Policy on relationship with participant groups
1 Licencees, members and participant groups
- Community Base licences space to licencees that are registered charities or not-for-profit, non-governmental organisations.
- Licencees will not be treated differently on the basis of their membership or non-membership of Community Base.
- All licences for the use of space at Community Base specify the purpose for which space is licenced as running a particular organisation or project. Sometimes space is licenced for the use of the licencee organisation as a whole and sometimes for the use of a particular group or project run by the licencee. Groups that space is licenced for the use of are called participant groups.
2 Communication with participant groups
- We will provide clear and accessible information about how Community Base is run on our website and will expect participant groups to be aware of this information.
- We will ensure that our staff are approachable and accessible to participant groups.
- We will encourage cooperation between participant groups.
- We will seek to minimise disputes with participant groups and deal with any that arise fairly and reasonably.
3 Involvement of participant groups in running Community Base
- Participant group meetings will be held ever month where issues of concern, suggestions, Community Base policies and practices and any other matters concerning the running of Community Base can be raised.
- Participant group meetings will be open to everyone working at Community Base
- Notice of all participant group meetings will be given on the Community Base email group.
- Participant group meetings will be run in an informal manner with notes taken by a member of Community Base staff. These notes will be posted on the Community Base website and tabled at the next board meeting.
- We will actively seek the views of participant groups about our activities through questionnaires, the Community Base email group, annual meetings with individual groups, meetings about particular issues, participant group meetings and other forms of consultation.
- Each year, when agreed by the board of trustees, the director will publish a five year capital and revenue budget along with an assessment of risks to development for the next five years on the Community Base website.
- Participant groups may write to the director on any matter of concern at any time. If the director is not able to deal with the matter to the satisfaction of the participant group the director will table the correspondence at the next meeting of the board of trustees for discussion.
4 Licenced space
- Space is licenced on the basis that a licence for areas under 700 square feet allow for the licence to be ended by either party on three months notice and that licences for areas of 700 square feet and over allow for the licence to be ended by either party on six months notice.
- Participant groups are allowed to share space licenced for their use with students and other individuals on placement.
- Participant groups are not allowed to share the space they licence with any other organisation without permission from Community Base.
5 Ending licence agreements
- No licence agreement will be ended by Community Base without a decision by the board of trustees.
- No licence agreement will be ended by Community Base without the board of trustees giving notice in writing to the licencee stating the reason why the licence agreement is being ended.
- Licencees have the right to appeal against an ending of a licence agreement. If a licencee wishes to appeal against an ending of a licence agreement it should write to the chair of the board of trustees stating it is lodging an appeal within 10 working days of being given notice stating that it is doing so. The chair of the board of trustees will appoint an appeals panel of at least two trustees who will invite the licencee to meet them within 10 working days of the appeal being lodged to discuss the matter. The appeals panel will give a decision on the matter within 20 working days of the appeal being lodged.
6 Review of policy
This policy will be reviewed by the board of trustees at least every calendar year.
