Ambleside Civic Trust

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Ambleside Conservation Area Projects Constitution

Ambleside Civic Trust Constitution and Rules

1. NAME: The name of the Society shall be the AMBLESIDE CIVIC TRUST.
2. OBJECTS: The Society is established for the public benefit for the following purposes:

a. To protect and preserve and stimulate public interest in the area comprising the PARISH OF AMBLESIDE which area is hereinafter referred to as the “area of benefit”.

b. To promote high standards of town planning and architecture in the area of benefit

c. To secure the preservation, conservation, development and improvement of features of general public amenity or historic or public interest in the area of benefit.

d. The Trust shall be non-political, non-sectarian and non-profit making.

3. POWERS: In furtherance of the said purposes but not otherwise, the Society through its Executive Committee shall have the following powers:

a. To promote research and to publish the results of any such research.

b. To act as a co-ordinating body and to co-operate with all local and statutory authorities, voluntary and other organisations and persons having aims similar to those of the Society.

c. To promote and assist in promoting activities throughout the area of benefit in furtherance of the cultural and artistic life of the inhabitants thereof.

d. To publish papers, reports and other literature.

e. To make surveys and prepare maps and plans and collect information in relation to any place, erection or building of beauty or historic interest within the area of benefit.

f. To hold meeting, lectures and exhibitions.
g. To educate public opinion and to give advice and information.

h. To raise funds and to invite and receive contributions from any person or persons whatever by way of subscription, donation or otherwise, provided that the Society shall not undertake any permanent trading activities in raising funds for its primary purposes.

i. To take and accept gifts of property, whether subject to any special trusts or not.

j. To sell, let, mortgage, dispose of or turn to account, all or any of the property or funds of the Society as shall be necessary.

k. To borrow or raise money for the purposes of the Society on such terms and on such security as the Executive Committee shall think fit, but so that the liability of individual members of the Society shall in no case extend beyond the amount of their respective annual subscriptions.

1. To do all such other things as are necessary for the attainment of the said purposes.

4. MEMBERSHIP: Membership shall be open to all who are interested in actively furthering the purposes of the Society. No member shall have power to vote at any meeting of the Society if their subscription is in arrears at the time. The subscription of a member joining the Society in the three months preceeding 1st October in any year shall be regarded as covering membership for the Society’s year commencing on 1st October following the date of joining the Society.

5. SUBSCRIPTIONS: The annual subscriptions shall be such sums as the Executive Committee shall determine from time to time and shall be due on or before the first day of October each year. Membership shall lapse if the subscription is unpaid three months after it is due. The categories of membership are:-

Full Individual Membership Family Membership Associate Membership.

6. MEETINGS: An Annual General Meeting shall be held on or about 31st October of each year to receive the Executive Committee’s report and audited accounts and to elect Officers and Members of the Committee. The Committee shall decide when ordinary meetings of the Society shall be held and 21 days notice of such meetings shall be given.

Special General Meetings of the Society shall be held at the written request of members representing not less than 10 per cent of the existing membership of the Society and whose subscriptions are fully paid up.

Twelve members personally present shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of the Society.

7. OFFICERS: Nominations for the election of officers shall be made at or before the Annual General Meeting. Such nominations shall be supported by a seconder and the consent of the proposed nominee must first have been obtained. The election of Officers shall be completed prior to the election of further Committee Members.

The Officers of the Society shall consist of:-

Chairman
Vice Chairman Honorary Secretary Honorary Treasurer

all of whom shall relinquish their office every year and shall be eligible for re-election at the Annual General Meeting but no individual shall hold the Office of Chairman for more than six consecutive years. A President and Vice-President may also be elected at a General Meeting of the Society, for periods to be decided at such a meeting. The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill casual vacancies occurring among the Officers and Committee of the Society.

8. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the management and administration of the Society. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers and not more than twelve other Members. The Committee shall have the power to co- opt further Members.

The Officers and Members of the Committee shall normally be resident or work in the area of benefit. Where a serving Officer moves from the area of benefit to a location beyond the said area, the Committee shall have the power, if thought appropriate and to the advantage of the Society, to invite that member to continue in office. Such an officer should also be eligible for

election to any other office within the Committee. The Committee shall have the power to co- opt additional Members from outside the area of benefit.

The President and Vice-President may attend any meeting of the Executive Committee but shall not vote at any such meeting, In the event of an equality in the votes cast, the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote. Nominations for election to the Executive Committee shall be made in writing at or before the Annual General Meeting.

They must be supported by a seconder and the consent of the proposed nominee must first have been obtained. If the nominations exceed the number of vacancies, a ballot shall take place, the Chairman to decide the manner of any ballot. Members of the Executive Committee shall be appointed annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Society. Outgoing Members may be reappointed. The Executive Committee shall meet not less than six times a year at intervals of not more than two months and the Honorary Secretary shall give all Members not less than seven days notice of each meeting. The quorum shall, as near as may be, comprise one third of the Members of the Executive Committee.

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. The Chairman and Secretary of each sub-committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and all actions and proceedings of each sub-committee shall be reported to and be confirmed by the Executive Committee as soon as possible. Members of the Executive Committee may be members of any sub-committee and membership of a sub-committee shall be no bar to appointment of the Executive Committee.

Sub-committees shall be subordinate to the Executive Committee and may be regulated or dissolved by the Executive Committee.

10. EXPENSES OF ADMINISTRATION AND APPLICATION OF FUNDS: The Executive Committee shall, out of the funds of the Society, pay all proper expenses of administration and management of the Society. 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 Society shall be applied by the Executive Committee .in furtherance of the purposes of the Society.

11. INVESTMENT: All monies at any time belonging to the Society and not required for immediate application for its purposes shall be invested by the Executive Committee in or upon such investments, securities or property as it may think fit, subject nevertheless to such authority, approval or consent whether by the Charity Commissioners or of the appropriate Government Department as may for the time being be required by Law or by the special trusts affecting any property in the hands of the Executive Committee.

12. TRUSTEES: Any freehold and leasehold property acquired by the Society shall and if the Executive Committee so directs any other property belonging to the Society may be vested in Trustees who shall deal with such property as the Executive Committee may from time to time direct. Any Trustees shall be at least three in number or a trust corporation. The power of appointment of new Trustees shall be vested in the Executive Committee. A Trustee need not be a member of the Society but no person whose membership lapses by virtue of Rule 5 shall thereafter be qualified to act as a Trustee, unless and until re-appointed as such by the Executive Committee. The Honorary Secretary shall from time to time notify the Trustees in writing of any amendment hereto and the Trustees shall not be bound by any such amendments in their duties as Trustees unless such notice has been given. The Society shall be bound to indemnify the

Trustees against all expenses incurred by the Trustees in their duties (including the proper charge of a Trustee being a trust corporation) and liability under such indemnity shall be a proper administration expense.

13. AMENDMENTS: This Constitution may be amended by a two thirds majority of members present at an Annual or Special General Meeting of the Society, provided that twenty one days notice of the proposed amendment has been given to all members, and provided that nothing herein contained shall authorise any amendment, the effect of which would be to cause the Society at any time to cease to be a charity in law.

14. NOTICES: Any Notice required to be given by these Rules shall be deemed to be duly given if left at or sent by any prepaid post addressed to the address of that member last notified to the Secretary.

15. WINDING UP: The Society may be dissolved by a two thirds majority of members voting at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting of the Society confirmed by a simple majority of members voting at a further Special General Meeting held not less than fourteen days after the previous meeting. If a motion for the dissolution of the Society is to be proposed at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting this motion shall be specifically referred to when notice of the meeting is given. In the event of the dissolution of the Society the available funds of the Society shall be transferred to such one or more charitable institutions having objects similar or reasonably similar to those herein declared as shall be chosen by the Executive Committee and approved by the meeting of the Society at which the decision to dissolve the Society is confirmed. On dissolution the minute books and other records of the Society shall be deposited with the County Archives.

Revised at a Special General Meeting held on Friday 15th May 2015.