Our Board Meeting on 1 March was my first as Deputy Chair, a new role for Bees United that reflects how we’re changing to deliver the Four Pillars of our core strategy that Stuart Hatcher set out in the February Newsletter. Like all organisations that rely on volunteers we need to be able to resource the range of meetings and discussions that take place through the year. This will be even more important when the fan engagements set out in the White Paper (described in Stuart’s article this month) start in earnest.
We want to maintain first class governance and financial management of Bees United and our Board Meeting this month focused on strategy and structures. We looked particularly at how we organise our Committees to support or core aims of promoting and protecting the history and heritage of the club, and engaging and representing our members and ensuring good communications. We’ll be sharing more about our plans as they develop over the next few months, so watch this space.
Being on the Bees United Board means I get to work with fans who are dedicated to making the Club a success for everyone. It is a real privilege to attend the BFC Women and Girls Fans’ Forum with fellow Board Member Colleen Wong, representatives from BIAS and a range of fans who are interested in promoting the involvement of women and girls at Brentford. At the most recent Forum we were able to discuss the results from the Club’s mid-season survey, and feedback our thoughts on a workshop we attended on the Premier League’s gender equality strategy. There were also updates from Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, and a really positive review of the Brentford Women First Team fixture at the Gtech in November. We met members of Brentford Women’s First Team and discussed how to maximise fan support for Brentford Women through the season. We also looked at the new method of reporting discrimination and abuse on matchdays, via a QR code located on the backs of seats, and talked about what we could do to challenge discrimination and abuse wherever it arises.
Ali Mullaley, our Brentford FC #HerGameToo Ambassador, is also a member of the Forum. Ali did a fantastic job of working with the Club to promote International Women’s Day at the recent Fulham match. It felt like a real celebration with the players from both teams warming up in #HerGameToo t-shirts and well deserved recognition for Brentford’s women players, staff and fans throughout the evening. With a win over our West London rivals it was a brilliant night to be a Brentford fan, for so many reasons!
This month Bees United have been working to connect with some of our supporters outside the UK. Brentford’s worldwide exposure as a Premier League club is exciting and we’d love to hear from international Bees, particularly what we can do to represent your interests and issues. Do get in touch if you’d like to tell us more about your Brentford journey and how we might support you. This month’s article on our US Bees is fascinating and it’s good to know where to attend a watch party if you find yourself in the US on match days.
I’m a relatively new Brentford fan – certainly by comparison with those brought up at Griffin Park – so the history and heritage of the Club fascinates me. I was especially intrigued when fellow BU Board Member Keith Macinnes recently asked if I would go along to the BFC Programme Collectors Club (BFCPCC) and bid for some items on his behalf.
Always happy to spend other people’s money, and only living round the corner from The Griffin where BFCPCC meet, I obviously said yes. I’m glad I did because not only did I receive a very warm welcome from the members, I got to see a good number of programmes dating from the 1910s to more recent outings. Covering home and away fixtures for the first team and reserves, I felt like I was holding little pieces of Club history with every one I carefully flicked through. I can see why it would be easy to get hooked on collecting these amazing records of matchdays gone by. If you’re interested in Club programmes and want to know more about future BFCPCC meetings do please contact Dick Rattray on his email, dick.rattray@sky.com !
At Bees United we’re always keen to hear from members and to get your feedback. My matchday seat is in the North Stand (N123) so do stop and chat if you see me at a game, or drop me a message at sharon.wright@beesunited.org.uk