Tower Gardens Community Corner – Constitution

TGCC was constituted on 10.04.2025.

Our Aims

Tower Gardens Community Corner aims to establish and operate a vibrant community space at 100 Tower Gardens Road, as well as to support the community in and around Tower Gardens Estate more generally, and ensure the proper maintenance and management of community buildings and assets to ensure they provide value to the whole community. We will achieve this by fostering community spirit, organizing and coordinating community events and services, and creating a welcoming space for residents.
We will work to:

  1. Identify and secure a suitable building, starting with 100 Tower Gardens Road, to be developed into a community space.
  2. Find out the views and needs of local residents regarding a community space and the wider estate.
  3. Involve residents in planning, decision-making, and the future management of the Tower Gardens Community Corner and its activities across the estate.
  4. Secure funding to develop, maintain, and improve a community space and support community initiatives throughout the estate, including working in partnership with other bodies.
  5. Encourage more residents, from all sections of the community to participate in estate-wide activities, and to promote an atmosphere of mutual appreciation and respect, and once established, to use the community space.
  6. Organize and coordinate public social activities, programs, and services within the community space and across Tower Gardens Estate.
  7. Link and work with other, existing and new, community groups, in particular the Tower Gardens Residents Group and the Friends of Tower Gardens Park, to help improve community facilities and resources within Tower Gardens Estate and the wider area.

Membership

Membership will be open to anybody with an interest in supporting the aims of Tower Gardens Community Corner and contributing to the community, regardless of class, race, culture, gender, age, or sexual orientation, as long as:

  1. They agree with the aims of the group.
  2. They have given their name and contact details to be put on the membership list.

The group is opposed to racism, sexism, classism and homophobia, and expressions of such prejudice will not be tolerated at meetings or other activities of the Association. Members will interact respectfully with other members, and not make personal attacks. Any breach of the above may be grounds for suspension from the group. A decision to suspend will be taken by the officers of the group. The person suspended can appeal against their suspension at the next General Meeting of the group. The decision of that meeting shall be final.

The work of Tower Gardens Community Corner

Members will be encouraged to get actively involved in the work of the group. Anyone acting on behalf of the Tower Gardens Community Corner will be expected to act in an appropriate manner and to follow the general policies agreed by the members at the General Meetings. Working groups and officers can meet in between the general meetings in order to manage the affairs of Tower Gardens Community Corner, including:

  1. Planning general meetings of the group and other activities across the estate.
  2. Working on funding bids for the community space and estate-wide initiatives.
  3. Passing on the views of members to people responsible for Tower Gardens Estate, such as employees of Haringey Council, regeneration boards, councillors, police.
  4. Meeting with other community groups.
  5. Managing the finances and publicity of the group.
  6. Actively working towards the establishment and management of the community space at 100 Tower Gardens Road.

Annual General Meeting

Every year there will be an Annual General Meeting. The meeting will select one of the members to chair the meeting. At this meeting, the members will:

  1. Hear a report on the activities of Tower Gardens Community Corner for the previous year and on the group’s finances, prepared by the Treasurer.
  2. Identify and discuss matters of particular importance for the forthcoming year, including the progress of establishing the community space.
  3. Make rules on the way Tower Gardens Community Corner will operate, e.g., by amending the Constitution.
  4. Collect and record names of members who wish to be members of any working groups for the forthcoming year.
  5. Elect two members to be Secretary and Treasurer.
  6. Conduct any other relevant business the meeting so decides.
  7. Everybody on the membership list will receive at least two weeks’ notice of the Annual General Meeting by email or mail to the addresses on the membership list. Members will also receive information on how to become active in Tower Gardens Community Corner activities and join any working groups.

Other General Meetings

Other General Meetings for members and other local residents will be organized during the year as required. These meetings will be publicized in good time to members and users.

At these meetings, members of working groups will:

  1. Keep members up to date with plans and decisions affecting Tower Gardens Community Corner and the development of the community space.
  2. Collect the views of members and other local residents.

Procedures at all General Meetings

The General Meetings shall be the decision-making body of the group. The Chair of the meeting will be chosen by the members present.

All members will have a right to attend and to vote. Decisions shall be by consensus where possible, or by a simple majority vote where necessary – except for amendments to the Constitution, which require a two-thirds majority at the AGM. A quorum shall be 4 members except at the AGM where it will be 6. If there isn’t a quorum, any decisions made regarding policy must be ratified at the following meeting. General Meetings may decide to set up working groups or to delegate any relevant tasks to individual members.

Finances

A bank account will be set up in the name of Tower Gardens Community Corner. All money received in the form of donations, subscriptions, or any other contributions will be put into the bank account and will be used to further the aims of the group. Two signatories will be required to approve each withdrawal. The Treasurer will be a signatory and additional signatories will be nominated at the Annual General Meeting. The annual accounts and books shall be made available for inspection on request at the AGM.

Powers

Tower Gardens Community Corner has the power to raise funds, to employ such staff as are necessary, and to enter into any transactions necessary to further its aims. It has the power to manage, license, lease, or buy property and to maintain and equip it for use, specifically including the pursuit of establishing a community space at 100 Tower Gardens Road, or elsewhere on the estate. It has the power to appoint trustees and to take out trustee liability insurance cover.

Dissolution

If a General Meeting, or 10 members, wish at any time to dissolve the Tower Gardens Community Corner, they should give to all members at least 14 days’ notice of a Special General Meeting to discuss this. If such a decision is agreed at that meeting by a simple majority of those members present and voting, the assets will be disposed of to another voluntary organization with compatible aims and principles, this group being agreed at the same meeting.