Action for M.E. is based in Bristol and we employ approximately 13 part-time and full-time staff.
The organisation is both a company and a charity, registered with Companies House, the Charity Commission and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
Legal responsibility for the organisation lies with our trustees as members of the company.
Please note that Supporting, Lifelong and Professional Members of Action for M.E. are not members of Action for M.E. as a company law matter. As a consequence, Supporting, Lifelong and Professional Members do not have voting powers or legal responsibility as company members of Action for M.E. The trustees are the members of Action for M.E. as a company law matter and are also its Board of Trustees (as that term is defined in the articles of association of Action for M.E.).
Board
We are governed by a Board of Trustees who give strategic direction, oversee the proper management of risk and hold the Chief Executive to account for implementing the charity's strategy and for achieving agreed business objectives.
Trustees
Trustees are volunteers. As a general rule, the majority of our trustees have had M.E. themselves. Most of the remainder have experienced it as carers.
However, whether trustees, staff or other volunteers choose to disclose their M.E. is a personal matter. It is our policy not to disclose it for them.
We appoint trustees through a recruitment process which starts by identifying diversity requirements and skills gaps to be filled on our Board. We then advertise the posts. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by a panel of trustees who provisionally select those whom they consider to best meet the requirements.
The names of those provisionally selected are then put to supporting members members who are invited to vote for or against each provisionally selected candidate or to indicate if they have no strong view. The trustees formally enact the voting onto the Board but have undertaken to vote only for those candidates who have more 'yes votes' than 'no votes'.
Accountability
Action for M.E. is a member of the ImpACT Coalition and is committed to transparency and accountability. Read our transparency and accountability policy.
Minutes of meetings
Read AGM minutes for: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007
Please note that 2012's AGM minutes will be approved and available online following the 2013 AGM, and so on.
