The name of the Association is ‘UK Chinese Mental Health Association’ (“The Association”)
The Association has been established to:
2.1 To promote awareness of mental health issues and where possible to provide a culturally sensitive mental health service for Chinese people and related communities
2.2 To provide mental health advice, advocacy and information to the aforesaid communities
2.3 To maintain and update a Directory of national and local services in mental health.
2.4 To establish and maintain local, national and international links in relation to mental health services for the aforesaid communities
3.1 To promote mental health awareness in the Chinese and related communities through education.
3.2 To arrange, support and facilitate the holding of exhibitions, meetings, lectures, classes, conferences, seminars and training courses.
3.3 To arrange to be written and printed, published, issued and circulated free or for a charge such papers, books, periodicals, pamphlets or other documents or films or recordings in any other way as enable the Association to fulfil its purposes or support and encourage others in working with those for whom the Association has been set up to benefit.
3.4 To obtain and provide information, work with and co-ordinate the activities of any other organisation, whether charitable or otherwise, with the same purpose as the Association.
3.5 To obtain, collect and receive money and funds by way of contributions, donations, endowments, sponsorship fees, subscriptions and legacies from persons desiring to promote the Association’s objects or any of them and to hold funds in trust for same;3.6 To engage or employ such personnel whether as employees, consultants, advisers or volunteers, as may be required for the promotion of the objects of the Association decides are necessary, whether paid or unpaid, and in addition to pay pensions, superannuation and all other expenses incidental to their employment, whether such payments are made to employees and their dependants or on their behalf.
3.7 To purchase, take on lease or in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire any real or personal property and any other rights or privileges necessary to enable the Association to fulfil its purpose and construct, maintain and alter any buildings or other structure necessary for the work of the Association. To make rules and regulations for any property acquired in any of the ways set out above.3.8 To sell, let, rent, improve, develop, exchange, mortgage, dispose of or turn to account all or any of the property or assets for the time being of the Association.
3.9 Subject to such consents, if any, as may be required by law, to borrow or raise money for the Association on such terms and on such security as may be thought fit;
3.10 To establish and support or aid in the establishment and support or to work with any other charitable institutions or associations and to subscribe or guarantee money for charitable purposes in any way connected with the purposes of the Association or calculated to further its objects
3.11 To undertake and execute any charitable trusts which may be lawfully undertaken by the Association and may be necessary to its objects;
3.12 To open and operate bank accounts and other facilities for banking in the name of the Association;
3.13 To enter into any contracts with statutory, voluntary or other bodies as are considered necessary or convenient for the achievement of the Association’s objects;
3.14 Invest any money of the Association which is not immediately required for the Association’s purposes in or upon such investments, securities or property as may be thought fit, subject nevertheless to such conditions (if any) and such consents (if any) as for the time being may be imposed or required by law and subject also as hereinafter provided;
3.15 To raise funds and invite and receive contributions from any person and persons whatsoever by way of subscription and otherwise provided that the Association shall not undertake any substantial permanent trading activities in raising funds for the said objects
3.16 Do all such lawful things as are necessary to enable the Association to achieve its purposes.
4.1 Full membership of and voting rights shall be open to:
(a) individuals who are over 18 years of age;
(b) any organisation or body, whether voluntary or otherwise, which is based in United Kingdom and which is interested in supporting the work of the Association.4.2 All members shall:
(a) be interested in furthering the work of the Association;
(b) pay an annual subscription as decided by the Management Committee;
(c) agree to follow the rules set out in this Constitution and any other laws and regulations which the Association makes;4.3 The Management Committee may:
(a) accept a person or organisation into membership or refuse to allow a person or organisation into membership;
(b) end the membership of an individual or organisation. The Management Committee shall be under no obligation to explain why it has made its decision;4.4 Each member organisation shall appoint one representative to vote on its behalf. The member organisation must notify the Association of its representative’s name and address. The member organisation must notify the Association of any change in its representative.
4.5 Each Member shall appoint two representatives who shall during the continuance of his/her appointment be entitled to exercise in any General Meeting of the Association all such rights and powers as the Association would exercise if it were an individual person. Members may select more than one person to act as a representative provided at General Meetings each member shall have only one representative and one vote. Every member shall send to the Secretary of the Association written notification of the person or persons who may act as representatives.
4.6 The rights and privileges of a member shall not be transferable nor transmissible, and all such rights and privileges shall cease upon the member ceasing to be such.
4.7 A member shall cease to be a member immediately if s/he:
a) ceases to fulfil any of the qualifications of membership as specified herein or as defined by the Management Committee from time to time;
b) resigns in writing to the Secretary
c) is expelled from membership by a vote of at least two thirds of the Management Committee provided that any member to be so expelled shall have the opportunity to make representation to a general meeting of the Association prior to the decision being made.
5.1 At the Annual General Meeting the Association shall elect a Chair, a Secretary and a Treasurer and any other officers which the Association wishes to appoint.
5.2 All officers of the Association shall
(a) hold office from the end of the A.G.M at which they are elected to the end of the next Annual General Meeting;
(b) not hold office as Chair, Secretary or Treasurer or more than 3 consecutive years, and after this period, two further years must pass before any former Chair, Secretary or Treasurer shall be eligible for re-election to the office previously held.
(c) at all times act in the best interests of the Association.
6.1 The Management Committee shall consist of a minimum of 5 members and a maximum of 15 members. The Management Committee shall include the honorary officers elected by the Association in General meeting.
6.2 The Management Committee can appoint ___4____ co-opted members if it considers it needs a person with a particular expertise.
6.3 If there is a vacancy on the Management Committee the other members of the Management Committee may ask someone to fill that vacancy. The person filling the vacancy will be treated as if they were an elected Management Committee.
Only members of the Association may stand for election as Management Committee members.6.4 Ceasing to be a Management Committee member.
A person shall cease to be a member of the Management Committee if:
(a) they resign in writing to the Association;
(b) they become incapable by reason of mental or physical illness or injury of dealing with their own affairs;
(c) are absent from ____3___ consecutive meetings of the Management Committee without special leave of absence from the Management Committee and they pass a resolution that s/he has by reason of such absence vacated office, provided that any member so expelled has first been given the opportunity to make representation to the Management Committee;
(d) are prevented from acting as a member of the Management Committee by law.
(e) In the opinion of the Management Committee, fails to declare his/her interest in any contract referred to in 6.6 below6.5 Management Committee members may not have a financial interest
No member of the Management Committee shall have any interest in property or other assets owned by the Association or be paid for work carried out by the Association or have a personal, financial or material interest, either directly or indirectly in any contract entered into by the Management Committee.
6.6 Meetings of the Management Committee.
The Management Committee shall meet ___at least 3 times a year________6.7 The Chair shall chair all meetings of the Management Committee. If the Chair is absent the Vice Chair shall preside, and in the event of his/her absence,the Management Committee members present shall choose another person to chair the meetings.
6.8 A meeting may only take place if it is quorate. A quorum is one half of the Management Committee members.
6.9 The Management Committee shall make decisions by a majority of votes of those present at the meeting.
6.10 The Chair shall have a casting vote when the votes are even.
6.11 The Management Committee shall take minutes of all proceedings of the Management Committee or any sub-committee.
6.12 The Management Committee can change the rules governing how it conducts meetings.
6.13 The Management Committee may set up sub-committees to deal with different aspects of the Association’s business and activities. The Management Committee shall make rules for the conduct of each sub-committee including delegation of powers of the Management Committee.
6.14 The Management Committee will keep records of the names of the Management Committee, officers, members and other persons present at all General, Management, Sub-committee meetings of the Association, and records of the minutes of all proceedings and resolutions at all General , Management, and Sub-committee meetings
6.15 All such records and minutes shall be open to inspection during normal working hours by the representative of any member of the Association.
7.1 Any money received on behalf of the Association shall be paid into a bank account opened by the Management Committee for this purpose.
7.2 All cheques drawn on the account must be signed by at least two members of the Management Committee.
7.3 The funds of the Association can be used only to enable the Association to fulfil its purposes.
8.1 The Management Committee will ensure that proper accounts are kept.
8.2 The accounts shall be kept at such place as deemed appropriate by the Management Committee and shall be open to inspection of all members and officers and by other persons authorised by the Association.
9.1 The Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting each year.
9.2 The Secretary of the Association shall give every member of the Association at least 21 days notice of the date of the Annual General Meeting.9.3 The Management Committee will present to the members at each Annual General Meeting details of the Association’s Report and Accounts for the preceding year.
9.4 The members shall elect members to fulfil roles on the Management Committee at the Annual General Meeting9.5 The appointment and fixing of the remuneration of the Auditor or Auditors (if any);
9.6 Such other business as may have been specified in the notices calling the meeting may also take place
10.1 The Management Committee may call other meetings of the Association at any time.
10.2 All General Meetings other than the Annual General Meeting shall be called Extraordinary General Meetings.
10.3 The Management Committee may whenever it think fit convene an Extraordinary General Meeting
10.4 If at least 20% members of the Association request such a meeting, they may send such a request to the Secretary in writing. They must state the business to be dealt with at the meeting. The Secretary will give every member of the Association at least 21 days notice of the date of the meeting and the business to be discussed.
11.1 The Secretary shall keep minutes of each members’ meeting
11.2 A meeting may only take place if it is quorate. A quorum is one tenth of the voting members of the Association.
If 75% of the members present and voting at a General meeting agree to change this Constitution, they may pass a special resolution to this effect. All other decisions shall be made by Ordinary Resolution requiring a simple majority vote of members present and voting.
13.1 If the Management Committee decides that it is necessary to dissolve the Association it shall call a meeting of the Association. If 75% of the members vote to dissolve the Association, it shall be dissolved.
13.2 The property and assets of the Association shall be used to pay any debts of the Association.
13.3 If, after all the Association’s debts, there is any property or other assets remaining, these shall be given to such other voluntary organisation, Association or Charity as shall have the same objects as the Association. Members shall decide by majority vote which organisation shall benefit.
14.1 The Association shall maintain a Register of Members in which shall be recorded the name, address of every member and the dates on which s/he became a member and on which it ceased to be a member. A member shall consent as such by a duly authorised officer signing on its behalf either a written consent to become a member or the Register of Members. All members shall be entitled to receive a copy of the Constitution of the Association on request.