Governance Guidance

As part of the Funding Scheme for Regional and Local Voluntary Youth organisations, it is a requirement that organisations provide evidence of their Governance Document. Governance documents should contain the areas outlined in this guidance.

The term governance documentation relates to organisations and their constitutions or memorandum of association or governing document

We have provided below this information in a downloadable PDF. Provided also below is guidance provided by the Charity Commission which will provide more detailed guidance for developing governance documents

Name of the organisation

• Clearly State the Name of Your Organisation

Objects and/or Purpose

• This clause expresses the aims (purposes) of the organisation. It is important that these are written in such a way as to cover everything you may want to do as your organisation develops.

• When writing the objects of a charity, particular care is required to make sure the objects are exclusively charitable in law. If the objects include a mixture of charitable and non-charitable objects, the organisation cannot be a charity. If an organisation wants to be non-charitable, then there is more flexibility about the wording of the objects. Nevertheless, care should be taken to make sure that the objects are accurate.

Powers and/or Carryout Purpose

• This clause usually follows the objects and it sets out the things a particular organisation is permitted to do in order to pursue its objects.

Membership

• This clause describes what type of individual or organisation will be eligible to apply for membership of the organisation. It may set out a variety of different types of membership (e.g. individual membership, full membership, associate membership, group membership). It should also make provisions for termination of membership.

Management

• This clause describes how the organisation will be managed, i.e. by a management committee elected by and from among the members of the association, or by representatives appointed by the member organisations. It should state how and when they may be elected, the maximum number of co-opted members, the minimum number of times the committee should meet in a year, and what a quorum for meetings will be. If it is the intention of the organisation at some stage to appoint sub-committees, reference to this should be included.

General Meetings & Annual General Meeting (AGM)

This clause states when the Annual General Meeting will be held and what business is to be transacted at it, which should always include:

• Receiving from the committee an annual report and statement of accounts

• Electing office-bearers and the committee, and appointing an auditor or an independent examiner for the coming year.

• The second part of this clause should make provision for extraordinary or special general meetings of the entire membership of the organisation – these may be called by the members when some special business has to be considered.

Rules and Procedures at all meetings

This clause should state:

• Who chairs meetings in the absence of the Chair
• If the Chair is to have a second or casting vote
• That minutes of all meetings should be kept by a named office-bearer.Clear outline of what is expected of youth leaders who undertake the role

Finance or Money

• This clause should make clear that the funds of the organisation can only be used to further the objects of the association and for no other purpose. It will state that a bank account should be opened and outline the number of signatories required to sign cheques on behalf of the organisation. The finance clause will also state if the accounts of the association are to be audited or independently examined.

Trust and Property (if Applicable)

• An unincorporated body cannot hold property in its own name. If such a body wishes to own buildings or land or other property, it will need to appoint trustees. Trustees are people who hold property in their name which is not their own but has been entrusted to them. Sometimes people will act as holding trustees without any formality, but this could lead to confusion (if, say, the people holding the property lose contact with the association). It makes sense, particularly if the organisation has any valuable or important property, that it should formally appoint holding trustees with suitable documentation to make clear what property is being held, and by whom, and that it is being held on behalf of the association.

Amendments/Changes to the constitution

• A constitution may be altered, but only by its members, at a special general meeting or AGM of which proper notice has been given to the members. In the case of an organisation which is a charity, no changes may be made which would alter the charitable nature of the organisation. The Charity Commission must be notified of any changes to the Objects clause

Dissolution/Winding up

• This states what happens if the organisation decides to wind up, in particular, what will be done with any funds remaining after all liabilities have been met. A charitable association which is dissolved is required by law to pass any remaining assets onto another charitable body.

Signed

• The document must contain a signature(s) to confirm the adoption of the constitution 

Dated

• The document must be dated and the signature(s) must be dated