GOVERNANCE

COATS is a registered charity – No. 1152306.

It was originally registered in 1970 with registration no. 259897 but in 2013 the Trustees, with the permission of the members, applied to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), a new form of charity introduced in the Charities Act 2011. All the assets and liabilities of the unincorporated charity were transferred to the CIO at the time of the change (August 2013).

The Charity’s accounts can be viewed on the Charity Commission website.

The Charity is managed by a group of usually 12 volunteer Trustees who meet monthly to manage the Charity’s affairs in accordance with its Constitution, details of which can be accessed on the Charity Commission website. The Trustees elect the Officers who comprise the Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary.

Prospective Trustees are identified and are recruited by word of mouth. They are then invited to a meeting or two to see whether they are happy to undertake the responsibilities. If so, they are proposed at the next Annual General Meeting. New Trustees undertake an induction process that includes being made aware of their responsibilities as Trustees, the governing document, administrative procedures and the history and philosophical approach of the Charity.

The Trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the Charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error. All policies and procedures are regularly under review and updated as necessary.

The day-to-day management of The COATS Centre is delegated to the Centre Manager, Mrs Bernie Dunstone, who provides a monthly report on the status of and any issues relating to the Centre.