Our Constitution

Our Name

Our Aims

Powers

Membership

Committee

General Meetings

Finances

Amendments to constitution

Dispute Management

Winding up or Dissolution

The name of the group is: Action Force Community group

The aim of the group shall be to

  • Provide support to people living in the Luton, Bedfordshire area
    • To provide aid and assistance by promoting health, welfare and education of the community members living in the Luton, Bedfordshire area.
    • Supply cooked and uncooked food and essential items to give relief and help those who are disadvantaged, elderly, vulnerable, sick and or who are unable or constrained in accessing hot cooked food and food products for no compensation
    • To provide amenities such as making deliveries of donated cooked food, food products and essential item
    • To provide shopping services (at a fee where relevant such as shopping to order)
    • To heighten public awareness about the plight of those who are at risk of malnutrition, poverty, illnesses and medical disabilities
    • To promote education of the public on malnutrition, poverty and vulnerability through education seminars and written of visual material
    • To collect donations of foods and household goods, raise funds, receive grants, gifts and bequests and provide cooking services and to administer these to further the purposes of the group
    • To conduct all other activities that will support the group to reach its core goals.

The group shall have the powers to:

  • raise funds and apply for, invite, obtain, collect and receive contributions, grants, subscriptions, fees & otherwise
    • employ any paid worker to assist in the attainment of the aims of the group
    • rent or own property and equipment necessary to achieve the aims
    • affiliate to any local foodbank that the Management Committee decides is appropriate and disaffiliate from any group or organisation if continued affiliation be, in the Management Committee’s view, against the interests of the group
    • do all such other lawful things as shall further the attainment of the aims

  • Membership of the group shall be open to all individuals aged over 18 and resident or working within the Luton, Bedfordshire area
    • individuals who are interested in furthering the work of the group.
    • All members may attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting and shall be eligible for election to the committee.
    • The committee may terminate any membership of any member bringing the group into disrepute. The member concerned shall have the right to be heard by the committee before a final decision is made.

  • A committee consisting of officers, Chair, Treasurer and Secretary and not less than 1 other members shall be elected to manage the affairs of the group
    • All officers and members shall be elected annually at the AGM
    • The Officers and Committee Members shall serve until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting after their election and are eligible for re-election.
    • The Committee may fill any casual vacancy on the Management Committee including vacancies among the Officers and any person appointed shall serve until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting.
    • The committee may co-opt up to 3 persons on to the committee and they shall have full voting rights.
    • The committee may appoint such people as it thinks fit as advisers, advisers shall not have voting rights
    • The committee shall meet a minimum of 4 times per year.
    • The committee can establish such sub-groups that the Management Committee feel is necessary to achieve the aims of the group. Any such groups shall not enter into legal or financial agreement without the prior authority of the management committee.

The Annual General Meeting

  • The Annual General Meeting of the group shall be held once a year. This shall be held not more than fifteen months after the holding of the preceding AGM.
    • At least 21 days notice shall be given to all members.
    • The purpose of the Annual General Meeting is to
      • receive and adopt the Annual Accounts
      • receive the Annual Report from the committee
      • elect members and officers for the committee
      • consider any motion before the meeting
      • appoint an appropriate person to independently examine the books and determine their remuneration (if any) for the following year
  • Special/Emergency General Meetings
  • Special/Emergency General Meetings may be called by the Management Committee whenever they feel it is necessary for the organisation and all members will have at least 21 days’ notice of the meeting. The notice of the meeting shall give details of the business to be discussed at the meeting.
    • The secretary shall call a Special General Meeting within 21 days of receiving a written request to do so signed by no less than 3 members. The notice of the meeting shall give details of the business to be discussed at the meeting.
    • Only the business specified in the notice for the meeting shall be discussed at the Special/Emergency meeting.
  • Rules of proceedings at all meetings
  • The Quorum (the minimum number of members needed for a meeting to go ahead) at::
    • a general meeting shall be 10
    • a management committee shall be 3
  • All questions at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority in the event of a tie the Chair shall have a casting vote (a second vote).
  • All funds and donated foods and goods shall be devoted to the objects of the group.
    • A bank account shall be opened in the name of the group
    • The account shall have 2 signatories authorised by the committee none of whom shall be related or live at the same address.
    • The financial year shall run from April 1 – March 31 of each year

Amendments to the constitution may be made by a resolution passed by a majority of the members at the Annual General Meeting or Special/Emergency General Meeting. Proposed alterations should be circulated to the membership not less than 21 days before the date of the meeting.

If a dispute arises between members of the charity about the validity or propriety of anything done by the members under this constitution, and the dispute cannot be resolved by agreement, the parties to the dispute must first try in good faith to settle the dispute by mediation before resorting to litigation.

A resolution to dissolve the group must be passed at a General Meeting and carried by a two-thirds majority of those present. Any assets held by the organisation after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to an organisation with similar aims.