GRŴP ABERYSTWYTH GWYRDDACH / GREENER ABERYSTWYTH GROUP

CONSTITUTION

1. NAME

The name of the organisation shall be:

GRŴP ABERYSTWYTH GWYRDDACH / GREENER ABERYSTWYTH GROUP


2. OBJECTIVES

A. To promote the conservation and management of accessible green spaces and street trees in and around Aberystwyth as valued amenities for the community.

B. The Group shall achieve its objectives by promoting and carrying out surveys, scrutinising planning applications and monitoring other relevant developments, organising voluntary work groups, collecting and disseminating information, producing interpretative material, raising funds, offering advice and making recommendations, and liaising with organisations owning, or with responsibility for, the green spaces of the area.

C. The Group shall remain non-political, in the sense of avoiding Party politics.

D. The Group shall not seek to impose its recommendations on the local community. It is primarily an investigative and advisory organisation, but it may, if reasonably supported by the community, be representative of its declared aims.

E. The Group shall not be used as an instrument to promote or discuss personal neighbourhood disputes or problems.

F. The Group is a not-for-profit organisation.


3. MEMBERSHIP AND FRIENDS OF THE GROUP

A. Membership shall be open to all who accept and support the Group’s objectives. Members agree to abide by the constitution of the Group and the decisions of the Executive Committee.

B. There shall be three categories of Membership:
Individual Membership, aged 16 or over;
Family Membership, covering all residing at the same address;
Organisation Membership, for companies, other groups, schools, etc.

C. Applications for Membership should be made to the Secretary.

D. An annual subscription may be levied, the amount to be decided from time to time by a General Meeting.

E. Any individual wishing to support the Group, but not wishing to become a subscribing Member, may offer support by becoming a Friend of the Group. Friends are expected to provide the General Secretary with a name and address and other contact details and to support the Group by making voluntary donations and /or contributions in kind.


4. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS AND ELECTION OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS

A. There shall be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) held within six months of the end of each financial year at which the Committee shall report on its work and present the accounts for the year. Members, Friends and their guests and any other interested persons may attend the Meeting, but only Members shall have a vote.

B. At the first AGM, Members will appoint an Executive Committee. Thereafter at every subsequent AGM, one third of the elected Members comprising the Executive Committee shall retire. A retiring Committee Member may seek re-election by Members attending the AGM, without prior nomination. Other nominations shall be made in writing to the Secretary, signed by two Members and indicating the willingness of the nominee to serve on the Committee.

C. At the AGM officers (comprising Chair, Secretary, Treasurer) will be elected or re-elected.

D. The Secretary will notify all Members of the date of the AGM and Agenda not less than fourteen days before the AGM.


5. ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS

A. An Ordinary Meeting, open to anybody interested in the activities of the Group, may be called at any time by the Executive Committee. Members, Friends, their guests and any other interested persons may attend the Meeting, but only Members shall have a vote.

B. An Extraordinary Meeting, open to all Members, will be held if 10 percent or more of the current Members submit a request for such a Meeting to the Secretary. The Secretary shall arrange for the Meeting to take place within twenty-one days.

C. The Secretary shall publicise all Meetings at least seven days in advance (but see 10A).


6. PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS

A. All Meetings shall be held in the Aberystwyth area. No Ordinary, Extraordinary or Annual General Meeting shall take place if less than five Members are present.

B. Any Member may make a proposal. In order for it to be voted on by other Members it must be seconded by another Member.

C. Before voting any Member may propose an amendment, which must also be seconded. The amendment must be to add words to and /or delete words from the original motion.

D. Only Members present at the Meeting may vote. Each individual Member, each representative of a family which holds membership, and each representative of an organisation which holds membership, shall have one vote. All votes shall be by a show of hands. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman of the Meeting will have a second or casting vote.

E. Minute books shall be kept of the Group’s Meetings by the Secretary or a nominated Committee Member.



7. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A. The general management of the affairs of the Group shall be directed by an Executive Committee (hereinafter called the Committee), elected/re-elected at the AGM and comprising a Chair (or Acting Chair), Secretary, Treasurer and 7 other members. Observers, who may include, but are not limited to, representatives and staff of Ceredigion Council and Aberystwyth Town Council and other individual wards, may be invited to attend Meetings.

B. The Committee may co-opt any persons as required for specific purposes. Such co-opted Committee Members may be removed by the Committee at any time, and may not vote on matters relating to the Election of Officers or matters relating to Membership.

C. Officers shall carry out the duties given to them by General Meetings and the Executive Committee.

D. The Committee shall meet at least quarterly or as necessary.

E. No Committee Meeting shall take place if less than three members of the Committee are present.

F. Minutes of Committee Meetings shall be kept by the Secretary, be submitted to each subsequent Meeting and be available to all Members.


8. FINANCE

A. The Group may raise funds by subscriptions, by grant applications, by receiving donations and by any other lawful means, which shall be decided upon by the Committee.

B. All money raised by or on behalf of the Group will be used only to further the aims of the Group, which would include any special projects or consultancies as approved by the Committee. No individual Member may make any personal financial or material gain from the Group’s funds. Legitimate and approved expenses only will be reimbursed.

C. Subscriptions shall be paid on such dates and in such manner as may be decided from time to time by the Executive Committee.

D. The Treasurer shall open a bank or building society account in the name of the Group.

E. All cheques and instructions to the Group’s bankers must be signed by the Treasurer or his/her nominee and one other signatory, who shall be either the Chair or the Secretary, or their nominee.

F. The Group’s bank account(s) shall not be overdrawn; nor shall the Group be committed financially beyond its existing funds.

G. The Treasurer shall keep proper books of account and record any payments to and by the Group, distribute monies only as directed by the Committee and produce all books, documents and property of the Group as directed by the Committee.

H. The Treasurer shall make all books and records available for independent checking or audit as required by the Committee.

I. The financial year shall be from 1 April to 31 March.


9. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

A. This Constitution can only be altered at any Extraordinary Meeting or at the AGM.

B. Any alteration of the Constitution shall receive the assent of not less than two thirds of the Members of the Group present and voting at an Extraordinary Meeting or the AGM provided that notice of any such alteration shall have been received by the Secretary in writing not less than twenty one days before the Meeting at which the alteration is to be proposed.


10. DISSOLUTION

A. The Group may only be dissolved at an Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose, which must be advertised at least twenty one days before the Meeting or at an AGM, of which notice of such a proposal has been given in the Agenda.

B. A proposal to dissolve the Group shall take effect only if agreed by two thirds of the Members present at the Meeting.

C. Funds and possessions will be disposed of normally to a local charity or local voluntary organisation with similar aims and objectives, according to the wishes of the Meeting, subject to prior satisfaction of any legitimate claim by a creditor.

D. The members of the Committee shall be responsible for the winding up of the assets and liabilities of the Group.



AS APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE, COMPRISING THE FOUNDING MEMBERS, AT A MEETING ON 17 JUNE 2005



CHAIR: Roger Bray DATE: 22 July 2005

ACTING SECRETARY: Richard Macve DATE: 22 July 2005



AMENDMENT TO CLAUSE 7A MADE AT A COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 30 JUNE 2006



CHAIR Roger Bray DATE 3 July 2006