Charity Membership

As a charity we have a Memorandum and Articles of Association, which set out how the charity is governed; simply put, it’s a set of rules. According to these rules, Babylon ARTS (whose register charity name is ADEC, Arts Development in East Cambridgeshire) is required to have Members who are referred to as ‘Charity Members’.

This membership is different to our paid membership scheme, where individuals pay a small annual fee to access benefits such as free and discounted cinema tickets and get invited to subscribing membership events etc.

There is no charge for becoming a Charity Member. Individual people or organisations can apply to become a Charity Member and their membership needs to be approved by the trustees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why might you want to be a Charity Member?

Charity Members are invited to the Annual General Meeting and any other General Meetings that are called by the trustees in order to fulfil our statutory obligations as a registered charity and registered company.

Where a vote is held at one of these meetings, Charity Members have a vote.
Charity Members will be sent the draft Annual Accounts prior to the AGM
Charity Members can influence the direction and policies of the charity and formally appoint the charity trustees

Is there anything expected of Charity Members?

Charity Members would be required to:

Treat all other Charity Members, staff, trustees and volunteers at the charity respectfully and fairly
In dealing with or about the charity, uphold the charity’s good reputation
Have a proper interest in and regard for the charity and take decisions in the best interests of the charity
Inform us if you change your name or address, including your email address so that we can keep in touch with you.
Declare any conflict of interest, such as duty or loyalty owed to another organisation or person which may affect your ability to act in the best interests of Babylon ARTS.
Should the charity be wound up, each Charity Member undertakes to contribute up to £1 to the charity’s assets.

The full description relating to all the rules of the charity, including how Charity Members operate can be found in the Memorandum and Articles of Association.

How long is my membership for?

You remain a Charity Member until one of the following:

Your application to ‘retire’ is granted by the trustees
You resign your Membership. (Please note that in cases both of retirement and resignation this will not be permitted if less than 2 Charity Members would then remain when you would have to remain a Charity Member until further Charity Member(s) are appointed)
You pass away or the organisation (if it’s an organisational membership) ceases to exist
The trustees resolve that it is not in the best interest of the charity for Membership to be maintained
The Charity Member owes a sum of money to Babylon ARTS, for any reason, that is not paid within 6 months of falling due.

Can I be a paid member of Babylon ARTS and a Charity Member?

Yes, these memberships are separate. If your paid membership lapses and you continue to uphold the requirements of membership above, you would remain a Charity Member.