Supporting information regarding the process to propose transformation to a Community Benefit Society.
The membership of Shildon Railway Institute gave their support, by a strong margin, to a move to adopt a new constitution and rules to become a Community Benefit Society. The decision was made by members in a ballot that ran from Sunday 4th June through to Sunday 11th June 2023.
Our Railway Institute has, throughout its history, depended quite significantly on the support of the various railway companies that patronised it and stepped in when its needs were greatest - for example when the North Eastern Railway Company built our current building.
Since the railway industry left the town permanently in 1984 we've been left to get by on our own means and this is has been increasingly difficult, particularly through this last economically challenging half decade. Though we are well supported across the town and further afield, our building needs some significant investment to keep on serving you all for years to come.
At the 2022 Annual General Meeting of the Institute a motion was tabled, and passed, that the Institute should investigate organisational transformation to reconstitute as a modern form of non-profit organisation that can attract funding support. At a meeting of the Committee it was passed that, in line with the prescribed process for becoming a Community Benefit Society (CBS), an Organisational Transformation Steering Committee be formed to manage the reconstitution of the Institute.
The Steering Committee met every Saturday since the beginning of this year, researching what was necessary in becoming a CBS, scrutinising model rules, assessing the fit for the Institute and creating the draft policies that were prerequisite to being accepted as a CBS. The process of formulation of a proposal has been transparent throughout with minutes of the weekly meetings being posted online and on the Institute notice board. In mid-May the Steering Committee announced their intention to have a meeting of all members on Sunday 4th June at which the details of the proposal would be presented to members. Posters declaring that "It's Time To Decide" were pinned up and posted online. The design depicted a pocket watch, a reference to the incident that caused the Institute to be formed back in 1833 in which George Graham, traffic manager of the Stockton and Darlington Railway encountered locomotive drivers throwing their pocket watches into a frying pan and betting on which would stop first.
A large number of members attended the proposal meeting at which a 20 minute video explaining the rationale was screened and members were given the opportunity to ask questions. The documents making up the proposal had been made available in advance for members to scrutinise. The meeting also marked the beginning of the one week period in which members could collect their ballot paper to participate in the vote. The question posed was whether each member supported the proposal to convert the Institute to become a Community Benefit Society and in doing so to adopt the new proposed rules of the Institute.
The voting closed at 4pm on Sunday 11th June 2023 and the ballot box was unlocked with a count of votes being conducted at 5pm under the watchful eye of the appointed independent scrutineer Professor Alan Townsend of the Friends of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. A number of additional votes had been received electronically through an online process designed to enable members who were no longer locally resident. These had been validated and checked to be non-duplicate before being counted.
At the conclusion of the count, the result was announced by Institute Secretary, Shaun Thompson, who declared that there had been 2 votes against the proposal, and 200 votes for the proposal and that therefore the balloted motion was passed. This outcome was unquestionably decisive in that the 200 votes accounted for more than half of the registered membership.
The Chair of the Steering Committee, Dave Reynolds, thanked the members present for their active participation in this decision making process, and added that becoming a Community Benefit Society was not in itself "a magic wand - but it was at least a ticket to get to meet the Fairy Godmother." He was of course referring to the fact that once the registration of the Community Benefit Society as a CBS was complete we'd be able to apply for funding and be taken seriously.
A process of registering the first converted members and issuing £1 shares in the reconstituted society will commence, and the Institute will take the first steps in registering as a CBS with the Financial Conduct Authority. The committee will be refreshed at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting with all members, including current serving committee members, being invited to nominate themselves to be part of the new committee.
Dates on which the Organisational Transformation Steering Committee met to formulate the proposal
- Saturday 4th February 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 11th February 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 18th February 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 25th February 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 4th March 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 11th March 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 18th March 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 25th March 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 1st April 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 15th April 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 22nd April 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 29th April 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 6th May 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 13th May 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 20th May 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 27th May 2023 - 10:30am - Hackworth Lounge (passed)
- Saturday 3rd June 2023 - 1030am - Hackworth Lounge
All Members Meeting - to commence vote to decide on whether to adopt the proposed change
- Sunday 4th June 2023 - 11:00am - Main Hall
Further meetings may be scheduled if procedings are not concluded by this date.
Current Steering Committee Members
- Mr Dave Reynolds (Chair)
- Mrs Christine Thompson (Vice Chair)
- Ms Michelle Armstrong (Secretary)
- Ms Jane Hackworth-Young
- Ms Kelly Ambrosini
- Ms Tracy Chappell
- Mr Robert Merryweather (first meeting only)
- Ms Hazel Johnson
- Mr Colin White
- Ms Emma Pennington
- Mrs Sue Clarke
- Mr Andy Haines
- Mr Paul Harle
Advisory Partnerships working with Shildon Railway Institute and the Steering Committee
Briefing to the Steering Committee
Before the Steering Committee kick off meeting a briefing was issued to prospective members of the Steering Committee outlining the purpose of the group and principles surrounding its process. This can be accessed using the link below.
Transformation Decision Timeline Briefing
Minutes from Steering Committee Meetings
Additional minutes documents will be added here as the process proceeds
Steering Committee Minutes 21 Jan 2023
Steering Committee Minutes 4 Feb 2023
Steering Committee Minutes 11 Feb 2023
Steering Committee Minutes 18 Feb 2023
Steering Committee Minutes 25 Feb 2023
Steering Committee Minutes 4 Mar 2023
Steering Committee Minutes 18 Mar 2023
Steering Committee Minutes 25 Mar 2023
Steering Committee Minutes 1 Apr 2023
Steering Committee Minutes 15 Apr 2023
Steering Committee Minutes 22 Apr 2023
Steering Committee Minutes 29 April 2023
Guidance Documents from our Advisory Partners
The following documents are part of the advisory package provided by our partners that are helping us to become a compliant Community Benefit Society. We will add additional documents here as we receive them.
How to set up a Community Business (This is a PDF document so will open in your browser. In our case we're already a community business, and have been since 1833 - but certain sections relate to the change we're making to become a recognised type)
Guidance Notes and Submission Checklist (This is a Microsoft Word document, so will download to your computer rather than be viewed in your browser)
Essential Documents Check LIst (This is a PDF document so will open in your browser.)
Membership Strategy Template and Guidance (This is a Microsoft Word document, see above)
Membership Strategy Example (This is a Microsoft Word document, see above)
Reserves & Distribution Policy Guidance (This is a Microsoft Word document, see above)
Progress Dashboard
2024 - Shildon Railway Institute Limited
A FCA Registered Community Benefit Society
Registration Number 9206