Trustees

TODDINGTON VILLAGE HALL ASSOCIATION is a charity which

was created by a Deed of Declaration of Trust (the charity’s governing document) dated 22 January 1991. The charity owns Toddington Village Hall, which was opened on Saturday 10 July 1993, and the surrounding site.

aims to run the Hall on a self-financing basis, with income from hire fees covering the operating costs, so that spending time and effort in fundraising activities is avoided.

THE DEED OF DECLARATION OF TRUST

sets out the objects of the charity and the framework within which it must be administered, placing responsibility for the operation and management of the Hall in the hands of charity trustees (“the management committee”), who can be elected at the Annual General Meeting; co-opted as circumstances require; or appointed as representatives of bona fide local organisations.

appoints Toddington Parish Council as the custodian trustee of the charity, to hold the documents of title to the land on which the Hall is built (because the charity does not have the legal status to hold these documents). The Parish Council has no powers of management over the Hall.

THE TRUSTEES act voluntarily, and without payment, and Association is required to carry out checks to ensure that there are no legal constraints on any individual becoming a trustee.

They must

observe all statutory rights and obligations (including those relating to charities; equality; health & safety; employment, etc.).
follow the clear guidelines set out by the Charity Commission, so that any collective or individual liability is avoided.
operate on a day to day basis in a way which interprets and supports, but does not contravene, the objects for which the charity was formed.

JOINING THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Some people tend to shy away when they learn that joining our committee means “becoming a trustee”, as they imagine that they may be liable for all sorts of things.

As with any other committee, the members do have responsibilities, but the guidelines under which trustees operate ensure that it’s quite difficult to get things wrong!

The short summary below, and the associated documents, contain a lot of information which potential trustees need to be aware of. It might all look a bit daunting,

but it’s important to understand that the rules are there not only to make sure

that the charity is properly managed, but also to protect those who manage it.