Constitutions | RISE Community Group

RISE Community Group Constitutions

Aim:

The RISE Community group has been created to promote positive change within the community of North Lynn, empowering and strengthening community champions and enabling all community members to flourish. The group will sit as a stakeholder within the wider RISE North Lynn Hub meeting, sharing the voice of the community with professionals allowing for contextual needs led approach to bettering North Lynn.

Objectives (Purpose of the group):

To empower individuals through education, support and community cohesion.
To promote inclusion, health, wellbeing and resilience within the community.
To create a meaningful space for young people and community to connect and grow.
To collaborate with local organisations and groups to benefit the wider community.
To raise awareness of social issues and advocate for positive change.

Methods of Achieving Objectives

To produce and disseminate information among residents of North Lynn & North End
To organise meetings, community events, educational opportunities & fundraisers
To undertake training, as and when identified as a need
To raise awareness of the group among other voluntary and statutory groups, so that new and existing initiatives can be identified, and to exchange information and advice with them.
The group shall have the power to raise funds by means of contributions, legacies, grants and fundraising, by lawful means
All funds and property of the group shall be used solely to promote its objectives as set forth within this constitution.

Area of benefit

The area of benefit will be, but not limited to, the community of North Lynn and North End.

Powers

The RISE Community Group may hire or purchase premises or equipment; hire tutors and facilitators; fundraise; attend training; charge for activities; facilitate events and workshops: and collaborate with other groups and organisations in order to carry out its objectives.

Application of income and property:

The income and property of RISE Community Group shall be applied solely towards the promotion of and achievement of the objectives.

A Committee Member (Trustee) may pay out of, or be reimbursed from, the property of ‘the group’ reasonable expenses properly incurred by him or her when acting on behalf of RISE Community Group.

None of the income or property of RISE Community Group may be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise by way of profit to any member of ‘the group’. This does not prevent:

A resident who is not also a member of the Committee Member (Trustee) from receiving reasonable and proper remuneration for any goods or services supplied to ‘the group’

A Committee Member (Trustee) from buying goods or services from ‘the group’ upon the same terms as other members or members of the public.

Accounts:

i. The Treasurer shall present to each ordinary meeting an up-to-date statement of the accounts.

ii. The Treasurer shall prepare annual statements of accounts which shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting. Good practice is to have the accounts independently examined.

iii. Where funds are received by donation, grant, gift, bequest or otherwise for specifically defined purposes, such funds shall be held as restricted funds and shall be used only for the purposes defined by the donor(s). They shall be reported in the accounts as restricted funds. Any unspent balance shall be returned to the donors or to their trustees or otherwise used only as the donors or trustees require or permit. In the absence of such requirement or permission, after reasonable notice to the donor(s) or trustee(s), the Management Committee shall apply such funds to purposes as near as possible to those for which they were granted.

Amendment of the constitution

The committee may amend any provision contained within this constitution provided that:

a. No amendment may be made that would have the effect of making the group cease to be a constituted group at law

b. No amendment may be made to alter the objects if the change would undermine or work against the previous objects of the group;

c. no amendment may be made to clause 4 (Objects), 7 (Application of income and property), 18 (Dissolution) or this clause without the prior consent in writing of the

d. any resolution to amend a provision of Parts 1 – 9 of this constitution is passed by not less than two thirds of the members present and voting at a general meeting.

Membership

RISE Community Group Committee membership is open to anyone over the age of eighteen who lives, works, volunteers or is otherwise connected to the community of North Lynn and North End.

The Management Committee will reply within 28 days, with a reason, if people are not accepted for membership.

Individuals may appeal to the whole committee, at a meeting convened for that purpose, if membership is turned down or revoked. The decision of the whole committee is final.

Membership may be revoked if a member is found to have brought the organisation into disrepute.

Anyone applying for membership must supply their name, address including postcode and telephone number (if they have a telephone) in order that the Secretary can ensure that they are notified of meetings and data can be kept for funding application and voting purposes.

Everyone should abide by the group’s Code of Conduct

RISE Young Ambassador membership is open to young people between the ages of 11 years and an individual’s eighteenth birthday, which would like to help with planning and executing events. Young people cannot take on legal responsibility until their eighteenth birthday, so, while their views must be taken into consideration their collective recommendation will be counted as one vote.

Membership is not transferable to anyone else.

The Management Committee must keep a register of names and addresses of the members which must be available to any member on request.
Membership is terminated if:

The member dies

The member resigns by written notice to the charity unless, after the resignation, there would be less than two members

Any sum due from the member to the charity is not paid for in full within six months of it falling due

The member is removed from membership by a resolution of the trustees that is in the best interests of the charity that his or her membership is terminated. A resolution to remove a member from membership may only be passed if:

The member has been given at least twenty-one days’ notice in writing of the meeting of the trustees at which the resolution will be proposed, and the reasons why is to be proposed

The member or, at the option of the member, the member’s representative (who need not be a member of the charity) has been allowed to make representations to the meeting

Committee

Election of Officers

Any individual who is eligible for full membership may stand for election as a Management Committee member. They should inform the Secretary of their intention to stand for election, seven days prior to the AGM. If they are unable to attend the AGM, they may ask to be nominated by the membership through the Chair. Nominations from the floor will be allowed.

There will be a minimum of 3 Management Committee members and a maximum of 11 committee members. Each of these members will have one vote.

All those standing for election should seek a proposer and seconder to nominate them as suitable candidates to undertake the tasks required.

All those standing for re-election may be proposed and seconded on bloc.

The quorum at General Meetings of the Association shall be 5 and at meetings of the Committee shall be 3 or such other numbers as the Committee may from time to time determine.

Other people may be invited by the Management Committee to attend in an advisory capacity. They will not have a vote because they cannot share the responsibility of the committee

The Management Committee will elect, from their number:

A Chair:

Who ensures meetings run smoothly, everyone has their say and decisions are made.
Acts as a contact point for the organisation
Represents, or arranges for others to represent, the organisation

A Secretary:

Who informs everyone of meetings
Takes minutes or ensures that minutes are taken
Ensures records of membership are kept
Helps the Chair make sure paperwork gets done

A Treasurer:

Who oversees the funds and assets of the group that is, makes sure that it is being spent with the agreement of the committee and makes regular reports to the committee about this

The whole committee is responsible for decisions on how the group meets its objects, including how the money is spent. This is why it is advisable to decide a plan after the AGM of what you are aiming to do and how much this is going to cost.

Disqualification and removal of Committee members

A Management Committee shall cease to hold office if they:

Ceases to be member of RISE Community Group

Becomes incapable by reason of mental illness, physical illness or injury of managing and administering his or her own affairs.

Resigns as Committee Member by notice to 1 month (but only if at least two Committee members remain in office when the notice of resignation takes place); or

Is absent without the permission of the Management Committee from all their meetings held within a period of 12 consecutive months and the Management Committee resolve that his or her office be vacated.

Conflict of Interests and conflicts of loyalties

The members of the Management Committee must:

(1) declare the nature and extent of any interest, direct or indirect, which he or she has in a proposed transaction or arrangement with the charity or in any transaction or arrangement entered into by the charity which has not been previously declared; and

(2) absent himself or herself from any discussions of the Management Committee in which it is possible that a conflict will arise between his or her duty to act solely in the interests of the charity and any personal interest (including but not limited to any personal financial interest). Any member of the Management Committee absenting himself or herself from any discussions in accordance with this clause must not vote or be counted as part of the quorum in any decision of the charity trustees on the matter.

Committee Meetings

RISE Community Group will meet a minimum of 6 times per year.

At least three committee members must be present in order to decide, and this must include at least one officer (Chair, Secretary or Treasurer).

The Chairperson shall have the additional casting vote in the case of votes being equal

If within fifteen minutes of the start of a meeting the Chair is not present, then those present will elect a Chair from their number for that meeting.

Any member who has not attended consecutive meetings in a 12-month period without good reason will be deemed to have resigned from the committee and a new member may be elected.

If a member is not present at a meeting, then the Secretary should ensure that they have the date for the next meeting. Members have a responsibility to contact the secretary to ask about the date of future meetings

Members have a duty to keep the secretary informed of current contact details

Working Groups

The Management Committee may nominate working groups to organise events, training or activities.

Each working group will be chaired by a member of the Management Committee, but not all members of the working group need be a member of the Management Committee.

The working group will remain responsible to the Management Committee and will provide a report of its work, through the Chair of the group, at Management Committee Meetings. If the Working Group Chair is unable to attend a Management Committee meeting, another member of the sub-group may attend to give a report.

Extraordinary Meetings / General Meetings

All the members should be given at least 28 days’ notice.

An Extraordinary or General meeting must be advertised in at least four different locations.

An Extraordinary meeting or Annual General Meeting will be considered quorate if one third of the membership attend. If no quorum, then the meeting will be re-advertised and held between 14-28 days later. This meeting will be considered quorate, irrespective of the number attending.

At the Annual General meeting the committee should:

Tell members what they have done - Celebrate!
Tell members what money they have got, where they got it from, how it has been spent [Provide accounts for review and approval]
Ask the membership to agree that money has been spent well and that they agree the money has been accurately accounted for
Thank founders that provided help ‘in kind’ and anyone else who has helped (including any retiring committee members).
Recruit new members to the committee.
Ask the membership to vote a new committee/ re-elect committee members to carry out the objectives.
Ask the membership to agree to an independent examination of the accounts.
Ask for new ideas.

Constitution could be amended or changed at the AGM, or extraordinary meeting called for that purpose

Minutes

The trustees must keep minutes of all:

appointments of officers and trustees made by the trustees;

proceedings at meetings of the charity;

meetings of the trustees and committees of trustees including:

a. the names of the trustees present at the meeting;

b. the decisions made at the meetings; and

c. where appropriate the reasons for the decisions.

Dissolution (Closing down the group)

If the Management Committee decides that there is no further need for this group, or insufficient people can be found to take committee responsibilities, then an extraordinary meeting must be held to agree that the group may be closed. (see clause 12 for rules governing extraordinary meetings)

Any money, equipment or other materials may be given to other group/s in King’s Lynn, which seeks to promote similar objectives. Those present at the extraordinary meeting will decide which groups this will be.

[The Management Committee must collect in all the assets of the group and must pay or make provision for all the liabilities of the group.

The Management Committee must apply any remaining property or money:

Directly for the objects;

By transfer to any constituted group, charity or charities for purposes the same as or similar to the charity;

In no circumstances shall the net assets of the group be paid to or distributed among the members of the group (except to a member that is itself a charity)

The Management Committee must notify the community promptly that the group has been dissolved.

Arrangements until the first Annual General Meeting of

RISE Community Group

Until the first Annual General Meeting takes place, this constitution shall take effect as

the RISE Community Group’s terms of reference.

Signed…………………………….. Chairperson

Signed …………………………… Secretary

Signed …………………………… Committee Member