The Friends of St
THE FRIENDS OF ST. ANDREW’S PARK
CONSTITUTION (v6.3)
1] NAME: The Friends of St Andrew’s Park [hereafter referred to as FoSAP]
2] AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:
FoSAP’s aims and objectives are to maintain, develop and promote the amenity and heritage of St Andrew’s Park for the benefit of the local community by:-
i] Developing and improving the physical environment of the Park, and where relevant, the surrounding streets.
ii] Protecting and extending the nature conservation value of the Park.
Iii] Organising, promoting and supporting community events and activities in the Park which are in line with FoSAP’s aims and objectives and that may appeal to a wide variety of park users.
Iv] Negotiating and communicating with Bristol City Council and other relevant authorities about issues relating to the Park.
3] POWERS:
FoSAP shall have the following powers in pursuit of its aims and objectives:-
i] To organise and promote meetings of its members, the Committee and the general public.
ii] To organise and promote events in and around the Park.
iii] To carry out physical improvements in and around the Park.
iv] To apply for grants, donations and other sources of funding to support its objectives.
v] To determine the membership and membership fees.
4] MEMBERSHIP AND MEMBERS:
Membership is open to all local residents aged 18 and over or at the discretion of the Committee.
It is acknowledged that the membership may not reflect the views of everyone who uses the Park. FoSAP is therefore committed to :
i] Ensuring that there is wide consultation with local residents and Park users about the activities of the membership, through articles in local publications and by the use of leaflets and notices and on the group’s website. Dates of meetings with agendas and appropriate minutes will be published on the website.
ii] Contacting and consulting with other local groups.
5] COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AND OFFICERS:
i] FoSAP will have a Committee(the Committee) which is elected annually at the Annual General Meeting [AGM].
The Committee is comprised of the following officers elected at the AGM, including:-
-Chair
-Secretary
-Treasurer
-Membership co-ordinator
The Committee may also appoint members to fulfil other functions as required such as publicity officer and web site manager, etc. The convenors of the special interest groups [see below] will also be appointed as members of the Committee.
ii] The Committee may form a number of special interest groups [which may change from time to time] focussing on specific aspects of the Park as considered appropriate including:-
-anti-social behaviour
-graffiti
-heritage and restoration,
-litter and recycling
-play areas
-social and cultural activities
-wild life and environmental conservation
All special interest groups will, at their first meeting after the AGM, elect a convenor to serve on the Committee.
The Committee may also establish working groups, and determine their membership and terms of reference, to consider particular aspects of its work.
6] MEETINGS: (see also 7] QUORUM/S below)
i. The Annual General Meeting [AGM] will usually be held in April. This will be widely publicised [including on the web site] and will be open to the public."
Fourteen days notice of the AGM will be given to members and will include details of the posts to be elected at that meeting.
The business of the AGM will be:-
- to receive the annual report of the Committee.
- to receive a financial report from the Treasurer.
- to elect the posts of Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Coordinator who will resign at every AGM but may stand for re-election.
- to agree the membership fee [if appropriate] for the coming year
ii] Meetings of the Committee will be held at least six times a year. These will also be open to the membership who cannot vote at these meetings but may express their opinions on any agenda item with the agreement of the Chair.
The purpose of Committee meetings is to conduct the general business of FoSAP, to consider progress made on activities and to consider opportunities and issues that arise.
The dates of meetings for the following year will be agreed at the first Committee meeting following the AGM and will be widely advertised including on the website.
iii] Meetings of the special interest groups will be convened by the elected convenor as and when necessary.
iv] The Committee may call extraordinary general meetings if necessary.
v] A written record will be made of all meetings and maintained by the Secretary and available for anyone who requests to see them. Copies of the minutes of Committee meetings will be emailed to officers within 14 days after the meeting. Minutes of all meetings including the AGM will be posted on the web site.
7] QUORUM/S:
i] As far as possible, decisions will be reached by consensus, rather than by voting. For significant decisions the Chair will seek the views of as many members as possible, prior to the meeting, and report the views of those who cannot attend. If a consensus cannot be reached, decisions will usually be deferred to future meetings or the proposal dropped. The Chair, in consultation with the committee, will assess whether the views of sufficient members have been received for a decision to be made. If, however, a substantial matter has been widely publicised and discussed at one or more Committee meetings, the Chair may ask the Committee if they wish the matter to be decided by a vote. If a clear majority of members present at a quorate meeting wish it, the matter will be decided by a vote of the members present. The Chair will have the casting vote.
ii] A quorum at Committee meetingswill consist of 5 officers [from those described in 5i above] including those appointed, but at least 2 forming the quorum will be elected officers.
v] All officers of the Committee present at meetings may vote including those appointed.
8] THE ROLE OF OFFICERS:
The officers of the Committee will be elected at the AGM.
The officers and their responsibilities are:-
i] Chair: the principal responsibility of the Chair is to ensure that the conduct of all meetings is effective, efficient and reasonable. The Chair will also represent the group to external bodies and at events. The Chair may also convene meetings and co-ordinate the work of the group to help ensure that its objectives are met.
ii] Secretary: the Secretary will issue agendas, will take, circulate and retain minutes of meetings and keep safely copies of all important records for inspection by other members when reasonably requested and will advise members when proposed actions are not within the scope of the constitution.
iii] Membership Coordinator: the Membership Coordinator will maintain records of members including names and contact details and, if appropriate, payment of fees.
iv] Treasurer: the Treasurer will maintain up to date financial records of the activities including income and expenditure transactions, bank records and statements and cheque books. If appropriate the Treasurer will prepare an annual budget which will be presented to and agreed by the Committee at their first meeting following the AGM.
Vacant officer roles can be filled at any time of the year, but they must be ratified and elections held, if required, at the next AGM. To be entitled to vote for the election of officers at the AGM, members must have been on the group’s mailing list for a minimum of 12 months.
In the absence of the Chair any officer may conduct the meeting.
9] PAYMENTS AND BENEFITS:
The activities of FoSAP are for the benefit of the community in and around the Park and no one member or officer may obtain individual financial gain or profit from its activities. Generally payment is therefore only made to individual officers or members in repayment of legitimate and reasonable expenses incurred during the course of activities previously agreed and within FoSAP’s aims and objectives and budget constraints.
However, fees and expenses may be paid to a member or officer with the prior agreement of a majority of officers at a Committee meeting but the member or officer receiving payment will not be permitted to vote on matters concerning the work for which they will or are receiving payment.
10] THE CONSTITUTION:
The constitution may be amended periodically to enable FoSAP to respond to changing circumstances.
Minor amendments can be noted by hand and initialed and dated by the Chair and Secretary.
Substantial amendments require the agreement of the Committee. These will be signed and dated by the Chair and the Secretary and issued to all officers of the Committee and will be made available to grant giving bodies and other funders if required.
The current version of the constitution will be posted on the web site.
The intention to amend the constitution will be notified to members by posting on the web site and will give 14 days notice of the meeting at which the amendments will be presented.
All amendments which have been agreed by the Committee will be notified to the membership at the following AGM.
11] BANK ACCOUNTS:
FoSAP may open and maintain one or more bank accounts in its name which will be suitable for its purposes in a local branch of one of the major high street banks.
The Treasurer will maintain up to date bank records and will ensure that the group is not in debit and incurring penalty interest. Any account will require the signatures of two of the following - the Chair, the Secretary, the Treasurer and one convenor of a special interest group [if agreed by the Committee].
The signatories to the account will be agreed or amended by a vote of a majority of officers of the Committee who will be reminded of this arrangement at least annually.
12] WINDING UP:
The members of FoSAP may decide to wind up for a variety of reasons such as irresolvable dispute among members, lack of interest leading to inadequate membership or financial failure.
In these circumstances the Treasurer or a suitably experienced member will produce a statement of accounts showing income and expenditure and any outstanding balance. If, after repaying any outstanding money to grant giving bodies or repaying loans to banks or others, there remain any funds these will be distributed to another not-for-profit organisation with similar aims and objectives and this will be agreed by a vote among remaining members at a special winding-up meeting. Any funds remaining will not under any circumstances be distributed among members apart from the payment of legitimate and reasonable expenses.
The decision to wind up and the actions to distribute the remaining funds will be accuratelyrecorded in a minute of that special meeting and retained for inspection by funders or others.
This constitution was agreed at the ………………Meeting of The Friends of St. Andrews Park held on ……….
Chair, FoSAP
Signed:………………………… Print …….
Date:………………….
Secretary/ Treasurer FoSAP
Signed:……………………...…. Print ……..
Date:………………….
Version 3 of amended constitution – PB – Agreed 03/02/10
Version 4 of amended constitution – JC – Agreed 11.5.10
Version 5 of amended constitution – JM – Agreed 18/10/11
Version 6.2 [draft] of amended constitution – JM/JC/PB.
Version 6.3 amended 18.7.12