Membership Policy
1. Background:
PEC Trust was established by Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) to allow PEC’s activities to benefit from charitable status. The intention is for PEC Trust to take on all the business currently delivered by Plymouth Energy Community. PEC Trust will trade as Plymouth Energy Community and any communications with PEC Trust Members will be delivered under that trading name. Any reference to Plymouth Energy Community in this policy should be interpreted as PEC Trust.
2. Vision and Mission
Our vision is to empower our community to create a fair, affordable, low-carbon energy system with local people at its heart. A wide and diverse membership base, made up of individuals and organisations will play a key role in this because it allows us:
- To fairly represent local community needs and provide diversity of thought and creativity for innovative solutions
- To validate and give legitimacy to our purpose, to demonstrate support and approval for what we do and to strengthen our call for change
- To be inclusive and increase our impact, through widening our reach of people that we help
- To give our wider community the opportunity to show support and participate in this movement of change, to have a voice, to have ownership, pride and responsibility and the knowledge and motivation to act.
Plymouth Energy Community membership provides opportunities for our community to participate in the following ways:
3. Membership structure
To recognise the different ways the membership can participate in the delivery of our vision we have established two tiers of membership:
a) SUPPORTERS – aimed at those who support the objects of the Company and participate through the activities listed above under Economic and / or Everyday Participation. You will receive regular updates on the work we do and there is no obligation to participate further.
b) MEMBERS – aimed at those that wish to take an active interest in the operation and development of the Company and its business. It comes with an obligation to participate in activities and tasks listed above as Cooperative and/or Governance participation. Members are expected to engage at least twice per year in Cooperative and /or Governance participation tasks.
4. Membership criteria
a) Both tiers of Membership are voluntary and open to any individual or organisation that support the aims of Plymouth Energy Community.
b) Members or Supporters must be 16 years or older.
c) Members or Supporters must complete an application for membership. The application form must be approved by the Directors and the Directors must approve each application for membership. Directors can choose to delegate this responsibility. The Company will provide assistance to complete this form if required.
d) A corporate body that is a Member shall by resolution of its governing body appoint a representative. Each corporate body Member shall notify in writing to the Company the name of the representative. Each Corporate body Member will be entitled to one vote only, regardless of their size.
5. Role and responsibilities
The role and responsibilities of a Member:
a) Each Member has a voting right and with that right come certain responsibilities:
i) Members need to understand and support the aims and principles of Plymouth Energy Community.
ii) Members have the right to vote for the Directors at the Annual General Meeting.
iii) All Members agree to take an active interest in the operation and development of the Company and its business. This can be through Cooperative and/ or Governance activities previously outlined.
iv) Members have a duty to respect the confidential nature of the business decisions of the Company.
b) Supporters may be invited to general meetings of the Company at the discretion of the chairperson but shall not count towards a quorum or vote on any business to be discussed in general meetings.
The role and responsibilities of Plymouth Energy Community:
a) The Company will offer both Supporters and Members a range of accessible activities to allow participation.
b) The Company will make reasonable adjustments to allow for better participation.
6. Membership size
Plymouth Energy Community wishes to grow the number of Supporters to 3500 by 2021, and to maintain an active group of regularly participating Members of between 50 and 100.
7. Terminating membership
Both tiers of Membership can be terminated by the member should they wish to do so, or by the Company under certain circumstances listed in the Articles. The Board will periodically monitor levels of Member participation. Members that are unable to engage at least twice per year in Cooperative and /or Governance participation tasks will be encouraged to become a Supporter instead of a Member.
8. Expulsion from Membership
A Member may be expelled for conduct prejudicial to the Company (refer to the Code of Conduct). The process for expulsion is provided in the Articles.
9. Cost of membership
The cost of both tiers of membership is free.
10. Register of Members
In accordance with the Articles, members’ details will be held in a register. The Members’ register will be held in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 and the Data Protection Act 1998. Members shall be informed of how their data will be processed upon collection and through the Company’s Privacy Policy, available online or by request.
11. Membership engagement and communications
a) Everyone who applies to join as a Member will be given a clear explanation of what Plymouth Energy Community is, and what membership means.
b) All new Supporters and Members will be welcomed by appropriate means of communication.
c) In accordance with the PEC Trust t/a Plymouth Energy Community Articles, values and principles, the Company can provide membership information and communications in accessible formats.
a) All documents will be available online. Hard copies are available on request.