Thank you to all those members who attended the Society’s AGM on Tuesday 15th April at King Edward Hall. At that meeting the Society voted to amend its rules to include several changes ensuring continued alignment with the requirements of the Charity Commission. Those rules are attached to below for your review.

Lindfield Society

Rules

Registered as a Charity number 237439

1. NAME

The name shall be the Lindfield Society, formerly Lindfield Preservation Society.

2. OBJECTS

The objects of the Society shall be to promote and encourage the following objects by charitable means:

2.1. To stimulate public interest in and care for the beauty, history and character of the village and its surroundings.

2.2. To encourage the preservation, development and improvement of features of general public amenity or historic interest and to prevent development which conflicts therewith.

2.3. To pursue these ends by means of meetings, exhibitions, lectures, publications, other forms of instruction and publicity and promotion of schemes of a charitable nature. To this end the Society shall apply for affiliation with national and local bodies having like aims. It shall also maintain liaison with planning authorities and with other village organisations.

3. MEMBERSHIP

Membership shall be open to all over 18 years of age who support the aims of the Society.

4. MANAGEMENT

The management of the Society shall be vested in the Officers and the Committee of the Society, known collectively as the Management Committee. At all meetings of the Society the Chair shall have a vote and, if necessary, a casting vote.

4.1. OFFICERS. The Officers, who are trustees of the Society, shall be: Chair or Co-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. They shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Society for the following year and shall retire annually but be eligible for re-election.

4.2. COMMITTEE. The Committee shall consist of not more than ten members of the Society, all of whom shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Committee shall retire annually and shall be eligible for re-election.

4.3. CONFLICT OF INTERESTS. Management Committee members shall declare the nature and extent of any interest, direct or indirect, in a proposed transaction or arrangement with the Society.

4.4. NOMINATIONS. Nominations for election to Office and to the Committee must be made in writing to the Secretary at least seven days before the Annual General Meeting. All nominees must be members of the Society. Each nomination must be supported by a proposer and a seconder, both of whom are members of the Society, and the nominee must indicate willingness to serve, if elected. If nominations for any Office or for the Committee exceed thenumber of vacancies, the election shall be by secret ballot at the Annual General Meeting. The votes shall be counted by two scrutineers elected at the meeting, who shall be neither Officers, Members of the Committee nor Candidates. The result shall be declared by the Chair before the conclusion of the meeting.

4.5. VACANCIES AND CO-OPTIONS. The Management Committee shall have power to fill vacancies arising for the period until the next Annual General Meeting. They shall also have power to co-opt to the Committee persons to give special advice or assist them when considering special problems.

4.6. SUB-COMMITTEES. The Management Committee may appoint sub-committees to deal with the various aspects of the Society’s objects. The Chairs of these sub-committees must be members of the Management Committee, but other members can be ordinary members of the Society or persons with special expertise. All decisions and actions taken under this delegated power must be reported to and confirmed by the Management Committee.

5. MEETINGS

The following meetings are to be held:

5.1. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) which should be held by 30th June. Thirty members shall constitute a quorum.

5.2. Not less than six meetings a year shall be held of the Management Committee. A simple majority shall constitute a quorum.

5.3. Minutes of all appointments of Management Committee members, of the proceedings of meetings of the committee and of all General Meetings of the Society must be kept.

5.4. Amendments to the rules of the Society and the raising of special funds as indicated in Rule 10 may be considered at a Special General Meeting called for that purpose or at the Annual General Meeting.

5.5. At least 14 days’ notice in writing must be given by the Secretary of all General Meetings.

6. SUBSCRIPTIONS

Members shall pay such annual or life subscriptions as may be determined from time to time at an Annual General Meeting. All annual subscriptions are payable of joining the Society and thereafter on 1st January each year, except that a member joining after 1st June shall be deemed to have joined on 1st January following. Failure to pay an annual subscription by 31st December following the date on which it is due shall result in forfeiture of membership. Members are invited to make donations, over and above their subscriptions, to the general or other funds.

7. ACCOUNTS

7.1. The financial year shall terminate on 31st December. A set of accounts and a balance sheet, which have been reviewed and signed off by an Honorary Independent Examiner, shall be presented by the Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting of the Society. The Honorary Independent Examiner is to be appointed at the Annual General Meeting.

7.2. The Secretary shall ensure that the Annual Return is submitted to the Charity Commission within 10 months of the end of the Society’s financial year.7.3. The Management Committee shall appoint two members of the committee to authorise payments jointly with the Treasurer.

8. INVESTMENTS

In considering investments, the Society must take into account its overall financial position, including its long and short-term needs, whether the investments proposed are in the best interests of the Society and appropriate to achieving the Society’s objects. To that end, the Management Committee may take advice from an appropriate source of investment expertise.

9. INSURANCE AND EXPENSES

9.1 The Management Committee shall ensure that the Society’s property is appropriately insured at the Society’s expense. This shall include indemnity insurance cover for committee members.

9.1. Management Committee members are entitled to be reimbursed for reasonable expenses properly incurred when acting on behalf of the Society.

10. SPECIAL FUNDS

It is to be a recognised principle that when special funds are need for the purpose of furthering the objects of the Society, then an appeal for funds is to be made to members. All such appeals may be preceded by a General Meeting or a communication to members in writing in which the need for such funds is explained and considered. If in writing, members shall be allowed one month to communicate their assent or objection. If significant objections are received no further action shall be taken before the following Annual General Meeting. Authority for launching appeals shall be vested in the Management Committee.

11. WINDING UP

The Society may be wound up by a resolution of two thirds of the members present and voting at a Special General Meeting. Should the Society be wound up then all funds and investments shall, after all debts have been paid, be handed to a charitable body having objects similar to those of the Society and if and in so far as effect cannot be given to this provision then to some other charitable purpose.

12. CHANGE OF RULES

These rules, other than rule 2, 11 and this rule, may be changed with the consent of two thirds of those members present and voting at a Special General Meeting. Written notice of the proposed change must be given with the notice calling the meeting under rule 5. No variations, deletions or additions shall be made at any time to these rules so as to cause the Society to cease to be a charity in law.

Rules as amended at the Annual General Meeting 15 April 2025