(1) The name of the Association shall be The New Zealand Women’s Association.

(2) The objectives of the Association shall be:

(a) To promote the interests of New Zealand and to cooperate with the High Commissioner whenever required, and to cooperate with the New Zealand Society and other New Zealand Community Groups in the UK.

(b) To provide an opportunity where New Zealand women in the UK can reinvigorate their New Zealand connections and meet/be made aware of other New Zealanders living and visiting the UK.

(c) To hold functions for any of the purposes above mentioned.

(3) Those eligible for membership of the Association shall be women:

(a) who are born in New Zealand or who have a New Zealand Passport,

(b) or married to New Zealanders,

(c) or with a particular interest in New Zealand, having been recommended by an existing member.

(4) The Patron of the Association shall be a prominent New Zealand woman in the UK, as chosen by the Committee, to serve for 3 years.

(5) The general management of the Association and the enforcement of its Rules shall be vested in a Committee which shall consist of the Honorary Officers: President, two Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, and a combined Membership Secretary and Data Protection Officer; and six other Committee Members.

(a) The President has responsibility for all functions but may delegate to committee members. Vice-Presidents shall support and stand in for the President when required.        

(b) The Treasurer has responsibility for maintaining the accounts and banking systems and presenting the accounts at the Annual General Meeting.

(c) The Membership Secretary will maintain the membership database and also be the Data Protection Officer to maintain membership data  in accordance with the Data Protection Act and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation

(d) Committee members may be assigned to various roles or projects as needed from time to time and, in particular, for supporting events, running social media and leading special interest groups.

(e) One Committee member representing NZWA at external functions such as FIWAL can claim attendance and travel expenses for attending and this should be agreed in advance with the President or Treasurer.

(f) Committee members traveling from outside London for committee meetings or representing NZWA at events may claim travel expenses.

(g) The Committee shall have power to expand its number from time to time. The quorum for meetings of the Committee shall be five members always including one of: the President or the Vice-Presidents.

(6) The President is ultimately responsible for notices and communications.

(a) The President may delegate to committee members or others to send out notices, manage various online communications and to take minutes of the meetings.

(b) The President may work with dedicated professional support for technical marketing, communications and digital support where needed.

(7) The Treasurer manages the Association’s finances and disburses all monies on behalf of the Association, including paying for insurance,  through online banking as appropriate.

(a) Bank transfers over £1,000 shall be agreed in writing by the President and Treasurer and subsequently discussed at the next Committee meeting and noted in the minutes.

(b) Amounts under £1,000 can be paid by either the President or the Treasurer.

(c) The annual subscription shall be set at the Annual General Meeting having first been agreed by the Committee.  

(8) Members

(a) Members shall support the Association and comply with these Rules

(b) Members shall pay the annual subscription promptly on the due date. The Membership year runs from the 1st August each year.

(c) New members joining after 1st March can pay a reduced rate of half the full rate but on one occasion only and thereafter the full rate shall be payable.

(d) If a member’s subscription is still unpaid after the Annual General Meeting, the Membership Secretary shall send a final request for payment and if it is not promptly paid, the membership shall automatically lapse and the member removed from the register of the Association.

(e) Every member shall notify in writing any change of address to the Membership Secretary to enquiries@nzwa.co.uk and all notices sent to the last notified email shall be deemed to have been sufficiently served or given.

(9) The financial year of the Association shall end on the 31st July in each year and the Annual General Meeting shall be held within four months after that date.

(10) Annual General Meeting

(a) The Annual Statement of receipts and expenditure, duly reviewed, shall be presented and any other business mentioned in the notice convening the meeting shall be dealt with at such meeting.

(b) The election of the Committee shall take place at the Annual General Meeting and new committee members shall be appointed by being proposed, seconded and then elected by a majority of the members present. The term of office shall be three years unless re-elected under 10(c) below.

(c) At the Annual General Meeting, those Committee members who have served their terms of office shall resign but may offer themselves for re-election at the AGM. 

(d) The President and Vice-Presidents shall hold office for two and up to four years. They may offer themselves for re-election after a break of at least one year.  Only members of the Association who have served as Committee members are eligible for election as President or Vice-President of the Association.

(e) Nominations for the Committee members shall be made at the Annual General Meeting with names of proposer and seconder and consent of the nominee recorded in the minutes.

(11) The Committee shall have power to appoint a Sub-Committee for any purpose within the Rules of the Association, and may confer upon such Committee such powers as may be deemed necessary.

(12) The Committee may make such additional rules as it shall from time to time consider necessary for the management and wellbeing of the Association and for the carrying out of its obligations and such rules shall be agreed at the next AGM and shall then be binding upon members of the Association.

(13) The Committee may at any time and for any special purpose call a Special General Meeting, and they shall do so forthwith upon the request of any ten members stating the purposes for which the meeting is called.

(14) The Committee shall be competent to decide all matters not provided for by these Rules.

(15) The liability of members is strictly limited to the amount of their annual subscription fees.  No member shall be personally liable for any debts, obligations, or claims against the club, and all financial and contractual commitments shall be undertaken solely in the name of the club, through the committee and not individual members. The committee shall ensure that appropriate insurance and governance measures are in place to protect the Committee from personal liability.

(16) All members and guests participate in club activities and events at their own risk. The Committee members will not accept responsibility for injury, loss, or damage sustained during participation, except where required by law.  Members must ensure their own fitness to participate and their own and others’ safety. 

(17) Safeguarding and Inclusiveness   

The NZWA is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for all members. To this end Members shall treat one another with respect and compassion. Discrimination, harassment, or abuse of any kind shall not be tolerated. Breaches may result in disciplinary action, including termination of membership. Any safeguarding concerns may be reported to any of the committee members for investigation by the committee which shall take such action as it deems appropriate.

(18) Data Protection 
The Association will comply with the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data Protection Privacy Notice below. Personal Data collected from members will be processed fairly and lawfully, used for specific purposes outlined in the Privacy Notice above, and only retained for as long as necessary.