association and the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. As such the agenda is strictly limited.
The Agenda for the AGM, plus voting forms and other documentation is published here on our website:
AGM Agenda:
Chair of the Election Management Group Report on nominations:
Candidate personal statements for election to the WHUST Board
WHUST Annual Accounts for the year ending 31 August 2023
FSA Guidelines for an Independent Examiner
Link to Proxy Voting Form web page - Proxy voting has now closed
Please ensure voting forms are submitted by 18:00 on Tuesday 20th February 2024
Yours faithfully,
WHUST Board
7th February 2024
CONVENING NOTICE
Under Rule 29 of the current Society Rules, the Trust Board has called an Annual General Meeting of Ironworks 1895 Supporters Society Limited for Wednesday 21st February 2024 and under Rule 36, is obliged to provide notice to members in writing of such a meeting. Please consider this written notice of the AGM.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Ironworks 1895 Supporters Society Limited (also known as the West Ham United Supporters’ Trust) (the “Trust”) will be held via Zoom Video Conference at 19:00 on Wednesday 21st February 2024.
The following areas of business will be dealt with at the AGM:
1. Report on Trust performance
2. Review of examined accounts
3. Election of 5 of the members of the Trust Board
The Agenda for the meeting is as follows.
1. Chair's Introductions/ Report on Trust performance
2. Annual Accounts:
Review of examined accounts
Resolution to disapply the requirement of the current financial year’s accounts ending 31st August 2024 to be audited.
3. Results of elections of Directors to the Board
Under Rule 62. At the Annual General Meeting following the first Annual General Meeting of the Society half of the members of the Society Board first elected by the members (to be chosen by lot) will resign from office. A retiring Society Board member shall be eligible for re-election.
ELECTION OF UP TO FIVE NEW BOARD MEMBERS TO TRUST BOARD:
To ensure transparency and independent scrutiny of our election we are appointing an Independent Nomination and Returning Officer, and we are delighted that Neil Le Milliere has agreed to perform this role. Neil is a longstanding member of the Exeter City Supporters Trust and its Board, who have owned the majority shareholding in their club for over twenty years, as well as being on the Football Supporters Association National Council.
If any member would like to contact Neil directly for any information regarding voting, elections or about Neil directly, your enquires will be dealt with in strict confidence and Neil can be contacted by email at neil_le_milliere@btinternet.com or by phone on 07946 615889.
Nominations to stand for election to the Trust Board are now closed. The WHUST AGM 2024 Board Nomination Form is available for reference purposes:
WHUST AGM 2024 Board Nomination Form
Each candidate is required to be a full current member as at midday on 19th January 2024 (the start of the AGM process), aged 16 or over and must be nominated by two full current members as at 19th January 2024.
All nomination forms must be returned by 18:00 on Monday 29th January 2024 via email to neil_le_milliere@btinternet.com
Board members will be a Director of Ironworks 1895 Supporters’ Society Ltd – a Community Benefit Society registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.
As well as being subject to the director’s responsibilities under that Act, they will also be bound by the Trust’s Board Membership and Conduct Policy and other rules and policies as published on the Trust’s website:
https://www.whust.org/policies
Candidate information will then be issued to full Trust members on 7th February 2024.
Should more nominations be received than vacancies (5) then a contested election will be held when full shareholding members will be able to vote in the board elections. Full details will be included in communications on 7th February 2024.
Please contact secretary@whust.org with any other questions relating to the Annual General Meeting.
Yours faithfully,
WHUST Board
19th January 2024
Details of the 2023 AGM held on Wednesday 15th February 2023 can be found at: