1. Build own forum via Django
2. Migrate to Amazon cloud server
Should knock a fair wedge off and remove the middlemen.
We have a subscription with Amazon for our email infrastructure etc to lessen the server demands mate.
The challenge we/all forums have is the nature of the beast unfortunately. The owner of GOTs equivalent for a smaller prem club emailed me only yesterday asking if the quote he had for £5k+ a year just for the server seems competitive.
Bit of an iffy time for forums, they're expensive beats to run and server companies are being hit with increased energy bills that they're passing on - ours has gone up 8% since March.