Constitution of Wilford Community Group

 

 

1.        Name

 

The Association shall be known as Wilford Community Group and will represent those residents living in the Area …………………Wilford, the boundaries being defined as a line from the River Trent south along the old railway embankment (that forms the boundary between Nottingham City and Rushcliffe Borough) to a point on the south side of Ruddington Lane Recreation Ground; then, west, crossing Ruddington Lane immediately north of the Beckett School playing fields to Clifton Boulevard (the A52 ring road); then, north, to the River Trent and following a line along the River to the north end of the railway embankment where it meets the River.

 

(At a General meeting held on 23rd February 2006, the boundaries were extended to include the following additional addresses:)

 

Ruddington Lane, south of the Ruddington Lane Recreation Ground including the Becket School, Launceston Crescent, Alton Avenue, Brierfield Avenue, Fieldway, Barnfield, “Stepping Stones” Caravan Site, Clifton Lane Ambulance Station and the site of the former Wilford Club for Young People.

 

 

2.        Aims and Objectives

 

The Association’s aims and objectives are to:

 

·              Promote tenants’ and residents’ interests and campaign for improvements to their housing conditions, services and environment;

 

·              Promote housing issues;

 

·              Encourage local tenants’ and residents’ involvement;

 

·              Work in a non-discriminatory way and work towards combating discrimination;

 

·              Represent the interests of tenants and residents when dealing with the local authority and other bodies;

 

·              Preserve and improve the amenities of Wilford.

 

3.        Powers

 

To further the above aims and objectives, the association may affiliate to any body, receive funds or undertake any activities that may be of benefit to its membership.

 

4.        Membership

 

4.1.          Full membership of the Association shall be open to all tenants and residents living in the designated area, irrespective of nationality, race, sexuality, gender, age, disability, income, political or religious belief, length of residence or social class.

 

4.2.          All members are expected to behave in a reasonable manner at all times at meetings or in premises used by the Association whilst involved in the activities of the Association.

 

4.3.          Failure to support the objectives of the Association or to behave reasonably whilst involved in the activities of the Association may lead to membership of the Association being terminated.

 

4.4.          If the Association is to consider terminating an individual’s membership, the individual will be advised in writing of the reasons for the proposal and the time and place of the meeting where this matter is to be discussed.

 

4.5.          The individual concerned will be invited to speak to the meeting where the proposal is discussed, but will leave the meeting when the vote is to be taken.

 

4.6.          The decision to terminate the membership will be taken by a majority of those present and voting at any committee or general meeting.  Following the meeting, the secretary will write to the person concerned and advise them of the committee’s decision.

 

4.7.          Any member so excluded shall have the right of appeal to the following General Meeting.

 

5.          Committee

 

5.1.          The business of the Association shall be conducted by a committee elected from the membership of the Association at each Annual General Meeting, which shall consist of a Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, plus two other members to make a minimum of five members.

 

5.2.          If any committee member has a conflict of interest in connection with any business being discussed at a meeting they must declare it.  They may remain in the meeting, but may not speak or vote unless the conflict or interest is considered sufficiently important and in which case they may be asked to leave the meeting by the other members.

 

All decisions shall be taken by a simple majority of those present and each full committee member shall have one vote by a show of hands.

 

5.3.          The composition of the Committee shall as far as possible represent the community living in Wilford (as defined in section 1 above)the Area……………..  .  In addition the Committee shall have the power to co-opt people whose skills and experience may be of benefit to the group, whether living inside or outside Wilford Area……….  , onto the committee, who shall be known as Co-opted members.  Co-opted members shall have no voting rights and should never be the majority of the Committee.   Co-opted members must not form more than one-third of the committee and are in addition to the minimum five committee members.

 

5.4.          The majority of Committee members will be over the age of 18.

 

5.5.          Elected councillors of the landlord authority shall not be eligible for election as officers of the Association, nor shall they represent the Association in its dealings with the Council or any other body.

 

5.6.          No City Council employees may be officers of the Committee, but may be a Committee member, if there is no conflict of interest.

 

5.7.          The formal election of Officers or Committee members may only be carried out by a General Meeting of the Association.  The Committee may temporarily fill any vacancy arising (through for example, death, resignation, moving away from the area) among the officers of the Association from its other members until the next General Meeting of members.

 

5.8.          If a Committee member does not attend three consecutive committee meetings without good reason, it may be considered by the committee that they no longer wish to be involved with the group and their role may be filled on a temporary basis until the next General Meeting.

 

5.9.          The Committee shall meet as often as necessary and not less than six (6) times in each year. Reasonable notice of all meetings will be given to Committee members and details sent to their home, which shall include the date, time and place of the meeting and an agenda of the matters to be discussed.

 

 

5.10.     The quorum (the minimum number of Committee members required to make decisions on behalf of the committee) for Committee meetings of the Association shall be one-third of the membership, or at least fivethree (53) members (one of these to be an officer of the committee).   No binding decision can be made if a committee meeting is not quorate.

 

5.11.     Committee Meetings shall be open to any member of the Association wishing to attend who may speak but cannot vote. Councillors, Council Officers and any other interested parties may be invited to Committee meetings, but may not vote.

 

5.12.     Any member(s) or officer(s) delegated to represent the Association in dealing with any other organisation or group shall act on the instructions of the Association and shall report back to the following Committee or General meeting.

 

5.13.     The maximum number of committee members shall be twenty.

 

5.14.     At its discretion, the Committee may call closed committee meetings to progress the business of the Group between open Committee Meetings. (clause approved at the 2003 Annual General Meeting)

 

6.        Annual General Meeting

 

6.1.          The Committee shall call an Annual General Meeting of the Association every year within 6 months of the year-end, which is open to all members.

 

6.2.          Not less than fourteen (14) days notice of the Annual General meeting shall be given to all members.  (14 days notice is minimum and if the group chooses this can be extended).

 

6.3.          The Annual General Meeting will be widely advertised throughout the designated area.  All business to be conducted will be notified by way of public notices.

 

6.4.          The business at each AGM will include

 

·        Committee’s report of activity during the year;

 

·        Treasurer’s report and independently examined accounts of the Association for the previous year;

 

·        Election of officers and committee members;

 

·        Appointment of the independent examiner for the accounts for the next year;

 

·        Any other business previously notified in the notice of the meeting.

 

6.5.          No business may be discussed unless it has been notified in advance of the meeting.

 

6.6.          Votes will be taken by a show of hands.  If requested a paper ballot will be carried out.

 

6.7.          The quorum for an Annual General Meetings shall be one-third of the membership or twelve (12) members (one of these to be an officer of the committee), whichever is the least.  No Annual General meeting will take place if it is not quorate.

 

6.8.          The Housing Liaison Team and the Housing Area Contract Manager shall be invited to the Annual General Meeting.

 

7.        General Meeting

 

7.1.          Apart from the AGM at least one (1) other of the Committee’s meetings shall be a General Meeting of the Association i.e. widely publicised and open to all members to speak and vote.

 

7.2.          The decisions of General Meetings of the Association shall be binding on the Committee who will carry out those decisions.  All decisions shall be taken by a simple majority vote of members present.

 

7.3.          The quorum for all General Meetings shall be one-third of the membership or twelve (12) members (one of these to be an officer of the committee), whichever is the least.  No General meeting will take place if it is not quorate.

 

8.        Special General Meeting

 

8.1.          The Secretary shall call a Special General Meeting at the request of a majority of the committee: or if at least five (5) members of the Association request one, giving reasons in writing.

 

8.2.          The secretary shall give at least fourteen (14) days notice of the date of a Special General Meeting, which shall take place within twenty-one (21) days of receiving the request or petition.  The notice shall give details of the business to be discussed at the meeting.

 

8.3.          No business may be discussed unless it has been notified in advance of the meeting.

 

8.4.          The quorum for all Special General Meeting shall be one-third of the membership or twelve (12) members (one of these to be an officer of the committee), whichever is the least.  No Special General meeting will take place if it is not quorate and no further meeting shall be called.

 

9.        Finance

 

9.1.          The Financial year adopted by the Association is to date…………... (The Financial year end shall be either 31st March.

 

9.2.          The Committee is to approve any payments made on behalf of the Association.

 

A bank account will be opened in the name of the Association. The committee shall nominate a minimum of three committee members to be authorised signatories on all cheques.  Each cheque will be signed by two of the authorised signatories, one of whom must be the Treasurer.  No two members of the same household or family can be signatories.   Under no circumstances will blank cheques be signed.

 

9.3.     The Treasurer and all cheque signatories must be a minimum of sixteen years of age to comply with banking requirements. (clause approved at the 2003 Annual General Meeting)

 

10.  Responsibilities of the Treasurer

 

10.1.     The Treasurer shall open and maintain a banking account in the name of the Association.

 

10.2.     The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of income and expenditure and report the financial situation to the committee at least six monthly (or as required by the Committee or General Meeting).

 

10.3.     At the end of each financial year annual accounts will be produced.  This can be in the form of a simple income and expenditure account and balances at the start and the end of the year.  These accounts shall be examined by an independent examiner, either a qualified accountant or a non-member of the Association, appointed by the membership at the Annual General Meeting.  The treasurer shall present the examined annual accounts to the members at the Annual General Meeting.

 

10.4.     Annual accounts should be submitted to the Housing Liaison Team for all groups who are funded.

 

11.  Responsibilities of the Chair

 

The Chair shall set the agenda for meetings in consultation with the secretary, keep order at meetings, ensure meetings are quorate, ensure that actions from previous meetings are carried out, sign off minutes of the previous meeting as a true record and ensure that all members have an opportunity to speak at meetings.  (The group must decide whether they want to give the casting vote to the chair in the event of there being a tied vote.) In the event of a tied vote the Chair shall have the casting vote.

 

12.  Responsibilities of the Secretary

 

The Secretary shall be responsible for calling all meetings, notifying members, ensuring that a proper record is kept of meetings of the Association, its Committee and any Sub-Committees in the form of minutes, distributing the minutes as required by the Committee or General Meeting and holding full records of the Association on file (including leaflets, posters and newsletters), which may be examined when given at least (7) days notice by any (2) members of the Association or representative of any funding body.

 

13.  Fundraising

 

All money raised by or on behalf of the Association is to be used only to further the aims of the Association.

 

14.  Child Protection

 

Any committee member or volunteer undertaking work on behalf of the Association with children or young people will be subject to checks on their suitability through the Criminal Records Bureau.

 

15.  Alterations to the Constitution

 

Any proposal to alter this Constitution must be discussed at a General Meeting or an AGM and the proposed alteration(s) submitted to the secretary of the Association at least twenty-one (21) days before the General Meeting at which it is to be discussed.  At least fourteen (14) days notice shall be given of such a meeting, together with the wording of the proposed alteration(s). Any alteration shall require the approval of two thirds of those present and voting at the meeting.

 

 

 

16.    Dissolution

 

16.1.     If the Committee (or, if a Committee no longer exists, any ten (10) members of he Association) decided that the Association be dissolved, they shall give at least twenty one (21) days notice to all those eligible for membership of a General Meeting at which the matter shall be discussed.  For the sole purpose of dissolution a quorum need not apply, and the Association may be dissolved by a two-thirds majority of those present.

 

16.2.     A final statement of accounts must be produced and independently examined and made available on request to any interested parties. Any unspent grant from Nottingham City Council will be returned to the Council.   Any assets, financial and otherwise remaining when the Association has satisfied its liabilities, shall be applied for such purposed of benefit to the community as the meeting shall decide or passed to another organisation with similar aims and objectives.

 

 

This revised Constitution was adopted at a General Meeting of the Association held on 23rd February 2006.

 

 

 

 

Signed

 

 

……Brian Hardy………………...

 

Chair

 

Name

 

 

…………………………..………...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signed

 

 

……Sheila Atherton…..…………...

 

Treasurer

 

Name

 

 

………………………………………...