Tuesday, 6 May 2008

A Group is formed

As Ladywell residents, we hope you will by now have either seen a poster or had a flyer drop through your door to tell you about the next stage of the Ladywell Village Improvement Group.

The current informal 'committee', made up of people who wanted to repeat the success seen in Brockley, would like to formalise the Group and get members on board, to agree on a Constitution and to vote on formal Committee Members. We were delighted with the turn out for the meeting held earlier in the year and want to encourage everyone from Ladywell Village to get on board.

We really want people who "don't normally do thing sort of thing" to join in - and so we are holding a meeting on Thursday 5 June at the St Mary's Centre, Ladywell Road at 7.30pm.

At the meeting the Constitution (below) will be formalised and every member of LVIG vote on the Committee. All you need to do to join LVIG is turn up!

Please click on the 'comments' link below to see the full Constitution.
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3 comments:

M. Reynard said...

I went to the group meeting this evening (5th June). I'm positive towards the group and its overall aims. I just had two small thoughts. First, I was rather surprised that all the committee positions were essentially decided and uncontested in between the initial meeting and this. Second, while it was fine for the initial meeting to be a very free-ranging discussion of various issues and impressions, it was rather tedious to have this repeated in this first meeting of the group proper. More vigorous chairing in future please!

5 June 2008 at 23:14
Pete said...

Well; we did carry out a leaflet drop to most of the houses in the immediate area and put posters in many of Ladywell's shops asking for people to stand for the positions on the committee. No one stood for these positions and they had to be filled.

6 June 2008 at 10:47
Ladywell Village Improvement Group said...

Constitution and Rules

1. NAME
1.1 The Group shall be known as the Ladywell Village Improvement Group – otherwise known, and hereinafter referred to, as "the Group".

2. OBJECTS
2.1 The objects of the Group shall be:
(i) The enhancement and protection of the area known as ‘Ladywell Village’ (being broadly the area within 200 metres in all directions from the junction of Ladywell Road with Algernon Road) and, more specifically any matters connected with the existing and future:
retail vitality and mix;
community provision and public services
streetscape and ‘public realm’.
(ii) the engagement of local people, retailers, property owners, the Council and other statutory or non statutory bodies;
(iii) the development of a Strategy, including a communications plan in pursuit of the above; and
(iv) the celebration, empowerment and improvement of the area, community and environment of Ladywell Village.
2.2 In pursuit of the above, the Group and its members will seek to take all appropriate action to combat discrimination of all sorts, including discrimination based on gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexuality.

3. POWERS
3.1 In furtherance of the above objects the Group collectively, and/or its elected officers as authorised, may:

* attend meetings, make written submissions and otherwise take all reasonable steps to represent the interests of the Group, in person or writing;
* promote healthy and constructive communication between all those with an interest in Ladywell Village and lobby any person;
* work together with local people, retailers, property owners, the Council and other statutory or non statutory bodies; and
* raise funds and/or expend monies.

4. MEMBERSHIP
4.1 Membership shall be open to any individual or any or organisation who/which shares the Group’s objectives, whether or not they live in the area referred to in 2.1 above. There is a presumption that applicants will be admitted unless they fail to meet the above criteria or there is some special circumstance which would make such membership contrary to the interests or functioning of the Group.
4.2 Unless agreed by the Group at an ordinary meeting that has been duly publicised amongst the membership, there shall be no membership subscription.
4.3 The Group cannot commit (for budgetary and logistical reasons) to regular hardcopy communication with those members who do not provide an e-mail address, especially to with any members who live outside the Ladywell area, however every effort will be made to communicate on an ongoing basis with the full membership.
4.4 Membership shall terminate:
* if the officers, by majority vote, consider that continued membership is not in the Group’s interest
* on resignation (in writing);
* on non-payment of any membership subscription approved by the Group; or
* on the death of a member.

5. OFFICERS
5.1 The Group shall, at a public Annual General Meeting at least once each calendar year, elect from amongst the membership:

* a Chair (who will be the primary contact for the organisation and shall represent the organisation as necessary at meetings and in the making of representations to other organisations or individuals. He/she will, in normal circumstances, chair all meetings of the Group, ensure adherence to the Constitution and report formally to each AGM on the Group’s activities during the preceding year);

* a Vice-Chair & Treasurer (who will handle all the Group’s financial arrangements, including any bank account the Group may open and any donations or subscription, and who will chair meetings in the Chair’s absence;

* a Secretary (who will maintain the Group’s membership list, arrange all the Group’s meetings, prepare and despatch agendas, minute meetings, and retain copies of all agendas and minutes);

* a Membership Officer;

* a Communications and Events Officer (who will be responsible, in close liaison with the Chair, for the Group’s internal and external communications, including maintenance of any website);

* a Deputy Secretary; and
* a Deputy Communications and Events Officer.

5.2 The term of office in all cases shall be until the following AGM. Only members who have attained the age of 18 can serve as elected officers.
5.3 Every candidate for election to the above posts shall have consented in writing to their nomination and be proposed and seconded for election by two other members of the Group, who should each live at different addresses and a different address from the candidate. In the event that only one valid nomination is received for a post, then that/those person(s) shall be deemed elected unopposed.

6. THE COMMITTEE
6.1 In between meetings of the full Group, any decisions required shall be taken by the Committee which will be elected at the AGM each year as follows:
6.2 The Committee shall comprise the seven officers detailed at paragraph 5.1 above and shall only comprise a lesser number where it has not proved possible, at a public meeting of the Group, to appoint to all seven officer posts.
6.3 The Committee shall have a quorum of three and no business shall be transacted unless three Committee members are present, including either the Chair or Vice-Chair & Treasurer and the Secretary or Deputy Secretary (to chair and take a written note) and all appointed Committee members have had at least five clear working days’ written notice of the date, time and location of the meeting in question. Accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to a Committee member will not, however, invalidate that meeting or decisions taken thereat.
6.4 In normal circumstances all Committee decisions shall be taken by consensus but, where this is not possible, they shall be taken on the basis of a simple majority of those present and voting (with the Chair having a second or casting vote).

7. OPENNESS ABOUT INTERESTS
7.1 All members of the Group should be open about any personal or prejudicial interest they may have in respect of any matters under discussion by the Group or the Committee. Elected officers should be especially mindful of this requirement and act appropriately at all times. Further guidance will be available from the Secretary if required.

8. MEETINGS OF THE GROUP
8.1 The key strategies and policies of the Group shall be determined in normal circumstances at ordinary meetings duly publicised amongst the membership. Such meetings will be called by the Secretary as and when required, at least once per year (i.e. the AGM), with prospective dates being canvassed in advance where possible, to ensure maximum availability.
8.2 The Secretary (or in his/her absence the Chair) shall give at least five clear working day’s notice to the membership (by the most appropriate means) of the date, time and location of all meetings of the Group AGMs. Accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to an individual member will not, however, invalidate that meeting or decisions taken thereat.
8.3 All members of the Group shall be entitled to attend, vote at, and put proposals to all ordinary meetings (and any AGMs). The quorum at all meetings of the Group shall be five and no decisions can be taken at inquorate meetings. In normal circumstances all Group decisions shall be taken by consensus but, where this is not possible, they shall be taken on the basis of a simple majority of those present and voting (with the Chair having a second or casting vote) - except in relation to alteration of the Constitution (see para. 10.1 below).
8.4 The elected officers shall be empowered to invite other persons (i.e. non-members) to meetings to participate in discussions or to address the Group on specific issues, but such persons shall have no voting rights.
8.5 Subject to, and in conformity with, this Constitution, the Group may make and amend the rules governing the management and administration of the Group and take such steps that are considered appropriate in pursuit of the Group’s objects (as set out at paragraph 2.1 above).

9. FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
9.1 All monies raised for and on behalf of the Group shall be applied to further the Group’s objects and for no other purposes.
9.2 Should the Group establish a subscription or receive donations of other funding the Treasurer will open a bank account requiring at least two Committee signatories, including the Chair. The Treasurer shall keep proper financial records.
9.3 Any Statement of Accounts for the preceding financial year shall be submitted to the Group’s AGM or circulated to the full membership each year.

10. ALTERATION TO THE CONSTITUTION
10.1. Any alteration to this Constitution shall require the assent of no fewer than two thirds of the members of the Group present and voting at an ordinary meeting, the agenda for which must be despatched in accordance with paragraph 8.2 above, giving due notice of the proposal.

11. DISSOLUTION
11.1 The Group may, by simple majority of those present and voting at the AGM or an ordinary meeting, decide that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve itself. However, the Secretary or Deputy Secretary shall give no less than 21 days notice of such a proposal and shall indicate the precise terms of the resolution in question. If such a resolution is confirmed, the Chair or Secretary and Treasurer shall be empowered to dispose of any assets help by or in the name of the Group to some other local organisation(s) with objectives similar to those of the Group.

12. DATA PROTECTION
12.1 In maintaining and using membership contact details and handling correspondence with members, the elected officers will remain mindful of issues of confidentiality and act appropriately at all times. Other than e-mail contact details, which shall be deemed to be available to all within the Group (unless otherwise requested), private contact information will not be disclosed to anyone in or outside the Group without the relevant member’s express permission.

14 July 2008 at 10:39

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