The KASSSI Constitution

Objectives & Constitution

KASSSI was founded in July 2007, with the aim of supporting the Health, Social Welfare and Education of children, young people and their families who live in rural communities in Jamaica and are experiencing disadvantages as a result of economic challenges, social isolation and exclusion. Our projects, grants, or services, are not intended to be life changing by themselves. However, they can have a significant impact in offering opportunity, exposure and hope.

The Objects and Activities of the Charity:

1. KASSSI has a commitment to involving local communities in different activities and initiatives that will focus on promoting independence, rehabilitation and improve well-being. The aim is to support positive grassroots change, which ultimately can be managed and sustained independently by the community members. In doing so, the Charity will seek to stimulate and empower families, through amalgamated projects and services; to work in partnership with, to garner support, consult, seek advice and guidance from the children, young people, their families and community representatives.

2. KASSSI will assist the families (initially in Petersville Westmoreland Jamaica, but other rural areas as the charity expands), by providing goods, services and small one-off financial grants for special purposes in deserving cases in any manner, which constitutes the furtherance of a charitable purpose according to applicable laws within England and Wales for the time being. These projects are intended to make a positive contribution to the lives of children, young people, when their safety, health or development are jeopardised. The projects will provide necessities such as clothes, beds, bedding and essential items of furniture and household equipment. Additionally, the charity will support funding associated with a childs’ education, as well as occasional short-term therapy costs for children where the benefits are clearly established from the outset.

3. For the purpose aforesaid to collaborate specifically with the KASSSI Jamaica Management Team and other organisations established for the benefit of children and families, by making grants in aid to any charitable organisation to further suitable schemes for which it may require support and which are in keeping with KASSSI’s aims and objectives. Grants can be requested for a wide range of purposes, provided that the item (or service) to be funded is absolutely crucial to the well-being of the child or young person. Items that are merely desirable, rather than essential, will not be eligible for support.

4. KASSSI is a non- sectarian, egalitarian charity, which will not discriminate or make value judgements against individuals or families who seek assistance, on the grounds of gender, religious preference, sexual orientation or political affiliation. KASSSI respects religious liberty and values all people. Consequently, KASSSI will aim to help anyone in need if it is within the Managements Team’s capability. An essential precept of KASSSI’s work is to provide help while conscientiously maintaining the confidentiality and dignity of those who are assisted, encouraged and served.

a) The Charity is passionate about supporting and enhancing quality of life for children and their families, particularly those without a voice. Whatever their situation, each individual deserves something to look forward to, and the opportunity to live life to the full.

b) The affairs of KASSSI will be controlled by the Management Team based in England in consultation with the Jamaica Management Team (JAMATE) based in Jamaica.

c) The Management Team (MT) shall comprise of not less that a Chair, Treasurer and Secretary. The committee reserve the right to appoint co-opted members, as it deems appropriate. The provision of paragraph four shall apply to elected members and provisions of paragraph five shall apply to co-opted members.

d) No member of KASSSI Management Team shall be under the age of 18 years old.

e) The members of the Management Team shall not be entitled to any remuneration of payment out of the charity’s income for funds except those members of the Management Team who may be repaid “cash out of pocket expenses” properly incurred in the pursuit of the charity’s affairs as may be agreed by the Management Team.

f) The Management Team shall meet four times per calendar year in order to examine its affairs and also to discuss the applications sent to the charity. However, the charity reserves the right to meet more often if deemed necessary.

g) Decisions of the Management Team shall be a simple majority (except where otherwise required by the Constitution). The Chair of the management Team (or in their absence, a person acting as Chair pursuant to paragraph four), shall be entitled to vote in the event of any equality of votes shall have an additional casting vote.

h) If the Chair of the Management Team is absent from a meeting, the Vice Chair or failing that, a Trustee nominated by the Management Team shall act as the Chair of that meeting.

i) The Management Team reserves the right to invite other persons to its meetings. However, these persons are not allowed to vote in any circumstance.

j) As soon as practicable after every Annual General Meeting (AGM) the Management Team will appoint from its own members a Chair and a Treasurer and it may appoint a Vice Chair or Secretary and any such officers as is deemed necessary at the time. The annual report is also presented at this meeting.

5. Elected Members

a) The elected members shall be elected at the (AGM) and (subject to the following provision) shall continue as such until the election at the following AGM.

b) An elected member shall cease to be member if:
(i) They resign;
(ii) They cease to be a paid up member of the Charity;
(iii) They fail to attend three or more consecutive meetings of the Management Team and not less that half of the other members of the Management Team resolve that they shall cease to be members.

c) In the event of a vacancy occurring, through any cause, the Management Team shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy and such person shall continue as a member of the Management Team until the election at the following AGM and shall be deemed a Management Team member.

6. Co-opted Members

a) The elected members may from time to time and by a unanimous decision, appoint additional personnel to be co-opted members.

b) A co-opted member shall continue as such, until the happening of one of the following:-
(i) They resign
(ii) All the other elected members resolve that they shall cease to be members.

c) Notwithstanding the above provisions, there shall not, at any one time, be more that four non-elected members on the Management Team.

7. KASSSI shall be non-profit making and all income, funds, assets and property, shall be applied in furtherance of the charity’s objectives.

8. Accounts and records of financial affairs shall be kept by the Treasurer who will prepare an annual account for presentation at every AGM. Additionally, the Management Team may require the Treasurer to produce their records and documents at any time.

9. (a) The charity shall have powers to hold funds and property, which shall be held by or vested in the members of the Management Team, or such of them as they may nominate, provided that the charity shall not undertake any permanent trading activities in raising funds for its charitable objects.

b) The Management Team shall have powers to raise money by means of donations, gifts and legacies, grant in aid from statutory and other authorities, loans and fundraising event sponsorship.

c) The Management Team may affiliate the Charity to any statutory or other authority, association or organisation having similar objects to KASSSI.

d) The Management Team may open and operate a Bank or similar account and shall authorise such of its members as it thinks fit to sign cheques and the like, on its behalf. Any Bank or similar account shall be in the name of KASSSI the charity only, and not in the names of individual members of the Management Team. Not less than two members of the Management Team must sign cheques. The Management Team may make other banking arrangements, with regards to disseminating funds and other petty cash facilities.

10. The Management Team may employ, on a full-time, part-time or sessional basis, such personnel as researchers, play facilitators, advisers and any other persons as they see necessary not being members of the Management Team for the proper running of the charity’s affairs. They shall be paid such salary or their remuneration and on such other terms and conditions as the Management Team may resolve.

11. The Management Team may make rules, regulations and conditions not being inconsistent with the provision hereof concerning the conduct, behaviour and expulsions of members of the charity of persons participating in the activities or attending the charity’s premises.

12. The Management Team may appoint a person to be the charity’s President and persons to be Vice President, Patron, Sponsors, Associates or Friends of the Charity. A person or persons to be appointed, shall continue as such, until such time as the Management Team shall otherwise resolve and they shall be honoraria only and have no rights to participate in the Management of the charity’s affairs.

13. The Management Team may appoint a Sub-committee comprising such members as the Management Team may decide, provided that at least a majority of members of such sub-committee are members or the Management Team.

a) The Management Team may appoint and remove sub-committee members at any time as it may decide.

e) Sub-Committee shall have such powers and functions as the Management Team may from time to time decide (but shall not have powers to deal with any matters or decisions pursuant to paragraphs 12, 15 or 16 of the Constitution).

f) Sub-Committee shall be answerable to the Management Team who may overrule any decisions they may make.

g) The Management Team may from time to time make rules, regulations or requirements concerning the functioning, running, meetings and appointments of officers of Sub-Committee as it thinks fit.

h) Members of the Management Team may attend Sub-Committee meetings.

i) Sub-Committees shall give such information about their affairs, and produce such documents in their control to the Management Team as the Management Team may from time to time decide or request.

14. Annual General Meeting (AGM).
a) There shall be an AGM once in each calendar year. An AGM shall not be more that 45 weeks after the date of the immediately preceding AGM.

b) The only persons entitled to vote at an AGM shall be paid up members of the Charity and the persons who were the members of the Management Team immediately before the AGM and those representatives of groups mentioned in 16.

c) Other persons may be invited or permitted to attend an AGM but shall not be permitted to vote.

d) Notice of an AGM shall be widely distributed 14 days of the prospective meeting using a number of forums such as telephone, email, text, letter and word of mouth.

e) At every AGM:-

(i) Members shall be elected to the Management Team
(ii)A report shall be given to the meeting of the affairs of the charity since the last AGM. The immediate past Chair of the Management Team or such person, shall give such report as the Management have decided.
(iii) The Treasurer shall present a report of the Charity’s finances to the meeting.
(iv) Such other matters shall be dealt with as the meeting requires, or as may have been directed by the Management Team, which was in existence immediately before the meeting.
(v) Elected members of the immediate past Management Team shall be eligible for re-election.
(vi) The Chair of the Management team immediately preceding the AGM shall be Chair of the AGM and in their absence a Vice Chair shall act as Chair or in their absence any other person as the meeting may decide.

f) The Charity may be dissolved or wounded up by a resolution of not less than two-thirds of all members of the Management Team. Such resolution shall give instructions for the disposal of all funds, money, property and assets then held by the Management Team on behalf of the Charity after paying off all debts and liabilities. Such disposal shall not be to the members, The Management team or employees of KASSSI, but shall be to such other charitable institution or institutions, organisation or organisations having objects similar to some or all of the objects set out in the Constitution.

g) The Charity may be dissolved by resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at a Special General Meeting convened for the purpose of which 21 days notice shall be given to the members. Such resolution may give instructions for the disposal of any assets held by or in the name of the Charity provided that if any property remains after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities, such property shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Charity but shall be given to or transferred to such other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to some or all of the objects of the Charity as the Charity may determine and if and in so far as effect cannot be given to their provision, then to some other charitable purpose.

h) Alteration to the Constitution shall receive the assent of two-thirds of the members present and voting at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting. The Secretary of the Charity must receive a resolution for the alteration of the Constitution at least 21 days before the meeting at which the resolution is to be brought forward. No amendment shall be made to the objects, or the payment of trustees without the Charity Commission’s prior written consent.

Membership:
Any person interested in actively furthering the purposes of the Charity and contribute an annual sum of £300:00 or such other reasonable sum as the Committee shall determine from time to time shall be a member of KASSSI and shall be entitled to attend and vote at all general meetings of the Charity so long as his or her current subscription has been paid, but a person whose subscription is more that two years in arrears shall cease to be a member. The Committee shall have the right, for good and sufficient reason, to terminate the membership of any person provided that the person shall have the right to attend a meeting and be heard by the Committee before the decision is made.

Amendments:
(1) The Charity may amend any provision contained in Part 1 of this Constitution provided that:
(a) no amendment may be made that would have the effect of making the Charity cease to be
a Charity at law;
(b) no amendment may be made to alter the Objects if the change would not be within the
reasonable contemplation of the members of or donors to the Charity;
(c) no amendment may be made to clause 4 without the prior written consent of the
Commission;
(d) any resolution to amend a provision of Part 1 of this constitution is passed by not less
Than two thirds of the members present and voting at a general meeting.
(2) Any provision contained in Part 2 of this constitution may be amended, provided that any such amendment is made by resolution passed by a simple majority of the members present and voting at a general meeting.
(3) A copy of any resolution amending this constitution shall be sent to the Commission within 21 days of it being passed.
Trustees and Management Team (MT)