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Smile Tickets - what's the score ?


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3 days since the thread was created, no-one as answered the questions about SMILE, so there is nothing to discuss.

 

Asking the same thing over and over again isn't discussion - it simply appears from the outside as agenda-driven. That is my opinion.

 

I had public issues with Wednesdayite recently - can be found in this section - and every response other than from Dunsby was a disgrace; more so the PM I received from one of the Wednesdayite Directors. So, if you think I'm trolling or defending Wednesdayite, then you're sadly mistaken.

 

I've offered the advice in this thread that if you want an answer to a question and you ain't getting it on this platform, try a more direct one.

 

You either take that advice or keep asking the same questions in this thread in the hope someone somewhere will answer (or bite...). Personally, I wouldn't waste my time when I can use an alternative route to getting the answers to my questions.

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3 days since the thread was created, no-one as answered the questions about SMILE, so there is nothing to discuss.

 

Asking the same thing over and over again isn't discussion - it simply appears from the outside as agenda-driven. That is my opinion.

 

I had public issues with Wednesdayite recently - can be found in this section - and every response other than from Dunsby was a disgrace; more so the PM I received from one of the Wednesdayite Directors. So, if you think I'm trolling or defending Wednesdayite, then you're sadly mistaken.

 

I've offered the advice in this thread that if you want an answer to a question and you ain't getting it on this platform, try a more direct one.

 

You either take that advice or keep asking the same questions in this thread in the hope someone somewhere will answer (or bite...). Personally, I wouldn't waste my time when I can use an alternative route to getting the answers to my questions.

 

The only reason the question has been asked multiple times is in order to get the thread back on track to the subject. If that is 'agenda' driven then it could be argued that continuously repeating a point about emailing for information is similarly 'agenda' driven. 

 

If there is no answer forthcoming then fair enough, the thread dies. That is part and parcel of a forum. No time is wasted if no-one replies, but the wider discussion is there for those who wish to participate.

 

I appreciate your suggestion about emailing directly, and it is a fair suggestion in retrospect (although it misses the point of a discussion forum somewhat). Feel free to email and get answers if you wish and do share the response in here if you like. Its obviously a path others haven't done, or perhaps wish to do. Personally, I prefer an open forum at this stage.

 

 

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The only reason the question has been asked multiple times is in order to get the thread back on track to the subject. If that is 'agenda' driven then it could be argued that continuously repeating a point about emailing for information is similarly 'agenda' driven. 

 

If there is no answer forthcoming then fair enough, the thread dies. That is part and parcel of a forum. No time is wasted if no-one replies, but the wider discussion is there for those who wish to participate.

 

I appreciate your suggestion about emailing directly, and it is a fair suggestion in retrospect (although it misses the point of a discussion forum somewhat). Feel free to email and get answers if you wish and do share the response in here if you like. Its obviously a path others haven't done, or perhaps wish to do. Personally, I prefer an open forum at this stage.

 

 

 

 

Well, I'm hoping for the sake of this thread that someone does email Wednesdayite the questions, receives an answer, and then they'll be shared on here for discussion. At least then, anyone like myself, who has a passing interest, would read the feed back from Wednesdayite, and you and Neil would have answers to your questions.

 

PS, just seen Neil's post - must be missing Owen Morrison or summat!  :wub:

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You're getting more paranoid than Lee Strafford did during his days on here! If I was trolling, it wouldn't have taken me 10 years as a member to start! lol

 

Apparently, the first Smile game - in conjunction with Wednesdayite, Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme, and Weston Park Cancer Charity - is 13th December against Wolves. Three Smile games are expected this season.

 

No idea who's job within Wednesdayite the Smile project is - last I saw, it was PAHOWL.

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Thanks! Did you email?!

I wonder how many tickets will be made available through Smile tickets (outwith the community programme's own allocations) and which groups it will benefit (assuredly Weston Park?).

Be interesting to know exactly how much has been raised for smile this season so far.

And, of course if Wednesdayite have accessed the previous entity's funds that had a question mark over them since being struck off as an IPS by the Financial Conduct Authority.

:)

According to previous posts in this section, Craig Turton is the director responsible for the Smile initiative, apparently.

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Thanks! Did you email?!

I wonder how many tickets will be made available through Smile tickets (outwith the community programme's own allocations) and which groups it will benefit (assuredly Weston Park?).

Be interesting to know exactly how much has been raised for smile this season so far.

And, of course if Wednesdayite have accessed the previous entity's funds that had a question mark over them since being struck off as an IPS by the Financial Conduct Authority.

:)

According to previous posts in this section, Craig Turton is the director responsible for the Smile initiative, apparently.

 

Blimey, I don't know the answer to all those questions! I don't even know what an IPS is!! lol

 

But you're right regarding Craig Turton - just read it on the Wednesdayite Board thread by Neil; no idea why I had it in my mind that it was Paul Holmes.

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Indeed. The questions weren't directed at you, per se. Just public musings that hopefully someone with a bit of knowledge can answer.

An IPS is an Industrial and Provident Society: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_and_provident_society

Quite a fundamental basis for a community membership organisation like Wednesdayite. IPS's need to be registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (formerly the FSA) in order to maintain the integrity of the organisation and ensure fair financial conduct for the benefit of the society, it's members and community. Unfortunately Wednesdayite failed to submit the necessary paperwork to the FCA (then the FSA) for several years which led to a fine and removal of the IPS status, eventually leading to the organisation having to form a new company (rather than an IPS) and changing operations over to that.

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You're getting more paranoid than Lee Strafford did during his days on here! If I was trolling, it wouldn't have taken me 10 years as a member to start! lol

 

Apparently, the first Smile game - in conjunction with Wednesdayite, Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme, and Weston Park Cancer Charity - is 13th December against Wolves. Three Smile games are expected this season.

 

No idea who's job within Wednesdayite the Smile project is - last I saw, it was PAHOWL.

When I used to be responsible for SMILE ticket distribution many moons ago (5-6 years?) it was a much smaller and simpler operation in that Wednesdayite bought a number of season tickets from the club with the funds available. These tickets were for designated seats in the North near the touchline at the Kop end. 

 

I would be contacted by people wanting the tickets during the week - usually responding to contacts I'd made in the Children's Hospital, Children's homes, Sure Start Centres and anyone responding to the website advertisement.. We actually had posters up in the lifts and on the wards at the Children's.

 

I had a limited amount at that time - around 20 seats and would be able to tell applicants whether they could be accommodated for which ever game they wanted or suggest alternatives. I could expect a phone call at any time including on holiday abroad or late at night etc.

 

On match days I would spend time trying to sit families/friends together as the tickets were not allocated as a 'block'. I would then parcel them up and meet the recipients in the Car Park and give them out personally.

 

It was a time consuming, intrusive but rewarding role - I met some amazing people, some of whom were terminally ill and are no longer with us. We were able to give them a match day experience they might not have had otherwise.

 

On the accountability front - as a NHS professional employee well used to audit and record keeping, I kept a hard copy book of each match day and who received the tickets for that day. It's in the eaves of my house locked away as I'm renting it out while I'm working in Gib but available for inspection if needed!

 

Apart from the personal delivery I could perform the same role from here actually either by phone or online and have offered to - but it looks as though a different strategy i.e. having designated matches is now used. It's a much bigger operation by the looks of things now,  but better? I'll have to leave that up to others who know the present system better than me.

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so there is nothing to discuss.

1) Where is the money? - the money that many contributed towards over the years?

2) How much exactly, has been sequestrated/under embargo/frozen?

3) When is this likely to be resolved?

4) Will it ever be resolved?

5) Are new money raising ideas/initiatives safe, from now on?

6) Who is the gatekeeper?

* ex Wednesdayite member - did not renew - can't see any point in throwing good money after bad.

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When I used to be responsible for SMILE ticket distribution many moons ago (5-6 years?) it was a much smaller and simpler operation in that Wednesdayite bought a number of season tickets from the club with the funds available. These tickets were for designated seats in the North near the touchline at the Kop end. 

 

I would be contacted by people wanting the tickets during the week - usually responding to contacts I'd made in the Children's Hospital, Children's homes, Sure Start Centres and anyone responding to the website advertisement.. We actually had posters up in the lifts and on the wards at the Children's.

 

I had a limited amount at that time - around 20 seats and would be able to tell applicants whether they could be accommodated for which ever game they wanted or suggest alternatives. I could expect a phone call at any time including on holiday abroad or late at night etc.

 

On match days I would spend time trying to sit families/friends together as the tickets were not allocated as a 'block'. I would then parcel them up and meet the recipients in the Car Park and give them out personally.

 

It was a time consuming, intrusive but rewarding role - I met some amazing people, some of whom were terminally ill and are no longer with us. We were able to give them a match day experience they might not have had otherwise.

 

On the accountability front - as a NHS professional employee well used to audit and record keeping, I kept a hard copy book of each match day and who received the tickets for that day. It's in the eaves of my house locked away as I'm renting it out while I'm working in Gib but available for inspection if needed!

 

Apart from the personal delivery I could perform the same role from here actually either by phone or online and have offered to - but it looks as though a different strategy i.e. having designated matches is now used. It's a much bigger operation by the looks of things now,  but better? I'll have to leave that up to others who know the present system better than me.

 

Fantastic response.

 

Thats how I used to understand the system, but apparently not how things are run currently, which is perhaps fair enough.

 

I wonder how things are actually done nowadays.

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As far as I know the smile fund initiative is ongoing , I 've had assurances from Paul Homes on this ,where and when tickets will be sorted I haven't the foggiest

but having met and conversed with Paul I have no reason to doubt him ,the cash  donated from my prints has not been frozen and I am assured it will be used for the benefit of others ,that is all I can add to this subject so will withdraw gracefully

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Regarding Smile.

I met with the clubs Community Programme. We discussed improvements to Smile that would mean it was much easier to coordinate than in the past, reach more people, and provide more impact.

It was agreed to work with 4 community partners per season. That's not to exclude other parties who were still free to apply for tickets, but for those tickets to be available in designated Smile Days.

The community partner would be encouraged to bring up to 50 guests. Coach travel could be provided by Wednesdayite. All tickets would be funded by Wednesdayite. T shirts for all provided by Wednesdayite, to include the partners logo, and that of Wednesdayite. The team to wear the t shirts during their warm up pre match and then to distribute to the crowd. The charity partner to engage in the half time entertainment to promote their charity. All guests to be given a tour of the ground by the Community programme pre match and meet the players. All guests to be seated in the grandstand in a dedicated section. The charity partner to contribute to the Wednesdayite programme notes, again to promote their charity.

Unfortunately this happened just once, for the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind, then I was driven from my role by the politics that is well documented.

I remain incredibly proud of the day we provided for SRSB, it's exactly what I wanted Smile to be, and unfortunately it's not been executed like that since then. The Smile Days were exactly what I felt the fundraising effort deserved in return.

I look forward to hopefully seeing Smile back to its best for the Wolves game 

 

 

posted by me from granddad ,

Edited by trevdi9
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What an odd thread. Completely the opposite to all others on Owlstalk.

 

Usually they start with sensible debate and descend into sniping, not the other way round!

 

Its a pity we don't hear more about the SMILE initiative, and others offered by Wednesdayite. The potential, as with all things Wednesday, is there if the right people are involved.

Edited by beano
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What an odd thread. Completely the opposite to all others on Owlstalk.

 

Usually they start with sensible debate and descend into sniping, not the other way round!

 

Its a pity we don't hear more about the SMILE initiative, and others offered by Wednesdayite. The potential, as with all things Wednesday, is there if the right people are involved.

 

I'd argue the original post wasn't actually a snipe but a legitimate concern and responsible line of questioning:

 

 

Have any been done this season ?

Who's responsible for this initiative ?

Fans raise money for this and yet we've seen no evidence that the fella in charge of it is actually doing anything with it ?

 

 

Until this thread was started none had been done or were seemingly planned (certainly not announced).

 

Considering monies were raised by supporters for this scheme, for nothing to have apparently been done with that, which is apparently a core activity of Wednesdayite (now Wednesdayite are almost solely concentrating on 'core activities'), for 5 months into a nine month season (plus preseason planning time, and a lot of last season not covered also), it is still slightly worrying.

 

As for it being a pity about not hearing more of the smile scheme, it could be argued that there has been nothing to hear about.

 

Fortunately it seems the scheme has been kickstarted again and deserving people will get to enjoy some upcoming matches thanks to donations from the fantastic SWFC supporter base.

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When was the last time anyone heard anything from Wednesdayite though ?

Good point, do they have a PR person?

 

I'd argue the original post wasn't actually a snipe but a legitimate concern and responsible line of questioning:

My point wasn't particularly well made. I was referring to the arguing which ensued following the original post.

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