We are delighted to announce that the Trust Board has voted unanimously to co-opt our Trust Secretary, Paul Sankey, onto the Trust Board, and to appoint him Vice Chair of York City Supporters’ Trust.

Paul has served as Trust Secretary through a period of significant change for both the Trust and the Football Club, and the Board was unanimous in wanting him around the table as a Board member in his own right.

Seth Sowerby, Chair of York City Supporters’ Trust, said:

“Paul has been an outstanding Trust Secretary. He took on the work that rarely gets noticed but absolutely has to be done properly — the Rules, the minutes, the returns — and he has modernised how the Trust governs itself in the process. Our Rules and our procedures are now in far better shape than when he arrived, and a great deal of what members will see from the Trust over the coming years rests on that groundwork.

“Paul is thoughtful, diligent and completely straight with people, and he has never lost sight of the fact that the Trust exists to serve York City supporters. I have no doubt at all that he will be a great Vice Chair. I’m looking forward to working alongside him.”

Under the Trust’s Rules, up to four members of the Trust Board may be co-opted by the Board, with elected members always in the majority. As Paul joins as a co-opted member, he will stand before the membership for election at our AGM this autumn, and full details will be published to members in the usual way ahead of the meeting.

We are now looking for a new Trust Secretary

Paul’s move to the Board means we will be recruiting a successor as Trust Secretary. Paul will continue to carry out the Secretary’s duties until a new Secretary is in place, and will help whoever takes it on to settle in.

The Secretary is one of the most important roles in the Trust. The main responsibilities are:

  • Acting as Secretary to the Trust Board, arranging and minuting its meetings — the Board currently meets every four weeks
  • Convening our AGM and any special general meetings, and keeping the minutes
  • Making sure the Trust’s affairs are conducted in line with our Rules, and making the returns required by the Financial Conduct Authority as our regulator
  • Helping make sure members get the information they should have about how their Trust is run

You do not need to have done this before, and you do not need to be a lawyer or an accountant. What matters far more is that you are organised, reliable, discreet where you need to be, and care about York City. The role is voluntary and unpaid, as all Trust roles are. Full support and a proper handover will be provided, and because Paul is staying with us on the Trust Board rather than stepping away, there will be plenty of help available in handing the responsibilities over.

This is a genuine opportunity to make a difference. The Trust holds a shareholding in York City Football Club and appoints supporter representatives to the Club Board, and the Secretary sits right at the heart of making that work — helping to keep the Trust well run, accountable to its members, and effective in representing the people in the stands.

If you would like to know more, or would like an informal conversation about what the role involves, please get in touch at info@ycst.org.uk. We would be glad to hear from you.

About York City Supporters’ Trust

York City Supporters’ Trust is the fan-owned body that holds a shareholding in York City Football Club. Run by fans, for fans, we give supporters a real voice in the future of our club — on and off the pitch.

Not yet a member? Join online today at https://www.ycst.org.uk/join/ and help make our voice even stronger. Membership is open to anyone aged 16 and over, from just £10 a year.