1. Name
The club shall be called Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club (FWCC) (hereinafter called the club).
2. Affiliation
The club shall be affiliated to and abide by the rules, event guidelines and/or insurance conditions set out by British Cycling, Cycling Time Trials, The Cyclists Touring Club and any other bodies to which the Club is affiliated, with the approval of the committee.
3. Aims and Objectives
The club shall aim to positively promote, encourage and facilitate the development and participation in the sport of cycling in all its forms and in particular:
- To offer riding, coaching and competitive opportunities in cycling
- To promote the club and cycling within the local community
- To ensure a duty of care to all members of the club.
- To provide all its services in a way that is fair to everyone.
4. Equality Statement
The club is fully committed to the principles of the equality of opportunity.
No participant, volunteer, job applicant or employee of the club will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, colour, disability, ethnic origin, parental or marital status, religious belief, social class or sexual preference than any other.
The club will ensure that there is open access for all those who wish to participate in the activities of the club, in whatever capacity and that they are treated fairly.
The club recognises its legal obligations not to discriminate and will regard discrimination by any employee, participant or volunteer as grounds for disciplinary action under the relevant club rules.
5. Welfare
5.1 The club recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults who are in membership of the club. The club will aim to provide good quality cycling in a safe environment by adopting all the procedures and working practices of the policies of British Cycling including in relation to the Codes of Practice, Equality Policy and Safeguarding Policies in relation to Children and Vulnerable Adults. It will also attain and maintain Sport England Clubmark accreditation for juniors (children under 18 years of age) and adopt the Community Amateur Sports Club constitution, insofar as this may be applicable to these rules, without prejudice to the Club’s existing conditions of membership or any restrictions placed upon the participation of juniors in certain events.
5.2 The Club will appoint a Welfare and Safeguarding Officer in accordance with the guidance set by British Cycling who will also monitor welfare issues to conform to the guidelines of any organisation with whom the Club interacts.
6. Membership
6.1 The club shall consist of the Officers and the members.
6.2 In accepting membership, a person agrees to abide by the Constitution of the Club and the decisions of the Club Committee.
6.3 All members are also required to abide by British Cycling’s’ Code of Conduct.
6.4 The Club committee shall be responsible for considering whether applications for membership should be accepted. This decision shall be made in accordance with the Equality statement in paragraph 4.
6.5 Members under the age of eighteen shall be considered as junior or youth members. There will be no minimum age to join the Club but prospective members under the age of 18 will always require parental consent to them becoming members and they will be subject to Club rules. The Club reserves the right to refuse membership to unaccompanied children who do not have parental consent or personal commitment from their immediate family.
6.6 Members under 16 years of age and Riding members shall not have the right to vote at Club Meetings.
6.7 Members will be enrolled in one of the following categories:
- Full member/state pensioner Full member.
- Associate member.
- Junior member (up to 18 years of age)
- Youth member (under 16 years of age)
- Riding member – See para 6.9
- Honorary member
6.8 Any member wishing to resign from the club may do so by handing in a written resignation to the Secretary or by notifying an official of the Club orally. He/she will be entitled to any award won during the calendar year.
6.9 Riding membership is open to members of other clubs who wish to race for their other club. Riding members are not eligible to win club racing trophies or set club records, additionally they are not eligible to vote at the AGM or borrow club equipment.
6.10 It is a condition of membership that each member assists with the organisation of least two Club events annually. The Club reserves the right to refuse event participation to those who do not volunteer to assist.
7. Membership Fees
7.1 Membership fees shall be set at the Annual General Meeting and may vary according to the category of membership.
7.2 Membership fees shall be due on first joining the Club and then annually from that date, payable to the Club Treasurer. Any member having not renewed their subscription three months after the due date shall be deemed to have resigned from the Club and will no longer be entitled to its benefits.
8. Club Committee
8.1 The Club Committee will act for the members in the day to day running of the club and shall be comprised of the following appointees: Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Sunday Rides Organiser, Racing Officer, Time Trials Officer, Coaching Officer, Junior Section, Social Secretary, Clothing Officer and Ladies Representative.
- These Officers shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting and hold their posts until the next AGM, but may seek re-election at that AGM.
- Up to 2 members may co-opted throughout the year as necessary on the decision of the Chairman and members of the committee to fulfill vacancies or special projects provided that co-opted members do not comprise more than one third of the Committee members.
8.4 The proceedings of the Club Committee shall not be invalidated by any vacancy among their number or by any failure to appoint or any defect in the appointment or qualification of a member.
- Any liabilities incurred shall fall upon the membership of the club providing the Club Committee acts in accordance with the Constitution, in honesty and good faith.
- The Club Committee shall normally meet bi-monthly or as determined by the Chairperson and the Secretary who will convene all meetings. An emergency committee meeting may be called at any time provided that at least five members of the committee are present.
- The quorum necessary for Club meetings shall be 7.
- The Club Committee shall be responsible for interpreting the Club Constitution in relation to the operation of the club’s affairs. The Club Committee may from time to time make or alter the byelaws of the Club. Any such addition or alteration to the byelaws must be laid before the next annual general meeting of the Club for ratification. No byelaw, rule, standing order or other regulation may be made which is inconsistent with this constitution
- Proposed amendments to the Constitution can only be agreed at the AGM.
- The Club Committee will manage all property owned or leased by the Club but members assume responsibility for its maintenance and proper use whilst it is in their care.
8.11 A member of the Club Committee shall cease to hold office if he or she:
- ceases to be a full current member of the Club; or
- is absent without permission of the Club Committee from all their meetings held within a period of six months and the Club Committee resolve that his or her office be vacated; or
- gives notice to the Club Committee that he or she wishes to resign.
9. Finance
9.1 All monies raised by, or on behalf of the club shall be applied to further the aims and objectives of the club and for no other purpose.
9.2 The club Treasurer is responsible for collecting membership subscriptions and maintaining the financial accounts of the club detailing all income received and expenditure made.
9.3 All club monies will be banked in an account held in the name of the club.
9.4 All payments, drafts, etc. drawn on any account shall be authorised by two of the following officers, Chairperson, Vice Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer. Any Club cheque/payment for a sum in excess of £250 must be authorised by a 3rd Committee member.
9.5 The financial year of the club starts on 1st October and ends on 30th September of each year.
10. Annual General Meeting and Extraordinary General Meetings
10.1 An Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the club shall be called by the Club Committee and held in December of each year. At this meeting the annual report of the Club Committee and the independently audited statement of accounts up to the end of the financial year shall be presented.
10.2 The Secretary shall give no less than 21 days’ notice of the date of the AGM to all members.
10.3 All full and honorary members of the Club shall be entitled to attend and vote at the meeting.
10.4 Only full current members of the Club in their own right may be elected to the Club Committee.
10.5 The Chairman of the Club then in office shall be the chairman of each annual and extraordinary general meeting, but if he is not present, before any other business is transacted, the persons present shall appoint a chairman of the meeting.
10.6 All elections of Officers shall be confirmed at the AGM. The Secretary should receive all nominations for Officer’s posts not less than fourteen days prior to the AGM. Nominations shall require support from 2 members of the club eligible to vote. Elected Officers shall hold office from the conclusion of the meeting.
10.7 The dates of the AGM and the Club Committee meetings shall be determined at the previous meeting. In addition, the Chairperson may call a meeting when he or she considers it necessary or desirable, or upon the written request of at least three members of the Club Committee.
10.8 The quorum for general meetings shall be 20 members present who are eligible to vote.
10.9 An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) shall be called upon receipt of a request in writing to the Secretary stating the business of the meeting and signed by not less than 20 members. The only item on the agenda of such a meeting shall be that business detailed on the application. Members must be given at least 21 days’ notice of such a meeting.
10.10 If after 30 minutes from the time stated for the commencement of the meeting there are still insufficient members present to form a quorum, the meeting shall be adjourned to another time and place. The adjourned meeting shall take place within 42 days of the date of the original meeting, or as soon after as is practicable.
10.11 If at the adjourned meeting there are insufficient members present to form a quorum, the meeting will proceed after a delay of 30 minutes unless sufficient members are present before that time to form a quorum.
10.12 Any proposed alteration to the Club Constitution or Rules can only be made at an AGM and in accordance with Paragraphs 14.3 to 14.6.
11. Voting Procedures for all meetings
11.1 All members of or over 16 years of age are entitled to vote at meetings and shall have equal voting rights.
11.2 A motion shall be carried by a simple majority of those present or voting by approved proxy, except when the motion is a Constitutional amendment, which shall require a two-thirds majority.
11.3 In the event of equal votes being cast, the Chair shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberate vote.
12. Discipline and Appeals
12.1 The Club Committee shall have the authority to take appropriate disciplinary action against any member of the club and the discretion to terminate membership if any person is found guilty of conduct deemed detrimental to the club.
12.2 Should a disciplinary issue involve the Welfare of a child or vulnerable adult then the British Cycling Welfare Officer and any other relevant authority will be informed.
12.3 All individuals have the right of Appeal to any disciplinary decision made by the Club Committee.
12.4 Any request made for an Appeal Hearing should be made to either the Secretary or Chairperson within 14 days of the Disciplinary decision.
12.5 An Appeal Hearing should be convened within 14 days of the request for an Appeal being submitted.
12.6 An Appeal Hearing should be convened by a member of the Club Committee and no more than four additional Club members who are independent of the original Disciplinary Hearing and subsequent decision. An independent member of the Appeal Hearing may be appointed.
12.7 The Appellant has the right to be accompanied by another member of private representative
13. Notices
Any notice required to be served on any member of the Club shall be in writing and shall be served by the Secretary or the Club Committee on such member either personally or by sending it through the post in a prepaid letter addressed to the member at his or her last known address in the United Kingdom, and any letter so sent shall be deemed to have been received within 10 days of posting.
14. Review of the Constitution
14.1 This Constitution should be reviewed a minimum of once every two years.
14.2 Any amendments to the Constitution can only be agreed at the Club’s AGM.
14.3 Proposed additions to, or alterations of the Constitution shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary not less than 14 days before the date of the AGM. All suggested amendments should be signed and seconded. No motion involving an amendment to the Constitution may be proposed from the floor of a meeting.
14.4 In the event of a proposal for amending the Constitution being submitted, the Secretary shall inform the membership of the proposed motion not less than 10 days prior to the AGM.
14.5 Any amendments to the proposed motion duly proposed and seconded shall be submitted not later than seven days before the meeting.
14.6 Any alteration to the Constitution shall require a two-thirds majority of members voting and present or represented by a proxy.
14.7 Members who are not able to attend an AGM or EGM are given the power to appoint an attending member of their choice to make a proxy vote. Applications for a proxy vote must be made to the committee no less than 10 days before an AGM or EGM. Meetings must be quorate excluding proxy votes. Applications must be made using a FWCC proxy vote form which details the full process and is available from the Secretary. Members who are nominated to make a proxy vote can only do so for one absent member.
14.8 All matters arising that are not provided for by the Constitution will be dealt with by the Club Committee, whose decision shall be final.
15. Club Events
15.1 The Organiser of any event run by or on behalf of the Club is given absolute discretion to allow or refuse participation by any member who is considered to be unsuitable or unprepared for the event.
15.2 Any Organiser of an event must submit to the Club Committee a full account for all income and expenditure connected with the event.
15.3 Members must obey the Highway Code and the Club Runs Leader whilst on Club runs, and not behave in any manner which may bring the name and good reputation of the Club into disrepute.
16. Property
Permanent Club trophies are the property of the Club and must be returned to the Secretary 9 months after receipt. The committee may re-assign Club trophies which have not been awarded for 3 years for another purpose, if felt to be appropriate.
17. Dissolution procedures
17.1 In the event of the club ceasing to exist and following the discharge of all debts and liabilities, any assets at the time of dissolution shall become the property of British Cycling. No member shall obtain any asset form the club.
17.2 The club may be wound up upon a motion proposed and seconded by club members and passed by a two-thirds majority at a special meeting convened for that purpose following a written request signed by 50 members of the club.
18. Declaration
Fareham Wheelers Cycling Club hereby adopts and accepts this constitution as a current operating guide regulating the actions of members.
Approved by members at the 2013 AGM held on 7th January 2014.
As Approved at EGM held on 28th March 2017 – 1st Amendment
As Approved at AGM held on 13th December 2022