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Constitution

Aims and objectives

Henceforth referred to as ‘the Club’, to promote the sport of walking football in the local community, and have a positive effect on the lives of its members and participants.

Membership of the club will be a fun, safe and positive experience both in terms of sports participation and its resultant social aspects for all members.

Aims

To ensure a duty of care to all its members.
To operate as a not-for-profit organisation.
To conduct all matters in a way that is fair to everyone.
To be affiliated nationally with the Walking Football Association (the WFA.
To aim to form competitive walking football teams for women over 40, and men over 50, over 60 and over 70.

Membership

Open to men over the age of 50 and women over the age of 40 regardless of gender, gender identification, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, religion or other beliefs. The membership shall consist of the following categories:
a) 1st tier executive member; chairman, secretary, welfare officer, treasurer
b) 2nd tier executive member; team managers, elected ordinary member
c) Ordinary member; players.
The Executive Committee consists of 1st and 2nd tier executive members. Disciplinary matters will be the function of the 1st tier. Appointments within the Club will be the function of the 1st tier in formal consultation with the 2nd tier.

Other matters within the club such as expenditure, planning, Club direction and objectives, protocols, and in general, the day-to-day running of the Club, will be the function of the 1st and 2nd tier combined.

All members will be subject to the regulations of the constitution and by joining the club will be deemed to accept these regulations, club policies and codes of conduct that the club has adopted. Members in each category will complete membership registration documentation and pay membership fees as determined by the Executive.

Equity in walking football

The Club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its development.
The Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of walking football, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or socio-economic status.
The Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy walking football in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.
All club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.
The Club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously, according to club disciplinary procedures.
The Club adopts all WFA regulations, policies and codes of conduct.

Executive

In the initial formation of the club, interim positions will be allocated from within the core group. The core group are players who have been attending the walking football sessions for a number of years and have expressed a desire to be involved in the formation of the Club. The interim executive positions are not permanent, and within six months of the Club’s formation will be voted on at an AGM as per the Club’s election procedure.

The affairs of the Club shall be conducted by the Executive Committee which shall consist of the chairman, treasurer, welfare officer, secretary, team managers and an ordinary player member who within six months of the formation of the club shall be voted in by the ordinary members.

There are 1st and 2nd tier functions and responsibilities within the Executive Committee.

All Executive Committee members must be members of the Club.

All Executive members shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.

The ordinary player member shall be nominated by at least two of the ordinary members. If no other ordinary members are nominated that person may be elected to the Executive Committee on the basis of one third of the votes of the ordinary membership. Should there be more than one nomination, the nominee with the highest number of votes among the ordinary members will be elected to the Executive

The term of office shall be for one year, and members shall be eligible for re-election.

If the post of any executive officer or ordinary committee member should fall vacant after such an election, the Executive Committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the succeeding Annual General Meeting.

The Executive Committee will be responsible for adopting new policies, codes of conduct and rules that affect the organisation of the club.

The Executive will have powers to appoint advisers to the Committee as necessary to fulfil its business, and to appoint football advisors and trainers to help develop its teams and players.
The Committee meetings will be chaired by the Chairman or in his absence the Secretary and be held on no less than six occasions per year. The quorum required for business to be agreed at Committee meetings will be four. The quorum required for disciplinary matters to be agreed at Discipline and Appeals Committee meetings will be three. Should the chairman be subject to a disciplinary hearing, the secretary becomes the de facto vice chair and will head the disciplinary procedure, and must seek external help or advice at director or executive level and the Walking Football Association in doing this.

Ordinary membership

Ordinary player members who have completed the necessary registration procedure are eligible to play in national and local competitions for the Club, attend AGMs and have a vote and a say in the running of the Club.

Pay-per-play players are those who may attend training and playing sessions within and held by the club. This may include players who hold registrations or who play for other walking football clubs. Pay-per-play players are not eligible to participate in the running of the Club.

An ordinary player member who plays competitively for another club may have his membership of the Club revoked, with no refund of registration fees. The exception, at the discretion of the Executive, will be that the player plays for another club at an age category that the Club does not currently offer.
The executive will decide whether such a game contravened Club rules and was competitive.
It is the ordinary player’s responsibility before playing to consult the executive on whether any planned game for another club would be breaking the Club rules or would be allowed.

Friends and family events
The Club will host regular events in which members’ friends and family over the age of 18 may participate in walking football. These events are fun, largely non-competitive, are supported by Club members and may have a fundraising element.

Finances
The club treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the club. The financial year of the club will run from 1st August to 31st July. All club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the Club. An audited statement of annual accounts will be presented by the treasurer at the Annual General Meeting. Any cheques drawn against club funds or any club expenditure must have the explicit agreement of and should hold the signature of the treasurer. Decisions on club expenditure are made by the Executive.

Annual general meetings and special general meetings
AGMs are the means whereby the members of the Club exercise their democratic rights in conducting the Club’s affairs. The Club shall hold the Annual General Meeting (AGM) between June and August to:

i) Approve the minutes of the previous year’s AGM.
ii) Receive reports from the Chairman and Secretary.
iii) Receive a report from the Treasurer and approve the Annual Accounts.
iv) Convey any news and progress of the teams playing for the Club
v) Elect the Executive Officers and Ordinary Member on the committee.
vi) Agree the membership fees and pay-per-play subs for the following year.
vii) Consider any proposed changes to the Constitution.
viii) Deal with other relevant business.

Notice of the AGM will be given by the Club Secretary with at least 21 days’ notice to be given to all members. Nominations for Executive Officers and Ordinary Member of the committee will be sent to the Secretary at least 21 days prior to the AGM. Proposed changes to the constitution shall be sent to the Secretary prior to the AGM, who shall circulate these at least seven days before an AGM. All members have the right to vote at the AGM. The quorum for AGMs will be five. The Chairman of the Club shall hold a deliberative as well as a casting vote at general and committee meetings. A Special General Meeting (SGM) shall be called by an application in writing to the Secretary supported by at least 30 percent of the members of the Club. The committee shall also have the power to call an SGM by decision of a simple majority of the committee members.

Amendments to the constitution
The Constitution will only be changed through agreement by majority vote at an AGM or SGM.

Discipline and appeals
All concerns, allegations or reports of poor practice/abuse relating to the welfare of older people, will be recorded and responded to swiftly and appropriately in accordance with the club’s procedures. The Club Welfare Officer is the lead contact for all members in the event of any older people protection concerns. All complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted in writing including email, to the Secretary or Chairman. The Disciplinary Committee will meet to hear complaints within seven days of a complaint being lodged. The committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.

Where the Disciplinary Committee is made aware of a potentially serious complaint, an Emergency Disciplinary Committee meeting can be convened as early as is practicably possible.
Emergency sanctions can be introduced immediately by the Disciplinary Committee to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all members – this may include suspension of membership and exclusion from training and playing sessions. The due process will then proceed in line with the standard disciplinary process.

The Chairman and Secretary combined have the authority to enact emergency measures where immediate decisions need to be made on behalf of the Club to protect the reputation and standing of the Club and to keep its members and the public safe. If for any reason communication between the Chairman and the Secretary is not possible, and a rapid decision is needed, then either the Chairman or the Secretary may make this decision, which may then be followed swiftly by the Club disciplinary procedure.

In the absence of the Chairman and Secretary at a Club event, any member of the Executive has the authority and responsibility to intervene and maintain safety and the reputation of the Club.
The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within three days of the hearing.
There will be the right of appeal to the Disciplinary Committee following disciplinary action being announced. The Committee will invoke an independent Appeal Committee to consider the appeal within 21 days of the Secretary receiving the appeal. Following invocation of an appeal hearing, the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made must submit all additional documented evidence to the Appeal Committee Chairman within 14 days of requesting an appeal. The outcome of an appeal hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within three days of the hearing. In all cases, the decision of the Appeal Committee is final.

Data protection
The Club adheres to the General Data Protection Regulation and this is shown elsewhere on this website. A Club Data Protection Policy describes the policy and associated activities that the Club will employ to ensure all members’ personal data is securely stored.

Declaration
Hastings 1066 Walking Football Club hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.

Signed Chairman Date

Signed Secretary Date