Constitution - Greater Acomb Community Forum

Name and Area
1. The name of the Forum will be the Greater Acomb Community Forum, referred to in the rest of this Constitution as the Forum.
2. The Forum will be open to all who live, work or in other ways have a connection with the Acomb neighbourhood and community and support the purpose of the Forum.
Objectives
1. The Forum will seek to create opportunities and change in the Acomb area so that all residents can thrive in a clean, green and vibrant environment.
2. The Forum will achieve this by:
  1. Encouraging all sections of the Greater Acomb community to be involved in the life and future of the community;
  2. Engaging with local representatives on projects and issues that affect Acomb, including the natural environment, transport connections, and art and culture.
3. The Forum will:
  1. Ensure the Forum shall not be affiliated to any political party;
  2. Further develop the excellent community relations and pride already existing in the area;
  3. Identify any special needs for training and selfdevelopment;
  4. Seek assistance, support and advice, when needed, from service providers, organisations, and individuals;
  5. Proactively seek out best practices, lessons learned and advice from other Forums and bodies, both locally and nationally, to avoid reinventing wheels wherever possible;
  6. Aim to follow the Nolan Principles of public life, encompassing selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
4. All members shall act in meetings of the Forum and Steering Group in the best interests of the Forum and shall follow guidance on good governance.
5. All members shall act and interact considerately and respectfully with all sections of the community, respecting diversity, different roles and boundaries, and avoiding giving offence.
6. Members should seek to promote inclusion, involvement and engagement of all parts of the community, including those parts of the community that can be at times excluded or marginalised.
Powers
In furtherance of the Objectives, but not otherwise, the Steering Group of the Forum may exercise power to:
1. Invite and receive contributions and raise funds where appropriate, to finance the work of the Forum, and to open a bank account to manage such funds;
2. Publicise and promote the work of the Forum and organise meetings, training courses, events or seminars, etc;
3. Work with groups of a similar nature and exchange information, advice and knowledge with them, including cooperation with other voluntary bodies, charities, statutory and non-statutory organisations;
4. Employ staff (who shall not be members of the Steering Group) as are necessary to conduct activities to meet the objectives;
5. Buy or rent premises and equipment, and employ services, as required;
6. Conduct research;
7. Produce and disseminate information in the community, paying attention to how recipients can easily provide feedback on this information;
8. Take any form of action that is lawful, which is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Forum, including taking out any contracts which it may see fit.
Membership
1. Applicants for membership will apply to the Steering Group, which shall have the power to accept or reject members.
2. Any member who wishes to resign must provide the Secretary with written notice for Forum records, stating either with immediate effect or a time-frame acceptable to the Steering Group.
3. The Steering Group may refuse membership or may suspend or terminate membership of any member by resolution passed at a Steering Group meeting, where it considers membership would be detrimental to the objectives and activities of the Forum.
4. An individual whose membership is suspended or terminated may appeal, following the complaints procedure set out in section 9 of this Constitution.
5. Membership is open to all who live, work or in other ways have a connection with the Acomb neighbourhood and community.
6. Membership is open to all business operators in the Acomb neighbourhood.
7. Membership is open to all constituted voluntary and community groups operating in the Acomb neighbourhood.
8. Membership is open to elected Councillors in the Ward areas relevant to the Acomb neighbourhood.
9. Membership will be drawn from the Acomb neighbourhood to achieve inclusiveness and a fair representation of all social and age groupings.
Meetings
1. General Forum Meetings
  1. All Forum members will be invited to at least one general meeting every year.
  2. For general meeting business to be conducted, a quorum of fifteen (15) members must be present at the meeting.
  3. All members shall be given at least fourteen (14) days notice of when a meeting is due to take place.
2. Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings
  1. One of the General Meetings of the Forum shall be the Annual General Meeting (AGM) , at which the Officers and Steering Group members will be elected, a report of activities will be presented by the Chair and a financial report will be presented by the Treasurer.
  2. For AGM business to be conducted, a quorum of f ifteen (15) members must be present at the meeting.
  3. All members are entitled to vote at the AGM. Voting shall be by a show of hands on a majority basis. Members unable to attend the meeting may lodge their vote in advance with the Chair to cast a vote on their behalf. This facility will only apply to voting to accept the accounts, officer elections and constitutional changes.
  4. All members shall be given twenty-eight (28) days notice of when an AGM is due to take place, by email or text.
  5. Special General Meetings may be called from time to t ime by the Steering Group solely to consider amendments to the Constitution or dissolution of the Forum. These shall be subject to the same rules as the conduct of the AGM, except that dissolution of the Forum requires a two-thirds majority vote.
Forum Steering Group
1. The Forum shall be administered by a Steering Group of no less that five (5) members and no more than nineteen (19) members, who must be at least 16 years of age and drawn from the wider Forum membership.
2. The role of the Steering Group is to deliver the objectives of the Forum in line with this Constitution and manage the day-to-day running of the Forum.
3. Officers of the Steering Group (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer) will be elected by the Forum at the AGM for the period between AGMs and can be nominated and stand for re-election at the AGM.
4. Members of the Forum, other than Officers, can join the Steering Group via the following routes:
  1. Volunteering, where the member offers their services and is accepted by the Steering Group;
  2. Election at the AGM, when there is competition for a place on the Steering Group and Forum members vote for candidates, with those receiving the most votes joining the Steering Group;
  3. Co-option, where the Steering Group invites Forum members with knowledge and expertise that could assist the Forum to achieve its objectives to join the Steering Group.
5. The Steering Group may delegate powers on specific matters to such persons or groups as agreed in meetings and recorded in minutes.
6. The Steering Group may authorise individual members to make minor decisions considered of benefit to the membership but inexpedient to await the next scheduled Steering Group meeting.
7. The Steering Group will meet at least six (6) times per calendar year. Each Forum year begins on 1 April.
8. One-third, or 3, whichever is greater, of the Steering Group members must be present in order for the meeting to take place.
9. All members of the Steering Group shall be given two weeks (14 days) notice of when a meeting is due, by email, text or whatever means is agreed.
10. If a member of the Steering Group does not attend three successive Steering Group meetings without good reason, their membership of the Steering Group will cease. The Chair or Secretary will confirm this dismissal in writing.
11. No member of the Steering Group shall use their position for financial or personal gain.
Executive roles and responsibilities on the Steering Group
1. Chair
  1. Call and manage regular meetings of the Steering Group and ensure that all meetings are held in accordance with the Forum Constitution.
  2. Act on behalf of the Forum and represent it externally.
  3. Take action on urgent matters between meetings of the Steering Group.
  4. Interpret the Constitution. The Chair’s interpretation of the Constitution may be overturned by two-thirds of those present at the Steering Group meeting.
  5. Act as joint signatory on the Forum bank account. Two joint signatories will be required for all transactions.
2. Vice-Chair
  1. Stand in for the Chair whenever they cannot fulfil their role, for whatever reason.
3. Secretary
  1. Maintain a list and contact details of all Forum members, Steering Group members and Officers.
  2. Act as the Data Protection Officer for the purpose of adhering to the General Data Protection Regulations.
  3. Organise meetings, take and maintain the minutes, and make them available to members.
  4. Stand in for the Chair if the Chair and Vice-Chair are absent.
  5. Act as joint signatory on the Forum bank account.
4. Treasurer
  1. Maintain the accounts of the Forum and present these at the AGM.
  2. Present an annual budget for the following year at the AGM.
  3. Submit detailed accounts to the Steering Group at each Steering Group meeting.
  4. Act as joint signatory on the Forum bank account.
  5. Stand in for the Chair if the Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary are absent.
  6. Take the minutes if the Secretary is absent or in the Chair.
5. Additional roles
  1. Additional roles may be appointed by the Steering Group, on a simple majority, as and when required to fulfil the Forum’s objectives.
Working Groups
1. Forum members may from time to time be asked to form small groups to address particular issues. These groups shall be known as Working Groups and shall have specific Terms of Reference as set out by the Steering Group.
2. Working Groups will be able to investigate, discuss and make recommendations, but unless specifically authorised by the Steering Group will not have the power to make decisions on behalf of the Forum.
3. The frequency, location and recording of Working Group meetings will be the responsibility of the Working Group. A record of all Working Group meetings will be kept and passed to the Secretary for circulation to the Steering Group.
Complaints
1. Any compaint about the Steering Group, Forum or Working Groups, in relation to the work undertaken, shall be made in confidence, in writing to the Secretary. If the compaint is about the Secretary, the complaint shall be made to the Chair.
2. The elected officers of the Steering Group will investigate the complaint and decide on appropriate action. If the complaint concerns the officers themselves, other members of the Steering Group will be appointed in their place.
3. Appeals will be held by three members of the Steering Group who have not been involved in investigating the complaint or determining action.
Constitutional Amendments
1. Proposed amendments to this Constitution or dissolution of the Forum must be given to the Secretary formally in writing.
2. The Steering Group shall then decide whether to put the proposed amendments to a Special General Meeting.
3. The Constitution can only be changed at an AGM or Special General meeting, on receiving a simple majority vote in favour of the amendment.
Dissolution and winding-up
1. The Forum may be dissolved if deemed necessary by the members in a two-thirds majority vote at a Special General Meeting. This must be a duly advertised meeting for this specific purpose, which all members are invited to attend.
2. In the event of the Forum being dissolved, the assets, after payment of debts due, will be returned to their providers or be transferred to local charities or similar groups at the discretion of the Steering Group. This will be decided by a simple majority of the Steering Group.

Signed by the Steering Group 15 May 2024