Registered Charity Number 505098
W&DCRA – BRF Rules – 30th March 2019
1. Name
The Charity shall be called The Worcestershire and Districts Change Ringing Association Belfry Repairs Fund (the Fund).
2. Objects
The object of the Fund shall be to advance the Christian Religion by providing grants towards new rings of bells, the repair, renovation (excluding ropes) or augmentation of existing rings of bells, the transfer of rings of bells, and the installation of sound control apparatus provided in towers within the Association’s area. Grants may also be provided towards maintenance inspections and basic maintenance undertaken by professional bell hanging companies.
In furtherance of the above object but not otherwise the powers of the Fund shall be:-
(i) to advance loans from the Fund upon such terms as the Trustees shall think fit.
(ii) to purchase for resale, upon such terms as the Trustees shall think fit, any bells, chime of bells, or ring of bells, or any bell frame or fitting, located or to be located within the Association’s area and for the discharge of all costs and such expenses properly incurred, provided that the net proceeds arising from such sale shall form part of the assets of the Fund.
3. Trustees
The Trustees of the Fund shall comprise those persons who are members of the Central Committee of The Worcestershire and Districts Change Ringing Association (the Association) saving that no person under the age of eighteen or otherwise disqualified by law shall be a Trustee.
The Trustees shall comply with the requirements of the Charities Acts 1960, 1992,
1993, any subsequent amendments and these Rules.
4. Expulsion
The Trustees may, by unanimous vote (excluding the Trustee concerned) and for good reason, terminate the trusteeship of any Trustee, provided that the Trustee concerned shall have the right to be heard by the Trustees before a final decision is made.
5. Income
The Fund shall be supported by voluntary donations, monies paid by members under Association Rule 9, the subscriptions of affiliated Parochial Church Councils and the proceeds of lawful fund raising events.
Such fund raising events may be organised in the name of the Fund by the Association, its Branches or any Ringing Member provided that the latter has the prior agreement of the Trustees to any such event.
6. Management
The Fund shall be administered by the Trustees. They shall have the power to operate bank accounts in the name of the Fund and to authorise any two of three nominated Trustees to sign cheques.
The Trustees shall invest any monies not required for the immediate purposes of the Fund as authorised by law.
7. Officers
The Officers of the Fund shall be:-
(i) The Clerk to the Trustees, who shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. He/she shall act in accordance with instructions given by the Trustees and under Charity Law.
(ii) The Treasurer of the Fund, who shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. He/she shall receive all monies on behalf of the Fund, keep such accounts as required by Law, invest all monies received as directed by the Trustees and make withdrawals from the Fund as authorised by the Trustees.
The Treasurer shall present at the first meeting of the Trustees in each year, an examined statement of accounts made up to the previous 31st December.
8. Meetings
(i) The Clerk to the Trustees shall from time to time, as instructed by the Trustees or as he/she considers necessary, convene meetings of the Trustees to consider business connected with the Fund, provided that there shall be at least one meeting each year normally on or about the second Saturday in February.
(ii) The Clerk to the Trustees shall immediately call a meeting of the Trustees if a request is sent to him/her signed by ten Trustees specifying the proposed business to be transacted.
(iii) Fifty percent of the current Trustees (rounded up to the nearest whole number) present shall form a quorum.
(iv) The Chairman shall be the Master of the Association. In his/her absence the Trustees shall elect one of their number to the chair for that meeting.
9. Accountability
The Trustees of the Belfry Repairs Fund shall comply with either the Audit or the Independent Examination requirements of the Charities Act 1993 (as appropriate) and The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 1995 and all Statements of Recommended Practice issued by the Charity Commissioners, provided that in the event that the gross income or the total expenditure of the Belfry Repairs Fund in a particular accounting year shall not exceed the figure substituted in section 43 of the above Act of 1993 by section 28 (2) of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, the Trustees shall cause as soon as may be possible that the accounts of the Belfry Repairs Fund for that particular accounting year are subjected to verification for accuracy and are in accordance with the books and records of the Treasurer, such verification to be undertaken by two persons (not being Trustees of the Belfry Repairs Fund) who shall be appointed by them from within the membership of the Association for that purpose and who in the opinion of the trustees shall be qualified to act in such capacity. It shall be the duty of such persons to present a written report of the result of their verification of the accounts to the next meeting of the Trustees following the completion of their duties.
10. Tower Affiliation
Any Parochial Church Council within the Association’s territory may be affiliated to the Fund on the payment of an annual sum in respect of each ring of bells in its charge. This sum shall be determined by the Trustees from time to time and shall be paid into the Fund.
11. Dissolution
Upon dissolution of the Fund and after all debts have been settled, any remaining assets shall be transferred, after consultation with the Charity Commission, to a charity with similar objects.
12. Alteration of Rules
No alteration, deletion or addition to these Rules shall be made except at a General Meeting of the Association. No amendment to the Rules shall have the effect of causing the Fund to cease to be a Charity at Law.
Amendment to Rule 2: AGM 1st April 2013.
Amendment to Rule 8: AGM 28th March 2016.
Amendment to Rule 2: AGM 30th March 2019.