Paul FFCM
kingfisher
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 The Constitution Of FFCM
CONSTITUTION OF THE FRIENDS OF FOOTS CRAY MEADOWS
Aims
a) Working in partnership with Bexley Council to encourage public interest in, and the conservation of, Foots Cray Meadows (FCM);
b) To protect the wildlife and its habitat within FCM;
c) To provide a focus for involvement by the Community and users in the open space to volunteer and work with the Council, in the conservation of FCM and its development as a public open space;
d) To advance the public’s awareness of the open space by promoting FCM, its plants, wildlife, landscape, sustainability and supporting appropriate recreational facilities for the benefit of community groups and the general public;
e) To develop and deliver information, interpretive material and educational opportunities for FCM; and
f) To raise funds for the purposes of achieving the above aims.
Membership
a) The Friends of FCM shall be voluntary and totally self-supporting.
b) Membership shall be open to anyone interested in taking part in the organisation and furthering its aims. A membership register will be kept and a copy sent to Bexley Council within one calendar month of the Group's Annual General Meeting.
c) The Committee shall have the power to refuse, or withdraw, membership to, or from, any person found to be acting against the interests of FCM and the aims of this group.
d) The Group will abstain from supporting any political party or activity or using its membership or name to promote conservation action that would conflict with agreed Council policies.
e) The Group will apply for affiliation to The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers or other relevant organisations and shall observe the conditions of affiliation.
f) All Members shall be bound by this constitution.
Management
a) The Group will work in close consultation with the Council. It shall receive assistance from the Council in the form of guidance and advice from Council officers.
b) The affairs, funds and assets of the Group shall be managed and controlled by a committee. Such officers on the committee shall be appointed from the membership to conduct the administration of the organisation. These are a chairperson, treasurer and secretary and their deputies. The Committee will be in charge of the day to day running of the organisation, but shall be answerable at meetings to all members of the group.
c) Minutes will be kept of all meetings of the organisation and the secretary or nominated person shall enter a record of all proceedings and resolutions. A copy of these minutes will be supplied to the Council.
d) The officers and other general members of the Committee (to total no more than twenty at any one time) shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), and the Committee shall have the power to co-opt up to three further group members from time to time.
e) One third (1/3) of the elected members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for meetings of the Committee.
f) The committee shall hold at least two public meetings annualy, (one will be the AGM) at which any matters concerning its policy and administration can be discussed. All members and a nominated Council Officer shall be entitled to attend. These meetings will be fully publicised to all members of the Group and the general public.
g) Tasks and events should be appropriate to the aims of the Group and in accordance with Council bye-laws with no exclusion to any part of the community.
h) Where appropriate to the Group’s aims, the Friends may undertake, or support, related activities outside of FCM.
i) The Council has a statutory responsibility to all local residents as landlord for designated parks and open spaces. Therefore all publicity material, events and work of the Group, which concerns Council land or property, must be agreed with the relevant Council Officer on behalf of the Council in advance.
Annual General Meeting
The Group shall hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to agree its policies and administration. This will be held no later than 6 weeks after the date of the financial year. All Members shall be entitled to attend and the meeting shall be publicised at least 14 days in advance. A record of the AGM shall be sent to all members.
a) Fifteen members shall constitute a quorum at the AGM.
b) All motions shall be circulated to members not less than 14 days before the meeting.
c) All voting at the meeting shall be by simple majority, Chair holds casting vote if required.
d) The normal business of the AGM shall be:
1. to receive reports from the Chairman and accounts from the Treasurer;
2. to acknowledge Committee members standing down after five years service; in accordance with a rotation period of twelve months.
3. to elect Committee members; subject to being proposed and seconded at the meeting.
4. to agree the annual subscription rates (if any);
5. to consider any motions arising.
e) The Secretary at the written request of no less than fifteen members shall convene an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). Agenda and motions shall be submitted to all members not less than 14 days before the meeting, and the meeting shall take place within 30 days of the request.
f) The FFCM may be dissolved by a vote of the members at the AGM or an EGM.
g) Any matter not covered in the Constitution shall be dealt with by the Committee and reported to the next AGM or an EGM.
Finance
a) Accounts shall be kept by the treasurer, submitted to an annual audit and approved at a members' meeting. Any Bank account in which any parts of the Group’s funds are deposited shall be operated by the committee and shall be held in the name of the Group. All cheques and orders for the payment of money from such account shall be signed by at least two officers of the committee, or their deputies.
b) Accounts shall be audited and reported to the group and the Council at the AGM. The financial year shall be end of March each year.
c) There may be an annual subscription levied to help pay necessary expenses, to be fixed at a members' meeting at an appropriate rate. Any levy may be waived by agreement of the committee. Subscription (if any) shall be renewable annually on at set date.
d) If the Group shall, by general consent of its members, cease to exist; all assets shall pass to the Council for expenditure on conservation works within the Borough, where possible consistent with the special aims of the Group.
Other Issues
a) The Group will undertake health and safety risk assessments of all its activities before engaging in any activity. All participants will be made aware of the necessary safeguards to be in place and maintained. The Group will hold public liability insurance to indemnify the Council from any claim resulting from the action of the Group.
b) A Group's constitution shall only be altered by consent of a majority of the Members of the organisation at an AGM or an EGM and in agreement with Bexley Council.
DATE: March 2006
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8/Jun/2006, 3:23 pm
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