Title

Constitution for WebCan
Name
West Bridgford Canal Group (WebCan)

The aims of WebCan will be:
Primary: To restore consistent water levels in the Lady Bay and Gamston Canal.
Secondary: to maintain the Lady Bay and Gamston sections of the Grantham Canal as an attractive amenity for local people and haven for wildlife.
These aims may be achieved through measures such as practical volunteering including maintenance of canal channel, bank, towpath and culverts fund raising and lobbying to support and activate measures to preserve and enhance the Lady Bay and Gamston section of the Grantham Canal.
The group notes that the canal is owned by Canal and River Trust and any works on the canal may be limited by what they will allow.

Membership
There will be two types of membership:
Appointed Representatives: Nominated representatives of each of the riparian councils (Parish, Borough or County) or community groups whose residents use the canal within the areas defined in the Aims above.
Individual Members: Individuals who support the aims of WeBCan and whose membership will begin as soon as the membership form is completed and received.
The Canal and River Trust, Grantham Canal Society and Friends of Lady Bay Canal are not members of the group but may be invited to attend meetings.
A list of all members will be kept by the secretary.

Ceasing to be a member
Members may resign at any time in writing to the secretary.
Any offensive behaviour, including racist, sexist or inflammatory remarks, will not be permitted. Anyone behaving in an offensive way or breaking the equal opportunities policy may be asked not to attend further meetings or to resign from the group if an apology is not given or the behaviour is repeated. The individual concerned shall have the right to be heard by the management committee, accompanied by a friend, before a final decision is made.

Equal Opportunities
WeBCan will not discriminate on the grounds of sex, race (including colour, ethnic or national origin), sexual orientation, disability, gender reassignment, religious or political belief, pregnancy or maternity, marital status or age.

Officers and committee
The business of the group will be administered by a Committee. The Committee will meet as necessary and not less than four times a year.
The Committee will consist of:
Appointed Representatives.
Up to 8 additional members elected at a General Meeting or co-opted at the discretion of the committee.
Committee meetings will be open to any member of WeBCan wishing to attend, who may speak but not vote.
Officers are elected at a General Meeting and their roles are as follows:
Chair who shall chair both General and Committee meetings
Secretary who shall be responsible for the taking of minutes and the distribution of all papers
Treasurer who shall be responsible for maintaining accounts
In the event of an officer standing down during the year a replacement will be elected by the next General
Meeting of members.

Meetings
Annual General Meetings
An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held within fifteen months of the previous AGM.
All members will be given two weeks’ notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone, email or post.
Nominations for the Committee may be made to the Secretary before the meeting, or at the meeting.
The quorum for the AGM will be 5% of the membership or 6 members, whichever is the greater number.
At the AGM:-
The Committee will present a report of the work of WeBCan over the year.
The Committee will present the accounts of WeBCan for the previous year. These accounts will be subject to an independent examination by a suitably qualified individual or organisation appointed by the Committee.
The officers and Committee for the next year will be elected.
Any proposals given to the Secretary at least 7 days in advance of the meeting will be discussed and may be voted on.
General Meetings
General Meetings may be convened by the Committee as often as deemed necessary.
All members will be given two weeks’ notice of such a meeting, giving the venue, date, time and agenda, and notice may be by telephone, email or post.
The quorum for a General Meeting shall be 5% of the membership or 6 members, whichever is the greater number.
Committee Meetings
Committee meetings may be called by the Chair or Secretary.
The quorum for Committee meetings is three Committee members.

Rules of Procedure for meetings
All questions that arise at any meeting will be discussed openly and the meeting will seek to find general agreement that everyone present can agree to.
If a consensus cannot be reached a vote will be taken and a decision will be made by a simple majority of members present. If the number of votes cast on each side is equal, the chair of the meeting shall have an additional casting vote.

Finances
Monies received by WeBCan for the fulfilment of the Association’s objectives will be held in a WeBCan bank account created for this purpose and controlled by the Committee.
All money raised by or on behalf of WeBCan is only to be used to further the aims of the group, as specified in item 2 of this constitution.
Records of income and expenditure will be maintained by the Treasurer and a financial statement given at each meeting.
Amendments to the Constitution

Amendments to the constitution may only be made at the Annual General Meeting.
Any proposal to amend the constitution must be given to the Secretary in writing. The proposal must then be circulated with the notice of meeting.
Any proposal to amend the constitution will require a two thirds majority of those present and entitled to vote.

Dissolution
If a meeting, by simple majority, decides that it is necessary to close down the group it may call a General Meeting to do so. The sole business of this meeting will be to dissolve the group.
If it is agreed to dissolve the group, all remaining money and other assets, once outstanding debts have been paid, will be donated to the Grantham Canal Society.
This constitution was agreed, as amended, at a meeting of the full group on 13th April 2023
Date ………/…………/…………….
Name and position in group ………………………………………….
Signed ………………………………………….
Name and position in group ………………………………………….
Signed ………………………………………….