Minutes of our AGM
Published on June 29, 2021 by Martyn Rawlinson
Minutes FOFS SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING 28/6/21
Paul’s Pad, Truro Place 6pm
- Welcome, apologies, record of attendance
In attendance: Martyn, Joan, Belinda, Nina, Bob W, Ann R, Grete, Jennifer.
Apologies: Sully, Javed, Dan, Bob F.
- Minutes of AGM 2019
Agreed.
- Adoption of new Constitution
Agreed
- Membership & Administrators
A list of members to be drawn up. MR, NW & BC to be admins for the collective
- Funding Report & Open Collective
Current balances £2580.94 Co-op bank account, £237.28 cash, £25 Open Collective account.
£1 per month subscription fee (per household) agreed to be a member of the collective (or £10 per year). Fee can be waived at the discretion of the membership.
- Neighbourhood Forum Update
Amendments to Perry’s housing application welcomed but disappointed that there will be no play provision.
- FoFS Anniversary
To organize a 10th birthday party in October.
- Any other business
None.
- Date of next meeting
To be confrmed.
Annual General Meeting
Thursday 18th July 2019
5.30 pm – 6.30pm
St Joseph’s Sports and Arts Club
Rigby Street
Minutes
Attended by: M Rawlinson, P Dilworth, J Croly, B Fletcher, L MacDonald (Community Gateway), B Chandler, M Pilling (Preston City Council), V Fletcher (PCC), Sue Little (PCC), Z Hussain (Fishwick Rangers), D Anderson (Callon Kids Club); J Baldwin, N Woodfield, Z Coupland (Sahara), G Smith (note taker),
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting
Apologies: J Mein, S Jay, A McHaffie, C Monaghan, F Atchia, K Spencer
Annual Report - presented by (Interim) Secretary.- Treasurer’s Report - presented by the Teasurer
- Election of Officers and Exec. No nominations have been received via email.
Chair - nominated by J Croly, seconded by B Chandler. Elected: Martyn Rawlinson.
Vice Chair – nominated by Z Coupland, seconded by J Croly. Elected: Peter Dilworth
Treasurer – nominated by B Fletcher, seconded by P Dilworth. Elected: Julie Croly
Vice-treasurer – nominated by J Croly, seconded by G Smith. Elected: Bob Fletcher
Secretary – vacant
Vice-Secretary – vacant
Executive Committee members – J Baldwin, N Woodfield, B Chandler, J Iqbal, G Smith, Z Hussain, F Atchia, A McHaffie
Corporate members (one vote per organisation): Community Gateway, Sahara, Callon Kids, St. Joseph’s School.
The Chair advised there is a place available for another corporate member, suggestions welcome.
AOB
Question on local councillors’ membership. Answer: all FOFS meetings are public and open to anyone to attend. Voting rights are limited to members.
Question: the current Exec Committee mailing lists includes residents /organisations who have not attended meetings in 12 – 24 months. Decision: amend contact list to members/organisations actively attending meetings and activities.
Friends of Fishwick and St Matthews Constitution 2021
NAME
The group will be named the ‘Friends of Fishwick and St Matthews’ (FoFS).
FoFS is a local community voluntary organisation set up for the benefit of the residents of Fishwick and St Matthews areas of Preston, Lancashire and here after referred to as the ‘Collective’.
AIMS
1. To work together with fellow residents to improve the community of Fishwick and St Matthew’s by involving everyone.
2. To fulfil our commitments as a Neighbourhood Forum in relation to the Inner East Preston Neighbourhood Plan
3. To secure the future and adequately maintain our green space at Truro Place, known as Paul’s Pad
OBJECTIVES
FOFS intends to meet those aims by:
* Working co-operatively with stakeholders and residents of Fishwick and St. Matthews in activities and projects that will help to achieve the above aims
* Engaging with all local partners, public sector, businesses, and residents in developing community activities and projects that improve residents experience of the area
* Monitoring and responding to Planning applications in our area in line with the aims of the Inner East Preston Neighbourhood Plan
* Improving communication and relationships between residents and other service providers and businesses within Preston
* Maintaining links with local authority and other statutory and voluntary community engagement agencies
* Making recommendations to housing associations, local public sector bodies and other stakeholders regarding issues in our area
* Exploring training opportunities for any Fishwick and St Matthews residents to assist in achieving FOFS aims and objectives
* Bidding for funding that will enable us to achieve our aims
MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be open to all residents and stakeholders (anyone who works in the area) that are interested in actively furthering the aims of the collective. All members must register with a group admin. A record of all members will be kept by the group admins.
Corporate members shall be such societies, associations, educational institutions or businesses as are interested in actively furthering the aims of the collective. A corporate member shall appoint one representative to attend meetings as a voting member but before such representative exercise their right, the corporate member shall give written details of the representative to a group admin.
Every full member or member organisation shall have one vote. Only one vote will be permitted from any one household. Only those who have been members prior to the advertisement of a General Meeting or Special General Meeting will be permitted to vote at those meetings.
The collective may unanimously and for good reason terminate the membership of any individual or member organisation: provided that the individual concerned or the appointed representative of the member organisation concerned (as the case may be) shall have the right to be heard by the admins, accompanied by an advocate, before a final decision is made.
GOVERNANCE
The collective will be governed by consensus of members or by majority vote only if absolutely necessary. The collective will consist of members and administrators. Group admins will be expected to share the required tasks to successfully achieve the aims of the collective.
Nominations for Admin positions shall be accepted from the floor at General Meetings.
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 collective.
There will be not less than 3 geoup admins and not less than 6 members.
The collective shall have the power to co-opt further members who shall attend in an advisory and no-voting capacity.
All decisions will be taken by the collective membership, the group admins role is to enact those decisions.
The quorum shall be 3 Members, two of which must be admins
MEETINGS
There will be a minimum of three ordinary meetings of the collective each year, the timing of which will be decided by members.
Special General meetings of the collective shall be held at the written request of over 66 per cent of the members or by majority vote of the group admins.
The collective shall give at least 30 days notice to the community of a Special General Meeting and at least 7 days notice of other meetings. A special general meeting must be held at least every two years.
The General Meetings will from time to time consider and approve standing orders for the conduction of meetings and financial regulations.
POWERS
In furtherance of the objects but not otherwise the collective may exercise the following powers:
(i) powers to raise funds and to invite and receive contributions provided that in raising funds the collective shall conform to any relevant requirements of the law;
(ii) power to buy, take on lease or in exchange any property necessary for the achievement of the objects and to maintain and equip it for use;
(iii) power subject to any consents required by law to sell, lease or dispose of all or any part of the property of the collective;
(iv) power subject to any consents required by law to borrow money and to charge all or any part of the property of the collective with repayment of the money so borrowed;
(v) power to employ such staff as are necessary for the proper pursuit of the objects and to make all reasonable and necessary provision for the payment of pensions and superannuation for staff and their dependants;
(vi) power to co-operate with charities, voluntary bodies and statutory authorities operating in furtherance of the objects or of similar charitable purposes and to exchange information and advice with them;
(vii) power to establish or support any charitable trusts, associations or institutions formed for all or any of the objects;
(viii) power to do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the achievement of the objects.
ELECTIONS
Selection of admins shall be by consensus at a Special General Meeting. Members must have been members for 2 years before they can be eligible to be a group admin.
Only those members of the collective present in person at the meeting may take part in decision making.
Any votes will be counted during the meeting, scrutineers appointed by the meeting and the results announced before the end of the meeting.
DELEGATIONS
There shall be no delegation of powers or decision making to any individual or sub groups. All decisions will be made by consensus or a majority of the voting members, one member, one vote per household or organisation.
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 collective at which they are present to declare such interest and they shall not discuss such item (except by invitation of the members) or take decisions thereon.
FINANCE
The Administrators shall keep an accurate record of the financial affairs of the collective by:
* the keeping of accounting records
* the preparation of statements of accounts for the collective at each General Meeting or special General Meeting
* the auditing or independent examination of the statements of account of the collective
Any bank account shall be named Friends of Fishwick and St Matthews.
Payments to be made by cheque shall be signed by two out of three of the authorised signatories. The financial year shall be from 1 April to 31 March each year.
EXPENSES
The Administrators shall, out of the funds of the collective, pay all proper expenses of administration and management of the collective.
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 collective shall be applied by the members in furtherance of the purposes of the collective.
AMENDMENTS
This constitution may be amended by a 2/3rds majority of the members voting at a Special General Meeting of the collective.
If a motion for dissolution of the collective is to be proposed at a General Meeting or a Special General meeting this motion shall be referred to specifically when notice of the meeting is given.
In the event of dissolution of the collective the available funds of the collective shall be transferred to another body with similar objectives.
On dissolution the minutes and other records of the collective shall be deposited with the Local Studies Section of the Central Reference Library.