FRIENDS OF SUNNY BANK VALE
CONSTITUTION
1. DEFINITION OF SUNNY BANK VALE
Sunny Bank Vale is the land located between Edge Lane, Land off of Greenside Lane, the rear of Baslow Road , Collingwood Avenue, parts of Sutton Drive, Clockhouse Avenue, Hawkstone Avenue and Land off of Peakdale Road and Sunnybank Park, Droylsden, that is under the control of the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, that was the former waste disposal site and is defined on the attached plan.
2. AIMS
The Friends of Sunny Bank Vale aim to:
- To promote Sunny Bank vale as an area of public open space with open and free access.
- Work in liaison and consultation with Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and any successive owners of Sunny Bank Vale to improve and manage footpaths, fencing, trees and the general environment on Sunny Bank Vale, Droylsden.
- Encourage the use of Sunny Bank Vale for the purposes of informal recreation (such as walking) and education for the local community, schools and other visitors.
- Encourage and promote wildlife and enhance the ecology and environment of the area.
3. POWERS
In order to further the aims of the Group the committee may exercise the following powers:
(i) Raise money, receive grants and donations, so long as in doing so the group doesn’t undertake any permanent or substantial trading activity
(ii) Buy or lease and maintain any property and employ staff
(iii) Sell, lease or dispose of any property of the group
(iv) Co-operate with other groups and to exchange information and advice with them
(v) Commission work to further the aims of the organization.
(vi) Power to do all other lawful things that are necessary to achieve the objects of the group
(vii) Establish links with similar organisations in the area.
(viii) Introduce membership fees/charges if felt necessary and to be in the best interests of the group.
(ix) The group reserves the right to terminate any membership if thought necessary.
4. MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be open to anyone over the age of 18 who is interested in actively furthering or achieving the aims of the Group.
(i) Associate membership shall be open to anyone interested in furthering the objects of the group but who does not meet the criteria for full membership.
(ii) Organisational membership of the Group shall be open to any group interested in furthering the objects of the Group and which has paid any annual subscription as decided by the Management Committee. Organisational members shall be entitled to nominate one representative who shall vote on behalf of the organisation in all meetings of the group.
(iii) Full members shall have one vote
(iv) Associate members shall not be entitled to vote.
(v) All members should act in accordance with the aims of the group and in its
(vi) . best interests.
5. MEETINGS
An inaugural General Meeting will be held to approve the constitution and appoint an Executive Committee, followed by an Annual General Meeting in approximately one year from the date of the inaugural meeting and in subsequent years.
There will be a minimum of three ordinary meetings of the Group each year, the timing of which will be decided by the Executive Committee.
Special General Meetings of the Group shall be held at the written request of a quarter of or of the members or by the officers of the Group.
The Executive Committee shall give at least 21 days notice to members of the Annual General Meeting and at least 7 days notice of other meetings.
In the event of equality of votes cast at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting the motion will fall.
The AGM will from time to time consider and approve standing orders for the conduct of meetings and financial regulations. There is a policy on the conduct of meetings.
6. OFFICERS
Nomination for the election of officers shall be made in writing to the Secretary at least 7 days before the Annual General Meeting. To be valid a nomination must be of a member of the Group who is resident of the local neighbourhood, their
nomination must be proposed and seconded by other paid up members and the consent of the nominee must be obtained. Nomination forms will be available on request from the Secretary.
If there is no nomination for a particular post received 7 days before the Annual General Meeting nominations shall be accepted from the floor of that meeting.
Nominees for election as officers of Executive Committee members shall declare at the meeting of which their election is to be considered any financial or professional interest known or likely to be of concern to the Group.
The Officers of the Group shall consist of:
Chair
Vice Chair
Secretary
Membership Secretary
Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer
Environment Officer) Bio Diversity
Ecology Officer ) Team
All of who shall relinquish their office every year and shall be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting, but no individual may serve more than 3 consecutive years in one post, unless no other member is eligible or nominated.
The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill casual vacancies occurring among the Officers from the membership of the Group.
7. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the management and administration of the Group.
The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers and not less than 4 and not more than 8 individual members.
The Executive Committee shall have the power to co-opt further members who shall attend in an advisory and no-voting capacity.
In the event of equality in the votes cast at a meeting of the Executive Committee the motion will fall.
Nomination for election to the Executive Committee shall be made in writing to the Secretary at least 7 days before the Annual General Meeting. To be valid nominations must be of fully paid up members who are local residents (with the exception of
Corporate members), proposed and seconded by two other members and the consent of the nominee must be obtained. Nomination papers will be available from the Secretary on request.
If fewer nominations are received by the deadline than there are vacancies, nominations may be taken from the floor of the meeting up to the number of vacancies available.
Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Group; outgoing members may be re-elected up to a maximum of 3 consecutive years, unless no other member is eligible or nominated.
The Executive Committee shall meet not less than 4 times a year. The Secretary shall give all members not less than 7 days notice of all the meetings.
The quorum shall be 5 Members of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill casual vacancies occurring between General Meetings from amongst members of the Group.
8. ELECTIONS
If more than one valid nomination for an officer post is received within the time specified, or if the number of valid nominations for members of the Executive
Committee received within the specified time exceeds the numbers of places available, election shall be by secret ballot at the Annual General Meeting.
Only those members of the Group present in person at the meeting may vote.
The votes will be counted during the meeting, scrutineers appointed by the meeting and the results announced before the end of the meeting.
9. SUB COMMITTEES
The Executive Committee may constitute such sub committees from time to time as shall be considered necessary for such purposes as shall be thought fit in pursuit of the aims of the Group.
The members of each sub committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee from amongst the members of the Group. Sub committees may, with the approval of the Executive Committee, co-opt members who are not members of the Group but they shall advise in an advisory and non-voting capacity only.
In the event of an equality of votes cast at any meeting of any sub committee the motion will fall.
Members of the Executive Committee may be members of any sub committee.
Sub committees shall be subordinate to and may be regulated or dissolved by the Executive Committee.
10. DECLARATION OF INTEREST
It shall be the duty of every member who is in any way, directly or indirectly, interested financially in any item discussed at any meeting of the Group (including any meeting of any committee or sub committee at which she/he is present to declare such interest and she/he shall not discuss such item (except by invitation of the Chair) or vote thereon.
11. EXPENSES
The Executive Committee shall, out of the funds of the Group, pay all proper expenses of administration and management of the Group.
After the payment of the administration and management expenses and the setting aside to reserve of such sums as may be deemed expedient, the remaining funds of the Group shall be applied by the Executive Committee in furtherance of the purposes of the Group.
12. BANK ACCOUNT
All moneys at any time belonging to the Group and required for immediate application for its purposes shall be deposited in the Group’s bank account.
Transactions in relation to the Group’s Bank Account shall require the authorisation of two of the following the Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and the Vice Chair.
13. AMENDMENTS AND DISSOLUTION
This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of members voting at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting of the group confirmed by a simple majority of members voting at a further Special General Meeting held not less than 28 days after the previous meeting, providing that at both meetings the majority of those present and voting are residents of the local neighbourhood.
The group may be wound up by two thirds majority of members present and voting at a Special General Meeting. Any money or property remaining after payment of debts must be given to a group with similar (charitable) purposes.
On dissolution the minutes and other records of the group shall be deposited with the Local Studies Section of the Central Reference Library.
Adopted by:
Name:
Committee Role:
Signature:
Date: