The Trust’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on 1st December at Carlisle United. Doors at Foxys open at 10.30am with the AGM starting at 11am.
Entry will require a ticket which can be booked via Eventbrite Booking free of charge.
For those unable to attend in person, the AGM will be live-streamed online. Further details on how to access the live stream will be shared on the morning of the 1st.
As per CUST Policy, one-third of the Board of Trustees will be up for election, equating to four positions. Billy Atkinson, Kieron Bulman, and Dan MacLennan will be seeking re-election. Dave Noble, who has made significant contributions to the Trust during a crucial period in its history, has decided to step down. The Trust extends its sincere gratitude for his tireless efforts.
As the number of candidates matches the number of available positions, this year’s election will be affirmative. Each candidate will require a simple majority of votes to be elected.
Candidate Profiles:
Billy Atkinson
During the time I have been CUST’s representative on the Holdings board I have been trying to bring about change of control in the club’s boardroom. This has now happened and I am delighted to have been part of the process along with our other CUST board members. I along with all our board members welcome the change of ownership at Brunton Park.
It has sometimes been a challenging and difficult course to navigate but I was convinced it would happen. I want to be around to see the job through to the bright and sustainable future that all the supporters of our great club want and deserve. That is why I am standing for re-election.
The position on the Holdings board is by invitation only, but it’s a vital role as that is where our shareholding in the club is located. I have always been very proud to have been put forward for this role.
Over the last three years I believe I have earned the trust of the owners both old and new. I believe my re-election would provide the continuity that is needed at club and ownership level to continue the work already started, along with our 1921 director.
Over the years I have tried to be a voice of the fans. Our view may not always be accepted or acted on by the club, but we are listened to. The recent changes to the ownership and management structure of the club would probably not have happened had it not been for CUST’s involvement.
We now have a healthy working relationship with the club’s owners, something that has not always been the case, this is important from the Trust’s point of view, I want that to continue and prosper.
I joined the Trust in 2001, and was co-opted on to the Trust Board in August 2006.
Please make sure you vote.
William Atkinson
Kieron Bulman
Hello! My name is Kieron, I’m 53 years old and I wish to stand for re-election as a board member of your Carlisle United Supporters Trust.
Since I stood originally back in 2022 there has been a period of transition and transformation of both the trust and more importantly Carlisle United Football Club! The involvement of the Trust and you, the members, was crucial for this transformation to take place and should never be underestimated.
Under the guidance of experienced Trust board members along with the injection of new faces, new initiatives, new skillsets, and a fresh/determined approach we are beginning to see the fruits of what a modern, diverse, forward thinking, and inclusive Supporters Trust can achieve!
In my initial two and a half years I have learnt a great deal relating to the actual running of a Trust and how the football club operates, I have met many members and supporters from the wider fanbase community and fully understand how much this fantastic football club means to us all.
We are seeing all the fantastic stadium upgrades and vastly improved supporter match day experience initiatives which we, The Trust, had a lot of involvement in bringing to the fore which is just one of many examples of behind the scenes work that is carried out by us all.
The improvements and successes off the pitch have been a real shot in the arm for our club, our supporters, and the wider community. I do, however, understand the frustrations of many supporters regarding the fact that this hard work and positivity has not translated to the on-pitch situation/form. We have received a lot of feedback both positive and constructive. I want to assure you, the members, and our wider fanbase that we take all feedback seriously and we communicate the feelings of all supporters to the ownership team and senior management of the football club and, if re-elected, I will continue to do so. I have had much experience in working with senior management teams and trade unions within the rail industry for over 36 years. I will always do my upmost in ensuring that the supporters voices are collectively heard by the people that matter at Carlisle United football Club.
I hope that I can count on your continued support and can further reassure you that I am more than up for the challenge of playing my part in making this already fantastic football club even better!
Up The Blues!!
Dan MacLennan
I’ve spent the last two years serving on the Board of the Trust and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It’s been one heck of a rollercoaster too, a promotion, a takeover and a relegation, Carlisle United that!
When I was elected to the Board, the biggest driver behind my standing, was to help improve and modernise the Trust, as, in my opinion, it had stagnated. The fans voice is ever more important in football, and ensuring that the Blue Army had theirs heard was something important to me.
Two years on and I think the Trust has improved massively. There’s a new membership system in place which is easy to navigate, an updated name, logo and website, the communications, especially via social media, have improved and there is an excellent working relationship with the new owners of the Club, Castle Sports Group.
But that’s not enough for me. There’s still work to do and I’d like the opportunity to continue this.
One of the most important projects, for me, is the setting up of a permanent base in the hugely successful Fan Zone. A place where members can pop and see the Trust, be it to complain, offer feedback, or even just a general natter on all things blue and white on a match day. Talks have been had with the Club, following the unveiling of this plan at the members meeting earlier this year, and a container unit is pencilled in for this purpose. Seeing this through to completion is something I’d love to be able to do.
As part of the Trust communications working group, we’ve also been looking at better ways to hold meetings for members, and developing a calendar of three or four such occasions a year, hopefully a mixture of physical and online, to try and enable access for as many members as possible. Being able to help bring these plans to fruition is another reason for my standing for re-election.
Providing members with as many opportunities as possible to both talk to the Trust and receive information back is something I’ve already said is important to me, and the two examples of ongoing plans are excellent means of how the Trust can hopefully do this moving forward. As I said, things have improved, but driving them forward to be even better is something I hope to be able to continue to contribute towards.
Our Club is at the beginning of a journey under the new ownership and the Trust is incredibly well placed to help it on the way. Castle Sports Group really understand the role of the Trust and working with them has been a breath of fresh air. Being able to cement this relationship and ensure the fans have their collective voice represented, wether it be a compliment, complaint or query, would continue to be an honour.
Many thanks for reading and, as ever, ‘Up the Blues!’
Dan MacLennan
Riegan Thompson
I’m Riegan Thompson, live in Carlisle and I’ve supported the Blues all my life, attending my first game in 2003/04 with my dad and have been following us up and down the country ever since.
I’m standing for election for the trust as I believe there needs to be some connection with the younger fan base, now more than ever. After the promotion and the takeover from the Piatak’s we’ve seen a huge increase in younger fans attending games. The trust, and the club, need to maintain relationships with these fans to preserve the future of the club for generations.
The trust have been superb in recent years, aiding with the takeover and getting involved with great initiatives such as Flags For United.
If elected, I aim to bridge the age gap that exists with current members to get the younger generation involved with their club and to ensure they have a voice.
Up the blues.