Former Town skipper Matt Holland, current forward Conor Chaplin, Tractor Girls striker Natasha Thomas and CEO Mark Ashton have joined the Blues Community Trust as trustees.

Holland, 47, who was previously the patron of the old ITFC Charitable Trust, says he’s delighted to take on the role with the new Trust, which was instigated early in the 2019/20 season.

“It's a proud moment,” Holland told iFollow Ipswich. “I'm delighted to still be associated with this football club, and it's always nice to be home.

“Mark and I had a chat about the role and I was really keen to be involved. It's a big step for the football club and it's great to see everyone excited.”

Chaplin, 24, added: “I'm really happy to take on this role. The community is so important to a football club and we want to develop the connection with our supporters.”

Thomas, 25, ITFC Women’s all-time top goalscorer, said: “This is an exciting time for the club and I'm so pleased to be given this opportunity.

“You can feel how together the club is at the moment, and we want to continue to build bonds with the community. Getting the club out there in the community is huge and this feels like a great step.”

Having current first-team players from both the men's and women's team as trustees is unusual, if not unique.

CEO Ashton has stressed the importance of the club’s community work since starting at Portman Road in the summer.

“It's a really important day for the club and the Community Trust,” he said. “We've talked since I arrived in June about the importance of the community and the community being at the centre of everything the club does.

“We've been working behind the scenes to form an official board of trustees and they will help set the strategic vision for the Trust, while also helping to drive it forward.

“We're really excited with the people we have approached, and they've shown a real interest in the Trust, and they're all keen to be involved.”

Quizzed on what's required of a trustee, he continued: “It's a role that has legal responsibilities, so it's not just the case of being an ambassador.

“These people will help ensure the Trust is run properly and they will help drive things forward. It's similar in a way to being a director of a business, but a director of a charitable trust.

“The charities commission demands certain standards and these trustees will make sure we hit those standards.

“These trustees have been selected to help us create a Trust that is unique to Ipswich and unique to the county. We want to use the fantastic brand that is Ipswich Town to engage with the community. It's very exciting.”

Town's head of community Jason Curtis added: “Since day one Mark has emphasised the importance of the Community Trust and more importantly the impact we have on people in the community.

“This is of course music to the ears of our hardworking team and we look forward to this new approach.”

Photo: ITFC

RegencyBlue added 12:35 - Oct 15 Such a breath of fresh air after the Evans years!
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ArnieM added 12:57 - Oct 15 I just knew Matty Holland would be involved in this 👍…. Let's get this show on the road and win back ground infiltrated by that lot up the road. East Anglia will return to predominantly BLUE again.
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simondrake1961 added 14:10 - Oct 15 This is as talented and dedicated board of trustees you could possibly get. Truly representative across the club. It just keeps getting better and better!
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LesTibbetsbrokenleg added 15:31 - Oct 15 This is excellent news. The interview with Matt Holland within the article above is revealing and inspiring.
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legoman added 17:44 - Oct 15 Thank you Marcus Evans for making this possible. Many fans do not seem to appreciate what you did for us unfortunately.
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