Hopwood Village Hall Management Committee Trustees Constitution

1) INTRODUCTION

(a) Trustees have overall control of a charity and are responsible for making sure it’s doing what it was set up to do. They may be known by other titles, such as:

(b) directors

(d) governors

(e) committee members

(f) Whatever title they have in a particular charity, trustees are the people who lead the charity and decide how it is run. Most trustees don’t get paid for their role – they act out of a desire to help people and make positive changes. Volunteering as a trustee should be rewarding and enjoyable

2) Title

(a) The name of the charity shall be “Hopwood Village Hall”

3) Objectives

(a) Hopwood Village Hall Management Committee is established to represent all those with an interest in the local community encompassed within the catchment area defined by the Committee as the hamlet of Hopwood in the Parish of Alvechurch lying within the District of Bromsgrove.

(b) By working in partnership with all; relevantly interested groups, voluntary organisations, individuals, Government Departments, statutory and voluntary authorities, the Management Committee will seek to improve the condition of life for the inhabitants of Hopwood and the Parish of Alvechurch without distinction of political, religious or other opinion, by providing facilities to use for meetings, lectures and classes and for other forms of recreation and leisure-time occupations.

4) The Trustees will:

(a) Ensure that the Village Hall is operated within its means

(b) Ensure the Village Hall is available to any group that would like to use it at reasonable rates as dictated by the above Committee.

(d) Keep the Village Hall well maintained.

(e) Allow the building(s) to be repaired, altered, enlarged or taken down and re-built so as to make them more suitable for the purpose mentioned above.

(f) Ensure that any one proposed job costing more than £500 will require 3 quotes, with the committee agreeing on what they see as in the best interest of the Hall and not necessarily on price quoted. If 3 quotes are unavailable after 1 month then 2 quotes will be acceptable.

(g) Allow Jobs costing less than £500 to be carried out where needed urgently through majority committee agreement whether at a meeting or by a majority agreement electronically or by phone.

(h) Provide a focal point for the Hamlet’s affairs bringing the local community together.

(i) Not to be personally liable for the maintenance or insurance of the hall or for any charges relating to its use.

(j) Be able to charge for use of the hall,

(k) Strengthen local community networks and develop constructive and effective partnerships between local people.

(l) Achieve funding for local initiatives and from other relevant bodies/organisations as appropriate.

(m) Be able to make arrangements for dealing with receipts and payments, including accounts and records

(n) Be able to (and in practice do) delegate their powers of management, to the Village Hall Committee.

5) Use of hall

(a) Use of the hall shall be open to all;

(b) Apart from; any that are racist or politically motivated or reactionary -plus any other group that the committee feel is unacceptable for hiring Hopwood Village Hall.

(d) Partnership agencies and business representatives that are based in, or have an interest in the parish area

(e) All hirers’ will be required to sign the Terms and Conditions associated with their particular type of event.

(f) Each user organisation can appoint one representative entitled to attend and vote on its behalf at general meetings of Trustees. A deputy may be appointed where necessary.

(g) Users shall at all times conduct themselves in a manner acceptable to the Management Committee when attending meetings or any function in connection with the Village Hall.

(h) No user shall use the Hall as their registered place of business.

6) The Village Hall Committee

Membership

(a) The first members were appointed by the trustees.

(b) Appointment thereafter is by the committee itself. All Committee members’ appointment is for a period decided by the committee - in practice one year where election/re-election takes place at the AGM overseen by the Secretary or other committee member.

(d) A Chairman is appointed annually along with other committee members.

(e) The quorum for meetings is four, and should consist of at least 1 officer and 3 committee members.

(f) Decisions are by a majority of members present and voting, with the Chairman having a second or casting vote.

(g) The trustees have the right to remove and replace a committee member after consultation with the said member and with the agreement of the majority of the remaining committee members.

Management Committee Trustees will consist of the following Officers-

(h) A Chair, Secretary, Treasurer plus a Vice -Chair and shall be elected at the inaugural meetings of a new committee and thence at every Annual General Meeting of the Village Hall Trust.

(i) They shall be eligible for re-election excepting that no officer shall hold those offices for more than three consecutive years, except where no other eligible person is prepared to stand.

7) Management Committee (The Trust Committee)

(a) The affairs of the Trust shall be directed by a Management Committee when voting at meetings, which shall comprise of at least one Officer plus a minimum of three other elected committee members.

(b) The members of the Trust Committee shall be elected along with Officers at the Annual General Meeting of the Trust and shall hold office for a period of one year.

(c) Members shall be eligible for re-election excepting that no member shall hold an officer position for more than three consecutive years, except where no other eligible person is prepared to stand.

(d) The Executive Committee may by unanimous vote and for good reason terminate the membership of any individual: Provided that the individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the management Committee, accompanied by a friend or advisor, before a final decision is made.

8) Meetings of Hopwood Village Hall Management Trustees Committee

(a) An agenda should be sent to each member of the committee at least one week prior to any general meeting, and one month prior to the Annual General Meeting. Agendas should also be published on the Village Hall notice boards.

(b) An Annual General Meeting shall be held at a time and place determined by the Management Committee giving the public at least 21 days’ notice of such, and published on the notice board.

(c) The annual general meeting shall be held in April in each year and no more than 15 months shall be allowed to lapse before the next AGM takes place.

The business of each Annual General Meeting shall include:

(d) A report by the chair on the activities of the charity covering the last year; proposed /seconded and accepted

(e) Consideration/report by the Treasurer of the annual accounts of the Charity; proposed /seconded and accepted

(f) Election/re-election of members of the Committee, overseen by the Secretary/other member,6.(b)

(g) In exceptional circumstances the Management Committee may call a Special General Meeting if so requested in writing, signed by 12 or more members of the Trust and giving reasons for the request.

(h) The Management Committee shall meet not less than four times a year the actual frequency and timing to be determined by that Committee.

(i) All meetings shall be open to the public and commence with an “Open Session” for questions and issues to be raised by the public if present.

Quorum-

(j) For a valid meeting to be held there must be at least 1 of the Officers plus 3 other full committee members in attendance.

(k) In the absence of the Chair the members present shall elect a Deputy Chair for that meeting.

Personal interest

(l) Whenever a Trustee or Connected Person has a personal or financial interest in a matter to be discussed at a meeting of the Trustees or a committee, the Trustee concerned must:

(m) Declare the nature and extent of the interest before the meeting or at the meeting before discussion begins on the matter

(n) Be absent from that part of the meeting unless expressly invited to remain in order to provide information

(o) Not be counted in the quorum for that part of the meeting

(p) Be absent during the vote and have no vote on the matter

Voting

(q) At all times, matters before the Management Committee shall be decided by simple majority voting.

(r) In the case of an equality of votes, the Chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

General Meetings

(s) All matters before a General meeting, or Annual General Meeting, unless a change to the Constitution is proposed when clause 11 will come into force, shall be decided by simple majority voting of those members eligible to vote.

(t) In the case of an equality of votes the Chair of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

Voting Rights

(u) All members eligible to vote will be those residing, working or with an association within the catchment area as described in section 3, and who have attended at least two meetings in the previous 12 months.

Minutes

(v) Minutes of all meetings shall be maintained by the Secretary and approved by the Management Committee at the following meeting, and signed off as appropriate and correct.

(w) Will be circulated to all members of the committee preferably within 2 weeks of the meeting

9) Finance

(a) Bank accounts shall be in the name Hopwood Village Hall: With a bank approved by the management committee and with no fewer than 4 signatories.

(b) All cheques must be signed by not less than two authorised signatories.

(d) All charities may now opt to have an “independent examination” of their accounts (as opposed to a full audit by a qualified accountant).

(e) It continues to be the practice, however, to have the Hopwood Village Hall accounts examined by an independent examiner prior to presentation at the AGM.

(f) All accounts and yearly reports shall be presented within the designated period to the Charity Commission.

(g) Electronic banking may be used for information purposes e.g. downloading statements, checking balances etc.: It should not be used for payment transactions.

10) Insurance & Utility Bills

(a) The trustees, and on their behalf the committee, are obliged to consider the need for insurance. Appropriate insurance should be maintained including cover for buildings and contents, cash in transit and public and employers’ liability. Separate and specific arrangements are made for particular events e.g. a car boot sale, which might involve temporary closure of part of the highway, etc.

(b) Quotes for the Village hall insurance policy and other essential utility bills should be reviewed yearly and reported to the committee before renewal.

11) Amendments to Constitution

(a) Once adopted, the constitution may only be amended by reference to a Special General Meeting or Annual General Meeting at which a majority of two thirds of those present and eligible to vote is required for ratification.

(b) The members must be given 21 clear days’ notice of such Special meetings and the wording of the proposed amendments to the Constitution published in an agenda.

12) Dissolution

(a) If the General Committee decide by a simple majority that the Hopwood Village Hall is wound up then a Special General Meeting shall be called to ratify that decision.

(b) A majority of two thirds of those present at that Special General meeting and eligible (as in Clause 8(u)) to vote will be required to endorse the committee decision.

(c) Any excess funds held at that time and available for distribution shall be donated to an agreed charity or good cause associated with the very Local community