1. Name and Objectives
1.1 The Charity shall be known as the Llewellyn Edwards Bell Restoration Fund (“the Fund”).
1.2 The Fund shall assist both active and redundant Churches within the Diocese of Salisbury to:
- restore and augment existing peals of bells;
- preserve bells from redundant Churches;
- provide new peals of bells;
- undertake repairs to bells, frames and fittings and to the fabric of towers and belfries with respect to the housing of bells.
2. Administration
2.1 Overall direction of the Fund will be provided by the Salisbury Diocesan Guild of Ringers (“the Guild”) who shall:
- maintain these rules as circumstances, regulations and requirements change;
- make arrangements for the appointment of Trustees, one from each Branch of the Guild, and one from the Guild Officers. From these people a Chairman shall be elected annually by the Trustees;
- elect, at the Annual General Meeting of the Guild, an Independent Examiner of the Accounts of the Fund and the Administrator.
2.2 Activities of the Fund shall be controlled by the Trustees who shall:
- raise income;
- invest the assets and income of the Fund to further the objectives of the Fund;
- decide payments in accordance with the objectives of the Fund;
- cause all affairs of the Fund to be conducted in accordance with laws and regulations affecting Charities, in particular but not restricted to the Charities Acts, and in a prudent fashion;
- propose, for election at the Annual General Meeting of the Guild, an Independant Examiner of the Accounts of the Fund and an LEBRF Administrator;
- prepare an interim report for each of the Guild Committee Meetings and an annual report for the Guild AGM and for the Charity Commission.
2.3 Day-to-day management of the Fund – will be performed by the LEBRF Administrator who shall:
- manage working relationships including with donors, beneficiaries, investment organisations, Tax Authorities and the Charity Commission;
- execute financial and other instructions as the Trustees may direct;
- maintain dual signatories, approved by the Trustees, over all the Fund’s assets;
- prepare accounts annually to 31 December for presentation to the Trustees, and submit them to the Independent Examiner prior to publication in the Guild Annual Report;
- prepare such summaries of Grant Applications as are needed for Grants to be agreed by the Trustees;
- maintain and retain adequate records;
- do all possible to maintain a good reputation for the Fund.
3. Grants
3.1 Applications for grants from the Fund shall be sent to the LEBRF Administrator on the LEBRF Grant Application Form.
3.2 Grants offered in any one year may include all of the annual interest of the Fund, and up to 100% of other annual income may be added at the discretion of the Trustees.
3.3 Grants will not be paid until the work is shown to have been completed to the satisfaction of the Trustees.
3.4 If work has not commenced within two years of the date of the grant being offered, then the grant will lapse.
3.5 Any lapsed grant or surplus income may be carried forward.
4. Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of the Fund, the assets of the Fund shall be disposed as the Trustees shall decide to any or several of:
1. any successor, or charitable body of bodies, with similar objectives and covering all or part of the Diocese of Salisbury;
2. other charitable bell funds.
5. Changes to the rules
No amendment, addition or deletion affecting these rules shall be made:
1. except at the AGM of the Guild when the procedure for the proposed changes must comply with the rules of the Guild (especially rules 19.1.1 and 19.1.2), or
2. which would cause the Fund at any time to cease to be a Charity in law.
