The Society

  1. The Society shall be known as “The Friends of Abbey Fields”.

Objectives

  1. The aims of the Society shall be as follows:
    1. To liaise with Warwick District Council and other interested organisations to endeavour to maintain Abbey Fields, Kenilworth, Warwickshire in its present semi-natural state.
    2. To try to ensure that the environment is not degraded by litter, vandalism, inappropriate use of Abbey Fields, the introduction of inappropriate new facilities or the inappropriate redevelopment of existing facilities.
    3. To enhance Abbey Fields as a habitat for wildlife.
    4. To act as a point of contact for members of the public to raise their concerns about Abbey Fields.
    5. To raise public awareness about the historic, aesthetic, wildlife and amenity value of Abbey Fields and to encourage the public to participate in its protection for future generations.

Committee

  1. The Chairman of the Society shall be elected and the Committee of the Society shall be elected and constituted as follows:
    1. The Chairman shall be elected by a majority of members voting at the Annual General Meeting of the Society.
    2. At least five and up to eight members who shall be elected in similar fashion.
    3. If the Committee shall so decide then further Committee members may be co-opted to serve upon the Committee as and when required. Such co-opted members shall be deemed to retire from service at the termination of service of the elected Committee members.
    4. Any member of the Committee may retire from office upon giving 14 days written notice of retirement to the Secretary, or in the case of the Secretary, to the Chairman.
    5. At any meeting of the Committee the Chairman for the time being shall conduct the said meeting but shall not exercise a vote in arriving at a decision upon any matter before the Committee. In the case of a vote upon such a matter which does not reveal a majority then the Chairman shall be entitled to cast a deciding vote.
    6. The Chairman and members of the Committee shall serve in their respective offices from the day next following the Annual General Meeting. Subject to report to a General Meeting, the Committee shall have charge of all the affairs and resources of the Society.

Membership

  1. Membership of the Society shall be open to any person who is willing to uphold the aims of the Society and abide by its Rules. Any member may withdraw from membership at any time by giving written notice to the Secretary. Membership will be deemed to have ceased if any member has failed to pay his/her annual subscription by the 1 July in any year.

Finances

  1. The financial year of the Society will commence on the first day of July.
    The oversight and recording of the financial affairs of the Society shall be in the hands of the Treasurer for the time being.

    1. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual Receipts and Payments Account at the end of each financial year.
    2. A suitable person, but not an officer or committee member of the Society (to be called the Accounts Reviewer), shall examine the same and the treasurer shall present them to the officers and committee of the Society for approval before presentation to the Annual General Meeting.
    3. The Committee shall ensure that a notice requiring payment of the annual subscription is sent to each member, giving notice that payment is required by 1 July in any year.
    4. All monies received by FOAF shall be properly banked and statements of receipt of all income and out goings shall be available to any member with one calendar months’ notice.
    5. All drawings shall be by way of online banking or a bank cheque signed by 2 nominated members of the committee.
    6. The signatories shall be nominated at the 1st Committee Meeting following the AGM and shall remain so until a similar meeting in the following year.

AGMs and EGMs

  1. The Annual General Meeting shall be conducted by the Chairman for the time being, who shall place before the members attending any matters which may in his view be properly discussed at such a meeting and including the following:
    1. Confirmation of the minutes of the last meeting
    2. Report by the Chairman.
    3. Report by the Treasurer.
      1. Approval of Accounts.
      2. Fixing of annual subscription.
      3. Appointment of Accounts Reviewer.
    4. Election of Chairman and Committee Members.
    5. Proposals by the Committee.
    6. Any other business.
    7. Quorum
      1. A quorum at a general meeting shall be 10% of the paid up and honorary membership including the officers and Committee of the Society.
      2. In the event that the AGM is inquorate a subsequent AGM will be arranged as soon as is practically possible. At the subsequent AGM the quorum will be the number of paid up and honorary members attending.
  2. If at least 30% of paid-up members require it an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society may be called at any time. The said members must give notice of the intention to call the meeting by their collective written requirement sent to the Secretary. The rules governing the conduct of an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be the same as those governing the conduct of the Annual General Meeting.
  3. If a resolution for the winding up of the Society should be carried at a general meeting by a two thirds majority, and subsequently confirmed by a two thirds majority of the whole membership in a postal vote, the Society shall be wound up. In that event any assets remaining after the settlement of liabilities shall be distributed to a suitable charity or Warwick District Council for the benefit of Abbey Fields.

Honorary membership

  1. The committee shall have the right to award honorary membership to any member who is recommended by a two thirds majority at a Committee Meeting, who in their opinion has carried out exceptional work on behalf of the Society. The member will not be liable for any subscription to the Society but shall enjoy the same privileges and rights as a Full Member.

Constitution

  1. Alteration and amendment to this Constitution and Rules can only take place at a general meeting of the Society and requires a two thirds majority of the votes of the members attending the meeting.
  2. In order to preserve independence, any person who is a member of the Town, District or County Councils should not be a member of the Committee, though such persons may be members of the Society.
  3. This statement of Constitution and Rules was adopted on 09 Sept 2020 at the Annual General Meeting.

It should be noted that the ownership of Abbey Fields and the responsibility for their maintenance is vested in the Warwick District Council.