Club Rules and Constitution

 Updated July 2019

1. The Friends of Normandy Wildlife

The Friends of Normandy Wildlife is a club based in Normandy, Surrey, but with a membership open to all. The constitution of the FNW was first set out in 2014 and was updated in 2019.

The aims of the organisation are set out in the Mission Statement which may be amended from time to time if agreed by a vote of the membership.

 2. Membership 

It is intended that members shall benefit from their membership by:

  • attending talks and walks at reduced cost where the event is open to non-members
  • being invited to special members-only events
  • participating in the planning of events by putting forward suggestions to the Committee at any time.

The subscription for individual members is agreed by a members’ vote at the Annual General Meeting which is held each April.  At the time of writing (in 2019) the subscription is £10 p.a. per person.

3. Finances

It is intended that the cost of each FNW event will be recovered from the entrance fees charged, with any shortfall met from Club funds or mitigated by the profit from other events.  If sufficient surplus funds are accumulated, the money can be used to fund wildlife projects or purchase products to help with FNW wildlife work.

4. The Organising Committee

FNW is organised and run by a standing committee.  The members work together to develop ideas for wildlife and environmental talks, walks and related activities, including the preparation of articles and other materials to promote the club and illustrate its work.

Members and officers of the committee are elected every 2 years, but additional members can be co-opted by invitation during that time. Co-opted members will need to be approved by the FNW membership at the Annual General Meeting following their co-option.

The committee’s current posts and their responsibilities are as follows:

  • Chairman

The Chairman chairs committee meetings and welcomes members and speakers at FNW talks.  S/he summarises and reports on the club’s annual activities at the AGM and prepares articles for the Villager magazine and other publicity opportunities. The Chairman also ensures that the club’s rules and regulations are reviewed and if necessary updated at intervals determined by the committee.

  • Secretary

The Secretary records the minutes of all club meetings, and keeps these together with other FNW records and reports.  S/he maintains the membership list and contact details in conjunction with the Treasurer.   Other tasks are to circulate members and others who have expressed an interest with information about future FNW programmes and to respond to emails in the FNW email box.

  • Treasurer

The Treasurer is the custodian of all club funds, both incoming and outgoing. The Treasurer ensures that all monies are deposited and recorded accurately and that the club’s financial records are properly kept and maintained.  S/he ensures that financial records are completed in a timely manner and that financial reports are prepared and circulated in good time for the Annual General Meeting.

The committee has several additional posts related to its wildlife work:

  • Ecologist and Website co-ordinator

The Ecologist advises the committee on wildlife and environmental issues and works together with the Website co-ordinator to develop and maintain the FNW website and keep this up to date.

  • Records Officer

The Records Officer collates and records wildlife sightings provided by the committee and FNW members and submits these to the relevant County and national wildlife recording groups.

  • Parish Council Liaison Officer

The Parish Council Liaison Officer reports on FNW matters to Normandy Parish Council and provides feedback to the Committee on Council activities relevant to the club and its responsibilities.

Individual Committee members take additional responsibility for other issues as required.  This includes preparing artwork and publicising FNW activities through local information channels (e.g. local magazines, notice boards, an FNW stand at the Normandy fete and the Parish Council website), identifying and approaching speakers and organising Christmas party.

5. Current post holders (Sept 2023)

Chairman                                   Dr Maggy Jennings OBE

Secretary                                    Linda Pike

Treasurer                                   Gill Woolfson

Deputy Treasurers                   Meryl Boardman & Nicky Ford  

Ecologist                                    Steve Marshall

Website co-ordinator              Heather Sohl

Records Officer                         Bill Stanworth

Parish Council liaison             Heather Sohl

6. Annual General Meeting

An AGM open to all FNW members will be held every year in April, when reports of the club’s activities and annual accounts will be presented by the Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and other Officers.