Dorchester Town Supporters Trust has increased its shareholding in Dorchester Town FC to 6,700 shares following an additional end of season investment of £1,000 in the county town club.

The Trust, which was officially launched in July 2009, has also taken an increasingly active role at the club since the start of the 2010/11 season as it continues to work towards securing the long-term future of the Magpies, and bringing the community and club closer together.

Trust chairman John Greenslade said: “As a Trust we are continuing to make fantastic progress and this season we have been able to invest £2,000 in the Football club through share purchases, which is an increase on the previous season.

“However, share purchases are really only an incidental part of what the Trust is all about.

“We were approached by the football club in the autumn with regards to taking over the running of the club shop, which we have done on a voluntary basis, and have returned a surplus for the club from the shop in the first few months, which is an outstanding achievement considering we have invested heavily in re-stocking merchandise.

“We have also introduced an online shop which has seen purchases from around the world, and a presence outside of match-days through our corporate sponsor Trinity’s Treat in the town centre, where a variety of merchandise is available.

“We also regularly promote the club, particularly before home games, in the town centre.

“Working alongside Supporters Direct, the governing body of all supporters trusts, we also presented the football club with our Vision for the Future document, which provides a variety of options to run the club sustainably as a community-owned football club, which we believe would ensure the long-term future of the club.

“In essence, it would not be the Trust who would own the football club under the proposals, but the supporters.

“Of course it is completely at the discretion of the current board at the football club as to whether those plans are implemented, but the proposals are held in high regard by Supporters Direct, who have recommended them to supporters trusts who represent clubs much higher in the football pyramid.

“The Trust is also represented at the football club through Trust board members Dave Ring and Dan Fuge, who are both associate directors at the club.

“We have also introduced Trust Travel this season with the aim of increasing access to away fixtures for fans on an affordable basis.

“We have again made a profit on that initiative which is something we can be pleased with.

“As a result, there has been a noticeable increase in attendances at away fixtures throughout the season which has been acknowledged in interviews with the Echo by Ashley Vickers and several players throughout the season.”

Greenslade added: “In terms of our membership we are rapidly approaching the 200 mark and we are currently working on plans to increase that number significantly over the summer.

“We also have the largest number of corporate sponsors of any supporters trust outside of the Football League, which I firmly believe is a reflection of the support for the Trust in Dorchester.

“We were told by Supporters Direct in 2009 that we would be doing well to have 50-60 members in total by this stage so to have more than trebled that number is certainly pleasing.

“We have also recently launched the Dorchester Lottery in conjunction with the Dorchester Round Table, which has the potential to be a huge success.

“We have an excellent mix of skills and experience on the Trust board, but we are always looking to increase our number of active board members, as that will also be key to our continued progression in the coming months.”

Annual membership with the Trust costs £10 for adults, £5 for concessions (OAPs and students), £15 for a family membership (up to two adults and two children), while membership for people aged 17 and under is free.

Corporate membership is also available at a cost of £75. For more information, or details on how to join, visit magpiestrust.co.uk