HANDBOOK FOR LOCAL ORGANISERS

Transcription

1 HANDBOOK FOR LOCAL ORGANISERS The aim of this Handbook is to help you to be a more effective Local Organiser by providing a reference guide to all aspects of NWR. All groups should have a copy. Please ensure that it is passed to your successor. It could also be borrowed by new members as a guide to NWR. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Trustees and Coordinators are very appreciative of the contribution made by Local Organisers without whom our structure of groups could not exist: we hope this Handbook will be useful to those of you who are currently performing this valuable service to NWR, and that it will encourage prospective LOs to feel that they are supported when they assume the responsibility. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To comply with the provisions of the Charities Act 1992, all posters, cheques, invoices, receipts and notices must include the words a registered charity or registered charity number as well as National Women s Register. This information should also be included on letters to speakers, and any publicity material used to attract new members. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ National Women s Register Company Limited by Guarantee, Registered Charity No Registered Office: 23 Vulcan House, Vulcan Road North, Norwich NR6 6AQ Telephone: office@nwr.org.uk NWR s Website:

2 CONTENTS Section 1 Your Local Group Guidelines for Groups The Role of the Local Organiser Group Finances... 3 National Subscriptions... 3 New members joining during the year pro rata payments:... 3 Local subscriptions... 3 Group bank account... 3 Gift Aid... 3 Sales items Support Provided For Groups... 4 From the Office freely available central point for information:... 4 From the Area Organiser (AO):... 4 From the National Organiser: Discussion Meetings Planning and Producing Your Programme... 6 Section 2 Membership Services Personal Benefits from Membership Communication with members Website Special Interest Groups... 9 Correspondence Magazines and E-Mags... 9 Penfriend Scheme and E-Friends The Archives National Conference Individual Membership Overseas Membership Attracting and Welcoming New Members Local Publicity If Your Group Has Lost Direction Organising Events Workshops, Day Conferences and Discussion Lunches Section 3 The Organisation Introduction Structure The Role of Trustees and Staff General Information Data Protection Act Fund-raising and Charitable Donations Insurance Annual Accounts Useful Contacts Charity No Revised July 2015

3 Section 1 Your Local Group 1.1 Guidelines for Groups Each NWR group is autonomous and is organised by and for its own members but there are certain things which each group should consider when establishing its own system: Meetings should be informal with the minimum of business and no minutes or agenda. All subjects are open for debate or discussion although the more obvious domestic topics should be avoided. Refreshments should generally be kept simple. The role of Local Organiser should change regularly with all members taking a turn; it is important that the Office is informed of changes as soon as possible. Groups can meet weekly, fortnightly or monthly on the same day or different days of the week, in the evenings or during the day. Meetings are usually held in members homes but could take place in a neutral venue such as a village hall. In addition to the general programme, many groups run a variety of sub-groups such as book groups, theatre, music, film or art appreciation, walking groups, bridge evenings, lunch or supper clubs and coffee mornings. Social events may include partners if the Group wishes. 1.2 The Role of the Local Organiser The Local Organiser coordinates the group activities and is the link with the Area Organiser (if the Area has one), the National Organiser and the Office. There can be one LO or joint LOs, or the work of the LO can be done by a committee, but each group must provide the Office with the name of a contact person who will receive all the correspondence. The LO should encourage members of the group to share her responsibility to: Maintain the aims of NWR. Collect national subscriptions; many groups have a Treasurer who takes care of this. Maintain an up-to-date membership list and ensure that the office is informed of any changes to members' details Advertise locally. Follow up enquiries and ensure that new members are made welcome and informed about NWR. Produce a programme; it is NOT expected that JUST the LO will do this. Keep the Area Organiser (if the Area has one) informed of the group s activities. Be represented at Area Meetings. Be aware of all services offered by NWR, and keep members informed Ensure that information contained in mailings or s from the NWR office is passed on to all members. Distribute voting slips for Trustee elections and any other ballot, and co-ordinate their return to the Office. Charity No Revised July 2015

4 1.3 Group Finances National Subscriptions Your group s subscriptions are due in the same month each year. You will receive a reminder, with a group membership list, before the payment date. Please ensure that members' details - name, address, telephone number and address - are correct and return the form to the Office with your group s subscriptions together with one cheque (preferable), or cheques, made payable to National Women s Register. If the subscription rate is altered, the new rate will come into effect on January 1 st and your group will be notified of the change. If a new member joins after your subscriptions have been paid she should pay pro rata for the months until the next group payment date (see details below). These extra subscriptions should be sent to the Office together with full details of the new members. Membership forms are available from the Office and the website (Resources in the members' area). They will receive a New Member s pack and be put on the mailing list. New members joining during the year pro rata payments: 9 months or more to group payment 75% of annual subscription 6 to 9 months to group payment 50% of annual subscription 3 to 6 months to group payment 25% of annual subscription Local subscriptions This will depend on individual group policy. Some groups make a small charge for refreshments at each meeting; some collect a local annual subscription to cover expenses. Group bank account As NWR is a registered charity, a group account should not incur bank charges. Please include National Women s Register in the name as well as the name of the group. The bank account should be registered at a member s address and not the National Office. The account should have at least three signatories on the accounts and require at least two signatures to authorise cheques etc. For reference the Registered Charity number is Many groups have a separate Treasurer, thus relieving the LO of this important responsibility. Gift Aid NWR is now able to reclaim the tax on your subscription. This will help us to reduce the need for subscription increases. Members who are taxpayers are asked to complete a Gift Aid declaration and return it to the Office. Please encourage your tax-paying group members to take this action; it is an important source of additional revenue. Sales items These are available from the Office, at the National Conference and at some Day Conferences. NWR Ballpoint Pen (each) 0.50 (includes p&p) A4 headed paper (20 sheets) Free NWR sticky logos Free Charity No Revised July 2015

5 1.4 Support Provided For Groups From the Office freely available central point for information: Information about enquirers in your area. Contact details for all NWR groups, especially useful if a member is moving or if your group wishes to organise an inter-group activity. Event handbook with information on how to organise an NWR event. Provision of adhesive address labels to publicise/organise inter-group activities. Press Resources Handbook and free publicity material. A copy of the Audited Accounts and previous AGM draft minutes. The Local Organisers Handbook. Public Liability Insurance (see Section 1.5). Re-routing of your requests to the Trustees, Co-ordinators or Area Organisers if you have been unable to contact them direct. From the Area Organiser (AO): Each group belongs to an NWR Area which consists of between 6 and 12 nearby groups. Ideally each area is looked after by a volunteer Area Organiser but we do not have Area Organisers for all NWR Areas. An Area Organiser: Keeps in touch with her groups. Is available to help when the group is in difficulties or needs advice. Encourages her groups to participate in local and national activities. Organises an Area Meeting or a meeting for Local Organisers once a year. Helps her groups with local publicity. Helps to start new groups in the Area. From the National Organiser: Information about your Area Organiser, the support and advice she can offer if required, and information about Area Meetings. Information about how to arrange a Workshop, Day Conference or Discussion Lunch. Help, advice and support for both new and established groups. Help to resolve any Group queries or issues. Advice about national and local publicity. Information about the National Conference. Information about the biannual magazine, NWR Magazine. Information about Overseas groups and Twinning. Charity No Revised July 2015

6 1.5 Discussion Meetings Local Organiser s Handbook Please let new group members see this page before they lead a discussion. Most NWR evenings are discussion meetings. Successful discussion meetings require a little organisation so that all aspects of a topic can be explored and there is a full and frank exchange of views. The discussion leader presents the topic and keeps the discussion moving, using a variety of strategies outlined below. Take turns to host and lead meetings. Leaders should ensure that the discussion does not stray from the topic. It is also important to prevent breakaway groups during this part of the meeting. There will be plenty of time for general chatter over refreshments. The following suggested guidelines might prove helpful to discussion leaders: Before the meeting: If you have a large group, consider if it could be split up into smaller ones which discuss the same or different aspects of the topic and then report back to the main meeting. Encourage people to do a small amount of their own research on the topic. Circulate a fact sheet with questions if the subject is complex, or ask a few members of the group to present different aspects. List the points you want to cover, in the order most likely to lead to a coherent discussion. If appropriate, bring relevant information to the meeting as others may be stimulated by a good discussion to extend their knowledge and interest in the subject. During the meeting: Ask members to keep to the subject and allow other people to have their say. At the start, give some basic facts and follow up with a question. Have a few controversial facts or questions ready to fill awkward silences. Be prepared to argue the opposing case if necessary, or play Devil s Advocate : whatever your own views, try to appear objective to encourage debate. Be aware of quieter members and ask them directly for their views, ensuring that everyone is included in the discussion. Sum up each point before going on to the next. If too many people are talking at once or simultaneous discussions are developing, stop the discussion and call the meeting to order but try to develop strategies to prevent this happening. Charity No Revised July 2015

7 1.6 Planning and Producing Your Programme Each group decides when and how it will produce its own programme and members should: Share ideas and planning Take turns to host and lead meetings. When? Most groups plan a programme six or twelve months in advance. How? The planning can be done in one of several ways: All members can attend a planning meeting (providing interesting refreshments may encourage good attendance!) Members can give ideas to a committee who will then decide on the ones to include Several planning groups can be responsible for different sections of the programme Content It is important to have a well-balanced programme. Make discussion topics central to the programme with occasional visits, speakers and social events if members wish. All members should be encouraged to have a role in the completed programme, as a hostess, discussion leader, and social event organiser or speaker liaison. Try to have every topic, date and venue decided and confirmed before distributing your programme. Presentation A clear, attractive and well-presented programme is vital for encouraging good attendance at meetings and attracting new members. A suggested design for programme layout can be obtained from the NWR website ( or from the Office. With members names and addresses omitted your programme can be used for local publicity, displayed in the local library and sent to local newspapers and radio stations. It is a good idea for your programme to include the following information: The name of the group including your county. The name of your Local Organiser and her contact details. The time your meetings start. Any charge you make for tea or coffee. The date and venue of each meeting. The person responsible for leading the meeting. A few words about each meeting, preferably amusing or controversial, to arouse interest. Brief biographical details of any speakers and a special request for members support on that occasion. Details of NWR workshops/conferences/discussion lunches in the area. Please be sure to include: NWR is a Registered Charity No Charity No Revised July 2015

8 Section 2 Local Organiser s Handbook Membership Services Please ensure that all your members, particularly those new to the group, are aware of the contents of this section as a reminder of the opportunities offered by NWR as a National Organisation. 2.1 Personal Benefits from Membership Membership of a local group. The opportunity to volunteer to be an LO and thus have experience of running a group. The opportunity to volunteer to become an AO and thus play a greater part in local and national NWR activities. The opportunity to attend local inter-group events, Area and Regional events. The opportunity to attend Day Conferences, Discussion Lunches, National Conference. Insurance cover when attending NWR meetings and events. The right to attend the AGM and vote on issues affecting NWR. The opportunity to join a Special Interest Group (see next Section). A twice-yearly magazine, NWR Magazine. Access to contact details for local groups if moving to a new area. Support in starting a new group if moving to an area with no NWR presence. 2.2 Communication with members NWR Magazine' is the NWR magazine sent free to all members, twice a year, in summer and winter. It includes informative and sometimes controversial articles by members, news of group activities, a letters page and some interesting book reviews. It is used by groups to publicise events that they are organising and is a useful source of ideas for programmes. The Website & Publicity Coordinator is the editor of NWR Magazine. She commissions articles and also welcomes interesting contributions from members; these should be sent in by the copy dates which are generally mid-february and mid-september. Articles of interest to other members and groups as well as controversial topics, current topics and letters to the Editor are all welcome. There is also a section of Classifieds for members to advertise services etc. Contact the Office for current rates... Apart from NWR Magazine, Local Organisers receive regular updates about services and activities by from the National Organiser and the Office; it is very important that the information is passed on to members. Prior to the AGM, which is held at the National Conference, notice of the AGM with associated papers will be sent to LOs to be circulated to members. These papers will also be circulated to all members attending the National Conference. Charity No Revised July 2015

9 2.3 Website The members' area This is a great resource for members with news updates, information, resources, such as documents and handbooks, plus Forums for social networking and discussions - what we do best! Please encourage all your members to explore what is there and to contact the NWR Office with any queries or comments. Each group should have a Group Contact whom they nominate and who will then be authorised by the Office. This can be the Local Organiser or another member. Any member authorised as a Group Contact is able to access and amend the website content for the group. Log-in to the members' area is with the address held by the Office and password. A first-time user will be sent a password which can subsequently be changed to one of their own choosing. If members experience any problems with access they should contact the NWR Office. The website also attracts many enquiries and therefore is a great tool for attracting new members... The group page on the main area of the website is seen by visitors to the site so it is important that the group description provides some interesting information about your group. Guidelines are available from the Office to help with the process of editing the group page. Charity No Revised July 2015

10 2.4 Special Interest Groups Membership of these groups is open to paid-up NWR members only. Contact details of organisers of these Special Groups are available from the Office and they can then be contacted by any interested members. Correspondence Magazines and E-Mags A Correspondence Magazine is a collection of letters written by and circulated among a small group of NWR members on a monthly basis. The magazines vary in size from six to twelve members. Each magazine has an editor who receives the letters and circulates them by means of a rota. The purpose of the magazine is lively discussion and friendship, though members may never meet. Some magazines may have a set monthly topic, but discussion is generally not limited. There is also an exchange of news, leading to general discussion. Penfriend Scheme and E-Friends This scheme is for all NWR members interested in writing to other members to compare notes, exchange ideas, or simply for friendship. This scheme operates on a purely one-to-one basis. If you would like to take part, send your name, address, brief details of your interests and two 2 nd class stamps to the organiser. You can opt to correspond by if you prefer and your details will be sent to members with the same preference. You will, in time, receive the names of 3 members to write to. Postal Book Groups Each group consists of twelve members living in different parts of the country who, instead of meeting to discuss a particular book, write their observations in a notebook which is then circulated with the book. Each member selects a book from her own collection which she then posts to the next person on the list. In this way, she will receive eleven different books and her own book back at the end of twelve months, together with an interesting range of opinions on their merits. The aim of the group is to introduce members to books they may not otherwise have considered reading, or authors they may not have encountered, so no restrictions are imposed on the selection. All the above special interest groups were initiated by NWR members. If you have an idea for another such group, contact the National Organiser to discuss its feasibility. Charity No Revised July 2015

11 2.5 The Archives From 2013, NWR records will be held in the Lionel Robbins Building at the London School of Economics. Groups should send material to the Office for the Archives whenever they are mentioned in the press, no matter how small or trivial the article. Please include photographs if possible, and details of the source of the material, i.e. name and date of the publication, plus the group s name and county. 2.6 National Conference The National Conference is held annually at a weekend. The location and venue is chosen by the Trustees and staff and every effort is made to move the location around the country. Local NWR members are invited to help with the organisation both beforehand and at the Conference. The NWR Annual General Meeting takes place at the National Conference, usually on the Saturday. Any paid-up member may attend the AGM, whether or not she is attending the conference, subject to fire regulations governing the capacity of the hall. 2.7 Individual Membership This was originally introduced so that women who had been members of an NWR group, but were finding it increasingly difficult to attend meetings, or whose group had folded, could still enjoy all the other benefits of membership. Individual Members are full members and are entitled to use all the services provided by NWR. They pay their subscriptions direct to the Office and receive all mailings. If any of your group members are moving to an area where there is no NWR presence, please ensure they are aware of this option. 2.8 Overseas Membership NWR has a small number of groups overseas who keep in touch with NWR UK via the Office and the Website & Publicity Coordinator. If you are going to be living abroad for a short time or taking an extended holiday, why not ask the Office if there is an overseas group nearby so that you can make contact? Charity No Revised July 2015

12 2.9 Attracting and Welcoming New Members All groups, however successful, benefit from new members, but attracting them may require some effort. New members discover NWR in different ways: hearing about it from a friend or relative who is already a member contacting the Office after seeing some national publicity contacting your group direct as a result of your local publicity initiatives searching on the internet Suggestions for local publicity are covered in section 2.10, but remember that your efforts will be wasted if you do not ensure that prospective new members find a welcome in the group. Ways to assess objectively the first impressions of your group are: Do you have an interesting, well-balanced programme that you have sent to an enquirer in plenty of time before the next meeting? Do you experience new members coming to one meeting but are never seen again and if so, does anyone contact them to investigate? Is someone in the group responsible for making new members feel welcome, perhaps by meeting them beforehand or taking them to the first meeting? If you have a few new members, consider a getting-to-know-you-better meeting? Have you ever asked recently-joined members what helped them to feel at home? Do you remember to check on whether recent members continue to enjoy the group? Welcoming potential new members should not be the sole responsibility of the Local Organiser; the entire group should be encouraged to participate in this essential effort. One way to involve everyone is to designate one meeting as a new members evening with an appropriate topic for discussion (i.e. not too controversial!) when friends, neighbours or colleagues can be invited to meet the group without any pressure Local Publicity Surveys of our membership have indicated that local publicity is a very effective way of attracting new members, second only to personal introduction by an existing member. Various forms of advertising material are available free of charge from the Office, e.g. display stands, pop-up banners, leaflets, laminated posters, postcards, bookmarks, business cards (or use your own programme minus names and addresses). Remember to include agreed local contact details on all material, updated as required. Charity No Revised July 2015

13 There are several ways to advertise and promote NWR in your own area: Groups should try to maintain a constant presence in all appropriate outlets e.g. libraries, health/leisure/community/shopping centres, playgroups, churches, schools and colleges of education, Citizens Advice Bureaux etc. (Remember it may be necessary to get permission, particularly for information on notice boards). Make contact with other community groups, e.g. church, mother & toddler, art, music or literature appreciation societies etc., and suggest mutual advertising to members. Many towns publish a Directory of Local Organisations, usually with free entries. Some Estate Agents publish an information sheet for newcomers; ask if NWR can be included with your local contact details. Use the contacts of your own group members do any of them, or their family, work for organisations that move employees round the country? If so, ask if you can use the company notice board, or even write an article for their house magazine. Local press establish a friendly contact with all the newspapers including freebies. Many local papers have a Diary Column where you can publicise your meetings and other activities; try to get to know the journalist who covers social or women s events maybe invite her to come and speak to one of your meetings. Remember they need something to print so it should be a mutually beneficial relationship! In addition to your long-term dripping tap efforts, the group may feel they could sustain a shorter but more intensive publicity drive: Try to establish whether there are suitable local events where you could set up an NWR publicity stall or even a float in a procession if you are feeling ambitious! If your group is organising a special event you should be able to attract more media interest for NWR in general. A checklist with suggestions for a successful News Release is included at the end of this section. Local radio as with local papers, magazine and general-interest type programmes on local radio are always looking for material. Ask your group members to listen to the local station and suggest programmes and presenters who use interviews. Telephone to check the name of the editor or producer and send them relevant information; a week later call to ask if it was received. A radio interview checklist is included at the end of this section to help you plan and enjoy your presentation. Publicity should not be the sole responsibility of the Local Organiser: at your programme planning meetings, you could discuss ideas from the whole group, and ask if one or two members would take over the task of implementing your plans and don t be discouraged too soon! The Website & Publicity Coordinator, who is responsible for national publicity, also collates the experiences of local groups who have achieved successful publicity: she will be pleased to answer your queries or offer advice if you are planning a local campaign. Charity No Revised July 2015

14 Checklist for successful News Releases A News Release is designed to get YOUR story covered, rather than someone else s! There are generic and new News Releases available from the News area of the website. Sending out a News release: Keep it short and use double spacing. Always use NWR headed paper free from the Office. Put the key idea in the first paragraph (background material can be sent later). Stick to one side of A4; if you need background put it in on page 2. Who is involved, What is happening, Where is it happening, When date and time and Why is it a celebration, a meeting, an event with speakers? Sell the story make it unusual, exciting, controversial entice the journalist to write. Use quotes but keep them short and punchy and, if named, check the individual is happy with this first. Do not give out names or addresses without prior permission. Facts and figures are useful check with the Office or one of the Coordinators. Write as if something is happening (active voice) rather than passive (reported speech). Simple straightforward language avoiding in-house jargon e.g. LO Local Organiser. Always put a contact name and phone number; include dates and times for events. Send News Releases to forward planning departments of local radio and TV stations, giving them plenty of warning about your interesting event. Ring up and try to establish a personal rapport with a local journalist. Save your News Releases for important occasions. Managing Journalists Target the most appropriate media for your area papers, magazine, local radio or TV Develop your own mailing list and invite some local journalists to your group events. Keep in touch but don t harass journalists with too many follow-up calls. Read/watch/listen locally on a regular basis to pick up on trends. Charity No Revised July 2015

15 Going on air a radio interview checklist... Radio is a friendly medium, less intimidating and more personal than television. Once your local station has become used to you and likes you, they may call you back. Hints that may help you to relax and achieve a successful interview: Use visual language and paint a picture for the listener. Speak as if the listener were there with you, in person. Remember tone has a greater impact than words make it relevant and friendly. Try to use your normal voice, smiling as you speak (using your hands frees up your voice and makes it sound more relaxed and natural). Be clear, try to speak slowly and enunciate clearly. Try not to mumble or swallow your words. Avoid padding and link words such as: er, um, well, like, you see, you know. Make your comments relevant to the local audience. Work out your Key Message in advance and try to get it across no matter what. Think of 3 key points then drop two so you know the one key thing to say if you have to cut it really short. Have answers to obvious factual questions to hand (check anything you are not sure about with either the Office or Website & Publicity Coordinator beforehand). Sell your story why should it matter to the listener? Don t be afraid to use humour but avoid jokes! Make sure the correct contact details ( phone number, etc.) are given out by the station. (Perhaps these could be included on a Help Line if appropriate) Offer radio stations different angles on your story news, feature, human interest, educational, women's lifeline, friendship, stimulation, useful when moving. Be yourself and think Local Charity No Revised July 2015

16 2.11 If Your Group Has Lost Direction Make sure, as LO, that you disseminate all the information you receive from the Office and National Organiser. Have a varied and interesting programme: revitalise your programme by using the Programme Pack available from the Office and website. Involve all your members in the running of the group by consulting them about future plans and making sure that each one plays a part by organising an evening, leading a discussion group or being a hostess. Encourage participation by having some meetings which involve all the members without them having to do lots of research beforehand. Promote your meetings on the programme by including a few words about the topic: at each meeting, advertise the next one or forthcoming social events. Discourage domestic chat before and during the business of the evening. Make sure the discussion leader is prepared before the meeting with a factsheet or some controversial questions to keep the discussion going. Encourage friendship by having social events where members can get to know each other better, or by having meetings occasionally which are on a more personal level. Form some sub-groups according to your members interests: book, art or music appreciation, theatre visits, a walking group, a lunch or supper club. Consider meeting more frequently or on different nights. Have extra meetings during the day as well as the evening programme; perhaps hold coffee mornings. Arrange outings trips to the cinema, theatre, concert or Art Gallery, or weekends away to the country or an interesting city. Encourage contact with other groups by arranging joint meetings, attending local and national conferences and Area Meetings. Contact the Office for advice. Advertise your group locally. Make sure all the members take part in a concentrated local publicity campaign and really welcome the potential new members which should result from this, as they are the life-blood of any group (see next Section). Charity No Revised July 2015

17 2.12 Organising Events Please contact the National Organiser at the beginning of the planning process to check the proposed date does not conflict with any other local NWR events; and remember she will be pleased to offer support, advice and information. Ask the office for a copy of the latest Events Handbook so that you are aware of any changes in procedures. Funding of up to 100 is available towards venue hire and/or speaker costs for any event which involves speakers and/or workshops and to which members of several groups are invited. Please contact the NWR Office for further information. Also, nonmembers may be invited to events and will be covered by NWR's Public Liability Insurance. An Area Event and Budget form must be completed and sent to the NWR Office prior to the event. Workshops, Day Conferences and Discussion Lunches An event might be organised by one group or several nearby groups forming a committee. A group or groups wishing to organise a Workshop, Day Conference or Discussion Lunch should ask the Office for a copy of the Events Handbook, which gives information on planning. They can also obtain further advice from the National Organiser. The organising committee should choose a date several months in advance which does not conflict with any other local NWR events and arrange the programme for the day; this could include speakers and/or workshops. The committee should then work out a budget and decide on the overall fee per participant, based on the cost of the hire of the hall, the fee of the speaker(s), the price of the food provided, and incidental expenses. These events are expected to break-even but if there is any surplus, half should be donated to NWR and half kept by the group to fund their next event. An Area Event and Budget form must be completed and sent to the NWR Office; the event will then be publicised on the website and, depending on timing, in The Register. Charity No Revised July 2015

18 Section 3 The Organisation 3.1 Introduction The National Women s Register is a both a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, governed by the Memorandum and Articles of Association (Mem. & Arts.) which specifies its purpose as follows: to provide facilities for the leisure-time occupation of female members of the public with the object of improving the conditions of both urban and rural life for them in the interest of social welfare. All groups should have an up-to-date copy of the Memorandum and Articles of Association. Please contact the Office if your group does not have an up to date copy. Registered Office, 23 Vulcan House, Vulcan Road North, Norwich NR6 6AQ Telephone: Local Call Rate: Fax: office@nwr.org.uk The aims of NWR have remained the same since its inception: to offer women the opportunity to participate in informal discussion of a wide range of topics, other than those of domestic interest to promote friendship and self-confidence to enable members to make contacts when moving to a new area to provide the opportunity for continuing education and self-improvement through attendance at local conferences and workshops 3.2 Structure The National Women s Register consists of members, most of whom belong to one of a network of local groups throughout the UK. Individual membership is available for anyone who is unable to attend local group meetings but wishes to maintain links with the national organisation. NWR also has a number of affiliated groups overseas. Local groups are autonomous, arranging their activities to suit their members whilst keeping within the framework of the aims of the organisation. Each group has a Local Organiser who co-ordinates activities (see Section 1.2 pag3. 2) Each group is allocated to an Area, which might have an Area Organiser who provides support and advice at a local level and liaises with the National Organiser. Each member is required to pay an annual subscription (see Section 1.3 page. 3). Charity No Revised July 2015

19 3.3 The Role of Trustees and Staff Trustees: The Memorandum & Articles of Association (Mem. & Arts.) decrees that there must be 3 to 5 volunteers elected to fulfil the duties of Trustees/Company Directors, as required by our dual status as a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. Trustees are elected for a four year term. Trustee elections are conducted by postal ballot of all current members and ratified at the Annual General Meeting. The dual role of Trustees under the Charities Act and Directors under the Companies Act includes responsibilities for the following: To uphold the aims and objectives of the organisation, as set out in Mem. & Arts. To develop and agree policy decisions for the overall governance of the organisation. To fulfil the roles of Company Secretary and Honorary Treasurer. To act as responsible employers, supporting and appraising the performance of staff. To monitor the organisation s progress, ensuring it is run on a financially viable basis. To ensure that we comply with our governing document, charity and company law. The Trustees must also arrange an Annual General Meeting; by tradition in NWR, this forms part of the National Conference (see Section 2.7 page 10). They must ensure the production and distribution to all groups of independently verified annual accounts. They must register changes in the organisation annually with Companies House and the Charity Commissioners. They are available to investigate and resolve members queries and concerns. Staff: NWR currently employs five part-time staff members, responsible to the Board: The National Organiser, working from home, whose duties include: Oversight and management of all elements of membership, marketing and staffing. Supporting and encouraging the membership, visiting groups where appropriate, organising and attending area meetings and events, day conferences and workshops. Developing strategies for the recruitment of new members; researching and identifying opportunities for the formation of new groups. Monitoring and evaluating levels of satisfaction and response to enquiries. The Website & Publicity Coordinator, working from home, whose duties include: Responsibility for all aspects of the NWR website The production of publicity material, and communication with the media. Encouraging members to use local public relations opportunities to raise the profile of NWR and attract new members. Responsibility for the production of the magazine NWR Magazine and other contact with groups throughout the year. Charity No Revised July 2015

20 The Finance Manager, working from home, whose duties include: Payment of salaries, expenses, and invoices for goods and services. Maintaining records of all financial transactions on computer accounts system. Preparing annual accounts and National Conference accounts for audit. Assisting in preparation of annual budget In addition, the National Organiser, Website and Publicity Coordinator and the Finance Manager attend the Trustees meetings to provide information and advice as required to assist in the process of making policy decisions. The two Office Administrators, working from the NWR office in Norwich, whose duties include: Maintenance of the NWR database. Administration of the subscription process. Responding to all enquiries, internal and external. Provision of an administrative service for the Trustees, staff and organisers of NWR events including the National Conference. Details of the membership services provided by the Office are in Section 1.4 page 4. Charity No Revised July 2015

21 3.4 General Information Local Organiser s Handbook Data Protection Act NWR is officially registered as a data user under the terms of the Data Protection Act Registration No. F User No This covers NWR for the purposes of membership registration only: it does not allow us to sell membership details and they are never knowingly disclosed to anyone other than genuine enquirers. Fund-raising and Charitable Donations NWR s charity deed states that we may not make charitable donations or raise funds for any other organisation in the name of the National Women s Register. If a speaker prefers a donation to a charity of their choice, please give it as expenses or a fee and ask the speaker to make the donation without mention of NWR. However, members may raise money or seek sponsorship as NWR groups for their own activities. If in doubt as to the validity of any fund-raising for this purpose, please check with the Office. Insurance The Public Liability Insurance Policy protects NWR in the event of any legal claims against the organisation. This insurance covers members as well as the public for injury and/or damage to property if NWR as an organisation is proved negligent. The insurance does cover members homes as well as external venues and covers all events from meetings to the annual conference. It also covers legal costs incurred by claims made against NWR whether NWR were legally liable or not. There is an excess to pay. It should be noted that it does not cover accidental damage, which is normally covered by an individual s own household insurance policy. The insurance policy does not replace any insurance that an individual should hold for themselves. Annual Accounts A copy of the independently verified Accounts is sent to each group, together with the AGM Agenda and any supporting documents, at least 28 days before the Annual General Meeting: contact the Office if you have not received your copy by the due date. Additional copies are available for group members on request and will be sent to any member who is attending the Conference. 3.5 Useful Contacts If you wish to contact the Trustees, the Coordinators, Area Organisers or organisers of Special Interest Groups (Section 2.4 page 9) their names, addresses, telephone/fax numbers, and addresses can be obtained from the NWR Office: 23 Vulcan House, Vulcan Road North, Norwich NR6 6AQ Telephone: office@nwr.org.uk Details of Trustees and staff are available from the Office and contact can also be made via the website Charity No Revised July 2015