Annual report for North East Wales Search and Rescue CIO
At an extraordinary meeting held on the 30[th ] of November 2022 the team agreed that we would adopt our CIO on the first day of January 2023. This was carried out at the request of the membership, and we have been operating as a CIO since.
Attendees: Present and eligible to vote 27 team members.
Apologies: 12 team members.
The Chair thanked everyone for attending, he explained the Trustee’s position. He went on to say the proposed CIO is adopted 1 minute after midnight on January 1[st, ] 2023 – unless there is a callout - he explained the process going forward after the meeting held in June this year, where it was agreed the Trustee’s would continue managing both charities.
Those present were told about a new document called the "terms of reference" that fills in gaps on how we will do things that don't appear in either the CIO constitution or the handbook. I know for many of you, you are happy to leave this to trustees, but there are also members who take an active interest in these things. If you wish to be involved in finalising this document, see link below. There is no process for agreeing Op’s team members. Therefore, we will hold the AGM followed immediately by a business meeting to agree on these matters.
The first business meeting is planned for Wednesday 4th January 19:30 hours at NEWSAR base. The agenda will be circulated in due course, but the meeting is mainly to confirm who will hold elected officer posts (other than trustee posts) in the CIO.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR:
CL. If we have questions that impinges on the CIO, if it is not about the running of the team, we need to have a chance to propose motions. Will we have that? ANSWER: The CIO is a best practice constitution that we voted in. The EGM process stays the same. DW. both the EGM and business meeting can be called by the members.
PK. Subs – are we adopting everything as is, will the subs be paid to the unincorporated charity or the CIO? The subs to be paid into the CIO. We will be opening a new bank account with the COOP but will also keep the Nat West accounts running for some time alongside. JO’B. So the business meeting will deal with anything outside of the constitution, yes? Yes. However, the voting process will be as is. PSh. I have voiced my concerns, this is now not the place.
The following votes were taken.
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a. Hand over all responsibilities, physical and financial assets, liabilities, information, membership of representative bodies, and all other tangible and intangible assets that currently belong to NEWSAR (Charity) to NEWSAR CIO. In favour = 25. Against = 1. Abstention = 1
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b. The hand over should take place at one minute past midnight on 01/01/2023, unless the team is engaged in a live incident at that time, in which case the handover will take place one minute after the SARCall log is closed and the team becomes inactive. In favour = 26. Against = 1
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c. Team members currently holding elected officer roles, appointed or co-opted roles shall continue to perform those duties on behalf of the CIO until an annual general meeting is held. (For clarity a similar motion was agreed at the CIO AGM held earlier in 2022 that applies to the trustees only), and all policies and procedures adopted by the charity will become policies and procedures for the CIO at the time of the handover. In favour = unanimous.
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d. A CIO AGM will be held as soon as reasonably possible after the handover, ideally on the first Wednesday of January 2023 at 1930 hours at NEWSAR base, unless the meeting need be postponed for any reason, (for example a team call out or dangerous weather) in which case the meeting will be rescheduled for the following Wednesday, until an AGM is completed and new officers and trustees are in place. In favour = 26. Against = 1
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e. The existing charity trustees will wind up NEWSAR (Charity) as soon as reasonably practicable. For clarity the charity will need to exist as a legal entity for a short time after the handover in order to close bank accounts and conclude any other administrative matters, (and all current members will continue to be members of both organisations during this period. As such members will be able to use the EGM procedure and may appoint new trustees should they be dissatisfied with the way the winding up is being conducted.)
In favour = 26. Against = 1
- f. In accordance with the NEWSAR (charity) constitution, a further general meeting must be held in due course in order to formally close the charity as a legal organisation.
PSh and PK BEM thanked everyone involved, for all the hard work put into this.
Appendix A
Finally, is anyone interested in becoming a trustee of the CIO? Two of our eight elected trustees have decided not to continue in their roles. A trustee is a legally defined position, and there is a great deal of information on the charity commission website about the role. I have copied a few highlights below but I'd recommend anyone interested to either read the ’ attached guide, or follow this link and look for themselves: Charity trustee: what s involved (CC3a) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Trustees’ 6 main duties
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Ensure your charity is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
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Comply with your charity’s governing document and the law
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Act in your charity’s best interests
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Manage your charity’s resources responsibly
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Act with reasonable care and skill
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Ensure your charity is accountable
Therefore, we have only been operating for 9 months. I will be able to produce accounts and trustees reports from the AGM in March 2024.
Regards Mandy Norton Secretary
NEWSAR SEAFICH Etr RESCUE IN THE COMMUNITY CHWILIO AC ACHUB YN Y GYMUNED NORTH EAST WALE5 NORTH EAST WALES SEARCH ANO RESCLIE CHWILIO AC ACHUB GOGLEDD DDWYRAIN CYMRU CVMR Affiliated to Mountain Rescue England and Wales & North Wales Mountain Rescue Association Cyfunwyd i Gymdeilhas Timau Achub Mynydd Cymru a Lloegr & Chymdeithas Achub Mynydd Gogledd Cymru Charity Number l Rhif Elusen - 1192256
NEWSAR SEAFICH Str FIESCUE IN THE COMMUNITY CHVdlLIO AC ACHUB YN Y iavMUNED Affiliated to Mountain Rescue England and Wales & North Wales Mountain Rescue Association Cyfunwyd i Gymdeilhas Timau Achub Mynydd Cymru a Lloegr & Chymdeithas Achub Mynydd Gogledd Cymru Charity Number l Rhif Elusen - 1192256