We have structured our organisation so that it is our Members who elect the Board of Trustees, who then take responsibility for the strategic development of the charity.
As a Registered Charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee, we hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) every year. This is required under company and charity law, and is a time when our Members and other interested stakeholders can find out more about our activities and financial statement from the preceding year, presented as part of our Annual Report and Accounts (ARA).
To be eligible to register as a Member of Mary Frances Trust, you need to have lived experience of mental health issues or be a carer of someone with mental health issues.
The registered Members of our company are defined as those people who register as such shortly before the AGM each year. Registered Members are invited to vote on our Annual Report and Accounts from the previous financial year as well as any resolutions posed at the AGM, and throughout the following year. Most importantly, it is the registered Members of Mary Frances Trust who appoint the Board of Trustees. Each year at least one third of the Board will step down for re-election.