A discussion has been started on the civic societies website about the future role of regional associations, do you feel you would benefit more from county federations or is the current regional structure giving you the necessary voice you need?

The Civic Trust's Model Constitution has been refined over the years and should meet the need of any Civic Society however wide its interests and activities. Even if certain clauses do not seem necessary at the outset (e.g. those providing for property ownership) they may be useful in the future and it saves time and avoids inconvenience at a later date to incorporate them from the start. New societies are strongly recommended to adopt the Model as it stands without alteration. The temptation to tamper, however strong, is best avoided, but if any problems do arise, the Trust will be glad to hear of them and to offer advice.

In cases where the Model Constitution is followed, societies will need to duplicate their own copies for distribution to members. An application to register with the Civic Trust should be accompanied by one of these copies.

Click here to access the new constitution

The Charities Act 2006 introduces a new legal form of incorporation which is designed specifically for charities, the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
At present charities can be set up with a corporate structure but this means that they normally fall within the requirements of company law as well as charity law. In particular, they have to register both with the Charity Commission and the Registrar of Companies at Companies House and provide accounts and returns to both. As the framework of company was designed primarily for commercial organisations this may mean that it is not always suitable for charities.