Loomio
Sun 10 Feb 2019 5:44PM

Launching NFGS as a Community Interest Company - Your Feedback Please

DU Deleted account Public Seen by 79

Dear forest garden enthusiasts all :slight_smile: :
Following the AGM last September the shadow board has now put place a number of key documents which bring us to the brink of incorporation. We had been thinking we would become a charity (a so-called Charitable Incorporated Organisation).
In fact 18 months ago when we asked the question (a year before the AGM), out of 55 people then registered here, 8 voted for creating a CIO. We are now almost 100 members.
However, now that we are ready, we understand it could take up to another year to formally become a Charity. The shadow board would very much like to keep up the momentum, to become an official organisation and begin to raise money to further our mission.
We are therefore recommending to our fellow NFGS network members that we become a Community Interest Company (CIC). CICs are limited companies which operate to provide a benefit to the community they serve. A CIC can be set up in a number of weeks. While a CIC will make more of its income through trading than Charity, an asset lock protects its assets for community benefit. And should we so choose we can convert the CIC to a Charity at a later stage.
Please complete the poll! And add any comments below please. Many thanks, Paul

DU

Poll Created Sun 10 Feb 2019 5:51PM

Launching NFGS as a Community Interest Company Closed Fri 15 Feb 2019 5:02PM

Results

Results Option % of points Voters
I support us becoming a CIC 55.6% 10 AD TR CL JH DR NT HG JM RL DU
I support us becoming a CIC as an interim step 38.9% 7 CE RW AB JLM K TF EW
I have strong reasons for suggesting we wait and become a Charity 5.6% 1 MP
Undecided 0% 100 GG KS LM LM DT DU MN FS DS DG JL DW DU AC DR LD AM JS JT AA

19 of 119 people have participated (15%)

DU

Deleted User Sun 10 Feb 2019 8:18PM

I support us becoming a CIC

There are some limitations of the funding that a CIC can receive compared to a charity, however there have been a number of ideas about the NFGS being able to pay key people who could also be directors also some appetite for being a vehicle for members selling services. I think it is worth going for this now accepting that the NFGS could grow in all sorts of ways and different structures may be needed in the future. It would be possible also to have shareholders and pay out limited dividends.

TR

Tomas Remiarz Tue 12 Feb 2019 5:48PM

I support us becoming a CIC

this at least gets us started, and it does not exclude us moving to a different form later.

K

Keith Fri 15 Feb 2019 2:06AM

I support us becoming a CIC as an interim step

Challenging question. Our project is incorporating as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation as we can reasonably translate our intention into the limiting nature of the CIO wording - or at least we hope so! There are lots of benefits to being a CIO including only one set of reporting. CICs have had a bumpy start but you can always change to a CIO or similar at a later date.
We waited 6 months for the Charity Commission to get back to us about our application, so expect serious delays!

DU

Deleted account Sun 10 Feb 2019 5:57PM

Btw here are some ideas about projects we would seek funding for:

  • Produce a "how-to guide" for local authorities (departments for Communities/ Parks): Why forest gardens?; How much does planting cost?; Case examples of successful community engagement, planting and benefits; How NFGS supports long term embedding of skills in local communities.
  • Developing equivalent materials that will explain FG's to community groups.
  • Developing practical frameworks to support the planting of forest gardens - eg planning documents; expert input that situates forest gardens as contributors to bioregional health
  • Developing and launching robust national training pathways that go beyond PDC or Martin's weekend, and support continuous learning
  • Developing and launching a certification process for forest gardens so that a) they hold to the agreed principles b) serve the purpose for which they have been designed
  • Further the research to explore the benefits of community forest gardening in urban areas and their contribution to SDG's
RL

Richard Luff Wed 13 Feb 2019 9:01AM

Hello everybody. I would like to vote for becoming a CIC, as an interim step to becoming a CIO, if and when we are ready. I would keep this second step open, if and when. If I understand Loomio correctly I have already cast a vote - for none of the choices!! So am doing so now out of the poll.