NACCS is announcing an extarordinary general meeting (EGM) to approve changes to the NACCS constitution.

Summary of changes to the constitution

The proposed changes are effectively a new constitution designed for conversion from an unincorporated charity to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). It follows the Charity Commission’s model constitution and introduces modern charity governance. From a governance perspective, this is a major modernisation rather than a change of the Society’s purpose. The charitable objects remain essentially unchanged, but the governance framework is substantially strengthened.

The main areas of change are as follows.

Area	Existing Constitution	Draft CIO Constitution	Practical effect
Legal status	Unincorporated charity	Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)	Society becomes a separate legal entity with limited liability for members.
Governance	Council	Charity Trustees	Council is replaced by a board of charity trustees with statutory duties.
Charity law	Basic reference to Charity Commission	Fully aligned with Charities Act 2011 and CIO Regulations	Stronger regulatory framework.

Summary of Key Changes to the NACCS Constitution

• Conversion to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), giving the Society its own legal identity and limiting members’ personal liability.
• Council replaced by a Board of Charity Trustees, bringing the Society into line with Charity Commission governance requirements.
• Objects of the Society remain essentially unchanged, preserving the Society’s charitable aims.
• Introduction of statutory trustee duties, including conflict of interest declarations, standards of conduct and trustee responsibilities.
• Resident Member replaces Trainee Member, reflecting current training terminology.
• Associate Members become non-voting members, whereas previously they retained some voting rights.
• President-Elect role introduced, providing formal succession planning within the Executive.
• Modernised governance, including electronic meetings, electronic voting and written resolutions.
• More structured trustee appointment and removal processes, with retirement by rotation and clearer governance procedures.
• General meeting quorum reduced from a fixed 20 Full Members to the greater of 10 members or 5% of the membership.
• Constitutional amendments become more robust, generally requiring a 75% majority (rather than a simple majority) together with Charity Commission approval where required.

Overall, the revised constitution is principally a governance update required for conversion to a CIO. It modernises the Society’s governance while preserving its charitable objectives and core membership structure.

Approval Requirements

20 full members are required to vote in the EGM.

Voting is restricted to full members of NACCS.

Date

Thursday 10th September 2026.

Time

6.30pm – 8pm.

Location

Zoom – A link has been emailed to all eligible members.

Links to Documents

Existing Consitution

Proposed Constitution