Frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding ELREC membership

 

If you or your organisation are committed to promoting equality and challenging prejudice and discrimination, one of the ways you can show your support is by becoming a member of ELREC.

Membership is free and it couldn’t be easier. Simply complete and sign the relevant form and send it to the address shown. We’ll do the rest.

 

Who can be a member of ELREC?

 

Membership of ELREC is open to both individuals and organisations.

Individuals must be aged 16 years or over. If you usually live within the Edinburgh and Lothians area you are eligible for Full Membership. If you live outwith this area you may be admitted to Associate Membership.

Organisations that are charities or non-profit distributing bodies working in Edinburgh and Lothians are eligible for Full Membership. Other organisations that support ELREC’s work may be admitted to Associate Membership.

For legal reasons ELREC needs to distinguish between organisations that are companies and those that are not (unincorporated organisations). Companies may join in their own name. Unincorporated organisations must nominate an individual to become the member on their behalf.  There is a different membership application form for each.

 

What is the difference between Full and Associate Membership?

 

All members are entitled to participate in the events and activities ELREC organises for its members and others.

All members are entitled to receive notice of, to attend and take part in general meetings of ELREC, including the Annual General Meeting. The difference is that only Full Members may vote at such meetings.

Both Full and Associate Members are eligible to serve as Directors on ELREC’s Management Board. However, only Full Members can propose someone for appointment, or vote on any appointment.

What does it mean to be a member?

 

ELREC is a limited company. Being a member is rather like being a shareholder, except there are no shares to buy or sell, and you don’t get any payout if the company makes a profit! 

But, as mentioned above, it does give you the right to come to general meetings, to hear what the company has been doing and, for Full Members, to vote on business and to appoint the company’s Management Board (the Directors).  The Directors are the people who manage the company on the members’ behalf. They are accountable to you. As a member you will even have the opportunity to stand as a Director yourself, if you’re really keen.

Membership does not entitle you to any special rates, discounts or preferential use of any of the services ELREC provides. ELREC is set up to benefit the public, not just its members. It’s not like a private club. But you will be kept informed of what’s going on and ELREC is planning all kinds of activities that will give members the chance to get more involved in its work.

Above all, becoming a member is a way of showing your support for all the important work ELREC does, for contributing your ideas and influencing the way it develops in the future. A company is a democracy; the more members it has the more democratic it becomes, the more skills and ideas it draws upon and the more attractive it looks to potential funders and investors.

 

Can I withdraw from membership?

 

Yes. As a member you can withdraw by giving written notice to ELREC at any time. 

Your membership also has to be renewed annually. Each year (in March) ELREC will write to you inviting you to renew and checking that the details we hold on you are correct. If you do not wish to renew you need not reply. Your membership will then lapse automatically.

 

What happens to the information I give when I join?

 

Your application for membership will be considered by a Membership Panel acting on behalf of the Management Board. The Panel uses the information you have given to decide whether you can be admitted to membership and which category of membership you will be assigned to.

By law ELREC is required to keep a Register of current and former members. Your contact details will be entered in this Register and used to send you important information and notices. Because this includes personal information about you (your name and address, for example) ELREC is registered under the Data Protection Act as a ‘data controller’. Even if you leave membership ELREC is required by law to hold information about you on its Register.

ELREC will not disclose your personal information to anyone else unless it is required to do so by law. When you apply to join you are asked to sign to give consent to ELREC holding your information in its records.

 

Can I be refused membership?

 

You must meet the conditions of eligibility for membership. For example, you cannot be accepted as a member if you are under 16 years of age and you cannot be a Full Member if you live outwith Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The Membership Panel can, in exceptional circumstances, recommend to the Management Board that your application for membership is refused even if you meet the conditions. This step would only be taken where there are serious grounds for believing you would not act in ELREC’s best interests. In such cases we would contact you first and you would have the right to be heard before such a decision was taken.

 

Does it cost anything to join?

 

Not at present; membership is free.  There is provision in the constitution (Articles) of ELREC to introduce a subscription charge in the future, but there are no immediate plans to do so. Any decision to introduce a charge would rest with the members in a general meeting.

 

What if I am a member and ELREC gets into financial difficulty?

Well, you have no shares to go up or down in value. As an ordinary member of ELREC (and provided you have behaved properly with regard to the company at all times) your liability for any debts is limited to a very small ‘guarantee’ that you pledge at the time of joining … just one pound.

 

To become a member, simply complete a membership form that is suitable to you .

Membership application individual

Membership application incoporated organisation

Membership application unincorporated organisation

Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

Full copies of ELREC Memorandum and Articles of Association can be viewed below:

Memorandum of Association approved October 2010

Articles of Association approved October 2010

 

     

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