Club Constitution
AVON VALLEY RUNNERS
Club Constitution
A downloadable copy can be found here
Contents
3.5 Membership Responsibilities
4.1 Annual General Meeting (AGM)
4.2 Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM)
4.3 Management Committee meetings
1. Title
The name of the Club is Avon Valley Runners, and is headquartered at the Trowbridge Rugby Football Club, Doric Park, Paxcroft, Hilperton, Wiltshire, BA14 6JB.
The Club is affiliated to England Athletics, and to Wiltshire Athletics Association.
2. Object and Purpose
The object of the Club is the promotion of social and competitive participation in road, cross-country and multi-terrain running and multi-discipline events such as duathlons and triathlons:
To promote the Club and running and multisports within the local and wider community
To engage in, and to promote competitive racing
To provide and support a high-quality coaching provision to cater for all levels of ability and interests
To provide opportunities for social runs and social activities generally for its members
To provide a safe, supportive and inclusive environment for the membership
Our Mission Statement is
To be the Club of choice for runners in West Wiltshire, and to be a Club of excellence and support for the promotion of running as a sport and a recreational pursuit.
3. Membership
3.1 Eligibility
Membership is open to all individuals who support the purpose of the Club, from the age of 11, and regardless of ability, race, gender, or background.
Prior to becoming a Club member, potential new members may attend up to a maximum of three sessions, following which they will be required to take out membership before attending any further sessions. This trial period does not extend to other benefits of a membership.
3.2 Categories of Membership
Members may choose to subscribe on an annual basis to the appropriate membership category, and may elect to additionally subscribe to England Athletics
Adult Competitive (Full Membership + EA subscription)
Adult Social (Full Membership WITHOUT EA subscription)
Second Claim (Where membership is held with another Club and EA subscription is with that Club; the ‘First Claim Club’)
Youth Competitive (Youth Membership + EA subscription)
Youth Social (Youth Membership WITHOUT EA subscription)
In addition there are two membership classes which may be awarded by the management committee.
‘Honorary Membership’ may be awarded at the discretion of the Committee to people who have made a significant contribution to the Club in a given year, and remains in place for the membership year.
‘Life Membership’ may be awarded at the discretion of the Committee to people who have made a significant contribution to the Club over a number of years.
3.3 Membership Fees
Annual fees shall be proposed by the Management Committee, and shall be decided by a vote of the members at the AGM.
The membership year runs from 1st April to the following 31st March; the membership year mirrors that of England Athletics.
Memberships taken out from 1st January to 31st March will be deemed to include Club membership for the following membership year without further fees being due.
If a membership renewal is not received by 31st May, the member is deemed to have ended their membership on 31st March, at the expiry of the preceding membership year. Any booked events will be cancelled at this stage, and the lapsed member may not attend, and the lapsed member will be removed from all closed communication channels.
In the event of membership cancellation during the membership year, neither the full amount nor proportion of any paid fees will be refunded.
Honorary Members are exempt from paying an annual membership fee to the Club for a given year, and Life Members are exempt from paying an annual membership fee to the Club in perpetuity.
Prevailing fees for both Club membership, and EA subscription fees can be found on the Club website.
3.4 Membership Rights
Full Members have the right to participate in any and all Club activities, subject to age constraints. These include (not exclusively)
Representing the Club in races
Eligibility for closed Club events
Participation in coached training sessions
Participation in Club social runs
Personal coaching by Club sponsored coaches (subject to invitation)
Inclusion in the Goal Getters programme
Social events
Second Claim Members may participate in all Club activities with the exception of:
Representing the Club in races which are league or championship events
Representing the Club when their first claim Club is in attendance
Qualifying for Club competitions and records
Eligibility for England Athletics benefits
3.5 Membership Responsibilities
3.5.1 Adhering to the constitution and prevailing Club rules
All members are required on taking out, or renewing their annual membership, to agree to comply with the prevailing Club Constitution and Club rules. Members have an obligation to make themselves aware of these commitments.
3.5.2 Conduct
The Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat of intimidation, harassment and abuse.
All Members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity, and agree to abide by the Club’s Code of Conduct (link to the Club’s Code of Conduct)
3.5.3 Club colours
The colours of the Club shall be in accordance with the Club kit registered with England Athletics and as currently advertised on the Club website.
Club Colours must be worn by all members at officially certified races, where they enter as a Club runner, or where the race is included in a Club, or a Wiltshire race league unless:
Representing a county or country, when required to wear those colours, and
Participating in a race where promoting a charity
Engaging in charity events run solely for the purpose of supporting that charity
4. Meetings
4.1 Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The annual general meeting will take place as soon as is reasonably practicable in April and is open to all Club members.
The purpose of the AGM is:
to receive the committee's report and financial statement
to elect officers and committee, and
to deal with any other matter specified on the agenda
The honorary secretary must give members twenty-one days' notice of the meeting. Proposals, nominations and any other items desired to be included in the agenda must be given in writing to the honorary secretary for consideration at least fourteen days before the meeting.
To pass any resolution, there is no required quorum, and the meeting requires more than 50% of the attendees.
4.2 Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM)
An EGM may be called by either the Management Committee, or by request to the Management Committee of a minimum of 20 members. Its purpose is to deal with urgent or important issues which the Management Committee cannot decide on.
The EGM is called in the same manner as the AGM, but at any time during the membership year.
The Honorary Secretary shall give at least seven days' notice to every member of the time and place of any special general meeting and of the business to be dealt with, and no other business shall be dealt with at any such meeting.
To pass any resolution, there is no required quorum, and the meeting requires more than 50% of the attendees in favour to adopt the resolution.
4.3 Management Committee meetings
The remit of the Management Committee is:
To ensure the smooth day to day running of the Club
to report, view and manage the Club’s finances and other resources
to identify, agree and brief tactical and strategic initiatives; adopting new policy, codes of conduct and rules affecting the organisation of the Club
to appoint, manage and direct working groups
to approve expenditure requests
to review and address safeguarding and health and safety issues
to manage member’s questions
The Committee will meet after Club training on the first Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday of each month at a suitable and agreed venue unless in extenuating circumstances when it will be arranged no later than the second week of that month.
Five Committee members will constitute a quorum.
All Club members are encouraged to raise issues with the Management Committee, and may attend meetings at the discretion of the meeting Chairperson.
5. Management and Governance
The management of the Club is vested in the Management Committee:
The Core Committee consists of the following:
Chairperson (or up to two Joint Chairs)
Vice Chair (not required if there are Joint Chairs)
Honorary Secretary and Assistant Secretary
Honorary Treasurer
Minutes Secretary
The full Management Committee comprises the Core Committee, plus the following:
Road Race and Off-Road Race secretaries
Membership Secretary
AVR Youth Secretary
Multisports Secretary
Safeguarding Lead
Kit Secretary
In addition the Committee may appoint such other additional officers and committee members as may be deemed desirable for the optimum operation of the Club. The committee may at its discretion fill any vacancy which arises.
The meeting consists of a full Management Committee quarterly in January, April, July and Ocober, the other monthly meetings consisting of the Core Committee, however other committee members are free to attend.
Core committee meetings do not vote on resolutions, but refer these onto the full committee. Votes in the Management Committee meetings require a quorum of 5 members, which must include one Chair, one Secretary, and the Treasurer. In the case of a resolution affecting an area in which there is a dedicated committee member, then that committee member must also form part of the quorum.
The honorary role of President shall be elected in an Olympic year for a four year term and will oversee the election of the management committee and act as a figurehead for the Club. The President shall be supported by up to four honorary Vice-Presidents whose term shall also finish in an Olympic year, regardless of election date.
6. Finance
All Club monies are banked into an account in the name of the Club, and are managed by the Honorary Treasurer.
Annual budgets and forecasts will be prepared by the Honorary Treasurer and must be agreed by majority vote at full Management Committee meeting.
Budget holders are authorised to procure and commit to costs in line with the agreed budget without the requirement of further authorisation, but must provide relevant documentation to the Honorary Treasurer.
Any unanticipated spend in excess of £300 must be agreed by majority vote at the Management Committee meeting.
The use of all profits from races and other events must be agreed by the Management Committee in advance.
An annual financial statement will be presented by the Treasurer at the Annual General Meeting.
Avon Valley Runners Youth (AVRY), responsible for Youth members aged 11 to 16 is not a separately financially accountable section of the Club. It is managed by the AVRY working group, headed by the AVR Youth Secretary who sits on, and is accountable to the Management Committee.
Avon Valley Triathletes (AVT), responsible for all multi-sport involvement is a separately financially accountable section of the Club. It is managed by the AVT working group, headed by the Multi-sport Secretary, who sits on, and is accountable to the Management Committee.
7. End of Membership
7.1 Non-renewal
Any member failing to renew their membership in accordance with 3.3 will cease to be a Club member.
7.2 Resignation
A member wishing to resign from the Club shall give notice in writing to the honorary secretary, and their membership will terminate on the date of that notice unless they are financially indebted to the Club, in which case the committee may withhold acceptance of the resignation until such indebtedness is discharged.
If a member wishing to resign from the Club is also affiliated to England Athletics and intends to compete for an alternative Club as a first claim athlete, then they must complete the appropriate change of first claim Club form and submit to the Honorary Secretary prior to informing England Athletics.
7.3 Discipline
Any complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be submitted in writing to the Secretary. The Management Committee will meet to hear complaints at the following monthly meeting, or, in the case of a safeguarding or safety complaint as soon as possible.
The committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including the termination of membership.
The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within seven days of the hearing.
A right of appeal to the Management Committee is available following disciplinary action being announced . The committee will consider the appeal within three weeks of the Secretary receiving the appeal, and the decision notified to the parties.
Any decision made by the Management Committee, with or without an appeal is at the sole discretion of the Management Committee.
Amended as Agreed 2025