Queens Park Meeting

The first meeting of the Friends of Queens Park took place last week with a walk around the park behind the barriers to see how work was progressing. The new contractor is pressing ahead with great speed.
As you can see all the walls around Burma Island have been removed ready to be rebuilt. All the islands are having all there walls rebuilt as they are giving way. We saw the preparation for the new wooden bridges under way and they should be on site January-Febuary next year with the lake open by March next year
For more detail see our main Queens Park website

The friends of Queens Park now takes over from the Stakeholders and will look after the park in the future. Anyone can join and take part their constitution is set out below

FRIENDS OF THE PARK QUEENS PARK FRIENDS GROUP CONSTITUTION 2009
1. Name
The Name of the Friends of the Park group shall be 'Friends of Queens Park', hereinafter called "The Friends of the Park .

2. Aims and Objectives
To promote the restoration (i,) capturing Queens Park's Victorian splendour, conservation and enhancement of Queens Park in Crewe, for the benefit of residents, visitors, wildlife and fish.
(i) 2009 - Following a lengthy period of development and planning the Heritage Lottery Supported Queens Park Project is underway. The Project Team has been assembled including architectural and engineering consultancies to complement the Landscape Architectural practice Bertram Hyde and Quantity Surveyors EMB Consultants. The practices selected are SBS Architects and the engineers are Scott Hughes Design, both are Manchester based.
To encourage and facilitate greater free access, use of facilities and enjoyment of Queens Park by all. In pursuance of this aim the Friends of the Park group will seek to:
a) ensure that any changes are sustainable and respect Queens Park's heritage and distinctiveness,
b) represent the views of the residents of Crewe and other regions of the Cheshire East Council, in matters concerning the Park,
c) form links and work co-operatively with the Council, businesses, community groups, charities, schools and other appropriate organisations, so that the park may best serve the local community,
d) organise, host and fund events and activities within or associated with Queens Park,
e) compliment other projects moving forward in Cheshire East.
The Friends of the Park group shall be non-political and non-sectarian, and shall operate without distinction of gender, ethnic background, age, disability, sexuality, or religious, cultural or political beliefs.

3. Area of Benefit
The area of benefit of the Friends of the Park shall be the area known as Cheshire East.

4. Powers
The Friends of the Park group, through its Committee may exercise any necessary powers to do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the achievement of the above aims and objectives subject to the consent of Cheshire East Council as 'caretakers' of Queens Park.

5. Membership
Membership shall be open (without distinction of gender, ethnic background, age, disability, sexuality or religion, cultural, or political beliefs) to those interested in furthering the aims and objectives of the Friends of the Park, provided that they have completed an application form and have paid the appropriate subscription fee.
Membership shall be valid for the period of one calendar year from the beginning of April. No membership fees apply.
All categories of membership shall be entitled to cast one vote. The Chairman may utilise a casting vote should it be required.
The Committee shall have the right, for good and sufficient reason, to exclude from membership an individual member, provided that the member shall have the right to be heard by the Committee before such a decision is confirmed.

6 The Committee
The Committee shall consist of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Parks Manager and any other such Officers as the Friends of the Park group may from time to time decide.
The Committee shall total no less than 3 and not more than 16 members including two members of the Youth Council.
a) The Officers and members of the Committee will be elected until the next AGM. They will be eligible for re-election.
c) The Committee may appoint one, or more sub-committees or working
parties and refer any part of its business to them.
d) The Committee shall have the power to fill any vacancies that may arise during its year of office by co-opting additional members.
d) A member of the Committee shall cease to hold office if absent, conseceteviley on three occasions, without the permission of the Committee, from all of their meetings held within a period of six months, or notifies the Committee of their resignation in writing.
e) A Committee member (including officers) may be removed from office before an AGM if two thirds of the Committee support a proposal of "no confidence" against the member, at a meeting of the Committee.

7 Committee Meetings
a) The Committee shall hold at least six meetings each year i.e. approx. 8 week intervals. A special meeting may be called at any time by the Chairperson or by any four members of the Committee, upon not less than four days notice being given to other members of the Committee, of the matters to be discussed.
b) At a Friends of the Park meeting the quorum shall be a minimum of 3 and include at least 1 Officer.
c) In the event that both the Chairperson and any Vice-Chair are absent from a Friends of the Park meeting, the Committee shall elect a temporary Chairperson.
d) Minutes of all meetings shall be kept by the Parks Manager and be available for inspection by members of the Friends of the Park group.
e) Any member of other Queens Park associated committees may attend the meetings of the Committee as an observer.
f) The Committee may, for a specific purpose, invite any individuals outside the Friends of the Park group to attend a meeting.

8 General Meetings
At least 14 days written notice shall be given of the date, time, venue and agenda of Annual General Meetings. At least 7 days written notice shall be given of the date, time, venue and agenda of General Meetings. Non-receipt of a notice shall not invalidate a properly called meeting.
a) An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year in the month of June or as soon as practicable thereafter, but no more than 15 months must elapse between one Annual General Meeting and the next. The business of the meeting shall include
i) The election of Officers and Committee,
ii) The presentation of the annual report of the Committee,
b) Extraordinary General meetings may be convened at any time at the discretion of the Friends of the Park or at the request of at least 12 members of the Friends of the Park, in writing, to the Parks Manager of the group, giving details of the reason(s) for calling the meeting together with copies of any motions to be discussed.
c) The quorum for all General Meetings shall be 12 persons including a minimum of 6 members of the Friends group, including 1 Officer.
d) Any member of the public and/or press, may attend General Meetings as an observer.

9 Voting
a) Every Member of the Friends of the Park group has one vote at General Meetings.
b) Only Friends of the Park group members shall be eligible to vote at any meeting.
c) In the event of an equality in voting, the Chairperson may cast a second deciding vote.
d) When, in the opinion of the Chairperson, it is necessary for a vote to be taken at any meeting, this may be taken by a show of hands or by secret ballot at the Chairperson's discretion.

10 Finance
The Friends of the Park group shall be able to receive, without favour, donations, gifts or contributions and empower the Committee to raise funds by legal means.
a) All monies received shall be paid in to a Cheshire East holding account in the name of the Friends of the Park group. The Queens Park Manager shall be authorised to release funds as requested by the Chairman on behalf of the Friends of the Park group.
b) All monies raised by or on behalf of the Friends of the Park group shall be applied to further the objectives of the Friends of the Park group and may be used to meet the cost of agreed projects and activities.
c) The Parks Manager shall report on the state of the Friends of the Parks group finances at each Committee meeting and all transactions shall be made available for inspection.
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e) The financial year shall be from April 1 to March 31 . At the end of each financial year, the accounts shall be prepared, certified and presented at the next AGM.
f) If the Friends of the Park group is dissolved, any surplus funds should be given to Cheshire East Council for expenditure with regards to Queens Park, in-line with the Aims and Objects of the Friends of the Park group.

11 Interpretation of Constitution
In all matters of dispute on the interpretation of this Constitution or on all matters on which the Constitution is silent, the Friends of the Parks group decision shall be final.

12 Dissolution
The Friends of the Park group may at any time be dissolved by a resolution passed by a majority of two thirds of those present and voting, at a General Meeting of which at least fourteen days notice shall have been given, specifying that this is the purpose of the meeting.

13 Amendments to the Constitution
This Constitution may be amended in any respect (other than this clause) by a resolution passed by two thirds of the members present and entitled to vote at any General Meeting of the Friends of the Park group.
Notice of any proposed amendment must be communicated to the Queens Park Manager in writing at least fourteen days before the meeting at which the proposal is to be moved. Notice, in writing, of these proposals shall be sent to members not less than seven days before the meeting.