Constitution

1. Name

Newland Allotments / NATA (Newland Allotments & Tenants' Association)

2. Aims & Objectives

  • To promote the interests of all members in their gardening activities, including co-operating with other gardening associations in matters of mutual interest.
  • To conduct negotiations with the local authority on all matters relating to the allotment.
  • To take action to protect members and their plots against damage, trespass and theft, by informing the local police team, Hull City Council, and also informing all members of any such damage, trespass, vandalism.
  • To secure, or to arrange, (via Hull City Council Parks and Gardens Department) the site from vandals, dog fouling and other anti-social activities.

3. Membership

Membership of the Association shall be open to:-

  • All persons 18 years old and over, Persons under the age of 18 may be admitted as junior members free of charge.
  • Well-wishers and non allotment keepers from anywhere, who shall be called Associate Members. Associate Members shall not have the right to vote at Members meetings.

4. Termination of Membership

The General Committee shall have the right, to exclude from meetings an individual member, provided that the individual member shall have the right to be heard by the General Committee before a decision is made.

5. Subscriptions

All individual members and affiliated groups shall pay such subscriptions as the general committee may from time to time determine

6. General Committee

The General Committee may determine the powers and terms of reference of any Sub committee and duration of its activities.

The policy and general management of the affairs of the Association shall be conducted by a General Committee, which shall be responsible to the General Meeting of the Association.

The General Committee shall consist of the Honorary Officers elected under clause 7 and up to 7 representatives of individual members elected by and at the Annual General Meeting.

In addition, the General Committee may co-opt further members, who shall not exceed one third of the total membership of the committee as defined above. The site representative will be a co-opted member.

If vacancies occur among its members, the General Committee shall have the power to fill these from amongst the members of the Association.

7. Honorary Officers

The Annual General Meeting shall elect the following Honorary Officers of the Association from amongst those eligible for election to the General Committee.

A Chair, a Secretary, a vice chair, and a Treasurer. The Honorary Officers shall serve in their respective capacities as Officers of the General Committee until the following Annual General Meeting.

In the event of a vacancy occurring among the Honorary Officers, the General Committee shall have the power to fill such a vacancy from its own members or those of the Association.

8. Annual General Meeting

Once in each year, in the month of April, the General Committee shall convene an Annual General Meeting of the Association for the purpose of receiving the Annual Report of the General Committee and the audited or independently examined Statement of Accounts; of electing the Honorary Officers; of electing the representatives of individual members to serve on the General Committee; of appointing auditors or independent examiners; and of considering, whenever necessary, proposals to amend this Constitution and other business of which due notice has been received. 14 days notice of this meeting will be given in writing to members.

9. Special General Meeting

The Chair of the Association or the Secretary may at any time at their discretion, and shall within 21 days of receiving a written request to do so, signed by not less than 20 members having the power to vote and giving reasons for the request, call a Special General Meeting of the Association for the purposes of altering the Constitution in accordance with Clause 13 hereof or of considering any other matter which may be referred to it by the General Committee or for any other purpose.

10. Rules of Procedure

Voting: Subject to the provisions of clause 13, all questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote there at. No member shall exercise more than one vote, but in the case of an equality of votes the chair shall have a second and casting vote.

Quorum: One-third of the members shall form a quorum at meetings of the General Committee and all other Committee’s. Twenty-five members or one-third of the members, whichever is the less, shall form a quorum at Annual General Meetings of the Association.

Minutes: Minute shall be kept by the General Committee and any sub-committee’s which may have been established, and the appropriate Secretary shall enter therein a record of all proceedings and resolutions.

11. Finance

All monies raised by or on behalf of the Association shall be applied to further the objects of the Association and for no other purpose.

The Treasurer shall keep proper account of the finances of the Association and shall open a bank account in the name of the Association.

The accounts shall be audited or independently examined at least once a year by auditors/independent examiners appointed by the Annual General Meeting.

12. Dissolution

If the General Committee, by a simple majority, decides at any time on the ground of expense or otherwise it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Association it shall call a meeting of all members of the Association who have the power to vote, of which meeting not less than 21 days notice stating the terms of the resolution to be proposed thereat shall be posted in a conspicuous place or places in the area and given in writing to the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales and any National body to which the Association is affiliated. If such a resolution shall be confirmed by a simple majority of those present and voting at such meeting the General Committee shall have the power to dispose of any assets held by or in the name of the Association. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be applied towards charitable purposes for the benefit of the tenants of the Newland Allotment and Tenants Association, as the General Committee may decide and, if relevant, as may be approved by the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales.

13. Alterations to the constitution

Any proposal to alter this constitution must be delivered in writing to the Secretary of the Association not less than 28 days before the date of the meeting at which it is first to be considered.

An alteration will require the approval of a two-thirds majority of individual members of the Association present and voting at a General Meeting. Notice of each such meeting must have been given in accordance with normal procedure, but not less than 14 days prior to the meeting in question and giving the wording of the proposed alteration.

This constitution was adopted as the constitution of the Newland Allotments & Tenants Association at the Annual General Meeting held on site at The Community Shop in March 2019.