Thurrock Community Forums

Community Forums are independent community groups which bring together local residents, councillors, voluntary groups, businesses and service providers such as doctors, schools, police etc.  

There are 15 active Forums in Thurrock, all helping their members to be more involved in decisions affecting their locality, including where delegated funding can be directed to be most effective.  Forums are also able to apply for grants themselves or organise fundraising initiatives, to undertake projects to enhance their area.

Thurrock Council and partner agencies use Forums to enable them to consult the community and address issues more effectively.

Having a Community Forum gives your area a voice.

Forums are a great place to raise your concerns, however here are some further contacts that you may also find useful

Thurrock Association of Forums

Thurrock Association of Forums

THURROCK ASSOCIATION of FORUMS CONSTITUTION

(Constitution adopted at the 15th December 2020 AGM of TAF)

 

1. NAME

The name of the organisation is Thurrock Association of Forums, hereinafter
referred to as TAF.

 

2. MEMBERSHIP

All Community Forums within the Unitary Authority of Thurrock area are
members of TAF. Should any Community Forum not wish to be represented
by TAF and not participate in TAF membership, a resolution to this effect shall
be communicated by that Community Forum Secretary to the TAF Secretary.
It is, however, open to any such Community Forum to apply at some date to
rejoin TAF.

 

3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

a. To ascertain the views of its member Community Forums on matters of
common interest, to provide a forum for discussion of these views and to
communicate the consensus view to local and central government, other
public bodies and the general public.

b. To increase the collective influence of Community Forums and to
strengthen their identity throughout Thurrock. ( Experience shows that
community forums share many common interests with little that divides
them. To have a realistic hope of successfully promoting the best interests of
their communities, there can be no more effective means than speaking
loudly and clearly, with a single voice)

c. To facilitate the flow of information between Community Forums and with
Thurrock Council and other public bodies.

d. To support individual forums or groups of forums faced with local issues
which are not necessarily of Thurrock-wide significance.

 

4. BUSINESS

a. Meetings – There will be a minimum of one Annual General Meeting
(AGM) and three ordinary Committee meetings each year. The AGM will be
held in the month of June and the AGM agenda must be issued at least 14
days before the AGM.

b. A quorum, as defined in 7c, may request an additional Committee meeting,
or Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to deal with specific matters. Any
such requests are to be notified in writing to the Secretary and arranged by
the Officers within 42 days of notification.

c. Decisions may be taken by written procedure (email or hard copy) and
must be considered for ratification at the next physical meeting.

d. In times of crisis, for example a natural disaster/pandemic, the deadline for
holding an AGM may be extended or emergency measures may be adopted
for remote attendance, proxy voting and/or adjourning, postponing or
cancelling the meeting on the basis that it is impossible to hold it.

 

5. FINANCE

a. The Treasurer shall open a bank account in the name of Thurrock
Association of Forums. He/she shall keep proper and accurate accounts of its
finances and shall produce a statement independently examined by a suitably
qualified and independent person for the Annual General meeting of TAF.
There should be 4 signatories: Secretary, Treasurer, Chair and Vice Chair, and
all cheques will require 2 signatures. None of the cheque signatories can be
related by birth, marriage, or civil or common partnership.

b. Funds cannot be used to pay Committee members except to refund
legitimate expenses.

c. Funds and property must only be used for the purposes of the group.

d. The Officers shall have authority to spend up to £100, any such

expenditure to be reported to the next Committee meeting. Any additional
expenditure must be authorised by the Committee.

 

6. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE

a. Each Community Forum shall be entitled to have one Nominated Member
to represent it on TAF. A Community Forum may nominate a substitute to
attend a meeting in the absence of its Nominated Member. Unless otherwise
notified the contact details for the Community Forum will be those of the
Nominated Member.

b. In all dealings with TAF and its membership, Nominated Members or
substitutes shall observe Community Forum’s Code of Conduct.

c. The Officers of TAF will be elected at the AGM. Officers shall decide on
procedural and administrative matters only and any other matters as may
be delegated to them by the Committee from time to time. No TAF member
shall hold more than two Offices at any one time.

d. Officers will stand down at each AGM but will be eligible for re-election.
Nominations for officers will be submitted to the TAF Secretary no less than
14 days prior to the AGM.

e. The Officers shall consist of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer
and such other positions as TAF may decide. In the event of the inability or
unwillingness of any Officer to carry on, whether temporarily or permanently,
the remaining Officers shall jointly arrange an additional Committee meeting,
which shall decide what action to take, including if necessary the
appointment of a substitute Officer until the next AGM.

 

7. VOTING

a. Should a vote be required on any issue, each Community Forum
representative shall have only one vote.

b. The Chair or failing that, the Vice Chair, will have a casting vote if required.

c A quorum shall consist of one quarter of the TAF membership.

 

8. ALTERATIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

The Constitution can only be altered at the TAF AGM or at an EGM convened
for that purpose. Notice of any wording of a proposed alteration must be
sent to the Secretary at least 21 days prior to the meeting. Two thirds of
eligible votes will be required for approval.

 

9. DISSOLUTION OF TAF

If, at an AGM or EGM, TAF determines that it should be dissolved, the
Officers shall, before relinquishing office, carry out all administrative
procedures to bring this about in an orderly manner. The Treasurer shall
prepare a final account, shall close the bank account and return any funds to
the source(s) from which they came or in an appropriate proportion thereof.

Signed: ……………[C. S. Towlson]……………………………..
Chair of TAF
Date:….15th December 2020……..

Find your local Community Forum

Go to Aveley and kenningtons Forum

Aveley & Kenningtons

Belhus and Ockendon

Belhus and Ockendon

Bulphan Forum

Bulphan Village

Chadwell St Mary Forum

Chadwell St Mary

Corringham Fobbing and Homesteads Forum

Corringham Fobbing & Homesteads

Horndon Forum

Horndon

Little Thurrock Forum

Little Thurrock

3

Orchards

9

Orsett

7

Purfleet-on-Thames

2 (2)

Stanford

14

Thameside

12

Tilbury

11

Welcom West/East Tilbury

8

West Thurrock & South Stifford