Resource

Our Memorandum and Articles of Association (the document which governs how we work as a charity) include the agreed statement of our charitable purposes, our Objects. As a registered charity we must ensure that everything we do furthers our charitable objects. The Memorandum and Articles of Association were last updated in 2012. The Objects are a section within the Articles of Association identifying the scope and bounds of the Foundation’s operations. The Trustees recently reviewed our Objects to ensure that they accurately reflect our current and planned activities and areas of focus, which by their nature change over time, and as recommended by the Charity Commission.

The Trustees propose to make a few changes in order to:

• Make it clear that we will work to support not just those who have experienced trafficking, torture or other forms of extreme human cruelty but also those who are vulnerable to these forms of mistreatment and exploitation.
• Ensure that we are also able to help the dependents of those who have been or who are at risk of trafficking, torture and other forms of extreme human cruelty;
• Make it clear that while many of our clients are people seeking asylum and refugees, we also work with others at risk, whether due to their insecure immigration status or other vulnerabilities.

As well as updating our Objects, the Trustees have also taken the opportunity to update some of the procedural and administrative aspects of the Articles of Association. This includes measures intended to increase the number of Trustees and other updates due to changes in legislation and guidance.

The Trustees have received detailed legal advice on the proposed amendments to the Objects and Articles. To make these changes, we need to obtain the consent of the Charity Commission and we will shortly apply for this consent. Before we do so, the Trustees want to ensure that all our stakeholders have an opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to the Objects.

Proposed wording

You can read the proposed Objects wording in italics in the Consultation on Proposed Changes and compare them with the current wording in the Memorandum & Articles of Association.

Any feedback or comments

The Trustees welcome your thoughts on the proposed changes. If you have any comments please email Kerry Smith, the CEO directly at Kerry.Smith@helenbamber.org. Any responses will be reviewed and considered by the Trustees before they submit their application to the Charity Commission to make any changes to the Objects.

Response deadline:

Please send your responses by noon, Friday 12th August 2022 directly to Kerry.Smith@helenbamber.org