iTrust ingenuity brings positive benefits for Invicta and Ites

Since the Pitching In Isthmian League launched its partnership with iTrust in September, the technology provided by the company has provided a new route by which supporters can connect immediately with their clubs. 

iTrust founder Nick Inge explains the concept:

‘After spending time on the touchline as a parent watching my son play, and watching senior clubs as a fan, it dawned on me that there wasn’t a system that supporters could use to speak up about their experiences. 
 

At a youth level, that sometimes meant that parents would take their children out of a club, because they were upset by something that perhaps might have been resolved fairly simply had they been able to easily report it. At a professional or semi-professional level a supporter might witness something that needs to be challenged, but there may not be a steward available, they might feel that they’d put themselves at risk by confronting the issue, so nothing gets done.
 

I realised that what was required was something which would allow parents or supporters to provide all sorts of feedback in a timely manner; to report racism or homophobia, to pass on suggestions and to deliver praise where it was due. We created a platform to enable that, and after meeting with the Pitching In Isthmian League in the summer we agreed that we’d become the first ever official ‘Speak Up’ partner for a football league anywhere in the world. 
 

Participating clubs get a unique QR code, which can go on websites, on signs around grounds, and on programmes, and during a match anyone can scan this and send an immediate report to the club so that it can be acted upon. The immediacy is key- feedback is always best when it’s immediate, and you can give your name, or you can report anonymously if you like, but you can be sure that your feedback will be received and acted upon. ‘

Amongst the clubs already using iTrust are Folkestone Invicta and Sheppey United.

Charlie Wilson, the Operations Manager at Invicta, has been really impressed with iTrust, and feels that it has made a positive difference to the club.

‘We met with Nick Inge in the summer and felt that, from a Safeguarding perspective, what was being proposed made a lot of sense. We decided to trial the system, put up signs around the stadium, and we immediately got lots of feedback, most of it very constructive. Prior to iTrust much of the feedback we received was via social media, and as you can imagine, some of that was anything but constructive, but with iTrust it has nearly always been really helpful. We’ve actually made changes around the stadium based on the feedback received, and it has even helped us make a business case for some funding we needed. 
 

Things have quietened down a little of late, but I believe that’s because when we’ve had feedback earlier in the season we’ve acted on it, so there’s now less to fix!

I’d add that the support we’ve received from iTrust- from Nick and from one of his ambassadors, Damian Matthew, has been first rate.’

Former Sheppey Chair Tony Hughes was also rather impressed:

‘The iTrust app has significantly improved our club’s engagement with everyone. It’s an invaluable tool for modern football club management and allows us to receive instant feedback. We believe every club in the Isthmian League could greatly benefit from incorporating iTrust into their operations.’

Nick Robinson, Chair of the Isthmian League, has been delighted by the partnership.

‘iTrust allows our clubs to speedily engage with their supporters. It allows the voice of those on the terraces to be heard in an entirely new way, and enables speedy resolution to concerns, great work to be recognised, and new ideas to be communicated. It is a fantastic tool which has many positive benefits, and we hope that it will be embraced by clubs across the League.’

You can learn more about iTrust by heading here.