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About Section

 This is an information website for the activities of the Friends of Newport Rugby Supporters Trust.

So What is a Supporters’ Trust?

The basic definition of a Trust is a democratic, not-for-profit fund-raising organisation of supporters, committed to strengthening the voice of supporters in the decision making process at a club, and strengthening the links between the club and its supporters and the community it serves, particularly in the area of the sport that the supporters and their club participate in.

The Friends of Newport Rugby Constitution

Please click here for a copy of the Friends of Newport Rugby Constitution. The file is in Adobe Acrobat and is 484Kb in size. Please ensure that you have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat (version 6) installed on your computer.

What is the Trust all about?

The basic definition of a Trust is a democratic, not-for-profit fund-raising organisation of supporters, committed to strengthening the voice of supporters in the decision making process at a club, and strengthening the links between the club and its supporters and the community it serves, particularly in the area of sport that the supporters and their club participate in.

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What does the Trust do for Newport RFC?

The WRU is the organisation that primarily funds Newport RFC with payment of approx £50,000 per annum. This amount is barely sufficient to run a semi-professional team let alone pay for things such as administration, maintenance, bills, transport, youth development, etc. At the moment, individuals who have put vast sums of money into the club are paying many of these costs. But what happens when they are no longer available to do this? The Trust is there to help avoid financial problems for the club in future years. It does that by providing a mechanism by which many supporters can donate small sums of money that, when pooled into one resource, can make a substantial difference.

What about the Dragons?

The Dragons are receiving considerable levels of central funding from the WRU - leaving Newport RFC (approx £50K) with a vastly reduced income of their own, compared with pre regional seasons. We believe that as the sole club now running The Dragons, in partnership with the Welsh Rugby Union, it is essential that we concentrate our efforts on trying to secure Newport RFC's future as in our opinion, this is also essential to the future of a regional side based in the city.

This policy may however change at some future date, should Newport RFC take on full responsibility for the region, meaning that the famous Newport club is once again playing at the highest level. In the meantime we fully support Newport RFC’s efforts to bring top-class rugby to Rodney Parade in the form of the current regional side. This policy is reflected in our mission statement.

How can I help or get involved?

The most obvious way to help initially will be by joining the Trust.

This is just the start however... In order to gain a voice the Trust needs funds; in order to raise these funds we need your help. Please consider giving a regular donation by standing order to the Trust. If members make regular monthly donations of £1 or more (whole pounds) in addition to their annual Trust membership fee, the fund available to the Trust would dramatically increase.

Encourage friends and family to join The more members the Trust has the more of a voice it will have. So please encourage your friends and family and anybody else who has an interest in seeing Newport Rugby continue to exist at the highest level possible to get involved.

Volunteer your time The Trust is run entirely by volunteers. The more people that are prepared to volunteer their time to help organise fundraising or advertising, the more the Trust can grow - and the more the Trust grows the bigger its influence. Even companies can volunteer services.

I don't have much to give so how can I make a difference to the Funds?

By pooling together, we can make a huge impact. Look at the following examples…

Example 1: If 1,000 supporters were able to contribute £1 a month to the Trust, then over a year that would provide approx £12,000 for the Trust.

Example 2: If 1,000 supporters join the Trust with Full Membership, that would provide approx £10,000 for the Trust.

Example 3: If just 30 companies take out Bronze Corporate Membership, that would provide approx £3,000 for the Trust.

When you add all these things together, the funds raised does make a difference. If we add these 3 examples together, that would provide approx £25,000 for the Trust. This money will prove significant in supporting Newport RFC and ensuring its future.

How does the Trust help the community?

The Trust will forge stronger links between Newport RFC and the sporting and general community of Newport and the surrounding area for the benefit of rugby supporters and players of all ages and abilities.

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How do I become a member?

Complete a membership form. These are available from the Trust’s table in the clubhouse on match days and also from the Trust’s website.

Who are the Trust committee and what do they do?

The Trust Committee comprises of:

Chairman: Dave Griffiths

Secretary: Kev Jarvis

Membership: John Evans

Merchandise: Kath Evans

IT/Website: Alun Lee

Community: Nick Jackson

Treasurer: Joy Jackson

Fund Raising: Michael Foster

History: Godfrey Lee

Other sub-committees will be set up depending on what projects the Trust becomes involved in. If you would like to get involved then please drop us an email, letter, or contact us on match days in the club house.

What is in it for me?

Nothing. The aim of the Trust is to raise funds to financially assist Newport RFC, although a percentage will be spent on community projects involving Rugby in Newport. As the Trust’s fundraising schemes evolve there will be elements that will prove beneficial to members.

How will it raise money?

Various methods will be used, including:

“Bucket Collections” at matches and events.

Regular Donations from members.

Online Shopping Portal. The Trust earns commission from online shopping.

If you have any ideas or suggestions then please let us know.

What will the Trust be funding?

We will assist the club financially with various initiatives that are agreed between the club and the Trust such as:

Plan for the Future,

Ground Maintenance,

New Equipment,

Upgrading Facilities,

Tournaments for Youth & Schools,

Preserve Newport RFC’s Heritage

What are the aims of the Trust?

Our Mission:

To support, financially and otherwise, the cause of Newport Rugby Club.

To work for closer links between the club and the local community.

To further the development of the game of Rugby Union, regionally, nationally and internationally.

To support the cause of any regional rugby team in which Newport Rugby Club has an interest.

Ultimately to promote and encourage the principle of supporter representation in the management of the Club.

In working towards these objectives, we will act through a democratic organisation, with each full member entitled to one, and only one, vote.

How do you inform us with information and events?

We have a table in the clubhouse on match days.

We have a website:http://www.newportrugbytrust.co.uk

We have an email distribution list that receives regular updates.

Information that is posted with membership cards.

Annual Meetings.

Volunteer Meetings.

What is the Online Shopping Portal?

If you do any shopping online then you may be able to help us raise funds for the Trust simply by shopping through this site. The web address is:

http://buy.at/fonr

The Trust gets commission if you buy products or services from one of the retailers. However, the important bit is that you have to visit the retailer from the Shopping Portal site first.

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What is Friends of Newport Rugby's Constitution?

Please click here for a copy of the Friends of Newport Rugby Constitution. The file is in Adobe Acrobat and is 484Kb in size. Please ensure that you have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat (version 6) installed on your computer.

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