"In just three months the Big Bath City Bid has attracted £303,276 in community funding from a wide range of individuals, local businesses, community groups, celebrities and Bath City supporters. Thank you to everyone who has supported the Bid - while we may not have reached our target just yet, we feel the genie is well and truly out of the bottle. The Bath City Supporters' Society and the Big Bath City Bid team remain committed to community ownership as the best way to create a secure and prosperous future for Bath City FC. We are hopeful that we can build on the success of the last three months to continue to move towards that goal, and to inject new energy and enthusiasm into the club.

The share offer has closed, pending consultation with investors and supporters. An open meeting will take place at Twerton Park at 7pm on Monday 7 September. A questionnaire will also be circulated from 12th to 17th September to ensure that all investors have the chance to be heard. Based on this feedback and negotiations with the Board, a proposed way forward will be put to investors no later than Monday 21 September.

As always, no money can be taken from the community share offer unless we hit our target or otherwise receive the explicit consent of the investor. Anyone who wants to withdraw their pledge may do so, and may request that cheques and bank transfers are returned. We hope that investors will attend Monday's meeting or await consultation prior to making any decision on what to do with their investment.

We would like to conclude by thanking our team of volunteers for all their hard work on this exciting project, and the people of Bath for their help and support as we strive to give this city the football club it deserves."


info@bigbathcitybid.org.uk

Last Chance to Give Bath the Football Club it Deserves

Do you want to help make the dream of a community-owned Bath City FC a reality ? If so, you only have until midnight on Friday 4th September to purchase community shares in the Big Bath City Bid.

The Bid was launched three months ago, and since then has made news both locally and around the world. The initiative needs to raise £750,000 to buy the football club and restructure it as a democratically-run and financially sustainable community-owned cooperative. Their main route to do this to-date has been through a community share offer, in which all shareholders would have an equal say in the future direction of the new community-owned club.

More than five hundred individuals, local businesses, Bath City supporters and celebrities have backed the project so-far, and as the Bath Chronicle went to print over £250,000 in community shares had been purchased. The minimum purchase amount has been £250, with the largest sum invested to-date £10,000, and a significant number of purchasers at the £5,000 level. A further £7,000 has been raised through a separate crowd-funding initiative, aimed at those not in a position to buy the minimum number of shares.

The most famous investors have been footballing legend Eric Cantona and actor and comedian Ricky Tomlinson - both of whom have also sent video messages in support. And as the deadline for buying shares has crept ever closer, the project has benefited from a surge in share purchases.

Spokesperson for the Big Bath City Bid, Steve Bradley, said "As we approach the deadline for community share purchases, we have a simple message for Bath Chronicle readers. Do you value having Bath represented in the world's biggest sport, and want to see the club playing at the highest level it can ? Do you believe in the power and appeal of sport, and that it can be used to help make Bath an even better place - particularly for the most disadvantaged in our society ? And would you like to see Bath show the world that there is a better way to run football clubs - one that prioritises financial sustainability, transparency and which places the club at the very heart of its community ? If your answer to those questions is 'yes' then please help us make that vision a reality by buying community shares today. Let's seize the chance to give Bath the kind of football club that this great city deserves".

Future Publishing Founder Backs the Big Bath City Bid

Future Publishing Founder, Chris Anderson, has reached out from across the Atlantic to support the Big Bath City Bid campaign to turn the city’s football team into a community-owned club.

Although Chris moved to the United States over twenty years ago, the famous technology entrepreneur  has made a generous donation towards the Bid’s target of raising £750,000 to buy the club, clear its pressing debts and turn it into a community-owned cooperative.

Chris’s donation is the result of a brief meeting with prominent Bath City fan Ken Loach, when Chris was in the country for Future’s 30th Anniversary celebrations. The two were introduced at the annual Bath Boules tournament, and Ken outlined the bid’s aim to secure the club’s future and turn it into a positive force for good amongst some of the more disadvantaged and isolated members of the Bath community. Anderson, now curator of global conference group TED, enthused “I think it’s great what the Bid team are trying to do for Bath. A healthy football club is a vital symbol of a successful city, and if they can combine that with increasing the club’s good work in the community, then all the better.  Even though I no longer live in Bath, I’m happy to offer my support for old times' sake."

Big Bath City Bid spokesperson, Steve Bradley, added "Chris Anderson is a great example of the talent and entrepreneurial spirit of this city. It's fantastic to receive endorsement for the idea of community-ownership from someone of his calibre. We hope it will inspire even more people from Bath's business community to help make the dream a reality by also buying shares"

Here's our full page ad that's running in the Bath Chronicle today.

Special Benefit Event for the Big Bath City Bid


We've put together a fantastic event to help support and promote the Big Bath City Bid. Former Chelsea, Everton and Scotland winger, now BBC pundit, Pat Nevin is coming to The Hilton in Bath to head up an expert football panel to answer your questions. We'd love you to come along and bring your friends to enjoy a great evening and show your support for the bid. It's just £10 for general admission and £5 for anyone who has already invested in the Bid - why not invest now if you plan to anyway?

Any Football Questions with Pat Nevin and Special Guests

When: 7pm, Thursday 6 August
Where: Bath Hilton

Pat Nevin and guests come together for an evening of football discussion, anecdotes and repartee in support of the Big Bath City Bid. Hosted by ex Bath City player and now Guardian Football Journalist, Stuart James, the panel will include former Hull City MD Nick Thompson and another very special guest (to be announced soon). Join them as they take questions from the floor on everything from the state of the grass-roots game and the future for smaller clubs, to life behind the scenes in the Premier League and the machinations of FIFA. You can be sure of intelligent insight, controversial opinion and plenty of humour. There will be a bar on the night and opportunities to get autographs from our very special guests.

This should be a great night and is all in aid of our bid to turn Bath City into a fantastic community owned club.

Buy Tickets now for just £10 each (£5 for investors)  

Pat Nevin
In a 20-year career, Pat made 660 club appearances for Chelsea, Everton and more scoring 107 goals from the wing, as well as earning 28 caps for Scotland and 5 international goals. He's now known as an intelligent and erudite summariser on BBC Radio Five Live.

Stuart James
Stuart began his career with Swindon Town before spending a successful six-year spell at Twerton Park and finishing with Newport County. Now a respected football journalist at The Guardian, Stuart will pitch questions to the panel and bring his own insight to the occasion.

Nick Thompson
Nick is a key member of the Big Bath City Bid, but for two years was at the helm of Hull City FC as MD. Nick was alongside Steve Bruce as Hull reached the Premier League, and later as the 'Hull Tigers' proposals caused a storm.

More Special Guests to be announced
We're working on at least one more key, high profile signing for the panel in the next week, with local managerial roots. Be sure to get your ticket now so you don't risk missing out!

As someone who has already applied for shares, you can come along at the half-price rate of just £5 - plus one extra guest at the same price. (price for other attendees is £10)

Buy Tickets Now!

Spread the Word
Do you know an Everton, Chelsea, Tranmere or Scotland fan who might like to hear the wit and wisdom of Pat Nevin? Or anyone else who cares about football in all its beautiful shapes and guises? Then invite them along to the event - the more people we get along, the more it helps the Bid towards its ultimate aim.

Let’s work together to give Bath the Football Club it Deserves!

Existing shareholders of Bath City FC Ltd - the Club as it stands now - can pledge to vote for conversion to a Community Benefit Society and also apply for new shares to help support the bid. Supporting the bid with votes is important, but more than anything we need everyone who loves the Club to invest in new shares as well. We will only be successful if we raise sufficient funds to buy the directors' shares and clear urgent debts. That means new money. We are writing to all shareholders to invite you to invest and be part of the Bid.

Here's all the documentation that's coming in the post:

• Shareholder Letter
  
• Shareholder Factsheet
  
• Pledge Form
  
• Share Prospectus
  

So there are two things you can do to help make the Bid happen: 

1. Apply for new shares

As a valued member of the Club, you can help secure its immediate future and ensure it’s around for future generations by subscribing to the share offer. You can apply for shares on the attached Pledge Form, or you can go online to www.bigbathcitybid.org.uk/how-to-buy and we’ll add them to your total when the bid completes.

2. Pledge to vote for the motion to convert the club

Simply fill in the enclosed form and send it back to the Supporters Society promising to vote for the motion to convert to a Community Benefit Society – or email info@bigbathcitybid.org.uk . If you do this and vote with the motion, we’ll give you the same shareholder benefits (after conversion) as if you were buying new shares. If you apply for extra shares they’ll add on top of your existing ones. You can find details of the incentive scheme towards the back of the Share Prospectus.

The Big Bath City Bid has held its first engagement with the public following the highly successful launch night at the Guildhall. Members of the team were out in force at last Sunday’s Widcombe Street Party, talking about the Bid and handing out leaflets and badges to many of the huge crowd which attended. We were very encouraged by the amount of interest shown and everyone we met was very supportive.

The Bid stall will be making similar appearances in the coming weeks at various locations around the city. If anyone would like to help, can they please contact Martin Powell at mcpowell@sky.com

Two other Bid events will be taking place this week...

The team will be answering questions about community ownership at a Q + A session, taking place tonight in Randalls at Twerton Park, from 7.30 pm. The meeting will be particularly helpful to those who were unable to attend the recent launch event at the Guildhall and copies of the prospectus will be available to take away. Anyone wishing to attend is asked to contact Martin Powell.

And on Friday 19 June the Big Bath City Bid will be entering a team in the Bath Boules Tournament at Queen’s Square. If you are in town that day, do pop along to wish us well!

We are busy planning a number of events over the Summer and we’ll keep you informed in future newsletters.