separate thread from the meeting one I think
The exhibition originally came about around 18 months ago. The club were approached about the possibility of holding it but would have been unable to obtain any lottery money to put it on. It was then mentioned to the OSC who were able to apply. The bid was put together by Gayle Knight and she and our Treasurer, Bill Nuttall have since spent the last 18 months going back and forth to the Heritage people with bids and revised bids. Last week the go ahead was finally given we were awarded £48,000.
This exhibition is not to be confused with the one held at the Haworth Art Gallery featuring the work of Kipax, although his pictures will feature prominently within the end product.
The project will take around nine months to come to fruition and will eventually run for around 3 months dependant on venue etc.
One of the reasons we were awarded so much is because there are numerous social, educational and communal benefits built in. Not only will we be inviting various groups to take guided tours around the exhibition when it is finished but we will be involving these groups in the planning and executing stages.
We will be looking for around 20 volunteers to help with the work required to put it all together and we have 10 or 11 already who are acting as the inaugural steering group. The 'volunteers' will be eligible for pay for days worth of work they put in to it, although preference will be given to those who are willing to actually volunteer, the money for payment can then go into other areas of the scheme. They will be taken to Preston football museum for a day out where we can ascertain which elements of that display we like, and which we don't, to then incorporate into our work.
The volunteers will then partake in a training course on interview techniques (I think there is some sort of qualification) in order to develop skills to best acquire the information we want for the exhibition. We will then build an oral/aural history of the club and its fans which will be reproduced on CD to be given away to visitors. We will also be on the lookout for photographs from as far back as possible. Obviously more recent ones are in their thousands thanks to the tireless work of Kipax. Prior to that we had Roy Gabryzsak and the OSC photographer Terry Slinger, then we would have Garth Dawson, but before that we will have to rely on personal collections. This is all material that we could use. We will then pad it all out with various other items of memorabilia.
We have not discussed location yet as there are plenty of places where we could have brief showings, but we want something that lasts a little longer - maybe a portakabin or two linked together and decked out? but thats for discussion later.
As part of the efforts to get people up to the exhibition we will be bussing in groups from local old folks homes etc, it will be hoped that we could then get them into the game as well but we will have to talk with the club about that closer to the time because they will all need seating, same again with younger groups and underpriveleged children etc. This will keep us in the public eye and will do untold wonders for the image of the club.
We will be looking for skilled people who are able to put together advertising campaigns, media people to keep it in the local news, tradesmen to build the displays, caterers for the event launch/close, bus companies for transporting the people around. We will be looking for anybody who has the skills to help us pull it all off.
You can help us by volunteering to help gather or collate the information once its all in. If you feel that that isn't your bag, or you haven't got time, then at least be prepared to tell your story to someone. What was your first game? what kept you coming? who were the characters when you first came? have you ever done any work on the building of the ground? There are many, many untold stories of Accrington Stanley and this is our chance to get it all told and keep alive the memory of the old days when those fans are gone.
Above all, this is a chance for ASFC to get into and amongst all facets of the Community and it won't cost them a penny. Maybe it will rekindle a couple of sparks and get a few people back onto the terrace after years of absence. It is a chance for everybody to show thier support for the club, it is a chance for the club to make some positive business on the back of it, it is a chance for the OSC to boost its members, it is a chance for anybody to get back involved with THE NUMBER 1 TEAM IN ACCRINGTON.
There will be a Press Release that will go out next week to officially launch it to the town and there will be an Official Launch (with tea and bickies
) over the next few weeks, when we have got some plans formulated. When th ecall comes please be willing to offer your full and unconditional support. Posters such as Poppy, if they wish to contribute derogatory comments, may as well stay away now. I for one will be putting them on my ignore list then I don't have to read the trash that they write/type.
With a bit of luck, by this time next year we will be congratulating ourselves on a succesful campaign and the FES will be a little fuller and a little happier. The club, through Eric, Rob and Lew, were present at the meeting last night and were very positive about what this can acheive. A club official will be present on the steering group to ensure that we are all working together and getting the correct backing, and that all contacts are being utilised.
There will also be a comprehensive report and updates on the OSC site as we go along so please feel free to pop in and have a look from time to time.
Keeping the faith
Rob
The exhibition originally came about around 18 months ago. The club were approached about the possibility of holding it but would have been unable to obtain any lottery money to put it on. It was then mentioned to the OSC who were able to apply. The bid was put together by Gayle Knight and she and our Treasurer, Bill Nuttall have since spent the last 18 months going back and forth to the Heritage people with bids and revised bids. Last week the go ahead was finally given we were awarded £48,000.
This exhibition is not to be confused with the one held at the Haworth Art Gallery featuring the work of Kipax, although his pictures will feature prominently within the end product.
The project will take around nine months to come to fruition and will eventually run for around 3 months dependant on venue etc.
One of the reasons we were awarded so much is because there are numerous social, educational and communal benefits built in. Not only will we be inviting various groups to take guided tours around the exhibition when it is finished but we will be involving these groups in the planning and executing stages.
We will be looking for around 20 volunteers to help with the work required to put it all together and we have 10 or 11 already who are acting as the inaugural steering group. The 'volunteers' will be eligible for pay for days worth of work they put in to it, although preference will be given to those who are willing to actually volunteer, the money for payment can then go into other areas of the scheme. They will be taken to Preston football museum for a day out where we can ascertain which elements of that display we like, and which we don't, to then incorporate into our work.
The volunteers will then partake in a training course on interview techniques (I think there is some sort of qualification) in order to develop skills to best acquire the information we want for the exhibition. We will then build an oral/aural history of the club and its fans which will be reproduced on CD to be given away to visitors. We will also be on the lookout for photographs from as far back as possible. Obviously more recent ones are in their thousands thanks to the tireless work of Kipax. Prior to that we had Roy Gabryzsak and the OSC photographer Terry Slinger, then we would have Garth Dawson, but before that we will have to rely on personal collections. This is all material that we could use. We will then pad it all out with various other items of memorabilia.
We have not discussed location yet as there are plenty of places where we could have brief showings, but we want something that lasts a little longer - maybe a portakabin or two linked together and decked out? but thats for discussion later.
As part of the efforts to get people up to the exhibition we will be bussing in groups from local old folks homes etc, it will be hoped that we could then get them into the game as well but we will have to talk with the club about that closer to the time because they will all need seating, same again with younger groups and underpriveleged children etc. This will keep us in the public eye and will do untold wonders for the image of the club.
We will be looking for skilled people who are able to put together advertising campaigns, media people to keep it in the local news, tradesmen to build the displays, caterers for the event launch/close, bus companies for transporting the people around. We will be looking for anybody who has the skills to help us pull it all off.
You can help us by volunteering to help gather or collate the information once its all in. If you feel that that isn't your bag, or you haven't got time, then at least be prepared to tell your story to someone. What was your first game? what kept you coming? who were the characters when you first came? have you ever done any work on the building of the ground? There are many, many untold stories of Accrington Stanley and this is our chance to get it all told and keep alive the memory of the old days when those fans are gone.
Above all, this is a chance for ASFC to get into and amongst all facets of the Community and it won't cost them a penny. Maybe it will rekindle a couple of sparks and get a few people back onto the terrace after years of absence. It is a chance for everybody to show thier support for the club, it is a chance for the club to make some positive business on the back of it, it is a chance for the OSC to boost its members, it is a chance for anybody to get back involved with THE NUMBER 1 TEAM IN ACCRINGTON.
There will be a Press Release that will go out next week to officially launch it to the town and there will be an Official Launch (with tea and bickies
) over the next few weeks, when we have got some plans formulated. When th ecall comes please be willing to offer your full and unconditional support. Posters such as Poppy, if they wish to contribute derogatory comments, may as well stay away now. I for one will be putting them on my ignore list then I don't have to read the trash that they write/type.With a bit of luck, by this time next year we will be congratulating ourselves on a succesful campaign and the FES will be a little fuller and a little happier. The club, through Eric, Rob and Lew, were present at the meeting last night and were very positive about what this can acheive. A club official will be present on the steering group to ensure that we are all working together and getting the correct backing, and that all contacts are being utilised.
There will also be a comprehensive report and updates on the OSC site as we go along so please feel free to pop in and have a look from time to time.
Keeping the faith
Rob
