AGM 2024

Annual General Meeting - FAQs

What is an AGM?

AGM stands for Annual General Meeting. The purpose of an AGM is to give members an annual update on our activities and finances for the previous year. 

 

What do I have to do?

London Wildlife Trust is a membership organisation governed by a board of trustees. This means as a member you have the option to vote on certain actions. If you attend the AGM you’ll be asked to vote on the following:

 

1) Approving audited accounts

We post these online in advance of the AGM once they have been approved by the auditors for you to review. We will email you to let you know they are available. At the AGM, the Hon. Treasurer will give a summary account of the finances for the year and members will be asked by a show of hands if they agree with the accounts presented. You can abstain or vote to reject them if you don’t agree with what’s been presented. You are also given the chance to bring any questions to the Hon. Secretary, Treasurer and CEO about the annual accounts before voting. 

 

2) Voting in trustees

Trustees are volunteers who are responsible for governing a charity and overseeing how it is run. They are sometimes called board members or ‘the board’. Every year trustees must be voted in by members. This is done by a show of hands - for or against. Any new trustees also give a short introduction speech before being voted in. 

 

3) Approving the minutes from the last AGM 

Minutes of the previous AGM are posted on the website prior to the meeting (and we’ll send you a reminder email before the meeting so you are able to find them). The minutes are approved by a show of hands. 

 

4) Any other business (AOB)

Occasionally there will be another order of business that members are asked to vote on. Any additional tasks will be added to the agenda ahead of the meeting. For example, this year we will be voting to increase the maximum number of Trustees on the Board from ten to twelve Trustees.

 

How does voting work?

The Chair of Trustees will introduce each voting section, give a brief explanation on what members are voting on and then ask members to vote by a show of hands (approve, vote against or abstain).  

 

Can I ask questions?

Yes - you’ll be able to ask questions throughout the AGM. 

 

Who runs the AGM?

The Hon Secretary runs the formal section of the event, along with the Chair of Trustees.

 

How long is the AGM?

The AGM part of the evening will last for one hour. We will then break for refreshments and then hear from our speakers. This year we will hear from the author Florence Wilkinson and an exciting year in review from our Senior Management Team. 

 

What is a proxy vote?

Any member of London Wildlife Trust has the right to vote at an AGM. If you cannot attend in person, you can nominate someone to vote in your place. You can also appoint the Chair of Trustees as your proxy - which means your vote will be the same as theirs. 

 

How many people can attend the AGM?

We have space for 60 people. We will have a waitlist for when we reach capacity. Should members not be able to attend the event closer to the time, we will reach out to those on the waitlist to offer an attendance spot.

 

How many votes do you need to approve action points in the AGM? 

We need 50 votes for the AGM to be able to go ahead. These votes include people attending on the day, and people voting by proxy before the event. Please consider submitting a vote by proxy if you’re unable to attend so we can count your vote.  

 

Why should I bother coming to the AGM? 

The AGM is an important meeting as it provides transparency about what we, as a charity, are delivering and how we are spending our finances. As a member, it’s an opportunity for you to have an active part in London Wildlife Trust. As well as voting on the legal parts of the meeting, you’ll get to meet staff and trustees, find out what activities we’ve delivered in the last year and what exciting plans we have for the future. We always have an exclusive members’ part of the evening too, giving you an opportunity to engage with wildlife enthusiasts just like you!

 

Who are the trustees?

Find out more about our senior management team and our trustees here