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Brandwood End Cemetery
Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery, Brandwood

Constitution

  1. NAME

    The name of the organisation is the BIRMINGHAM OPEN SPACES FORUM (hereinafter called "BOSF").

  2. OBJECTIVES

    The objectives of the BOSF are broadly facilitative, empowering, educational and environmental.
    • To bring together in conference representatives of voluntary organisations, statutory authorities, other relevant bodies and individuals.
    • To promote and enhance the open spaces within the City of Birmingham as a recreational facility for the benefit of Birmingham residents and visitors.
    • To advance the education of the public in the enjoyment, understanding, appreciation and conservation of the open spaces within the City of Birmingham.
    • To promote the protection, conservation and improvement of the physical and natural environment of Birmingham.


  3. POWERS

    To carry out the said objectives the BOSF may:
    1. Admit to membership any organisation interested in the expansion, improvement and sustainability of Birmingham’s open spaces.
    2. Promote and carry out any work detailed in the plans, policies or strategies of the City of Birmingham or other authorities, either statutory or voluntary, relating to open spaces in Birmingham or any other work necessary for the attainment of the said objectives.
    3. Promote and carry out surveys and investigations and publish the useful results thereof.
    4. Arrange and provide for, or join in, arranging and providing for the holding of exhibitions, meetings, lectures, classes, working parties, seminars and training courses.
    5. Collect and disseminate information on all materials affecting the said objectives and exchange such information with other bodies having similar objectives.
    6. Arrange to be written or print, publish, issue and circulate books, papers, etc, to further the objectives.
    7. Accept gifts and borrow or raise money for the said objectives on such terms and on such security as shall be thought fit, subject to such consents as may be required by law.
    8. Seek contributions to the BOSF by personal or written appeals or grant applications, public meetings or otherwise.
    9. Do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the attainment of the said objectives.


  4. MEMBERSHIP

    Full membership with voting rights shall be open to all organisations within the City of Birmingham who have relevant or similar objectives as BOSF. All members shall:
    1. Be interested in furthering the work of the BOSF
    2. Pay an annual subscription as decided by the AGM.
    3. Agree to be bound by the constitution.


  5. MANAGEMENT

    An Executive Committee shall manage the affairs of the BOSF. The Executive Committee shall be made up of three Honorary Officers and up to a maximum of seven ordinary members. The Honorary Officers shall be a Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary. The Treasurer of BOSF shall be an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee. A quorum for any meeting of the Executive Committee shall be five persons.

    The Honorary Officers and the Treasurer shall be elected annually. The Honorary Officers so elected at an AGM can serve for a maximum of 3 years in succession. One-third of the Executive Committee, other than the Honorary Officers, shall retire annually by seniority of election. Retiring Honorary Officers and members of the Executive Committee shall be eligible for re-election to the Executive Committee.

    The Executive Committee may from time to time appoint sub-committees, or co-opt additional committee members where they offer specific skills or experience, for such purposes and with such powers as it thinks fit.

  6. MEETINGS

    1. An AGM of the members of the BOSF shall be held, as far as practical, within 12 months of the previous one. Three weeks notice shall be given to all members.
    2. The business of the AGM shall include:
      1. The election of Honorary Officers, Treasurer and Executive Committee members. (Nominations shall close 24 hours before the opening of the AGM).
      2. The presentation of the accounts relating to the previous year.
      3. The setting of membership subscription fees.
      4. The appointment of an auditor.
      5. The receipt of reports.
    3. A special general meeting can be called by the Executive Committee or by a fifth of the general membership and all members shall be given three weeks notice.
    4. No member shall have more than one vote in a meeting.
    5. There shall be proxy votes and the system adopted for such votes shall be in the format that the Executive Committee shall from time to time determine.


  7. FINANCIAL MATTERS

    1. All money raised for the BOSF shall be used to further the objectives of the BOSF.
    2. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for maintaining accounts of all money raised and all sums disbursed on behalf of the BOSF.
    3. The Executive Committee in the name of the BOSF shall open bank current and deposit accounts.
    4. The Executive Committee shall authorise the Treasurer and two other Executive Committee members to be signatories the bank accounts. All cheques shall be signed by no less than two of the signatories.
    5. The Executive Committee shall secure the provision of any insurance arrangements that they may from time to time deem appropriate for the attainment of the objectives of the BOSF.
    6. An auditor appointed at the AGM shall audit the accounts at least once a year.


  8. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

    This Constitution may only be changed by a two-third-majority vote of those present at an AGM or at a special general meeting called specifically for such a purpose. Amendments must be received within fourteen days of the appropriate meeting and must be sent to the members within seven days of the meeting.

  9. DISSOLUTION

    The BOSF may be dissolved by a two-third-majority vote of those present at a special general meeting called for that sole purpose. That meeting shall charge a specific Executive sub-committee with paying any debts and liabilities. All remaining assets shall be given to another organisation or organisations, which have objectives similar to those of the BOSF.

This Constitution of the Friends of Birmingham Open Spaces Forum [BOSF] was approved at the Annual General Meeting held on the 26th April 2008.

Committee Members

This years committee were voted in at our Spring meeting in May 2009.

Emma Woolf - Chair (Friends of Cotteridge Park)

Maggie Sweet - Vice-Chair (Fields Millennium Green)

Phil Evans - Treasurer (Friends of Kings Norton Nature Reserve)

Joanna Randle - Secretary (Friends of Muntz Park & Selly Park Rec)

Muriel Caddy, Anita Corey, Tony Fox, Rupert Johnson, Darren Parkin, David Popadopoulos, Fredy Tematema - Members