Background to Appendix B

 

The D’Urberville Centre is owned by Wool Parish Council but it is leased long term to a charity made up of 6 Trustees at a very reasonable rent of 5p per annum. The charity is responsible for the running and upkeep of centre

 

At their AGM on 12thAugust, the current D’Urberville Trustees propose to form a new charity to run The D’Urberville Centre. The Trustees of the new charity will initially be the same but the new charity structure will enable them to provide a better service to the community

 

The constitution of the current charity was written in 1972. It was perfectly acceptable then but times move on. It was written in proper old-fashioned legalese so is difficult to understand and follow. It is also out of date, referring to groups such as ‘Wool and Bere Regis Farmers Discussion Group’, ‘Wool Old People’s Club’ and ‘Wool Young Wives’. The building lease is written into the charity’s constitution which adds further complication. The new charity will have a constitution which is written in much clearer wording, it will be kept up to date and the lease will be a separate document.

 

The current charity is an old type of charity known as an ‘unincorporated charity’. This means that the charity cannot employ people, they can only use contractors. It also means that the current Trustees are personally liable for anything that happens at The D’Urberville. The new charity will be an ‘incorporated charity’ which will address both of those issues.

 

As well as a new constitution and a new lease, the Trustees intend to restructure the current Hall Management Committee. The proposal is to create three groups. The first group is the Trustees Boardwho will be responsible for governance, policy and strategy. The second group will be the Centre Management Committeeresponsible for the day to day running of The D’Urberville. The last, but by no means least, group will be the User Groupwhich will allow users of the centre the opportunity to give feedback and put forward ideas. 

 

At the AGM, the intention is to agree the new constitution and officially begin the process of creating the new charity. Once the new charity has been approved by The Charities Commission, the assets will be transferred and then the old charity will be closed down. 

 

All people of Wool Parish are welcome to attend and if you are over 18 then the current constitution allows you to vote. The AGM will be held at 7pm on 12th August 2019 in the main hall which by then should have a newly varnished floor and new gents’ toilets.