The Members of a charitable company, such as an Academy Trust, are the equivalent of shareholders in a commercial company.  This means they:

• are the subscribers to the trust’s memorandum of association (where they are founding members);
• may amend the articles of association (the articles include a definition of the trust’s charitable objects and governance structure) subject to any restrictions in the articles or in the trust’s funding agreement or charity law;
• have the power to appoint and remove the Trustees and hold those Trustees to account for the way that the Academy Trust is operated
• appoint external auditors to ensure that the accounts are independently interrogated.
• guarantee the debts of the Academy Trust – the extent of the guarantee is ten pounds per member if the company goes into insolvent liquidation.

Responsibility to conduct the business of the trust in accordance with company and charity law sits with the Trustees and so Members are ‘eyes on and hands off’ to avoid compromising the board’s discretion in exercising its responsibilities. 

Members are kept fully informed regarding trust business. There is regular dialogue between the Trust Board and Members throughout the year to ensure this can be achieved, and Members meet annually.

Our Members are: