Holbrook Helpers Constitution

 

HOLBROOK HELPERS CONSTITUTION

STATUS

The organisation is a not-for-profit organisation. No member is entitled to any payment for services rendered but may be reimbursed any reasonable expenditure incurred in providing such services.

 AIMS

To provide short term help to the residents of Holbrook, Lower Holbrook and Harkstead such as domestic support and household assistance, with the use of local volunteers. Also, to encourage self-help and friendship within the local community.

 MEMBERS

An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year in the month of April or as soon as practicable after that time.

An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened by a decision of the management committee or on the written request of three members lodged with the Secretary who shall issue Notice of the meeting within two weeks of receiving the request.

The minimum notice of any general meeting shall be a clear 14 days and notice shall be sent to all members of any general meeting, such Notice to be given by written notice left at, or sent to, each member’s last known address, or by email.

The quorum for a general meeting shall be one third of the number of members as at the date that Notice of the meeting is issued.

Unless not present at the meeting, or being unwilling to do so, the chair of the Management Committee will take the chair at any general meeting.

 MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE PROCEDURE

The Management Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall consist of the Honorary Officers and such other members as are prepared to act as committee members and who are elected to that office.   

The Honorary Officers shall comprise the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

The members of the Management Committee shall be elected to hold office until the next Annual General Meeting.

Members of the Management Committee may offer themselves for re-election at subsequent Annual General Meetings.

The quorum for Management Committee meetings shall be set by the committee, but shall never be less than one third of the total number of committee members.

The first Management Committee shall consist of members of the Steering Group elected at the inaugural meeting, and shall hold office until the first Annual General Meeting.

The Honorary Officers shall be appointed by the Management Committee.

The Management Committee elected at the inaugural meeting consisted of the following members:

Hon Chair:  Kate Saulter

Hon Secretary:  Joanna Hazlewood

Hon Treasurer:  Joanna Parker

Member and Liaison with Suffolk Trading Standards:  Fran Williams

Subsequently, the following co-opted appointments to the Committee were made:

Roy Fisk

Rev Jenny Seggar (Safeguarding Lead)

In the event that an Honorary Office becomes vacant prior to an Annual General Meeting the Management Committee are authorised to co-opt a member of the organisation to fill the vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting.

The Management Committee are authorised to co-opt new members of the committee, such co-opted members to hold office until the next Annual General Meeting.

The Management Committee shall make all arrangements for the provision of services to meet the Aims of the organisation.

 BANK ACCOUNT

All funds of the organisation shall be held in a bank account opened in the name of the organisation, apart from a cash float of up to £100 to be held by the treasurer to enable the payment of minor expenditure items.

Cheques on the account shall be signed by two authorised signatories as nominated by the Management Committee. 

For online banking transactions, all transactions must be approved by at least two authorised signatories and evidence kept of such transactions.

ACCOUNTS

The Treasurer will maintain records of all Income and Expenditure and will present a financial report to each Management Committee meeting detailing income received and expenditure incurred since the last committee meeting, current balance of funds held and any items of income or expenditure known to be expected.

The Treasurer will prepare an Income & Expenditure Statement at the end of the organisation’s financial year at 31st March annually or such other date as may be agreed, in time for this to be issued with Notice of Annual General Meeting.

The Treasurer will arrange for the Income & Expenditure statement to be subject to an independent review by a qualified person, or to an audit if the annual expenditure is such that legislation requires the accounts to be audited.

 CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION

The Constitution may be altered by a two thirds majority resolution of the members present at the Annual General Meeting or at an Extraordinary General Meeting of which the required Notice has been given, and which clearly sets out the proposed amendment/s to the Constitution.

Dissolution Should it become necessary to wind up the organisation any residual funds or other assets shall be donated to a local charity or charities.

 Confirmed as adopted at a meeting of the Management Committee held on Tuesday 31^st August 2021

Signed by the Chairman and the Secretary