Friends of Cwmdonkin Park

Friends of Cwmdonkin Park is a not-for-profit community organisation open to anyone who has an interest in the park. Our vision is to make sure that as many people as possible are able to enjoy the park – whether for play, relaxation, or community events.

We organise or facilitate FREE events for the community, our regular annual events being as follows:

• An Easter Egg Hunt;
• A summer fun day;
• A Halloween event; and
• A Christmas event.

We also organise additional events from time to time – including special events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the park in 2024.

If you wish to join Friends of Cwmdonkin Park to help with such events or to help in other ways, please get in touch with us via the contact button.

• We rely entirely on donations and fund-raising activities to enable us to put on our events in the park. If you are able to make a donation to help us continue running our events, please consider doing so via the donation button.

Name 

1. The Group shall be called ‘Friends of Cwmdonkin Park’ (hereafter referred to as FOCP).

Affiliation 

1.  At present there is no recognised national or regional governing body for park regeneration. Therefore, FOCP will be unable to affiliate to such a body. The aspiration of the group will be to be part of such a governing body when practical. 

Aims and Objectives 

The objectives of FOCP are to actively aid the regeneration of Cwmdonkin Park (hereafter referred to as “the park”) and its facilities and specifically:  

3.1 To make the park the best it can be for the community and encourage community engagement with the park. 

3.2 To support the authority (as defined in section 11.1) with time, effort and money to help maintain the park and make it as beautiful and bio-diversified as possible. 

3.3 To help in education about the park, its history, flora and fauna. 

3.4 To provide community events in the park.   

 

3.5 To provide, restore, retain and enhance equipment for the park for recreation and health improvement.   

 

3.6 To promote cleanliness of the park 

 

3.7 To interact with other groups, e.g. gardening clubs, sports clubs, and schools. 

  

3.8 To promote links between Dylan Thomas and the park. 

3.9 To liaise with other groups regarding development of Parks and Gardens in the City & County of Swansea and to work in partnerships with groups that include: 

• City & County of Swansea Community Development & Parks Operations Sections. 

• Comprehensive Schools. 
• Primary and Junior Schools.  
• Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers. 
• Youth Services. 
• Gardening groups. 
• Residents of Cwmdonkin and surrounding areas, and other related groups. 
• Any other group deemed appropriate. 

 

 3.10 To provide members of FOCP with: 

• Regular planning meetings 
• Regular feedback on minutes of meetings and decisions made  
• Nomination rights and Voting rights 

  

Membership 

1. FOCP shall consist of Honorary Officers (The Executive Committee – “The EC”) and Members 

 

1. Membership of FOCP shall be open to and not unreasonably restricted to anyone who is prepared to accept and support the objectives of the group and pay any agreed membership subscription 

 

1. In accepting membership a person agrees to abide by the constitution of FOCP and the rulings of The EC. 

 

1. Members under the age of 18 will be considered Junior Members.  

 

1.      Members under the age of 18 will not be eligible for any office of The EC that has a  

           legal status. 

 

Membership Fees 

5.0      Membership fees shall be stipulated by The EC after consultation with the FOCP members at the Annual General Meeting or at a specially arranged General Meeting as an annual payment. 

 

5.1     The EC may decide upon other charges or subscription after consultation with the members. 

Officers 

1. At the FOCP Annual General Meeting, the members shall as the first order of the day elect a Chair. The Chair will then take the meeting and the following officers shall be elected to The EC: 

A Secretary, and a Treasurer, any other office the members deem necessary. These shall be the Honorary Officers.  Honorary Officers must be members of FOCP but may not be elected local councillors. 

 

1. The Honorary Officers shall hold office for a calendar year, being elected annually at
   FOCP Annual General Meeting (AGM). All Honorary Officers shall retire Annually but still be eligible for re-appointment subject to provision 9.5. 

 

 Executive Committee 

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of no fewer than three (3) members and no more than twelve (12) members. 

1. The Quorum for general meetings shall be six (6) members including at least three (3) of the Executive Committee; or 10% of the Membership, whichever is greater. 

 

1. The Executive Committee may fill any casual vacancy occurring, after consultation with
   members attending a general meeting. 

Finance 

1. All monies raised by or on behalf of FOCP, including Local Authority funding and sponsorship, shall be used to further the objectives of FOCP and for no other purpose. 

 

1. The Executive Committee shall be legally responsible for the proper use of monies raised
   as set out in section 8.0.  The Treasurer is responsible for the proper recording of
   FOCP finances. 

 

1. Proper accounts shall be kept of all sums of money received and paid out by the FOCP. 

 

1. An independently examined statement of accounts, up to and including this date, shall be presented at the AGM. 

 

1. The funds of FOCP shall be lodged at a bank or building society in an account in the name of FOCP, and all cheques, drafts etc. drawn on these accounts shall be signed by any two of the Honorary Officers. 

 

1. In the event of the resignation of one or more of the signatories, immediate action must be taken to remove their name from the bank or building society’s records. 

Annual General Meeting and other Meetings 

1. An AGM will be held in July to September of each calendar year.
    

1. The Constitution must be agreed at the AGM after election of officers. If
   amendments are proposed, the motion shall require a two-thirds majority vote. 

 

1. An annual report and an independently examined statement of accounts, up to the end of the financial year, shall be presented at the AGM. 

 

1. The Secretary shall give not less than twenty (20) working days’ notice of the date of the AGM to all members. 

 

1. The AGM shall elect Honorary Officers in accordance with clause 6.0 

 

1. The Secretary shall receive nominations for Honorary Officers not less than 7 days prior to the AGM. Nominations shall be accepted from the floor of the meeting. Nominations can only
   be accepted from persons eligible to vote at the AGM. 

 

1. The dates of other general meetings and Executive Committee meetings shall be
   determined at the previous meeting. In addition, the Executive Committee may call a
   meeting when considered necessary, or upon the written request of at least two (2) members
   of FOCP subject to giving five (5) working days’ notice to members. 

 

1. All members shall be entitled to vote at general meetings of FOCP and shall have equal voting rights. 

 

1. The quorum for the AGM shall be six members including at least three (3) Honorary Officers. 

 

1. An extraordinary general meeting (EGM) shall be called by an applicant in writing to the
   secretary signed by no fewer than 10% of the members, allowing five (5) working days’ notice to members. 

Voting Procedures 

1. Each member shall be entitled to one (1) vote. 

 

1. A motion shall be carried by a simple majority of those present and voting, except when
   the motion is a constitutional amendment, which shall require a two-thirds majority. 

 

1. The chair shall have a casting vote in addition to a deliberative vote. 

Property and Staff 

1. The park is owned by the City and County of Swansea (“the authority”). However, if FOCP decides to purchase fixed equipment to be put into the park, the nature and ownership of such equipment must be agreed with the authority in advance. FOCP shall only purchase any fixed equipment after receiving confirmation from the authority whether it will underwrite the ongoing maintenance of such equipment. 

1. Any items which are purchased by FOCP and not fixed will remain in the ownership of FOCP. 

Discipline and Appeals 

12.0   The Executive Committee shall have the power to take appropriate disciplinary action              against any member and shall have the authority to terminate the membership of any member guilty of conduct deemed to be to the detriment of FOCP. 

12.1    There shall be the right to appeal to the Executive Committee or an appeal committee set up  

by it to act on its behalf, against any such disciplinary action. If the matter cannot be             resolved an independent arbitrator can be appointed. 

 

 

Dissolution Procedures 

 

1. In the event of FOCP ceasing to exist, and following the discharge of all debts and liabilities, any assets at the time of dissolution shall be gifted in trust to the City and County of Swansea or any bodies as the Executive Committee sees fit that will best serve the community for which the assets were purchased. No member shall obtain any asset of FOCP. 

 

Signed………………………………………… (Chair and Treasurer) 

 H W Austin 

 

Signed………………………………………….(Vice-chair) 

A P Dobson 

 

Signed………………………………………….(Secretary) 

M O’ Carroll 

 

 

Date……………………………………………