An effective Civic Society operates much as any other typical voluntary organisation. Third Sector organisations which now includes voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises, faith groups, cooperatives and mutuals, play an increasingly important role in the life of their local communities. According to Ed Miliband, the Minister for the Third Sector, the third sector “makes a difference in ways government cannot: in the ways it reaches out to excluded communities, builds the confidence and abilities of those who volunteer, strengthens trust and provides innovative solutions to the new problems that society faces. And in that process, the third sector can build social capital and provide voice for its communities in ways government often cannot”.’
Registered Civic Societies, like other third sector organisations, have been created by determined citizens to meet specific public needs within a local context. The Civic Society movement, like the third sector is built on the ethos of volunteering and exists to empower citizenship and to help regenerate local communities. Civic Societies employ the most resourceful and innovative means for tackling social problems. As is now required of third sector organisations, Civic Societies are also required by the members to be transparent, professional, inclusive and democratic. Civic Societies are, therefore, equal contenders for statutory and charitable funding, local government service level agreements, local area agreements and community asset opportunities as any other third sector organisation.
CT requires its member Societies to:
• Ensure their membership closely reflects the demographics of the communities they represent.
• Have in place an executive committee (which acts as board of trustees for those Societies with charitable status) that is responsible for managing the operational and strategic affairs of the Society.
• Have a written and relevant constitution which explains the objects of the organisation, powers of the key officers and procedures by which the Society will be governed. Registered CT members are provided with a model constitution which has been approved by the Charity Commission.
• Be willing to collaborate with the Civic Trust as part a national movement and to assist in helping to develop a modern and dynamic Civic Society movement by, for example, participating in consultations, attending learning events and conferences, and promoting the increased use of new ICT tools across individual membership.
