ADOPTED ON: 20th JUNE 2024

AMENDED ON: 27th FEBRUARY 2025

1. Name

The name of the Committee shall be ‘Coggeshall Christmas Committee’.

2. Aims

The aims of the Committee shall be to raise funds for and cost-effectively run the annual Coggeshall Christmas Market event and also support the funding of the Christmas Lights for the benefit of the residents of Coggeshall and the surrounding area, and for the benefit of local traders.

3. Powers

In order to achieve its aims the Committee may:

• Raise money
• Open bank accounts
• Engage suppliers
• Purchase related products
• Do anything that is lawful which will help it to fulfil its aims

4. Membership of the Committee

Membership shall be open to any person over 18 living or working in Coggeshall Parish, who is interested in helping the Committee achieve its aims, is willing to abide by the rules of the Committee and whose membership is agreed by at least two-thirds of Committee members present at a meeting.

The Committee can agree to admit up to two non-resident members of the Committee.

The Clerk of Coggeshall Parish Council shall be a member of the Committee.

Every individual member shall have one vote each.
The minimum number of members of the Committee is three, with a maximum number of ten.

The membership of any member may be terminated for good reason by a majority vote at a meeting, but the member has a right to be heard by the Committee before a final decision is made.

5. Executive Officers

The Committee shall be administered by three Executive Officers. The Executive Officers shall be the following:

• Chair
• Treasurer
• Secretary

The Chair shall oversee and chair all meetings. If the Chair is not present, a meeting can be chaired by any Committee member as voted for by two thirds of members present.

Voting at Management Committee meetings shall be by show of hands. If there is a tied vote then the Chairperson shall have a second vote.

The Management Committee may, by a two-thirds majority vote and for a good and proper reason, remove any Committee member, provided that person has the right to be heard before a final decision is made.

The Management Committee may appoint another member of the Committee as a Committee member to fill a vacancy provided the maximum number is not exceeded.

6. Duties of the Officers

The duties of the Chair are to:

• Chair all meetings of the Committee.
• Use their casting vote in the event of a tie.
• Represent the Committee at functions/meetings to which the Committee has been invited, or appoint another person to do so.
• Act as spokesperson for the Committee when necessary

The duties of the Secretary are to:

• Take and keep minutes of meetings.
• Prepare the agenda for meetings of the
• Committee and the Committee in consultation with the Chairperson.
• Maintain the membership list
• Deal with correspondence.
• Collect and circulate any relevant information within the Committee

The duties of the Treasurer are to:

• Supervise the financial affairs of the Committee
• Keep proper accounts that show all monies collected and paid out by the Committee.

7. Meetings

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held once a year in March.

The items which must be included in the AGM are:

• Election of Chair
• Election of Secretary
• Election of Treasurer
• Assignment of lead roles to members
• Presentation of Accounts for previous year – Treasurer
• Review of the Constitution
• Review of bank signatories

Other meetings will take place as and when required, in agreement with Committee Members, or may be called by either an Executive Officer, or by two-thirds of members.

The Secretary shall give all members at least three working days’ notice of any meeting together with notice of the business to be discussed.

All members shall be entitled to attend and vote.
The quorum for meetings shall be three Committee members, at least one of whom must be an Executive Officer.

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called by a member of the Executive or by two-thirds of members, in the event of an urgent matter or one of great importance.

There is no limit to the number or frequency of meetings.

Meetings may be conducted in person, virtually, or a hybrid.

8. Finance

Any bank accounts opened for the Committee shall be in the name of Coggeshall Christmas Committee.
The Treasurer and minimum one, maximum two, other nominated Committee members will be bank signatories.

Any cheques issued shall be signed by the Treasurer.
Online banking transactions do not require dual signatures, but accounts should be presented at each Committee meeting and in the event of a gap between meetings, accounts information should be regularly circulated to the group for inspection.

Any Committee member can request accounts information at any time.

Monies received towards the Committee’s aims may be received in the name of and held by Coggeshall Christmas, to only be used for the furtherment of the Committee’s aims.

In the event of an excess of funds, surplus monies may be donated to local charities after a recorded vote by all members deciding on sum and beneficiary.

9. Alterations to the Constitution

The Constitution is to be reviewed at the AGM, and any changes must be agreed by vote of at least two-thirds of those members present. Any urgent changes may be agreed by the calling of an EGM, by vote of at least two-thirds of members.

10. Dissolution

The Committee may be wound up at any time if agreed by at least two-thirds of members at either the AGM or an EGM.

In the event of winding up, after all debts have been paid, any grants unused shall be returned to the funder if required by the terms and conditions of the grant, and any assets remaining shall be passed to Coggeshall Parish Council to use towards the continuation of the provision of Christmas lights, tree, or other parish Christmas related item or event.

This amendment to the constitution was agreed and adopted on 27th February 2025