The name of the organisation shall be: Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury).
The objectives of the Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury) shall be:
i. To protect, administer and refurbish the historic Westgate Hall as a community leisure and meeting space for the current and future communities and generations.
ii. To develop a nonpolitical community run organisation under the auspices of the Development Trust Association and Charity Commission, a limited company with charitable status, to take over the Westgate Hall from Canterbury City Council through the process of Asset transfer or similar equitable solution to managing and operating the Hall.
iii. To act as guardians of the Westgate Hall, to maintain its current use as a community hall
iv. To promote the use of the Westgate Hall while in the ownership of the Canterbury City Council
v. To co-operate fully with any committee set up by any tier of local government to further the interests of the local community
vi. To consider environmental, ethical and neighbourhood issues in all decision-making processes relating to the Westgate Hall
vii. To provide support for the community of Canterbury to develop community projects to the benefit of residents, people who work there and visitors
viii. To mobilise, reinvigorate and improve Canterbury's community spirit thereby achieving the Council's Community development aims & objectives.
The Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury) is open to everyone who agrees with the objectives of the organisation.
A full equal opportunities policy will be implemented.
a) Membership shall be open, irrespective of sex, sexual orientation, disability, race, nationality, or political, religious or other opinion to:
i. individuals aged eighteen years or more, who shall be known as Full members;
ii. individuals aged under eighteen years, who shall be known as Junior members and who may be admitted to membership subject to such conditions as the Committee may decide. They shall have the power to elect two of their number to represent them, without the right to vote, at meetings of the Committee. Any Junior members may also attend General Meetings as observers but shall not have the right to vote.
iii. associations and organisations, whether corporate or unincorporated, (and including branches of national or international organisations), are voluntary or non-profit-distributing and which wish to support the objects of the Trust, which shall be known as Affiliated Groups;
iv. the Statutory Authorities in whose administrative area the area of benefit lies.
b) Each member organisation as set out in Clause 3 (a) (iii) and (iv) above and each Section established in accordance with Clause 5 below shall appoint one individual person being a member thereof to represent it and vote on its behalf at General Meetings of the Trust; and may appoint an alternate being a member thereof to replace its appointed representative as an observer at such meetings if the appointed representative is unable to attend. In the event of such individual person resigning, or leaving a member organisation or Section he or she shall forthwith cease to be a representative thereof. The member organisation concerned shall have the right to appoint a new representative, informing the Secretary in writing.
c) Individual members admitted under Clause 3 (a) (i) and representatives appointed under Clause 3 (b) above shall hereafter be referred to as members with power to vote.
All individual members and Affiliated Groups shall pay such subscriptions as approved by members at an AGM meeting.
shall be such groups of individual members as may, with the permission of the General Committee, be formed within the Trust for the furtherance of common activities. The General Committee shall determine the terms of reference and functions of each such Section and the duration of its activities.
a) Any member of the Trust may resign his/her membership and any representative of a member organisation or Section may resign such position, by giving to the Secretary of the Trust written notice to that effect.
b) The Executive Committee may, by resolution passed at a meeting thereof, terminate or suspend the membership of any member, if in its opinion, his/her conduct is prejudicial to the interests and objects of the Trust, PROVIDED THAT the individual member or representative of the member organisation (as the case may be) shall have the right to be heard by the Executive Committee before the final decision is made. There shall be a right of appeal to an independent arbitrator appointed by mutual agreement.
The officers shall be: Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and Marketing & Publicity Officer
- The affairs of the Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury) shall be controlled by an Executive Committee comprising the Officers above and five other voting members elected from, and by, the Members of the Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury). The TrustŐs Junior members shall have two non-voting representatives. The Executive Committee shall meet at agreed intervals and not less than four times per year.
All officers and members of the Executive Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury) from and by, the Members of the Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury) on a democratic basis, for a period of one year, but may be re-elected to the same office or another office the following year. Casual vacancies shall be filled by the Executive Committee, and the member so appointed shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting following. Executive Committee meetings must have four elected Committee members attending to be considered quorate.
The Annual General Meeting, of which 7 days notice shall be given and at which the audited accounts and ChairmanŐs report shall be submitted and the officers for the ensuing year elected, and other General Meetings, shall be held at such times as the Executive Committee or a General Meeting may determine. Eight members shall form a quorum for General Meetings, and in the case of equal voting the chairman shall have a casting vote. Extraordinary General Meetings can be called on the requisition of at least 8 members. Voting shall be on the basis of one member one vote. Where an Extraordinary Meeting is called every effort will be made by the Executive Committee to contact every member of the Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury).
The Executive Committee shall open a bank account in the name of Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury) with such bank as the Executive Committee may select, and all monies, be they grants or donations received from any source by the secretary, treasurer or chairman on behalf of the Trust shall be paid into such account. The TrustŐs bank account will be controlled by the Treasurer, and the Treasurer, Chairman, Vice Chair, Secretary and one other nominated Executive Committee member have the authorisation to sign cheques, two signatures being needed for any one transaction. All income and expenditure will be recorded and available for inspection for any member at any time. The Treasurer will prepare annual accounts and a suitably qualified external person will audit the accounts once a year.
- The Trust may be dissolved, or these rules may be amended by a two thirds majority at a general meeting. The objects for which the meeting are called shall be stated in the notice convening the meeting. All surplus funds must go to a charitable trust managing a community hall or space within the Canterbury area.
The constitution will be reviewed on an annual basis at the AGM or at a special General Meeting to formally adopt registered charity status when the standard and accepted charitable constitution will be fully adopted. This constitutionŐs aims are to formerly constitute the organisation prior to charitable company status being achieved.
