Over the past few years the Village Hall here in Ashford Carbonell has undergone a few changes that are not obvious at first sight. It all started back in 2018 when the Recreation field's lease agreement expired and there where concerns over its future. It was unclear what the descendants of the original lease holders may intend to do with the land. As a result the residents of Ashford Carbonell, through the use of the Village Hall went forth and purchased the Recreation field for use of residents of the Parish and safeguarded it for future generations. Sounds simple....
But Charities are not permitted to own land, so with the diligent work of the trustees the charity that had existed since 1963 has been converted to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) which is now permitted to own land and property in its own name, the Ashford Carbonell Village Hall & Recreation Ground (ACVH&RC), quite long, (hence the new website domain of acvh.uk. to be concise) was formed.
Now this is where the work begins. The CIO has its own charter (which can be provided on request) which states that the charity needs to be managed well on behalf of the village to make sure it offers the greatest benefit for the most residents, that it remains solvent and that funds raised are accounted for and spent wisely.
To ensure this happens, the charity has been set up to be controlled by its Members - anyone over 18 and living in the parish of Ashford Carbonell is eligible to become a Member.
The most important points on Membership and management are as follows:
Members will elect the people they want to manage and run the charity on their behalf (Trustees). Trustees will be elected by the Members voting at an Annual General Meeting of the charity. At this meeting, the Trustees will report on and be held to account by the Members about how they have been running the hall and field.
There will also be up to 5 Trustees appointed annually by key stakeholders – initially the PCC, the Parish Council and the School.
Members must be consulted on important decisions like any plans to make significant changes to the hall and field and the facilities offered.
Members need to agree to support the objectives of the charity – The provision and maintenance of a village hall and recreation ground for the use of the inhabitants of Ashford Carbonell. The use of these facilities includes meetings, lectures and classes, as well as other forms of leisure and recreation with the aim of improving the quality of life of the beneficiaries.
A board of up to 15 Trustees will run the charity on a day-to-day basis making decisions about maintenance, operations expenditure and policies on behalf of the Members. They will serve for a term of up to 3 years. They have a legal responsibility to make sure the charity is run to achieve its objectives, and that it is run professionally with published accounts and records.
The Charity Commission will also monitor how the charity is run and has certain standards that must be adhered to.
The first Trustees were elected by the villagers who attended the AGM of the old Village Hall Committee in May 2021.
If you have read this far I hope you are getting a feeling of how important our members will be to the running of the Charity. The aim of the Trustees is to get as many members officially signed up to the register, the more the better. The events and functions that the hall holds each year is a result of a varied cross section of our village, only by continuing to have the support of the residents of the Parish can the Hall continue to thrive.
If you have not yet become a member please click here
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