West Ealing Neighbours

Foundation Document and Constitution

This is to announce the formation of a new organisation, West Ealing Neighbours,  a group of individuals, local businesses and organisations in West Ealing, W13, who share a concern about the future of our locality.

1. Purpose
The purpose of West Ealing Neighbours is to enhance the quality of life for those who live and work in West Ealing and those who regularly use its services and facilities by taking action to improve such matters as:

• public and private transport
  
• the built environment and open spaces

with the overall aim of improving our life together as a community and creating a neighbourhood which is an increasingly pleasant and safe place in which to live and work.

2.  Aims
The aims of West Ealing Neighbours include:

• Make representations concerning the implications of the West London Tram proposal
  
• Encourage measures which:

a) reduce the incidence of rubbish being dumped in the streets, fly-tipping, graffiti and littering

b) improve the removal of dumped rubbish, fly-tipping and graffiti

• Improve street lighting in W13
  
• Campaign to reduce noise pollution
  
• Support measures to encourage recycling, such as those taken by Ealing Council
  
• Offer an opportunity to express views on issues arising from major planning applications in West Ealing
  
• Encourage the Council and other bodies to set aside and take care of green spaces
  
• Tackle issues concerning public transport and road traffic in West Ealing 
  
• Provide members with a means of putting forward their views to the Council on its policy and strategy for the locality
  

West Ealing Neighbours recognises that other aims will be added as the group develops.
 
February  2006

CONSTITUTION

1.     Name
The Organisation shall be known as the West Ealing Neighbours (WEN).

2.     Purpose and Aims
The purpose of West Ealing Neighbours is to improve the quality of life for all people living and working in West Ealing.

West Ealing Neighbours will develop the initial aims statement (see above) and refine it over time by actively seeking the consensus of its members. 

These aims and objectives should be interpreted, developed, refined over time by General Meeting member motions and votes.  The Executive should lead such developments and seek consensus on such ideas from the membership.  Within that scope the Management Committee should lead making progress towards those ends and interpret them by taking due regard to views of consensus of the membership, including via meetings and web site contributions.

3.     Membership
The Association shall be apolitical and non-sectarian.  Its membership shall be open to all residents, property owners, regular users of West Ealing over the age of 18, and corporately to all shops, businesses, charities and voluntary organisations in and neighbouring the area.  WEN aims to gain a membership increasingly representative of the wide diversity of people who support this organisation's concerns.

Membership is free and open to anyone living or working in West Ealing.  All members must register by completing and returning an application form, available from the Secretary of West Ealing Neighbours.

The Management Committee may by unanimous vote and for good reason terminate the membership of any individual provided that the individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the Management Committee, accompanies by a friend, before a final decision is made.

4.      Member Meetings
An Annual General Meeting of members shall be convened to appoint the Management Committee, key representatives and officers to discharge this association's business in furtherance of the Purpose and Aims (2 above or subsequently agreed versions of same). Nominations for election can be made at the meeting. Should nominations exceed vacancies, election shall be by ballot. 
The quorum for any meeting of members will be the highest of 10 people or 10 per cent of the members.  If there is not a quorum then the meeting will close and another will be arranged.

Additionally, the executive body, or a petition of 10 or more members, may call a Special General Meetings with no less than 21 days notice by petition to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/westealingneighbours/message, or any website set up and run by the association, listing the main motions.

Less formal member consensus assessment or working group meetings can be held without such a notice period but such meetings cannot agree to dissolve the organisation or agree to a permanent change in executive team members.
Each member or Management Committee member shall be entitled to one vote.  In the event of a tied vote the meeting Chair shall have the casting vote.  A quorum for a committee meeting shall be four committee members.

Any committee or working group may co-opt any member or consultant as required.
All Management Committee members must announce any conflicts of interest at the start of each meeting, as must any members, consultant or other person speaking, or contributing online, before they make their points. People with such conflicts of interest may not vote on related matters.  A majority of remaining members may request such persons be absent for discussions on such points. 

Meetings shall be held as required and minutes kept of decisions made.  Non-confidential items should be published on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/westealingneighbours or any subsequent website set up and run by the association.  The association will hold no fewer than two meetings for members in a calendar year.

Meeting Chairs may impose time limits and may ask for any person to leave who acts in a discriminatory or derogatory manner by remarks or actions, or behaviour that intimidates people who are speaking or wish to speak or prevents people from expressing their views.

The Management Committee may by a two-thirds majority terminate the committee status of an individual provided that the individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the Management Committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made. 

5.     Management Committee
The Committee acts as the executive of the association and shall consist of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, and a minimum of two/maximum of 12 further members.  All of these Committee posts can be held jointly by two members and the two co-post holders will between them organise how the responsibilities of that post are carried out.

Each post can be held by a member for a maximum of five years from the first elections held by the organisation (in 2007) and thereafter for no longer than a maximum of three years.  The initial five-year period is in order to ensure the organisation is firmly established before electing new members to the nominated posts and to allow time for a proper handover and mentoring of the new postholders before the founding members leave these posts

The Management Committee should meet in some form at least twice a year, but some may be open meetings at the chair's discretion. 

Where consensus is not clear and the chair wishes to call for votes on a matter, each Committee Member shall be entitled to one vote.  In the event of a tied vote the Chair will have the casting vote.

The Committee is responsible for:

• leading proposals and activities in pursuit of our Objectives, including expanding membership, disseminating information, consulting and campaigning on issues on which the committee agree, fundraising, and entering into dialogue with other bodies & authorities;
• leading the development, refinement and interpretation of those Objectives and strategies for addressing them in an open manner for its members, with due regard to member consultation.
• reviewing the Treasurer's annual accounts and financial statement, and agreeing a summarised statement for member approval in the form of a proposal to the AGM.

The Management Committee co-opt members or may delegate its work to sub-committees and working groups as it sees fit and defining an appropriate quorum for them.  It may also affiliate the Association with other organisations as appropriate, such as Save Ealing Streets.

6.     Financial
All donations and other money raised shall be used for the aims of the organisation and its members.  The Bank account will be in the name of the West Ealing Neighbours.  The treasurer, who should not be a signatory for bank withdrawals, will hold the chequebook and each cheque issued by him/her must bear two signatures, neither of whom can be beneficiaries of the payment.  Unaccounted petty cash should not exceed ₤50 without minuted prior agreement from the Management Committee.  The Treasurer will keep accounts and a payment and receipts account will be presented at the Annual General Meeting.   The organisation is not permitted to take on overdrafts in advance of fundraising, or other financial commitments beyond its clear means, without the approval of a General Meeting.

7.     Winding up
In the event of the Committee deciding to wind up the Association, a General Meeting shall be convened and the decisions of the General Meeting regarding any matter, including distribution of resources, shall be final so long as 21 days notice of the specific proposal has been issued and at least 90% of membership agree, or without 90% of members, at least 75% of attending members at a Final General Meeting agree to equitable dispersal and wind up.

If notice of a General meeting to wind up the Association fails to attract any members then the active member(s) of the Management Committee shall have the right to wind up the Association and disperse the assets as above.
 
In either case the assets of the Association at the time of winding up should be donated to a local organisation that has similar aims the West Ealing Neighbours.
 
February 2006