Isle of Wight

The situation at Fratton Park is looking increasingly serious with no prospect, at this moment in time, of a potential buyer and no income stream until we can start offloading players next month.

Many of you have been asking what your local Supporters Club here on the Island is doing to help the situation at a time of genuine crisis. Well, the honest answer, other than promoting the club here on the Island, is precious little...unless any of you know any millionaires (or should that be billionaires?) or one of us wins the Euro millions this Friday!

That said, anyone who follows Pompey will know about the Supporters Trust and the fact that they are planning to step in and effectively buy the club if all else fails. The Pompey Supporters Trust has been and continues to work with professional advisors in an effort to secure a better future for PFC and they have asked for the fans’ help by making a minimum £100 payment to help demonstrate enough support for community ownership.

A few days ago your elected Committee decided to ‘buy in’ to this scheme and committed £200 of IWPSC funds to the PST escrow account, potentially making available a sum of £2,000 or more if this eventually proves to be the only way forward to save the club.

Can I assure Members that that money is ‘safe’ and can only be used with our consent and that this decision will not affect in any way our local charity donation for 2011/12 which, as you know, will be £2,500; something that couldn’t have been done without your help and support over the last twelve months.

Many of you will know from reports in the local media just how desperate the situation is becoming so if you want to make your own individual donation (minimum £100) you can contact the trust by e-mail info@pompeytrust.com or go directly to Verisona Solicitors (Community Pompey), 1000 Lakeside, North Harbour, PO6 3EN.

IWPSC Charity Choice 2011-12

From money raised at the fundraising events held during the past 12 months, IWPSC will be making a donation of £2500 to a charity of your choice, which this year is the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.

Over the past six weeks the members of IWPSC have been voting for the charity of their choice to which the main 2012 charity donation will go.

The votes were cast as follows

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance                          43%
Naomi House                                                                             38%
The Ellen MacArthur Trust                                                     3%
IW Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Barely Born Appeal)     16%

The committee will now arrange for a cheque presentation, hopefully at the IWPSC AGM.

Thanks again to all IWPSC members, families, friends and all others that have generously contributed to out charity fund this season.

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