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Call for an AGM, 12 noon to 3pm, Wednesday 10th May – The Dytche

On Wednesday 10th May, all students are invited to attend an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Winchester Student Union. The AGM will be taking place as part of the activities arranged for our Recharge Festival and will be formatted so students can drop in anytime between 12noon and 3pm.

This meeting is an opportunity for members to get feedback and information from their elected officers, and the Trustees who manage the Union on their behalf, as well as an opportunity to ask questions relating to the Union and how it represents members' interests.

The business of the meeting will include:

 

After visiting this information page, if you have any further questions about the AGM or the agenda, please email su_pres@winchester.ac.uk

 

Receiving the Accounts of the Union – 21/22

As part of the requirements of being a Student Union and charity, Winchester Student Union are required to have their financial accounts and practices externally audited on an annual basis. This audit, which was started on site in August 2022 and completed in January 2023, was undertaken by auditors Goodman Jones.

Our members are invited to note the below report from our auditors along with our financial accounts for 21/22.

Audited Accounts – 21/22

  • No substantive matters of risk or concern have been identified by the auditors.
  • These accounts recognise a -£24,763 deficit year for the Union.
  • The Union was in receipt of a grant of funds from the University of Winchester of £349,280. After payment of lease back to the University of £95,000, this resolves at £31.77 per student (0.34% of student fee).

 

Ratifying the appointment of Auditors

Via a meeting of both its Trustees and members (AGM), Winchester Student Union agreed the appointment of Goodman Jones as external auditors for a period of three years accounting years, ‘20/21’, ‘21/22’, and 22/23. The Union can therefore confirm that Goodman Jones will be responsible for auditing the Union’s account for financial year 2022/2023. After this, the Union will go back to tender for the appointment of future auditors.

 

Approving a Motion for the incorporation of Winchester Student Union

As a legal entity, Winchester Student Union is currently an ‘Unincorporated association’. The below motion seeks approval from our members to ‘incorporate’ and thereby change our legal identity to a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee. Further information about this can be found in the FAQ below the motion.

Voting on this motion will take place at the AGM, with the simple responses of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to incorporation.

 

Approval of Incorporation – The Motion

This Union notes

  1. That the Student Union is currently an unincorporated organisation.
  2. That the vast majority (over 90%) of Higher Education Students’ Unions are incorporated.
  3. Being incorporated helps protect the Trustees of the organisation. This protection makes it easier to attract the widest number of student, external and officer Trustees.
  4. Incorporating makes no difference to the students or activity of Winchester Students’ Union.
  5. That the constitution requires a resolution of members to allow incorporation.

This Union resolves

  1. To authorise the Trustees to transfer the assets and liabilities of the Union to a limited liability entity established for exclusively charitable purposes with the same or similar objects, and to dissolve the Union at any time following the transfer if it is considered appropriate to do so.
  2. That the assets and activity of the Union shall be moved to the new organisation.

 

Incorporation FAQ

What is our current legal identity/What does it mean to be an unincorporated association?

As noted above Winchester Student Union is currently an ‘Unincorporated association’. This means the Union is an organisation set up through an agreement between a group of people (our student members) who have come together for a reason other than to make a profit (representing the generality of interests and representation of University of Winchester students). This group can only own resources, direct finance and be held accountable through specific individuals called Trustees. Given that we employ staff, enter into contracts, and undertake a full suite of activities, this exposes Trustees to an enhanced level of legal & financial risk.

Pros: You don’t need to register an unincorporated association, and it doesn’t cost anything to set one up.

Cons: Individual members are personally responsible for any debts and contractual obligations.

A further definition of Unincorporated Associations can be found here.

 

What is incorporation?

Incorporation in the context of what the Union is proposing, means that Winchester Student Union will become a legal entity and it, rather than individual trustees, will be liable in the eyes of the law. This brings a measure of protection for the Union and its officers.

 

What difference will being incorporated mean to the student union or its members?

In practice you will see very little difference, and the Union will continue to be democratically led by elected officers and governed by a set of articles of association (much like our current constitution). However, as noted above, incorporation provides protection and limitation to the risk placed on Trustees (who will become known as company directors of the incorporated Union).

 

What are assets and liabilities and why transfer them?

Assets and liability of the Union are all of the physical things we own, charges we have or will make and any bills or other financial obligation we owe. Currently, these are all the sole responsibility of individual Trustees and are not ‘owned’ or ‘owed’ by the Union itself. When incorporated the Union itself will take ownership of such ‘assets’ and ‘liabilities’, guided by company directors (Trustees)

 

What are the Union’s charitable purposes, and will they change?

Our current charitable purposes are governed both by the Education Act ’94 and the Charities Act 2011. They are a set of statements that clearly outline what we do as a Union and how we act charitably. As the obligations of both of these acts will still be in place after incorporation, it is unlikely that our current charitable objects will change (those being):

  1. The Union’s objects are the advancement of education of Students at University of Winchester for the public benefit by:
      1. promoting the interests and welfare of Students at University of Winchester during their course of study and representing, supporting and advising Students;
      2. being the recognised representative channel between Students and University of Winchester and any other external bodies; and
      3. providing social, cultural, sporting and recreational activities and forums for discussions and debate for the personal development of its Students.

When will we incorporate?

The process of Incorporation can be a lengthy and complicated one, which involves solicitors and other specialists to complete. As such, whilst we are seeking permission to incorporate from our members at our AGM in May, if approved, incorporation is unlikely to be completed until summer 2024.

 

Approving the list of Union affiliations, 23/24

Below are a list organisations that the Union proposes to affiliate with, either for access to physical or information resources, or both. All of these are ongoing affiliations with no new affiliation proposed at this time.

Our members are invited to ratify the below list of affiliations for 23/24. Voting on ratifying this list will take place at the AGM, with the simple responses of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to affiliation:

 

National Union of Students (NUS) – this costs circa £6k per annum (or approx. £0.75 per member) and gives Officers access to training, networking and support opportunities. Along with access to a national purchasing consortium allowing us to buy and sell shop and bar products at competitive prices.

Whilst we currently wish to remain affiliated to NUS for the 23/24 academic year, the Union is seeking to hold a cross campus referendum (an ‘all-student online vote’) on future affiliation. The Union has compiled a report on NUS affiliation which can be viewed here.

 

The Environmental Association for Universities & Colleges (EAUC) – this costs £300 per annum and gives our officers and staff access to a large online resource database, networking and information sharing opportunities with over 200 University and Union environmental Managers and other Green champions.

 

The Community Transport Association (CTA) – this costs £400 per annum and gives bespoke advice on running minibuses and transport services in the third sector including access to small bus permits for community use.

British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) – this costs circa £5k per annum and gives access to league matches for many of our sports teams along with training for officers and staff. Actual cost can vary somewhat depending on active sports and performance of sports teams.

 

WonkHE – at a cost of £3700 per annum, affiliation gives officers and staff access to HE policy analysis, briefings and consultations along with daily briefings/news bulletins related to the national HE landscape, training and networking.

 

Advice UK – at a cost of £300 per annum, affiliation gives officers and staff access to support, training and guidance for UK independent advice services.

 

Nightline (London) – this costs circa £2,500 (of which the University is liable to pay two thirds) per annum, and gives University of Winchester Students access to an out of hours peer-to-peer listening support and information service, accessible by phone, Skype, email or IM.

 

Pubwatch – this free affiliation gives the Unions’ licensed trade team access to information and resources from other licensed venues, the city council, police and fire & rescue services all collated by Winchester BID.

 

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