Membership of the Company
As a Community Interest Company, Growing Better Lives CIC has been established for people who want to be involved in an organisation that benefits the community, rather than just the owners, managers or employees – a social enterprise. As a CIC we must:
- meet the Community Interest Test;
- file an annual CIC report with our accounts;
- keep the community in touch with our activities;
- only use our assets and profits for the community specified (or pass them to another body with similar features), known as the asset lock;
- be registered at Companies House in the same way as a normal company with the same incorporation documents but supplemented by a Community Interest Statement.
We are therefore seeking interested and sympathetic people to become members of the Company. We offer two categories of membership: Individual or Organisation. The term of membership is five years: during this time the individual or organisation can resign from membership. After five years another application for membership can be made. ***Currently our membership is full and we are not taking new applications***
Membership guidelines
As a member you will have the right to do the following things:
- attend and vote at general meetings;
- receive the annual accounts of the CIC;
- elect the directors by voting at the meeting;
- approve the regulations proposed by the directors relating to the governance of the CIC including the procedures governing applications for and approval of grants from the CIC’s community fund;
- vote on any fundamental changes to the nature of the CIC, its name, its purposes, its policies or what happens to its surplus income.
You will not become liable for any debts of the CIC by becoming a member, nor will you become liable if someone brings a legal case against the CIC. If the CIC were to be wound up (if, for example, it cannot pay its debts) you would have to pay £1 to the CIC.
You will not be entitled to receive any dividend or other income from the CIC. If the CIC has surplus funds these will be retained to pay for the CIC’s activities in the following years.
Apply for Membership
. ***Currently our membership is full and we are not taking new applications***
All nominated members will be approved by the directors under Article 23 of our Articles and Memorandum of Association and, in the event of more that the stated number of applicants being received, the Directors will select those members which they believe will produce a balanced membership both in terms of locality and type of interest..
You do not need to pay any money to become a member but we welcome all donations! Click here to be taken to our ‘Donate’ page. And if you don’t want to join us a member but wish to support us in other ways you can donate or email us at members@growingbetterlives.org to tell us what support you can give.