CONSTITUTION OF

THE FAITH AND SPIRITUALITY NETWORK (SUFFOLK)

REVISED AND APPROVED 14 MAY 2024

NAME

The charity’s name is the Faith and Spirituality Network (Suffolk)

1.   PURPOSES OF THE CHARITY

To promote multi-faith understanding, cultural sensitivity and spiritual awareness among the general public and, in particular, among those with professional responsibilities.

To provide a safe space in which sensitive and controversial subjects might be explored and views expressed and examined without giving or receiving offence and without recrimination.

2. TRUSTEES:

2.1   The Charity shall be managed by a Committee of Trustees.

2.2   There shall be not less than 5 and not more than 12 Trustees. This number may be modified at a Trustee Meeting providing those attending has been given at least fourteen days’ notice of the resolution to change the number.

2.3   Trustees will normally serve for three years and maybe re-appointed for further terms.

2.4    One third of the Trustees will stand down each year or three shall stand down if the whole is not divisible by three. those who have stood down may stand for re-election. In the first two years of the Charity, those who stand down shall be selected by straw poll from the longest serving Trustees and may stand for re-election.

2.5    The Trustees shall appoint a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer Secretary and Social Media Officer from within their number. Officers shall serve for one year after which they may be re-appointed or replaced.

2.6   Meetings of Trustees shall normally be chaired by the Chairperson.

2.7    The Trustees will recognise interested people registered on the social media site ‘nextdoor / FSN(S)’ as Associates.

2.8    The Trustees may remove a Trustee if they believe it is in the best interests of the Charity. The person has the right to be heard by the Trustees before a decision is made and can be accompanied by a friend/adviser.

3.   CARRYING OUT THE PURPOSES:

In order to carry out the charitable purposes, the Trustees have the power to:

a. raise funds, receive grants and donations;

b. apply funds to carry out the work of the Charity;

c. co-operate with and support other charities with similar purposes;

d. do anything which is lawful and necessary to achieve the purposes of the Charity;

e. conduct research, arrange courses, conferences and consultations.

4.   MEMBERSHIP AND AFFILIATION:

The Trustees shall be the only members of the charity.

5.   ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Charity is not required to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) so long as the Trustees continue to meet.

6.    TRUSTEE MEETINGS

6.1    Trustees must hold at least three meetings a year.

6.2    All Trustee Meetings require 14 days’ notice to be given, informing them what is on the agenda and the reason for the meeting.

6.3    Trustees may call an extraordinary Trustee Meeting if needed. Trustees must call a Trustee Meeting if they receive written requests to do so from a majority of all the Trustees.

6.4    At their first meeting after the AGM Trustees will elect a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary.

6.5    Trustees should act by majority decision. In the event of an equal vote the Chairperson shall have an additional casting vote.

6.6    At least 3 of the Trustees must be present at the meeting to be quorate and be able to take a decision.

6.7    Meetings may be held in person or electronically by Zoom or Microsoft Teams; moreover, some meetings may be held via email if appropriate and decided by the Chair.

6.8    Trustee meetings must be minuted. 

6.9    If a Trustee has a conflict of interest, he/she must declare it and it must be minuted. The meeting may require a Trustee with a conflict of interest to leave the meeting while the matter is being discussed or decided or both of these.

6.10  Provided their number does not exceed 12, Trustees may co-opt up to three people onto the Trustee Committee, in order to assist the Trustees and to enable potential new Trustees to explore the role. Those co-opted may take a full part in discussion but may not have a vote in any decisions. The meeting may ask those co-opted to step out of the meeting for particular items.  A co-opted person can only become a Trustee at a Trustee Meeting.

6.11    Trustees may make arrangements for no more than two people at a time to observe Trustee Meetings, as part of a process of familiarisation with the work of the Charity. Observers have no right of participation in discussion or decisions, but may be asked to offer comment or ask questions. Observers may be asked to step out of the meeting for particular agenda items.

6.12    The Trustees may make reasonable additional rules to help run the Charity. These rules must not conflict with the Constitution or the law.

7.    MONEY AND PROPERTY

7.1   The trustees are not empowered to purchase or own any property.

7.2    Money must only be used for the Charity’s purposes.

7.3    Trustees must keep accounts. The most recent Annual Accounts can be seen by anybody on request.

7.4    Trustees cannot receive any money from the Charity, except for refunds of reasonable out of pocket expenses.

7.5    The trustees shall open and operate a bank account.

7.6    Money must be held in the Charity’s bank account.

7.7    All payments must be duly authorised by two Trustees, except for items of petty cash for which full record with receipts must be kept. Trustees must set limits both for the maximum individual petty cash payment and also for the monthly total that is permitted to be spent in this way.  The treasurer may be authorized to execute routine financial transactions by on-line banking not exceeding £50.00*.

8.    ASSOCIATES

8.1   Individuals who support the intent of the charity may request to be registered as Associates via the social medium ‘nextdoor’.  Applications will be approved by the social media officer who will monitor postings on FSN(S) / nextdoor and report any misconduct to the trustees.

8.2    Registered Associates will receive information and publicity about FSN(S)’s activities via FSN(S) / nextdoor.

8.3   Associates will be encouraged to support the trustees by suggesting activities and events directly or via FSN(S) / nextdoor.

8.4    The trustees may unregister any Associate if they believe it is in the best interests of the charity

9. CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION

Changes to the Constitution can only be made at a Trustee Meeting where at least 14 days’ notice of the intention to change the Constitution and in what way, has been duly notified to all Trustees to the Constitution can only be proposed and seconded by current Trustees.

9.1    Changes to the Constitution must have the support of 75% of the Trustees of the Charity, for which there shall be a full report on the consultation and voting process at a General Meeting. Providing a proper process has been followed, the Chairman shall announce the result and the decision will have been made. No further vote is necessary.

9.2    No change can be made to the Constitution that would mean that the organisation could no longer be considered to be a charity, saving winding up.

10    WINDING UP

10.1    Winding up the Charity requires a resolution at a Trustee Meeting to be proposed and seconded by Trustees and the support of a clear majority of all Trustees voting in favour of doing so.

10.2    Any money or property remaining after payment of debts must be given to a charity with similar purposes to this one.

11    CONTINUING TRUSTEES

The Constitution was adopted on 14^th May 2024 by the people whose signatures appear below. They will be the continuing Trustees for the next year, after which a meeting must be held within one year of this date. Only two thirds of the number of continuing Trustees may continue as Trustees after the next year without being re-elected.

Names and addresses of continuing Trustees follow.

Name	Signature /date	Address
Barbara Richardson-Todd
Beverley Levy
Martin Spettigue
Cynthia Capey
David Capey
Mayuri Patel

*Note re 7.4 – NatWest offer a free online banking service to personal customers (single authorization) but charge £20 per month for Business Line (dual authorization).