GOVERNANCE OF THE NUFFIELD FARMING SCHOLARSHIPS TRUST - an unofficial aide mémoire INTRODUCTION This note is provided on the direction of the Trustees as an aide mémoire of the governance of the Trust. It should not be considered an authoritative document, although it is hoped that it will provide a helpful ready reference.
OVERVIEW The ‘Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust’ (NFST) is a registered charity (No. 1098519) and a company limited by guarantee (No. 04787639). All its activities are governed by the Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 4th June 2003 as amended by special resolution dated 21st November 2014. The Trustee Board controls the Trust and is responsible for overseeing its activities on behalf of the Members to whom it reports at general meetings, with an annual general meeting being held annually. The Trustee Board must meet at least twice a year and has terms of reference to cover its activities and those of its four sub-committees: the NFST Finance, Communications, Fund Raising and Nominations Committees along with presently the Education and Scholar Development Working Group. The Trust is promoted and fostered by a network of countrywide country, regional and study groups.
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how general meetings will be run; describe the organisation, proceedings and powers of the Trustee Board; set the parameters for the Selection Committee and scholars’ obligations; and outline the administration of the Trust. The full Memorandum and Articles of Association are available from the NFST Office or via the website.
OBJECTS All activities of the Trust must be towards promotion of its Objects which are: “…to promote agricultural, horticultural, forestry and countryside management education in the United Kingdom and abroad and to advance the standard of farming (including the food supply chain, horticulture, forestry and countryside management and associated topics) in the United Kingdom by the provision of Scholarships to [eligible] persons to enable them to study the practices and techniques employed anywhere in the world.”
MEMBERS A Member of the Trust is a Nuffield Scholar, an Honorary Nuffield Scholar or a Recognised Sponsor/Sponsor’s Representative who pays at least the qualifying subscription or sponsorship as approved by the Trustees.
MEMORANDUM AND A R T I C L E S O F AS S O C I AT I O N
TRUSTEE BOARD
The Memorandum is the document which governs the relationship between the company and the outside world and sets out, in particular, the core objects of the Trust, eligibility for a scholarship, and the powers which may be exercised to promote its objects. The Articles describe how the Trust is run, governed and owned. These: define membership; set out
The Trustee Board is formed by 6 – 13 elected individuals of whom at least 75% must be Nuffield Scholars. Each year one quarter of Trustees retire (excluding Chair and Vice Chair) as at the AGM and are eligible for re-election until they have served for six years, excluding any period served as a Returning Scholar Trustee.
