The Government has confirmed that Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies, in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, are covered by legislation that provides businesses with greater flexibility in how and when they hold their Annual General Meetings (AGMs), or any other General Meetings (GMs) until 30 April 2021.
This legislation does provide Societies with legal certainty and comfort if they need to breach their rules and usual good co-operative practice, by
- Delaying their AGM’s
- Holding AGM’s and General Meetings with online participation
- Holding AGM and GM’s that restrict in-person participation
Unincorporated Associations (not limited companies ) need to follow the requirements of their Constitutions. They will be unable to provide physical AGM’ s until further Covid restrictions are lifted, therefore Associations Committees cannot be expected to break the law to hold AGM’s. It is important that you communicate with your members and if it is not possible to hold a virtual AGM, then inform members this will be arranged as soon possible once restrictions are lifted, allowing the correct notice periods to be observed.
