A bit of a 'milestone' last weekend...

Not one you may have noticed, but it was the first of a regular monthly column from the independent DULWICH HAMLET SUPPORTERS TRUST in the programme

The Football Club Committee recently invited our Supporters Trust the chance to have a monthly column in the official matchday programme, which is on sale for only two pounds at every home game.

And it was great news when they accepted, another great example of the Football Club & the Trust working together....

Here's what our Supporters Trust had to say against Grays Athletic last Saturday:

Welcome to a new monthly piece from the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters’ Trust. We are delighted to have the opportunity to keep you up to date with our work through this new slot and thank the producers of the programme for making this possible. The Trust membership base has continued to grow over the last twelve months with now nearly 300 members. This growth is fantastic given the important events that are occurring off the pitch.

Our members elected a new board over the summer, the first time in our history that an election was contested and a strong sign of our recent growth. We’re fortunate to have a diverse range of skills within the elected board including planning officers, lawyers, local business owners, an architect and an accountant. Alongside the assistance and guidance of Supporters’ Direct, this provides us with a strong foundation in working to ensure that our club has a sustainable future in East Dulwich.

We continue to work closely with the owners of Champion Hill - Hadley Property Group - on their plans to redevelop Champion Hill and subsequently transfer the club to a fan-owned model. Once there is sufficient detail, we will ballot our members in order to decide whether the Trust will back their plans.

Another major aspect of the Trust’s work has been the joint initiatives with the Club’s Football Committee, particularly in relation to community engagement. This joint work has played a significant role in increasing attendances and ensuring that Champion Hill is a place that welcomes all irrespective of race, gender, sexuality or disability. The promotion of the anti-homophobia friendly against Stonewall and the game against Peckham Town for Mental Health Awareness Week were particularly notable successes during last season, as was our assistance in promoting Non-League Day as the club smashed its then record attendance. We’re looking forward to continuing this work over the coming season and keeping you all up to date with our latest community initiatives.

The joint work with the Football Committee has proved fruitful, but supporters don’t need to be affiliated with any of these groups in order to help promote the club and ensuring it’s a welcoming place for all. From a Trust perspective, Board member Jack Spearman will be leading on community issues during this season alongside Mishi Morath (who in addition to being a member of the Football Committee was elected to the Trust board this summer). Input from the wider supporter base is always encouraged, if any supporters have ideas for further community work or just wish to volunteer sometime in making them happen, then please do get in touch and actively play a role in developing these initiatives. As has been echoed many times, the club survives on volunteers and anyone who has skills they wish to offer will be very much welcomed.

It’s clear that now more than ever before is a critical time to be joining the Trust. For example, if you wish for your voice to be heard as part of the Trust’s decision to back the ground redevelopment, then you need to join. You can do so via our website or at the Trust’s “mega-shed” on match days. We’ll be back next month to inform you of what we’ve been up to over the last month, let’s hope we make as strong a start to the season as the playing squad have!

Jack Bagnall, Spokesperson, DHST