About Us- What Is The United Trust

The United Trust is the new name for CCUIST, the Carlisle United Supporters' Trust. In legal terms we are an Industrial and Providential Society (IPS) and we were formed under the umbrella of Supporters' Direct, the government-funded body that was set up in 2000 to provide financial help and advice to groups of football supporters looking to buy a stake in their clubs.

The United Trust's major short-term aim is to acquire shares in Carlisle United FC and have permanent supporter representation on the Board of the club. To do this, the United Trust is asking its members to donate a small amount per month into a share fund that will go towards purchasing shares under an agreement reached initially with former owner John Courtenay and recently ratified by new owner Fred Story. We are also accepting single donations and it must be stressed that donations can also be made anonymously. However in such circumstances, no memberships can be given, which means no voting rights or other benefits.

As an IPS, each of our members owns a £1 share in the Trust. This entitles each member to one vote in all elections. The United Trust Board is re-elected every year and must consist of a majority of elected members. We can have up to 15 people on our Board, at least four of whom must be co-opted. Every Board member must also be a member of the Trust.

The Trust also has the opportunity to elect one of its members to sit on the Board of Carlisle United FC. The elected representative can be challenged every 12 months and can't hold the position for more than three years at a time. Any Trust member can stand for election, but under the terms of the agreement signed with the club's owner, the Board of the football club has the right of veto over the chosen representative.

It is the Trust's aim to be as representative of the supporters of Carlisle United as possible. To this end we are committed to having a good cross-section of fans sitting on our Board, whether they be young or old, rich or poor, male or female. Under the model rules adopted by an IPS, we are duty-bound to achieve this degree of representation.

The United Trust's job is to represent the interests of the Carlisle United supporters. As such we will seek to gain regular feedback from all our members and make their opinions known through our Boardroom representation. The person who wins our election is not representing themselves on the Board of Carlisle United but the members of the Trust.

As an organisation, we are helping to represent the community of Carlisle and Cumbria within the club. To this end, we will endeavour to further strengthen the links between community groups and organisations such as businesses, schools and colleges with the football club itself. We aim to make Carlisle United a stronger part of the local community.

As well as generating share fund income from our individual members, the Trust also has a number of corporate members who are asked to contribute a bit more into the share fund in order to retain their membership. With the backing of local firms, local authorities and funding organisations, we hope to bolster the share fund monies raised by our individual members. However it must be stressed that corporate members still only retain a £1 share in the Trust and have only one vote like everyone else.

Every member is given a membership card that identifies them as Trust members and can be used to receive valuable benefits such as a discount at the Carlisle United Club Shop and priority on the distribution of cup-tie tickets. It also allows them to attend the Trust's Annual General Meeting (AGM) at which the new Board is elected each year and any Special General Meetings (SGMs) that we may hold from time to time.

As an IPS, the United Trust is legally required to produce an annual audited set of Accounts and to file a return with the Registrar of Friendly Societies. Our members are required to vote through the Annual accounts at the AGM. We are strictly non-profit making, which means any surplus we show on our accounts must be re-invested in the Trust each year. If we have a large amount of unused cash in our administrative funds, this can be transferred into the share fund. In addition, the share fund will generate an attractive rate of interest and any interest earned will remain within the fund.

The Trust is also bound by the rules and regulations laid out in the Data Protection Act. This gives individuals the right to see any data held on them. To do this, all our members have to do is contact us at our usual address. A copy of our membership list is held at our registered office, as required by the Act.