Voluntary Action Coventry is a membership organisation. Membership is free and is open to all Coventry voluntary and community organisations that meet the criteria in the next section. The members elect from themselves a Management Board to set future policy and ensure that Voluntary Action Coventry is meeting its aims and objectives effectively. The Management Board elects its own honorary officers. Voluntary Action Coventry is both a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, and therefore voting members of the Board are both charity trustees and company directors.

Please read the criteria below before completing the online membership form

Criteria for membership

Our governing document requires all members to be committed to furthering the objectives of Voluntary Action Coventry, which are:

• To promote any charitable purpose for the benefit of the community in the area of benefit and in particular the advancement of education, the furtherance of health and the relief of poverty, distress and sickness;
• Without limitation to the generality of the foregoing to provide resources and support to organisations with charitable objects in order to assist those organisations in their charitable work
• To represent the voluntary organisations within the area of benefit in discussions and communications with statutory and other agencies whether local or national
• To promote and organise co-operation in the achievement of the above purposes and to that end to bring together representatives of the statutory authorities and voluntary organisations and individuals engaged in the furtherance of the above purposes within the area of benefit

The area of benefit is the Midlands area and in particular the City of Coventry.

• That it has a commitment to progressing Voluntary Action Coventry's Equal Opportunities policy. A copy of the Equal Opportunities policy is attached.

Membership will not be available to any group or individual with aims which contravene Voluntary Action Coventry's Equal Opportunities policy, or which in the reasonable opinion of the Board are inconsistent with the values of Voluntary Action Coventry. Applications for and renewal of membership are subject to Management Board approval. Members must confirm each financial year that they wish to continue as members of Voluntary Action Coventry.

Types of membership

There are two types of membership:

General membership is open to all Coventry voluntary and community organisations that meet the above criteria.

Individual membership is also available to individual persons committed to furtherance of the objectives of Voluntary Action Coventry, but not linked to a General Member VCO. It cannot be used therefore for representatives of VCOs to gain additional individual votes. Our Memorandum and Articles of Association limit the number of Individual Members to less than one fifth of the number of General Members.

Advantages of membership

• Participation in Voluntary Action Coventry - voting rights at general meetings, the right to stand for election to the Management Board and to nominate others.
  A stronger voluntary and community sector - every additional member strengthens Voluntary Action Coventry's ability to represent issues from, and be accountable to the local sector.

Voluntary Action Coventry services

• Advice on funding, volunteer management and other issues.
• Communications- monthly e-bulletin, Partnership Informer
• FunderFinder database and access to our Resource Room
• Forums and briefings
• Advertising volunteering opportunities through Vbase
• Telephone and one-to-one advice, information and support on organisational and management issues
• Access to photocopier, fax, internet, equipment, PO Box facility, etc
• Inserts in monthly postal mailout

If you would like to become a member of Voluntary Action Coventry please fill in the attached Membership Form and return it either by email to m.mcgowan@vacoventry.org.uk or by post to:
Voluntary Action Coventry, 6th Floor Coventry Point, Market Way, Coventry, CV1 1EA.