Constitution for Friends of Bedford Square.

1.      The name of the group shall be the Friends of Bedford Square

The objects of the group shall be to;

To improve the area known as Bedford Square

To promote community activity in Bedford Square

To run community festivals.

To liase with council and other revenant bodies.

The group will not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, disability, sexuality, age or on the basis of political, religious or other opinions.

3.      The group shall have the power to;

Raise funds to support the object.

4.      Membership of the group shall be open to all residents of Bedford Square to include the houses west along the seafront up to the Norfolk Resort Hotel. The committee may invite any individual who supports the aims of the group to become an Associate Member. Such members shall have no voting rights. Any group whose work is supportive of the friends of Bedford Square may be invited by the group to become an associate member. There will be no membership fee.

        Members may resign at any time in writing to the secretary or verbally at a meeting. Any person moving out of the area of benefit will cease to be a member. The management committee may unanimously and for good reason terminate the membership of any individual. The individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the management committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.

5.      The officers of the of the group shall be;

A chair, who shall chair both general and committee meetings

A secretary, who is responsible for the taking of minutes and distribution of all papers.

A treasurer who is responsible for keeping accounts and reporting at each meeting.

Other member of the management committee to be elected is 3 members of the community.

A quorum of the management committee will be 2, one of which must be an officer

The officers of the group shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.

In the event that an officer stands down during the year, the Management Committee will elect a replacement

Any member of the management committee not attending a meeting without apology for six months will be deemed to have resigned.

Annual General Meeting;

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held within fifteen months of the last.

Posters in all key buildings and areas will notify all members.

Items for the agenda, or motions to the meeting, must be given in writing to the Chair of the meeting no less than three days before the meeting date.

Nomination for Officers and Committee members will be made at the meeting.

The quorum for the AGM will be 8.

Changes to the constitution will require two thirds those present and voting.

           General Meetings;

A general meeting will be open to all members and will hold least twice a year.

The quorum will be 8.

The secretary can call a special general meeting if requested in writing by 8 Members. Members will be given one weeks notice of such a meeting, and notice may be by telephone, email and posters.

The management committee will be responsible for the running of the group.

Rules of Procedure

With the exception of changes to the constitution all questions that arise at any meeting should be decided by consensus other wise all votes will be decided by a simple majority.

If the number of votes cast on each side is equal the chair of the meeting shall have an additional casting vote.

Any motion must have a proposer and seconder before it is discussed or voted on.

Finances

An account will be maintained on behalf of the group at a bank agreed by the committee. Signatories to the account will be the officers of the group. Cheques will require two signatures one of whom will normally be the Treasure.

Records of income and expenditure will be maintained by the Treasure and a financial statement given at each meeting.

All money raised by the group will be spent solely on the objects of the group.

Dissolution

If a meeting, by a simple majority, decides that it is necessary to close down the group it may call a special general meeting to do so. The sole business of this meeting will be to dissolve the group. At least 21 days notice will be given to members.

If it is agreed to dissolve the group all remaining money, once outstanding debts have been paid, will be donated to a local charitable organisation. The organisation to be agreed at the meeting which agrees the dissolution.

This Constitution was adopted as the Friends of Bedford Square.

On      28th day of October 2004……

At      23 Bedford Square

Signed by…Mary Warrington (chair)

Jo Casemore          ………….(member)

>true signed copy held by Liam Mandville (Secretary)<