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1. To encourage good citizenship and greater public participation in the detection and prevention of crime in the community, providing an effective liaison between the police and public. In furtherance of the said object but not otherwise, the Association may:

   	Provide advice to the Neighbourhood Coordinators in the Portsmouth police area;
   	Liaise with the Portsmouth police;
   	Raise funds and invite and receive contributions from any persons by way of gifts or subscriptions and otherwise, provided that the Association shall not undertake any permanent trading activities in raising funds for its primary charitable objects;
   	Invest the monies of the Association not immediately required for its purposes in or upon such investments, securities or property as may be thought fit, subject nevertheless to such conditions (if any) as may for the time being be imposed or required by law;
   	Appoint and constitute such advisory committees as the Executive Committee may think fit.
   	Do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the attainment of the objective.

   Membership:

2. Membership of the Association shall be open to Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators within the Portsmouth police area.
3. Members of the Association shall be entitled to vote at General Meetings of the Association.
4. The Association shall be non-party in politics and non-sectarian in religion and shall operate an equal opportunities policy.

   Officers:

5. At the Annual General Meeting hereinafter mentioned, the Association shall elect a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson, a Treasurer, a Vice Treasurer, Secretary and Vice Secretary.
6. The Officers of the Association shall hold office until the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Association next after their election but shall be eligible for re-election.

   Executive Committee:

7. Subject as hereinafter mentioned the policy and general management of the affairs of the Association, including the powers above mentioned, shall be directed by an Executive Committee (hereinafter called "the Committee") which shall meet not less than three times a year which shall consist of not more than fifteen elected members including those elected officers.
8. The members of the Committee shall be elected by the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
9. The Committee may be entitled to elect four individuals, from each of the four police station areas within Portsmouth as representatives to the Hampshire Neighbourhood Watch Association pursuant to any Rules of the Hampshire Neighbourhood Watch Association and any Rules of the Committee.
10. The Committee may be entitled to elect an individual as a representative to the National Neighbourhood Watch Association pursuant to any Rules of the National Neighbourhood Watch Association and any Rules of the Committee.
11. Any casual vacancy in the Committee may be filled up by the Committee and any person appointed to fill such a casual vacancy shall hold office until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Association and shall be eligible for election at the meeting,
12. The proceeding of the Committee shall not be invalidated by any accidental failure to elect or any accidental defect in the election, appointment, co-option or qualification of any member.
13. The Committee shall not receive remuneration but may approve any financial remuneration for additional services, duties, expenses and other liabilities properly incurred by them in the management of the affairs of the Association. This indemnity shall not extend to liabilities arising from wilful and individual fraud, wrongdoing or wrongful omission on the part of the member sought to be made liable.
14. The Committee shall have power to enter into contracts for the purposes of the Association on behalf of the members of the Association.
15. The Committee may appoint such special or standing committees as may be deemed necessary by the Committee and shall determine their terms of reference, powers, duration and composition. All acts and proceedings of such special or standing committees shall be reported back to the Committee fully and promptly.

    Rules of Procedures at all Meetings:

    Quorum:

16. The quorum at a meeting of the Association shall be those who attend and vote by proxy;
17. The quorum at a meeting of the Committee shall be half the total number of Committee members, subject to a minimum of three. In the event that there is not a quorum over two consecutive meetings, the Committee can agree the proposal at the second meeting.

    Voting:

18. Subject to any alteration of the Constitution or Dissolution, all questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote thereat. No person shall exercise more than one vote but in the case of any equality of votes the chairperson of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
19. All elections of officers and committee members shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote thereat.

    Minutes:

20. Meeting minutes shall be kept by the Committee and all other committees, and the appropriate secretary shall enter herein a record of all proceedings and resolutions.

    Meetings of the Association:

21. There shall be an annual general meeting of the Association which shall be held in the month of January in each year or as soon as practicable thereafter and not being more than fifteen months after the holding of the preceding Annual General Meeting at such place as the Committee shall determine. At least twenty one clear days notice shall be given in writing by the Secretary to each member.
22. At such Annual General Meeting the business shall include:
    1. the election of officers:
    2. the election of members to serve on the Committee;
    3. the consideration of an annual report of the work done by or under the auspices of the Committee;
    4. wherever necessary, consideration of and voting on proposals to alter this constitution in accordance with the 'Alterations to the Constitution' hereof.
23. The Chairperson of the Committee may at any time at his or her discretion and the secretary shall, within twenty eight days of receiving a written request to do so, signed by not less than seven members and giving reasons for the request, call a Special General Meeting of the Association.

    Nomination of Officers and Committee Members:

24. Nomination for officers or members of the Committee must be made by members of the Association and must be in the hands of the Secretary at least three days before the Annual General Meeting. Should nominations exceed vacancies, elections shall be decided by a simple majority of those present and entitled to vote. No member shall exercise more than one vote but in case of an equality of votes the Chairperson shall have a second or casting vote.

    Finance:

25. All monies raised by or on behalf of the Association shall be applied to further the purposes of the Association and not otherwise PROVIDED THAT nothing herein contained shall prevent the payment in good faith of reasonable and proper remuneration to any employee of the Association not being a member of the Committee or the repayment of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.
26. Any member of the Committee for the time being who is a solicitor, accountant or other person engaged in a profession may charge and be paid all usual professional charges for business done by him or her or his or her firm when instructed by the other members of the Committee to act in a professional capacity on behalf of the Association: Provided that at no time shall a majority of the members of the Committee benefit under this provision and that a member of the Committee shall withdraw from any meeting at which his or her own instruction or remuneration or that of his or her firm is under discussion.
27. The Treasurer shall keep proper accounts of the finances of the Association.
28. The accounts may be reviewed by the members at the Annual General Meeting.
29. A statement of the accounts for the last financial year shall be submitted by the Committee to the Annual General Meeting aforesaid.
30. A Bank Account shall be opened in the name of the Association with such bank as the Committee shall from time to time decide. The Committee shall authorise in writing any two out of Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary, one always being the Treasurer, who shall from time to time determine to sign cheques on behalf of the Association. All cheques must be signed by two of the authorised signatories.

    Alterations to the Constitution:

31. Any alteration to this Constitution shall receive the assent of those attending and voting by proxy at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting PROVIDED THAT notice of any such alteration shall have been received by the Secretary in writing not less than 21 clear days before the meeting at which the alteration is to be proposed. At least 14 clear days notice in writing of such a meeting, setting out the terms of the alteration, shall be sent by the General Secretary to each member of the Association PROVIDED THAT no alteration shall be made to the constitutions Objectives Clause, Dissolution Clause, or this Clause until the approval in writing of the Charity Commissioners or other authority having charitable jurisdiction shall have been obtained and no alteration shall be made which would have the effect of causing the Association to cease to be a charity at law.

    Dissolution:

32. If the Committee by a single majority decides at any time that on the ground of expenses or otherwise it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Association it shall call a meeting of all members of the Association who have the power to vote, of which meeting not less that 2 days notice (stating the terms of the Resolution to be proposed thereat) shall be given. If such decisions shall be confirmed by a two thirds majority of those present and voting at such meeting, the Committee shall have the power to dispose of any assets held by or on behalf of the Association. Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to such other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the Association as the Committee may decide or failing that may be applied for some other charitable purpose. A copy of the statement of accounts, or account and statement, for the final accounting period of the Association must be sent to the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales

    Arrangements until first Annual General Meeting:

33. Until the first annual general meeting takes place this constitution shall take effect as if references in it to the Executive Committee were references to the persons whose signatures appear at the bottom of this document. This Constitution was adopted on the date mentioned by the persons whose signatures appear at the bottom of this document.

17 March 2003

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