CTA Governance
The CTA’s Governance (as at 1st November 2009)
The CTA (registered as CTA UK) is a charity constituted as a company limited by guarantee, and is therefore governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association. The charity’s objective and its principal activity continues to be the relief of age, poverty, sickness or disability by the provision of education and support to the charitable bodies or persons who supply transport to groups or individuals in need of such relief.
The CTA has registered charity status in England & Wales and in Scotland, and has an active trading arm, CTA Trading Limited, which covenants all of its profits to the charity.
Following a review of its governance in 2007/8, a revised Memorandum and Articles of Association was unanimously agreed by the membership at our Annual General Meeting on 28th October 2008. We are now implementing the recommendations of the review and this will be completed by November 2010.
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for the overall conduct of the CTA, and will conduct its business to ensure that the CTA is financially viable; properly governed; and properly managed. The Board of Trustees will monitor performance of all its functions and will decide the level of resources to meet its financial and other obligations. Among other responsibilities, the Board of Trustees sets and maintains CTA’s vision, mission and values, develops strategy and policy, ensures compliance with the law and maintains proper fiscal oversight.
The Board of Trustees comprises up to eight trustees elected by the members from among candidates nominated by the Governance Committee; and up to three trustees co-opted by the Board of Trustees. Members of the Board of Trustees are trustees under charity law and directors of the CTA under company law. Each serves for a period of three years and may stand for a second consecutive three-term of office, after which time they must take a compulsory one-year break before serving again. The Board of Trustees appoints a chair, treasurer and a vice-chair.
The current Board of Trustees are:
Dai Powell OBE (Chair)
Dr Stephen Hickey (Chair designate)
Yvonne Layton (Vice-Chair)
Gordon Lewis (Treasurer)
Sammy Betson
Fitzroy Dawson
Alistair Howie
James McCreath
John McMillan
Peter Maggs
Governance Committee
The Governance Committee is responsible for the overall development of the Board of Trustees of the CTA, thus enhancing the governance capacity of the CTA, and is an instrument to facilitate and supervise the democratic process. The Governance Committee agrees with the Board of Trustees its skills experience and diversity requirements and actively seek nominations of candidates meeting those requirements. It will prepare guidance for members for Board elections and assist the Board as needed in the recruitment of people with expertise for committees and other assignments.
The Governance Committee also takes responsibility for induction, Board development, Board appraisals and succession planning. The Governance Committee comprises the Chair of CTA, the Vice Chair of CTA, a trustee, the chief executive of the CTA and two co-opted members. Current members are:
Keith Halstead
Yvonne Layton
Dai Powell
Finance & Audit Committee
The role of the Finance & Audit Committee is to help the Board of Trustees carry out its fiduciary duties. It achieves this by recommending policy to the Board, interpreting it for staff, and monitoring its implementation. The Finance & Committee also reviews the organisation’s annual budget and financial audit and ensures the proper checks and balances are in place. The Finance & Committee reports its findings to the Board for approval.
The Finance & Audit Committee will be established during 2010 once the Treasurer position has been filled. In the meantime an interim Budget Group has been established by the Board of Trustees to take on that role, comprising the following trustees:
Dai Powell
Yvonne Layton
Fitzroy Dawson
Peter Maggs
Country and London Committees
There are four country committees and a committee for London that are elected by the membership in each area. The country and London committees are advisory. The committees consider both strategic and operational issues relating to their geographical areas that affect the community transport sector in general and CTA members in particular. The main role of the committees is to promote the benefits of membership of the CTA whenever and wherever appropriate; to assist the CTA to disseminate information to members and potential members about the activities of the CTA in their geographical area and to facilitate involvement in those activities; to provide feedback to CTA staff and the Board of Trustees on recent, current and planned CTA activities in order that every effort can be made to meet the needs of all members; and to also provide feedback to CTA staff and the Board of Trustees on issues affecting members in its area that might require action from the CTA.
Committee for England:
The position of Chair is vacant.
Committee for London:
Anna Whitty (Chair)
Committee for Northern Ireland:
Mary O’Neill MBE (Chair)
Committee for Scotland:
Jim McCreath (Chair)
Committee for Wales:
Sarah Leyland-Jones (Chair)
Governance Review
CTA Board of Trustees