Trust's birthday bonus wish

The trust, formed last year to give supporters a stake in the running of the Shakers, currently boasts 550 members and the aim is to increase that number in time for next season.

It's been a hectic 12 months for the group but they have made big strides in a short space of time.

They have an appointed director on the board in Roger Barlow and more than 8,000 shares in the club have been bought with a similar amount due to be purchased in the near future.

The co-operative have also set up three long-running fundraising schemes, Time for Change at Gigg - in which coppers and loose change are collected, a Forever Bury beer which is brewed by the acclaimed Leyden Brewery at Nangreaves while there is a sharesave scheme in operation which allows fans to spread out payments for shares in the club.

Moneyraising events such as Duck Races, sponsored walks, balloon races and car boot sales have also brought in much needed cash and the club mascot Robbie the Bobby is regularly used to generate positive publicity in the town.

Spokesman Simon Egan said: We are rapidly approaching the beginning of our second year and are pleased with the progress we have made so far.

"We have learned a lot of lessons and are looking forward to continuing the task of helping Bury FC develop.

"It's a mere twelve months since the club came out of administration and there is still a considerable amount of work to be done.

"The more members we have the more projects we can implement. If you are already a member then we urge you to renew your subscription, if you aren't then please give serious consideration to joining Forever Bury, together we can make a difference."

Membership has numerous benefits in that a good number of businesses offer Forever Bury members discounts on goods and services.

A full list of businesses in the members discount scheme and full details about the trust and its aims can been obtained from the Forever Bury website on www.foreverbury.co.uk