Definition of a Voluntary and Community Organisation

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Voluntary Sector North West
St. Thomas Centre

Ardwick Green North
Manchester
M12 6FZ
Tel: 0161 276 9300
Fax: 0161 276 9301
Email: info@vsnw.org.uk

For the purposes of determining the membership of Voluntary Sector North West a voluntary or community organisation is a body which, in the judgement of Voluntary Sector North West:

a) falls into one of the following categories:

i) a registered charity (including a regional branch of a national charity);

ii) an Industrial and Provident Society recognised as an exempt charity;

iii) an unregistered body which falls within the eligibility tests detailed below.**

and

b) is formally constituted as an autonomous, democratic organisation independent of national and/or local government.

** An organisation with benevolent or philanthropic purposes which has the essential attributes of charity:

a spirit of altruism, and
a dedication to purposes which are worthy of public support
is free of any characteristics which are essentially alien to charity:
- i.e.the possibility of self-interest or private benefit, such as the prospect of making a personal profit or the fact that the purposes in question are political, doctrinaire, or dependent on taking a particular view.

Right of Appeal

All applications determined by the Board of Trustees shall be subject to the right of any applicant whose application has been refused to appeal by way of personal or written statement to the membership at the next Annual General Meeting the decision of which shall be final and binding.

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