Constitution of Friends of Parsonage Gardens
AIMS
The Friends of Parsonage Gardens (hereinafter ‘the Association’) is supported by Hong Kong Volunteers in Manchester of Hong Kong Cultural Community C.I.C., which is dedicated to promoting cultural exchange and contribution by Hongkongers to the UK community. The Association aims to:
- Create a safe and clean park for everyone to enjoy the benefits of this green spaces situated at the heart of Manchester therein through liaison with the residents and local authorities (or any other relevant bodies).
- Enable and encourage new comers from Hong Kong to get involve in community works although everyone is welcomed despite age, gender, nationality and ethnicity
- Encourage and promote good environmental practice by setting up signage and postage within the park with the aim to reduce litters and anti-social behaviours.
- Work in partnership with Manchester City Council Parks Departments and identifying other funding sources to secure an adequate level of resources to meet local needs and to further the social wellbeing of the local community; ensure that all developments, activities and uses of the park are carried out in such a way as to encourage and promote environmental sensitivity.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be open to all that are interested in actively furthering the aims of the Association.
Corporate members shall be such societies, associates, educational institutions or businesses as are interest in
actively furthering the needs of the Association. A corporate member shall appoint one representative to vote on its behalf at all meetings but be before such representative exercise his/her right the corporate member shall give written notice with details of the representative to Human Resources.
The Executive Committee may terminate the membership of any member who brings the Association into dispute, acts inconsistently with the aims of the Association or has an interest contrary to the aims of the Association. The member concerned shall have the right to be heard by the Executive Committee before a final decision is made.
Human Resources shall be responsibility to keep track of membership and each individuals’ hours of attendance for volunteers’ award and certificate scheme if necessary.
MEETINGS
Annual General Meeting is to be held once a year (not more than 15 months after the holding of the preceding Annual General Meeting) with the date and place to be determined by the Executive Committee.
Special General meetings of the Association shall be held at written request of 25 percent or more by the Committee of the Association. The Committee shall give at least 14 days notice to members of the Annual
General Meeting each year and at least 7 days notice of other meetings.
Decisions requiring a vote shall be decided by simple majority of Members present. In the event of that vote being tied, the motion will fall.
The AGM will from time to time consider and approve standing orders for the conduction of meetings and financial regulations.
OFFICERS
The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the management and administration of the Association.
The Executive Committee shall have the power to co-opt further members who shall attend in an advisory and no-voting capacity.
To be valid nominations must be of members who are local residents, proposed and seconded by two other members and the consent of the nominee must be obtained. Nominations for election to the Executive
Committee shall be made in writing to the Secretary at least 14 days before the Annual General Meeting.
Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Association; outgoing members may be re-elected to a maximum of 6 consecutive years, unless no other
members is eligible or nominated.
The Executive Committee shall meet a minimum of once per year. The Secretary shall give all members not less than 7 days notice of all the meetings.
The quorum shall be 5 member of the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee shall have the power to fill casual vacancies occurring between General Meetings from amongst the paid up members of the Association.
To be valid a nomination much be of a member of the Association, their nomination must be proposed and seconded by other members and the consent of the nominee must be obtained.
Nominees for election as officers of Executive Committee members shall declare at the meeting of which their election is to be considered any financial or professional interest known or likely to be of concern to the
Association.
The Officers of the Association shall consist of:
- Chair
- Vice Chair
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Human Resources
ELECTIONS
If more than one valid nomination for an officer post is received within the time specified, or if the number of valid nominations for member of the Executive Committee received within specified time exceeds the numbers of places available, election shall be by secret ballot at the Annual General Meeting.
Only those members of the Association present in person at the meeting may vote.
The vote will be counted during the meeting, scrutineers appointed by the meeting and the results announced before the end of the meeting.
SUB COMMITTEES
The Executive Committee may constitute such sub-committees from time to time as shall be considered necessary for such purposes as shall be thought fit in pursuit of the aims of the Association.
The members of each sub-committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee from amongst the members of the Association. Sub-committees may, with the approval of the Executive Committee, co-opt
members who are not members of the Association but they shall advise in an advisory and non-voting capacity only.
In the event of an equality of votes cast at any meeting of any sub-committee the motion will fall.
Members of the Executive Committee may be members of any sub-committee.
Sub-committees shall be subordinate to and may be regulated or dissolved by the Executive Committee.
DECLARATION OF INTEREST
It shall be the duty of every member who is in any way, directly or indirectly, interested financially in any item discussed at any meeting of the Association, including any meeting of any committee or sub-committee, at
which he or she is present to declare such interest and he or she shall not discuss such item, except by invitation of the Chair, or note thereon.
EXPENSES
The Executive Committee shall, out of the funds of the Association, pay all proposer expenses of administration and management of the Association.
After the payment of the administration and management expenses and the setting aside to reserve of such sums as may be deemed expedient, the remaining funds of the Association shall be applied by the Executive
Committee in furtherance of the purposes of the Association.
All moneys at any time belonging to the Association and required for immediate application for its purposes shall be invested by the Executive Committee in or upon such investment, securities or property as it may think fit, subject nevertheless to such authority, approval or consent by the Charity Commissioners as may for the time being be required by law or by the special trusts affecting any property in the hands of the Executive Committee.
Monies raised from gifts, other donations or grants awarded to the Association shall be used for the express purposes of pursuing the aims of the Association.
AMENDMENTS
This constitution may be amended by a simple majority of members voting at an Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting of the Association confirmed by a simple majority of members voting at a further
Special General Meeting held not less than 28 days after the previous meetings, providing that at both, meetings the majority of those present and voting are residents of the local neighbourhood.
If a motion for dissolution of the Association is to be proposed at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting this motion shall be referred to specifically when notice of the meeting is given.
In the event of dissolution of the Association the available funds of the Association shall be transferred to another body with similar objectives.
On dissolution the minutes and other records of the Association shall be deposited with the Local Studies Section of the Central Reference Library.
Adopted on 16 July 2023