Those of you who attended the recent Nostalgia Evening will have seen and heard some very interesting and exciting things.

There was a sense of optimism in the air. There is a light at the end of what has been a long and dark tunnel. With the appointment of Rob Morris as a Director, his purchase of the lease on Silver Jubilee Park and the introduction of around 20 youth teams playing as Hendon FC for next season, we can start to think about a long-term strategy involving a ground of our own.

However, a move to Silver Jubilee Park and financial self-sufficiency are a couple of years or so away and so the focus for now needs to be on how we navigate our way through the next two seasons.

The Trust was formed in 2006 and we had a couple of years where we were able to raise a fighting fund before we became responsible for the club's expenditure. That fighting fund, donations received from a number of supporters and a couple of very profitable FA Cup runs meant that we were able to provide a playing budget that, together with Gary McCann's ability to pull rabbits out of hats, has allowed us to remain in the Premier Division of the Ryman League.

As we move into the last quarter of the current season, we have to start planning for next season. Our fighting fund has diminished over the past 6 years and, sadly, we did not enjoy the best of runs in the FA Cup this season. What all of this means is that we are going to need every supporter to do whatever they can to help if we are going to be able to sit down with Gary at the end of the campaign and offer him a budget that allows him to put together a competitive squad for the 2014/15 season.

We are currently some way from being able to achieve this.

The Trust Board is asking all those people who care about Hendon Football Club to make a donation to help ensure that we are in a position to offer Gary a competitive budget.

Pledges can be as much or as little as you can afford because every little really does help. You can pledge a one-off amount or a monthly donation.

The Board will be sitting down with Gary towards the end of April and so any pledges need to be made by 15 April so that the budget we can offer can be calculated.

If you are able to help, please speak to Simon Lawrence on a matchday or send him an email to simon.hendon@btinternet.com.