Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd
A Terms and Conditions
The company is established as a legal entity to fight the injustice done to women born in the 1950s (on or after 6 April 1951) regarding the changes to their state pension age and to manage their interests including managing legal action. It will also promote and carry out the regulation and governance of fundraising carried out for such purposes.
1. MEMBERS
Full Members - No person shall be admitted as a member of the Company unless she is a woman born in the 1950s who has been affected by the increase in UK State Pension Age and as such has interests. Every person who wishes to become a member shall deliver to the Company an application for membership in such form that the Directors require executed by her with such additional information or evidence as Directors may require with regard to her eligibility for consideration for membership of the company. This application will be accompanied by the Annual Membership Fee.
Concession Members - will be women in the same category as above but who are in receipt of UK meand-tested State Benefit and who will be a reduced donation rate and who submit an application in such form as required.
Associate Members - will be supporters of the campaign who have donated a minimum of the full membership fee and who submit an application in such form as required. Associate members are entitled to attend General Meetings but will be excluded from voting & representation on committee.
A member may at any time withdraw from the Company by giving notice in writing to the Company. There is no refund of membership fee. Membership is not transferable and ceases on death.
If a membership has not been renewed within 7 days of expiry, it will have been deemed to have expired on the last day of membership. The membership will then start from the date the renewal is paid.
2. Membership fees
Members will pay a joining fee or an annual renewal fee for ongoing membership. This fee is set at £25 per annum, £15 per annum if the member is in receipt of UK State Benefits.
This fee may be paid in 12 monthly instalments which when combined add up to the annual fee. Full members will pay an initial instalment of £3.00 followed by 11 monthly payments of £2.00. Concession members will pay 12 equal instalments of £1.25 per month.
The membership conditions will be the same as for members paying annually and as described in Section 1 MEMBERS.
If the fee is to be changed then this will be voted on at an Annual General Meeting and communicated to all members.
3. Liability of members
The liability of members of a company limited by guarantee is limited to the sum of £1. The liability, being the amount that each Member undertakes to contribute to the assets of the Company in the event of its being wound up while she is a Member or within one year after she ceases to be a Member, for payment of the Company's debts and liabilities contracted before she ceases to be a Member, payment of the costs, charges and expenses of the winding up, and adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves. This liability cannot be extended.
4. Expulsion of member
The directors may terminate the Membership of any Member without her consent by giving the Member written notice if, in the reasonable opinion of the directors, the Member:
• is guilty of conduct which has or is likely to have a serious adverse effect on the Company or bring the Company and its campaign or any or all of the Members and directors into disrepute; or
• has acted or has threatened to act in a manner which is contrary to the interests of the Company and its campaign as a whole; or
• has failed to observe the terms of these Articles.
Following such termination, the Member shall be removed from the Register of Members.
The notice to the Member must give the Member the opportunity to be heard in writing or in person as to why her membership should not be terminated. The directors must consider any representations made by the Member and inform the Member of their decision
following such consideration. There shall be no right to appeal from a decision of the directors to terminate the Membership of a Member.
A Member whose Membership is terminated under this Article shall not be entitled to a refund of any subscription or Membership fee (if any) and shall remain liable to pay to the Company any subscription or other sum owed by her.
5. Ownership of the company
Members do not have rights of ownership in the company. Any surplus on winding up is to be paid to UK registered charities that are approved by the members at an Annual General Meeting.
6. Decision making by & rights of members
• The ability to be elected and to elect from members ta “Members Committee” which provides a structure to participate and communicate on behalf of represented members
• Electing representatives who will have a place on the Board of Directors of Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd.
• Attending an Annual General Meeting to learn about the company’s finances and vote on important matters to agree on our long-term strategy and our governance structure, approve audited accounts, elect committee and to elect the Board.
• Putting forward resolutions and voting on them at Annual General Meetings
• Elected representatives will be appointed as Member Directors to attend Board Meetings.
• Having the right as a member to put forward a resolution to decide the minimum and maximum number of Directors or to remove a Director, subject to rules on quorum and majority.
6.1. Members Committee
Members will be entitled to stand for election to a committee to represent their views and opinions to the Board of Directors. This Committee will constitute up to 15 members who will be nominated and seconded and then voted for by full members where there are more than 15 nominations.
Each member can nominate once.
This committee will meet at least biannually and from that Committee shall be elected 2 Members to sit on the Board of Directors of Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd.
7. Votes of members
At a meeting every Member who is present in person (or by proxy) shall on a show of hands have one vote; and
Every Member present in (or by proxy) shall on a poll have one vote.
Votes may be organised via online facility and every member will have one vote.
POLL VOTES
A poll may be demanded at any general meeting by decision of the Directors present and persons entitled to vote at the meeting.
8. General Meetings and Resolutions
An Annual General Meeting and an extraordinary general meeting called for the passing of resolution or a resolution appointing a person as a Director shall be called by at least 21 clear days’ calendar notice. All other extraordinary general meetings shall be called by at least 14 clear days’ notice. An ordinary general meeting may be called by shorter notice if it is agreed by all the members entitled to vote.
The notice shall specify the time and place of the meeting and in the case of an annual general meeting shall specify the meeting as such. Notice shall be distributed to all Directors and members.
No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum of 5 is present.
If a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for a general meeting the meeting shall be dissolved
On a show of hands and on a poll every member present in person or by proxy shall have one vote.
9. Income
The income and property of the Company from wherever derived shall be applied solely in promoting the Company's objectives.
No distribution shall be paid or capital otherwise returned to the Members in cash or otherwise. Nothing in these Articles shall prevent any payment in good faith by the Company of:
9.1.reasonable and proper remuneration to any Member, officer or servant of the Company for any services rendered to the Company
9.2.any interest on money lent by any Member or any director at a reasonable and proper rate;
9.3.reasonable and proper rent for premises demised or let by any
Member or director; or
9.4.reasonable out-of-pocket expenses properly incurred by any director.
10. Winding up
On the winding--up or dissolution of the Company, after provision has been made for all its debts and liabilities, any assets or property that remains available to be distributed or paid, shall not be paid or distributed to the Members (except to a Member that qualifies under this Article) but shall be transferred to a nominated approved UK registered charity/ies with scope and/or objectives similar to those
of the Company. Such body to be determined by resolution of the Members at or before the time of winding up or dissolution and, subject to any such resolution of the Members, may be made by resolution of the directors at or before the time of winding up or dissolution
B Data Protection Policy
Policy Statement Legal Requirements Managing Data Protection Purpose of data held by Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd Data Protection Principles Policy Statement
Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd (Waspi Campaign) is committed to a policy of protecting the rights and privacy of individuals, voluntary members, volunteers, staff and others in accordance with The Data Protection Act 1998. The policy applies to all voluntary members and staff at the community Centre. Any breach of The Data Protection Act 1998 or Waspi Campaign Data Protection Policy is considered to be an offence and in that event, disciplinary procedures apply.
As a matter of good practice, other organisations and individuals working with the Waspi Campaign and who have access to personal information, will be expected to have read and comply with this policy. It is expected that any staff who deal with external organisations will take responsibility for ensuring that such organisations sign a contract agreeing to abide by this policy.
Legal Requirements
Data are protected by the Data Protection Act 1998, which came into effect on 1 March 2000. Its purpose is to protect the rights and privacy of individuals and to ensure that personal data are not processed without their knowledge, and, wherever possible, is processed without their consent.
The Act requires us to register the fact that we hold personal data and to acknowledge the right of ‘subject access’ – voluntary and community group members and staff must have the right to copies of their own data.
Managing Data Protection
We will ensure that our details are registered with the Information Commissioner.
Purpose of data held by Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd
Data may be held by us for the following purposes:
1. Staff Administration
2. Fundraising
3. Realising the Objectives of a Not for Profit
4. Accounts & Records
5. Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations
6. Information and Databank Administration
7. Processing For Not For Profit Organisations
8. Research
9. Volunteers
10. Legal challenge, and shared with our Appointed solicitors
Data Protection Principles
In terms of the Data Protection Act 1998, we are the ‘data controller’, and as such determine the purpose for which, and the manner in which, any personal data are, or are to be, processed. We must ensure that we have:
1. Fairly and lawfully processed personal data
Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd will always put our logo on appropriate paperwork, stating their intentions on processing the data and state if, and to whom, we intend to give the personal data. Also provide an indication of the duration the data will be kept.
2. Processed for limited purpose
We will not use data for a purpose other than those agreed by data subjects (voluntary members, staff and others). If the data held by us are requested by external organisations for any reason, this will only be passed if data subjects (voluntary members, staff and others) agree. Also external organisations must state the purpose of processing, agree not to copy the data for further use and sign a contract agreeing to abide by The Data Protection Act 1998 and Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd Data Protection Policy.
3. Adequate, relevant and not excessive
We will monitor the data held for our purposes, ensuring we hold neither too much nor too little data in respect of the individuals about whom the data are held. If data given or obtained are excessive for such purpose, they will be immediately deleted or destroyed.
4. Accurate and up-to-date
We will provide our members (voluntary members, staff and others) with a copy of their data once a year for information and updating where relevant. All amendments will be made immediately and data no longer required will be deleted or destroyed. It is the responsibility of individuals and organisations to ensure the data held by us are accurate and up-to-date. Completion of an appropriate form (provided by us) will be taken as an indication that the data contained are accurate. Individuals should notify us of any changes, to enable personnel records to be updated accordingly. It is the responsibility of the Organisation to act upon notification of changes to data, amending them where relevant.
5. Not kept longer than necessary
We discourage the retention of data for longer than it is required. All personal data will be deleted or destroyed by us after one year of non membership has elapsed.
6. Processed in accordance with the individual’s rights All individuals that the Organisation hold data on have the right to:
• Be informed upon the request of all the information held about them within 40 days.
• Prevent the processing of their data for the purpose of direct marketing.
• Compensation if they can show that they have been caused damage by any contravention of the Act.
• The removal and correction of any inaccurate data about them.
7. Secure
Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of data. All Organisation computers have a log in system and our Contact Database is password protected, which allow only authorised staff to access personal data. Personal and financial data is kept in a locked situation, and can only be accessed by the Executive officers. When staff members are using the laptop computers out of the office care should always be taken to ensure that personal data is password protected, on screen is not visible to strangers.
8. Not transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area, unless the country has adequate protection for the individual. Data must not be transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area without the explicit consent of the individual. The Organisation takes particular care to be aware of this when publishing information on the Internet, which can be accessed from anywhere in the globe. This is because transfer includes placing data on a web site that can be accessed from outside the European Economic Area.