Partnership Constitution

Name
1. The Club is called the Grove and Wantage Community Charter Standard Football Partnership.
Objectives of the Partnership
2. The purpose of the Partnership is to encourage and facilitate the playing of football for people of all ages in the area of Wantage and Grove, and to raise the standard of local facilities and resources
3. The Partnership will encourage the development of relationships between its member clubs, and ensure that these work together to maximise the availability of funding and services
4. The Partnership will seek to provide continuity of playing and coaching between childrens, youth and adult football
Membership of the Partnership
5. The following Clubs shall be members of the partnership
a. Wantage Town FC
b. Grove Rangers FC
c. Wantage Concords FC
 d. Grove Challengers FC
e. Wantage Girls FC
6. No other organisation shall be accepted as a member of the partnership unless proposed by an existing member club and supported by all member clubs at the AGM or an Extraordinary General Meeting.
Affiliation
7. All member clubs shall be affiliated to the Berks and Bucks FA, and shall maintain FA Charter Status in their own right
Officers and Management Committee
8. Each member club shall nominate two representatives to serve on the Management Committee of the Partnership, from whom the Officers of the Partnership shall be elected.
The Officers of the Partnership shall be:
a. The Chairman
b. The Vice-Chairman
c. The Secretary
d. The Treasurer
9. The following roles will also be allocated within the Partnership
a. The Schools Liaison Officer
b. The Child Protection Coordinator
c. The Volunteer Coordinator
10. Officers are elected at each Annual General Meeting (or at an Extraordinary General Meeting should the need arise). They shall hold office until the next Annual General Meeting when they must retire but are eligible for re-election.
Meetings
11. The Management Committee shall meet no less frequently than once per quarter. At least one representative from each member club must be present at meetings in order to form a quorum. In the event that nominated representatives are not available a substitute may attend provided that prior notice is given to the Secretary.
Annual General Meeting
12. The Annual General Meeting will be held within six weeks of the end of the playing season.
Extraordinary General Meetings
13. Extraordinary General Meetings can be called by the Management Committee at one week’s notice and must be so done on presentation of a written request to the Chairman or Secretary signed by nominated representatives of at least three member clubs
Welfare of members (Child Protection)
14. The welfare of player members is of paramount importance to the Partnership. Member Clubs are required to maintain effective child protection policies including the appointment of a qualified Child Welfare Officer in line with FA Charter Requirements. The Partnership shall nominate a Child Protection Coordinator to support individual Club Welfare officers and to promote good practice in this area.
Partnership Finances
15. All member clubs shall contribute an equal sum (the Partnership Subscription) to be agreed at the AGM to support the activities of the Partnership
16. A Bank account shall be opened and maintained in the name of the Partnership. Designated signatories shall be the Treasurer, the Vice-Chairman and the Chairman. No sum shall be drawn from the Partnership Account except by cheque signed by two of the three designated signatories. All monies payable to the Club shall be received by the Treasurer and deposited in the Partnership Account.
17. The Partnership shall keep accounting records for recording the fact and nature of all payment and receipts so as to disclose, with reasonable accuracy, at any time the financial position including the asset and liabilities of the Partnership.
18. The Partnership shall prepare an annual financial statement for approval at the AGM. The financial statement shall be verified by a competent, independent auditor. A copy of any financial statement shall on demand be forwarded to the FA.
19. The Partnership is non-profit making and any surplus income shall be reinvested into the Partnership. Surpluses or assets cannot be distributed to any parties except on the dissolution of the Partnership (see below). No officer or member will be paid for any normal activities carried out on behalf of the Partnership however expenses incurred in the performance of Partnership duties may be reimbursed, subject to approval on each occasion by the Treasurer and one other Officer.
Disciplinary Procedure
20. A member club shall cease to be a member of the Partnership in the following circumstances:
a. In the event that it fails to pay its Partnership Subscription within two months of the due date
b. In the event that it fails to maintain its individual FA Charter Status
21. The Management Committee shall have the power to expel an individual member club when, in its opinion, it would not be in the interests of the Partnership for it to remain a member. An appeal against such a decision may be made to the Management Committee in accordance with the Complaints Procedure in place at the time
Changes to Partnership rules
22. The rules of the Partnership may only be amended at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting and any changes will be subject to majority acceptance.
Dissolution of the Partnership
23. A resolution to dissolve the Partnership can be proposed and considered only at an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting, and shall be carried by a majority of at least three quarters of members present. On dissolution assets or any funds remaining after payment to all creditors (including payment of outstanding expenses) are to be disbursed as decided by those present at the meeting at which the Partnership is dissolved. The guiding principle should be that they are used for the benefit of the community in an appropriate manner. In any case the assets and remaining funds are not to be used for the benefit of any official or member of the Partnership.

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