Resource

Our Memorandum and Articles of Association (the document which governs how we work as a charity) include the agreed statement of our charitable purposes, our Objects. As a registered charity we must ensure that everything we do furthers our charitable objects.

The Memorandum and Articles of Association were last reviewed in 2005. The Objects are a section within the Articles of Association identifying the scope and bounds of the Charity’s operations. The Trustees recently reviewed our Objects to ensure that they accurately reflect our current and planned activities and areas of focus, which by their nature change over time, and as recommended by the Charity Commission.

The Trustees propose to make a few changes in order to:

• Make it clear that we will work to support not just asylum seekers, refugees, and their dependents but also those who are vulnerable to destitution, exploitation, abuse, trafficking or other forms of human cruelty, in particular where they are outside their country of origin.
• Make it clear that we will work to support others who have insecure immigration status including those who are stateless.

As well as updating our Objects the Trustees have also taken the opportunity to update some of the procedural and administrative aspects of the Articles. This includes measures intended to increase the number of Trustees and other updates due to changes in legislation and guidance.

The Trustees have received detailed legal advice on the proposed amendments to the Objects and Articles. To make these changes, we need to obtain the consent of the Charity Commission and we will shortly apply for this consent. Before we do so, the Trustees want to ensure that all our stakeholders have an opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to the Objects.

Proposed wording

You can read the proposed Objects wording in italics in the Consultation on Proposed Changes and compare them with the current wording in the Memorandum & Articles of Association.

Any feedback or comments

The Trustees welcome your thoughts on the proposed changes. If you have any comments please email Kerry Smith, the CEO, directly at Kerry.Smith@helenbamber.org. The responses will be reviewed and considered by the Trustees before they submit their application to the Charity Commission to make any changes to the Objects.

Response deadline

Please send your responses by noon, Friday 12th August 2022 directly to Kerry.Smith@helenbamber.org