Constitution

Constitution of the TRRA

A draft constitution was agreed at the first meeting of the Association on 27 February 2020, and a subsequent amended draft was adopted by the committee on 6 April 2020. The version below was formally adopted by the membership at the first AGM of the Association held on Wednesday, 7 April 2021.

CONSTITUTION OF THE THURSTAN’S RISE RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION (TRRA)

TRRA Logo
  1. NAME

    The name of the organisation shall be Thurstan’s Rise Residents’ Association (hereinafter referred to as TRRA).

  2. OBJECTIVES

    To:

    1. Reflect the interests of residents on Thurstan’s Rise Estate (TRE). In order to do this we are committed to representing the views of residents in TRE.
    2. Ensure that the relevant authorities maintain the estate in a safe, useable condition.
    3. Ensure that communal areas remain a safe environment for children to play.
    4. Promote a culture of responsible parking to enable the free movement of traffic, in particular for access by emergency vehicles, and for the safe passage of pedestrians.
    5. Uphold equal opportunities and encourage good relations amongst all members of the community, specifically prohibiting any conduct which discriminates or harasses on grounds of race, religion, disability, political belief, gender or sexual orientation.
    6. Work together to resolve issues with David Wilson Homes, estate management companies and Council representatives.

  3. MEMBERSHIP

    1. Membership shall be open to all residents who own or rent a property in TRE.
    2. Membership is conditional upon payment of an annual subscription.
    3. Membership shall cease upon a member failing to pay the annual subscription within two months of the due date, or ceasing to own or rent a property in TRE.

  4. THE COMMITTEE

    1. A Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association and shall serve for twelve months. In the event of it being impossible, impractical or illegal to hold an AGM, the existing Committee shall continue in their roles until such time as it becomes possible to hold such a meeting.
    2. The Committee shall consist of at least three members, who shall have the power to co-opt other members during the course of the year. All members will have voting rights. (The Committee shall consider co-opting members if there is a requirement to have Committee members who are not residents of the estate, such as Community Police representation etc.) Not more than one member of a household may be a Committee member, except where a second household member has been co-opted to the Committee. In such a case only one vote will be counted, usually that of the full member.
    3. The Committee shall elect from within their number a Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. No Committee member shall hold more than one position.
    4. The Committee shall make and carry out decisions in accordance with the objectives of the Association.
    5. A quorum at Committee meetings shall consist of three full Committee members.
    6. Committee members must declare any interest they may have in the topic under discussion and the Committee will decide if they need to forfeit their right to vote on this occasion.

  5. CONDUCT OF COMMITTEE BUSINESS

    1. Decisions will be agreed by a simple majority, by a show of hands, or a secret ballot if required. In the event of a tied vote, the Chairperson will have a casting vote.
    2. Offensive behaviour, including racism, ageism, sexist or inflammatory remarks will not be permitted.
    3. The Secretary shall deal with all correspondence.
    4. Agendas will be distributed to Committee members at least four days before a meeting, where possible. Items for the agenda should be forwarded to the Secretary and Chairperson seven days before the meeting, where possible.
    5. The Committee shall have powers to make rules relating to the objectives of TRRA, provided the same are not inconsistent with this Constitution. Such rules (if any) shall be available from the Secretary upon request and shall be binding for all members.

  6. FINANCES

    1. Membership subscriptions become due on joining the Association, and on each subsequent anniversary thereof. The amount will be set at the AGM.
    2. All money raised by or on behalf of the Association shall be applied to further its objectives.
    3. All funds shall be kept in a bank account that shall be maintained in the name of the Association.
    4. The Treasurer the Chairperson and the Secretary shall all be authorised signatories on the account. In order to facilitate online banking, any one of the aforementioned may undertake financial transactions.
    5. Accounts shall be kept by the Treasurer.
    6. All expenditure shall be agreed and controlled by the Committee. Receipts will be required for all expenditure over £10.
    7. No officer shall sign a blank cheque – all cheques to be filled in before signatures are added.
    8. An auditor (or auditors) will be appointed by the Committee and will not reside in the same domicile as the Treasurer. Accounts will be audited two weeks prior to the AGM.
    9. The audited accounts will be presented to the AGM.

  7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)

    1. An AGM shall be held to discuss the activities of the Association, to receive the accounts and to elect the Committee.
    2. The AGM shall be held at a suitable venue to accommodate as many members as possible.
    3. Members must be given a minimum of 28 days’ notice of the date of an AGM.
    4. Representation from a minimum of 10 households is required to constitute a quorum.
    5. Decisions shall be made on the basis of a simple majority vote of those present (limited to one vote per household.)

  8. CHANGES TO CONSTITUTION

    1. This Constitution may be changed only by a majority vote of the membership at an AGM, or at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose.
    2. Proposed changes must be submitted to the Secretary in writing not less than 14 days before the AGM. The Secretary must notify members of any proposed changes within 10 days of the meeting.
    3. Representation from a minimum of 10 households is required to constitute a quorum. Decisions shall be made on the basis of a simple majority vote of those present (limited to one vote per household.)
    4. Where a Special General Meeting is called, all members shall be given at least 10 days’ notice of the date of the meeting, and of the proposed changes.

  9. USE OF PERSONAL DATA


    By applying to join the TRRA, members agree to the storage of certain personal data by the TRRA Committee. The TRRA will use such data only for the purposes of maintaining membership records and necessary contact with members. All data shall be stored in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Personal data shall be removed from the records at the request of a member, when a member leaves the Association, or when the Association is dissolved.

  10. DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION


    The Association may be dissolved only by a Special General Meeting of the membership called for that purpose. Such a meeting shall be called following a proposal submitted in writing to the Secretary, and signed by a simple majority of those remaining on the Committee. Should the meeting vote in favour of dissolving the Association, the Committee will put forward proposals for the disposal of any remaining assets.

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