Statement of Intent

• The policy of Nature New Mills is to provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions and environment for all our volunteers and users, plus any other people who are directly affected by our activities, such as members of the public at our events.

Responsibilities

• Overall and final responsibility for health and safety at all events and activities organised by Nature New Mills lies with the management committee. 
• A member of the Committee will be the nominated lead for Health & Safety. Their role will involve researching and advising the Committee and named responsible volunteers,preparing policy and general template documents for agreement, upholding adherence to the policy, and maintaining central documentation of policies and risk assessments. The lead may need appropriate training to be able to undertake this role satisfactorily.
• The responsibility for specific activities and events will be delegated to a named volunteer for each in advance, and their name will be noted on all relevant risk assessments. This volunteer will be responsible for ensuring that this policy is upheld and delivered on the ground.
• All volunteers involved will be made aware of who is responsible for health and safety.

General Arrangements

• The main activities of Nature New Mills involve events and activities to promote engagement and care for wildlife, both for volunteers and the general public. A risk assessment will be carried out before every authorised event*, relating to all aspects of the event, including: venue, activities, equipment, volunteers, attendees and weather-related aspects.
• Some types of event will be repeated, in which case a general risk assessment will be prepared, which can be adjusted for local conditions at a particular site or day.
• All general risk assessments will be reviewed at least annually, and take account of any emerging or experienced risks encountered in practice.
• We will consider the need (raised in the risk assessment) to have a trained first aider present at events which are open to the public.
• All participants will be made aware, before or at the start of the event, of the precautions they need to take as noted on the relevant risk assessment.
• No volunteer will supervise a public event or activity on their own.  At least two volunteers should stay at an event until it officially finishes, and ensure that all remaining participants are accounted for.
• Emergency contact details will be collected before any authorised event where injury is an identified risk, and will be handled in accordance with the Data Protection policy.
• Nature New Mills will hold appropriate public liability insurance to cover its activities.

Specific Risk Assessments

• A risk assessment will be carried out before every authorised event*, relating to all aspects of the event, including: venue, activities, equipment, volunteers, attendees and weather-related aspects. It will consider likelihood and impact, and describe appropriate mitigation.
• The named delegated volunteer for that event / activity will ensure a risk assessment has been carried out, aided and approved by the Committee lead member for Health & Safety. 
• Responsibility for observing the decisions made in the risk assessment lies with all volunteers.
• Any new risks identified following the agreement of the risk assessment will be logged, trigger a review and change of any general risk assessment templates, and be referred to in the preparation of future risk assessments.
• Consideration will be made to obtain a record of participants’ acknowledgement of the risks, as explained to them by the lead volunteer for the event.

Authorised Events with an Identified Risk of Injury

• Practical conservation activities that carry a significant risk of injury, identified in the risk assessment, will require the lead volunteer to have a first aid kit on site.
• The management committee is responsible for checking the first aid box contents every quarter.
• There should be at least one participant at events with significant risk of injury with up to date first aid training.
• All accidents are to be recorded. An accident book is located in each first aid box. The Lead Volunteer must inform the Committee H&S lead in the event of a recorded accident within a week of the occurrence, who will document it centrally.

Reasonable Level of Risk

• We will take steps to avoid unnecessary and high levels of risk. However, some activities in natural environments inherently involve some uncontrollable risk. Volunteers and attendees need to be made aware of this fact.

Agreement and Review

This policy will be reviewed every year

Date of agreement: 2nd November 2023.

Committee members: Maria Neilson, Hazel Body, Jill Hulme

Signature (Committee Health & Safety lead): Julian Ashworth

Definitions

• An authorised event is one which is advertised as a Nature New Mills run event in the Events section of the nature New Mills Public Facebook Group.

Approved by the management committee on 10th October 2023

General Arrangements.

1. We have a management committee which is elected at the Annual General Meeting.

2. The management committee is responsible for ensuring that we look after our income properly and put it to good use.

3. All monies raised on behalf of the group will be used to further the objectives of the group as set out in the constitution, and for no other cause.

4. The Treasurer will keep appropriate financial records including:

         – a spreadsheet recording all financial transactions.

         – bank statements.

         – details of all income.

         – invoices and receipts for all payments.

5. Our financial year ends on end of March.

6. We will prepare accounts at the end of the financial year and have them examined by a suitable person who is independent of the group. The annual accounts will be presented at the Annual General Meeting for approval.

7. Before the start of the financial year, we will consider financial needs and agree a budget.

8. Grant applications will be agreed by the management committee prior to application.

9. A financial report will be prepared for discussion at each committee meeting showing money received, payments and remaining funds. It will also show expected future receipts and payments.

Bank Accounts

1. We have a current account with Lloyds.

2. All bank transactions will go through our current account, if money is to be spent from a savings account it will first be transferred to the current account.

3. At least three members of the management committee will be signatories to the account.

4. Any withdrawals or transfers between accounts will be signed by two of the signatories, or where this is not possible a record of the agreement of at least two of the signatories will be logged for inspection. We expect that one of these signatories will be the treasurer.  If not, the treasurer will be given full details of the transaction.

Income

1. We will record all details of income received via bank transfer on the spreadsheet.

2. Grants conditions will be documented, and the spending against grants will be able to be reported separately.

3. We will record all details of cheques received on the spreadsheet, and all cheques received will be banked within 1 month.

4. When we receive cash we will:

a) Issue a receipt and keep a copy, for any donations from named individuals or businesses.

b) Two members of the group will count the money, make a note of the total and sign for it.

c) Details of the cash received will be entered on the spreadsheet.

d) The cash will be banked within one month.

5. The Committee will agree donations on a case by case basis

6. The treasurer will keep files of paperwork relating to bank transfers, cheques and cash received.

Buying goods and services

1. The management committee will agree payments in advance. This will either be shown in our annual budget or by the committee with an auditable trail. 

2. The treasurer will keep a file of all paperwork and confirm goods/services and invoices are as agreed before paying them.

3. We will include consideration of cost, quality, provenance, ease/speed of purchase/delivery and sustainability and ethics when making purchases.      

Payments by cheque, direct debit, bank transfer or debit card.

1. We will not sign a cheque, or authorise a direct debit, bank transfer or debit card payment without the documentation (on agreement and proof of spend) to support the payment.

2. Two signatories are required on each cheque. Cheque stubs will be completed at the time of payment.

3. We will never sign a blank cheque.

4. Bank transfers, standing orders and direct debit payments will require two signatures in line with Lloyds’ on line banking procedures.

5. All other payments (eg. Debit card payments and cash withdrawals) must be authorised in advance by two signatories on our own payment form. The payment form will include the following details: payee; date; type of payment and space for two signatures.

6. We will record details of all payments on the spreadsheet including: cheque number/type of payment; date; who signed the cheque.

Expenses

1. Group members must have recorded authorisation before any expenditure is undertaken on behalf of the group. 

2. Group members must complete and sign an expense claim form to be reimbursed; this should have original invoices/receipts or evidence of spend attached to be approved. 

3. The expense claim will be checked and signed by two members of the management committee before being paid.

4. Payments will be made within 20 working days of a correctly filled expense claim form being submitted to the treasurer. The preferred method of payment will be by bank transfer.

The group name is Nature New Mills (NNM) hereafter described as ‘the group’. 

It is an unincorporated community group.

AIM OF THE GROUP

• To support the community in helping nature recover, by protecting habitats and endangered species, and increasing the variety and abundance of wildlife 

OBJECTIVES

• Increase interest and enthusiasm for nature throughout the whole community
• Cultivate a thriving network of local people and organisations, knowledge and research
• Generate a feeling of empowerment to motivate personal and community actions to achieve the aim of the group
• Facilitate the delivery of practical community and private projects to achieve the group’s strategy

POWERS

• Raise funds through application to grant making bodies, and to invite and receive contributions and donations
• To pay for:
  • services needed from other groups and persons to enable the group to achieve its objectives.
  • appropriate venues to carry out activities.
  • approved out-of-pocket expenses to its members, volunteers and to others who incur such expense on the group’s behalf
  • equipment in order to fulfil the objectives. Any purchases will remain the property of the group.
• Take out necessary insurances
• Work in partnership with other community groups, charities, statutory agencies and the local business community to achieve the objectives
• Become members of relevant local, regional or national organisations
• To do all other lawful things as will enable the group to achieve its aim.

MEMBERSHIP

• Is available to anyone who lives or works in New Mills or surrounding areas and has an interest in wildlife and nature
• People of any age can become members but those under 16 years of age will require parental permission to share their contact details
• Is dependent on agreement to this Constitution and any policies on working practices agreed by the Committee.
• Members can vote at Annual and General Meetings.
• The group will only collect and securely store personal data in order to inform members of group activities or to support funding applications. 
• Membership of the group may be terminated for good and sufficient reason. Any person whose membership is so terminated should have the right to appeal against the decision, when they can be accompanied by a friend to a special committee meeting held for this purpose. The committee and the member can call upon other agencies to support this process.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

The Committee will be responsible for:

• developing the group’s strategy
• prioritising projects and activities in line with their impacts and the group’s resources
• looking after the group’s financial and physical assets
• undertaking administrative tasks, including obtaining insurances
• supporting communication, networking and publicity
• ensuring accountability
• ensuring management functions are robust and resilient

It will consist of between four and six people and meet at least four times per year.

Chair, treasurer and secretary positions will be held by committee members who can agree to instigate other roles as necessary. The role of Chair cannot be held by the same person for more than three consecutive years.

Decisions will be made by consensus whenever possible. If consensus cannot be reached there will be a ballot with the Chair having an additional casting vote where there are equal numbers of votes cast.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Meetings will take place at least four times a year, or more frequently if three members or more agree.

Details of planned meetings will be emailed to committee members at least a week in advance

Decisions cannot be made unless there are at least three people attending the meeting and will be accepted with a two thirds majority

Minutes of meetings will be published on-line or emailed directly to those requesting them

GENERAL MEETINGS

An Annual General Meeting will be held within 6 weeks of the end of the financial year.

Details of General and Special meetings will be provided at least two weeks before the event via social media, email and posters.

FINANCES

The group will hold a bank account, which will be operated in accordance with the Finance Policy to require  safeguards of multiple signatories to authorise payments or formally agree money transfers before payments can be made out of the account.

The treasurer will be responsible for managing the account in line with the group’s Finance Policy and will present a summary report at each Committee and Annual General Meeting.

Nature New Mills will not distribute income or property to its members during its lifetime.

ALTERATIONS TO CONSTITUTION

The committee will review this constitution annually.

The Constitution will be reviewed by the members at least once every two years.

Any alterations to this constitution will need to be ratified at an Annual General Meeting or at a specially called General meeting if the changes are not unanimously agreed by all committee members.

CLOSING DOWN THE GROUP

If the committee believes the group needs to be closed down the reasons for and plans on how to accomplish this will be shared with and voted upon by the membership at a Special General Meeting, with a majority required to endorse.

In these circumstances committee officers will ensure that any assets remaining after debts have been paid will be donated to an organisation or organisations of their choice, with similar aims. Likewise, any equipment held by the group will be offered to local community organisations.

Agreed by the Management Commitee    

17th July 2023 at the Annual General Meeting

V3 amended by unanimous agreement (Committee WhatsApp group 24th Oct 2023)

Review due: before AGM 2024