It's been nearly a week since we hosted our Launch Party at Weston Fields. The format of the evening seemed to work pretty well:
The first half was all about information provision from the WWST board regarding our aims & objectives, work done to date and future plans. It was great to hear positive comments from former players and we are delighted that Beatrice Duckworth has agreed to become the Trust's first Honorary Life Member.
We all had the opportunity to catch up with old friends and familiar faces during the break, where some excellent food was provided by Brian and his team from AC Event Catering; unsurprisingly the bar saw its fair share of business too.
In the second half we heard from Benny Williams about the uncertainty regarding the Women's Performance Pathway and, more positively, about her role as Director of Women's Rugby at WRFC.
Carol Hart updated us on the healthy position she has manufactured and built on at the Worcester Warriors Foundation; a large round of applause broke out when she confirmed that there will be no name change. The Trust Board were pleased to be able to present Carol with a cheque for £1000 as part of our membership initiative.
Host, Dave Bradley, came into his own in the latter stages of the evening, controlling the banter throughout the auction and raffle. We are pleased to announce that, between the two, together with a few private donations, we easily surpassed our target of £1000 raised on the night. Such was the generosity amongst donations for the auction, we still have many items left over for future events.
The Launch Event helped to clarify that there is definitely an appetite for social occasions amongst the remaining fanbase. WWST will be arranging trips to several rugby clubs to watch fixtures over the coming months. These will include matches at Bournville (thanks to Alex Grove for the invitation), Kidderminster Carolians & Coventry. We also plan to arrange events around the Six Nations Fixtures. Updates will follow.
All in all, it was evident that everyone present enjoyed catching up with fellow supporters, chatting about good times in the not-so-distant past but also looking forward with hope to a new future for Worcester Warriors Rugby Club. The task of restoring our club will not be an easy one. What was clear from Friday night, however, is that there are many people who will do what they can to help in that task. More clear still is that we are all committed to having a bloody good time doing just that. It is going to take hard work and dedication but imagine the satisfaction when you look back in five years and say - "I was part of that; I helped resurrect the club we love." We owe it to Cecil to do whatever we can to ensure that we are successful.
Photo by Marcello Cossali-Francis, Worcester News
On the subject of enjoyable get-togethers, I was fortunate enough to be invited by a small group of avid Warriors supporters to a "working-breakfast" this morning. They came together via various routes as a result of their love of Worcester Warriors and a long term commitment to rugby at Sixways. A good few years ago they started regular social gatherings over brunch, with the proviso that their Full English should always contain Black Pudding; hence their moniker - the Black Pudding Breakfast Club. The tradition continued throughout lockdown, albeit over the airwaves rather than in person.
It was a pleasure to be treated as a guest of honour at Lord Morton's Tearooms in Cutnall Green. Even the collapse of one of the participant's chairs could not put a dampener on the day and it proved to be a thoroughly congenial experience. Rugby was, of course, the main topic of conversation but I suspect that the BPBC could probably put the world to rights on many issues!
My thanks again to Melvyn, Nigel, Chris, Mac, David, Ed and Colin.
One element that did not make it off the cutting-room floor last Friday was the subject of our Design a Logo competition. The creator of the winning design preferred to stay anonymous and asked that the prize be donated back to the auction lots.
Although the decision on the victorious logo was unanimous, the Board was split on what our tagline should be. We therefore thought it would be a good idea to get the opinion of the people we represent. As such, voting is open to website members only. If you are not yet a member you can become so by using the log-in bar in the header at the top of each page.
Incidentally, much as we liked the suggestion of Trusty McTrustface, it is with regret that this option has not been tabled. For those not versed in Latin, Semper Bellator means "Always a Warrior."
Your vote for the WWST Logo Tagline
The Voice of the Supporters
Keeping the Flame Burning
The Voice Supporters Trust
Semper Bellator
Our next Board Meeting is scheduled to take place a week today. We will discuss the Poll results at the meeting and publish our new logo design in full shortly after. Remember - the WWST Board is committed to being as transparent and open as possible. In that spirit we will be publishing the full agenda of our next Board Meeting over the next few days.
Thanks for the update. Great to hear the evening was a success and there is such positivity surrounding the Trust and its aims.