Constitution

  1. Name

    The club will be known as Shefford Runners and will be (as soon as possible) affiliated to England Athletics.

  2. Aims and objectives

    The aims and objectives of the club will be:

    • To promote and encourage the sport of road and cross country running through:

      • The offer of coaching and competitive opportunities in running.
      • The promotion of the club and the sport of running within the local community.
      • The support and encouragement of members in enjoying, being involved in and participating in the sport of running, duathlon, cycling or triathlon events.
      • Ensuring the duty of care to all members of the club.
      • Providing all its services in a way that is fair to everyone.
      • Ensuring that all present and future members receive fair and equal treatment.
  3. Club Equity Statement

    This club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development. In doing so it acknowledges and adopts the following Sport England definition of sports equity:

    Sports equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognising inequalities and taking steps to address them. It is about changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure it becomes equally accessible to everyone in society.

    • The club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.
    • The club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.
    • All club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.
    • The club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to club disciplinary procedures.
    • The club has agreed to adopt the EA safeguarding policies and to publish them on the club web site for all members to read.
    • Each member of the committee, coaches and run leaders will be asked to sign that they agree to accept the EA “Codes of Conduct”.
  4. Membership

    To ensure all present and future members receive fair and equal treatment. Membership should consist of officers and members of the club. All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining the club will be deemed to accept these regulations and codes that the club has adopted. Members will be enrolled as a full member.

  5. Membership fees

    Membership fees will be set annually by the Executive Management Committee and voted on at the Annual General Meeting.

    Fees will be requested annually during January to March and be expected to be received in the club accounts by 1st April.

    Fees to the STMA will be paid during April.

  6. President of the club

    The President of the club oversees the management of the club ensuring that the members and officers follow the rules of this constitution and chairs the Annual or Special General Meetings (AGM or SGM).

    The President has no voting rights however may hold a position on the committee (except for Chair, Secretary, Treasurer or Head Coach) which does have a vote.

    In the event that the Committee positions of the Chair, Secretary & Treasurer are all vacant the President may step in to assist the committee as Acting Chair.

    The President of the club will be elected every 5 years at AGM or SGM.

  7. Officers of the club

    The Executive Committee will be made up of the following officers of the club:

    • Chairperson
    • Club Secretary
    • Club Treasurer
    • Head Coach / Coaching Coordinator
    • Membership secretary
    • Club welfare officer / DBS verifier
    • Communication Coordinator / Publicity officer
    • Events & Officials officer
    • Social Secretary
    • General Committee Members

    Officers will be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting held annually by the 1st May. The Executive Management Committee may appoint persons during the year but with the prefix of “Acting”.

    All officers will retire each year but will be eligible for re-appointment.

  8. Committee

    The club will be managed through the Executive Management Committee consisting of the officers of the club as listed in section 7 of this constitution:

    • Only the officers of the club will have the right to vote at meetings of the Executive Management Committee.
    • The Executive Management Committee meetings will be convened by the Secretary of the club and held no less than three times per year.
    • The quorum required for business to be agreed at Executive Management Committee meetings will be: four of which two must be made up of the Chair, Club Secretary & Club Treasurer.
    • The Executive Management Committee will be responsible for adopting new policy, codes of practice and rules that affect the organisation of the club.
    • The Executive Management Committee will have powers to appoint sub-committees as necessary and appoint advisers to the Executive Management Committee as necessary to fulfil its business.
    • The Executive Management Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who infringe the club rules, regulations or constitution. The Executive Management Committee will be responsible for taking any action of suspension or discipline following such hearings.
  9. Finance

    All club monies will be banked in accounts held in the name of the club.

    The Club Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the club.

    The financial year of the club will run from 1st April to the 31st March of the following year.

    An audited statement of annual accounts will be presented by the Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting.

    Any cheques drawn against club funds should hold the signatures of the Treasurer plus either the Club Secretary or the Chairperson.

  10. Annual General Meetings

    Notice of Annual General Meetings (AGM) will be given by the Club Secretary. Not less than 14 clear days notice to be given to all members.

    The AGM will be held annually by 31st May to:

    • approve the minutes of the previous AGM.
    • elect the officers of the club and President (every 5 years).
    • agree the membership fees for the following year.
    • receive a report from officers of the Executive Management Committee.
    • receive a statement of and approve the audited accounts.
    • consider any changes to this constitution.

    Nominations for officers of the Executive Management Committee will be sent to the Secretary prior to the AGM.

    All members have the right to vote at the AGM.

    The quorum for AGMs will be 10% of the total membership. Should the quorum not be met the secretary must rearrange the AGM for another day at least 7 days later.

    The Executive Management Committee has the right to call Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) outside the AGM. Procedures for EGMs will be the same as for the AGM.

  11. Discipline and appeals

    All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse relating to the welfare of members will be recorded and responded to swiftly and appropriately. The club Welfare Officer is the lead contact for all members in the event of any concerns.

    All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted in writing to the club Secretary. If this happens to be about a committee member, then the written complaint should be submitted to either the club Chair, Treasurer or President.

    The Executive Management Committee will meet to hear complaints within 21 days of a complaint being lodged. The committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.

    The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 14 days of the hearing.

    There will be the right of appeal to the Executive Management Committee following disciplinary action being announced. The committee should consider the appeal within 7 days of the club Secretary receiving the appeal.

    The decision of the appeal committee is final.

  12. Dissolution

    A resolution to dissolve the club can only be passed at an AGM or EGM through a majority vote of the membership.

    In the event of dissolution, any assets of the club that remain will become the property of England Athletics (if affiliated) OR donated to another local club with similar objectives to those of this club.

  13. London Marathon Ballot

    Each year the London Marathon organisers provide London Marathon places to running clubs based on the numbers of EA affiliated members registered with them.

    The membership secretary or club secretary will submit an application to the organiser by the published closing date.

    The membership secretary or club secretary will contact, via email, each EA affiliated club runner within 7 days of the published closing date requesting each one to confirm if they do or do not wish to be included in a ballot for the London Marathon place. The club runners must have applied for and received confirmation of EA affiliation before the published closing date, to be eligible for the club ballot. The EA affiliated club runner will be deemed ineligible to enter the ballot if they received the club ballot place in the previous year or had already received a place through some other ballot or award. They do not need to have entered and been rejected from the main open VLM ballot to qualify. The place will not be transferable.

    A ballot will then be held where the details of each affiliated club runner wishing to be included in the ballot will be drawn out under the supervision of at least 4 committee members one of which must be the chair, club secretary or treasurer.

    The chosen club runner must then pay their fee and submit their application for the London Marathon place within the agreed London Marathon organisers timescales.

  14. Conflict of Interest

    In the event that one of our committee members has a conflict of interest i.e. a decision has to be made by the committee which affects the committee member personally or professionally the following procedure will be followed:

    • The committee member will declare a Conflict of Interest at the earliest opportunity.
    • The chair will ask the individual committee member to leave the room whilst the item is discussed and a vote (if required) is undertaken.
    • The minutes of the meeting will show that the individual declared an interest and that they were not present during discussions and / or a vote taken.
  15. Health and Safety Policy

    The club has no employees and does not own or manage any property. The club is therefore not required (under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974) to hold a health and safety policy.

  16. Amendments to the constitution

    The constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or EGM.