Freegle Wiki - User contributions [en-gb]

Board History

2026-05-24T16:59:33Z

Jacky: /* Freegle Limited Directors */

===Freegle Limited Directors===

(alphabetical by surname order)

Jacky Barrett - elected 21st February 2014, resigned 14th August 2015.

Kathryn Bird - co-opted by the Board 7th May 2024. The co-option terminated, in accordance with the Rules, at the AGM on 6th September 2024

Christian Brenninkmeijer - elected 15th August 2015, re-elected 10th November 2016 and 7th October 2018, resigned 31st October 2020.

John Carroll - Elected 21st February 2014, resigned February 2017.

Ollie Clark - Elected 21st February 2014, retired 14th August 2015.

Jo Fisher - co-opted by Board in 2016, then elected in October 2017 and 7th November 2019, resigned 20th October 2021.

'''Cat Fletcher''' - elected 21st February 2014 and August 15th 2015, re-elected 2nd October 2017, 1st November 2020 and 6th September 2023. '''Currently on the Board'''

'''Matthew Fletcher''' - elected 6th September 2024. '''Currently on the Board'''

Dr David Greenfield - appointed 10th November 2016, re-appointed 2017, 2018 and elected 7th November 2019 and 3rd September 2022. Resigned 5th September 2023.

Edward Hibbert - elected 21st February 2014 and 15th August 2015, re-elected 10th November 2016, 7th October 2018, 21st October 2021 and 6th September 2024. Retrired 24th September 2025.

Craig Hilton - elected 1st November 2020, re-election 6th September 2023, resigned 7th January 2025.

Michael Hoeben - elected 1st November 2020, resigned 20th October 2021.

'''Bill Hopkinson''' - elected 7th September 2023. '''Currently on the Board'''

Mike Jury - elected 4th September 2022, resigned 19th March 2023.

Sheila Little - elected 10th November 2016, retired 6th November 2019.

'''Wendy Lishman'''- co-opted 2nd April 2025. Elected 24th September 2025 '''Currently on the Board'''

Sandra Llewelyn - elected 24th September 2025. Resigned 6th February 2026

Andy Ludlow - elected 21st February 2014 and 15th August 2015, re-elected 2nd October 2017 and 7th November 2019. Resigned 16th June 2022.

'''Neil Morris''' - co-opted by the Board 1st October 2024. Elected 24th September 2025 '''Currently on the Board'''

Deborah Moss - elected 2nd October 2017 and 1st November 2020, resigned 3rd September 2022.

Ray Owen - elected 7th October 2018, resigned 31st October 2020.

'''Mike Patterson''' - co-opted by the Board January 2022 (filling a vacancy for an elected Director), elected 4th September 2022.'''Currently on the Board'''

Alison Redway - elected 21st February 2014, resigned 14th August 2015.

Maggie Sand - elected 21st October 2021, resigned November 2021.

Kathy Speight - elected 21st February 2014, resigned July 2014.

'''Natasha Townsend''' - elected 24th September 2025. '''Currently on the Board'''

Penny Townsend - elected 4th September 2022, retired 24th September 2025.

Michael Watts - appointed November 2017, resigned July 2018.

Andrew Widgery - elected 21st February 2014, resigned October 2014

Tina Willcox - co-opted July 2014, resigned 14th August 2015

'''Jen Williams''' - elected 21st October 2021. '''Currently on the Board'''

Ruth Willmore - elected 1st November 2020, retired 5th September 2023.

===Chair===

Edward Hibbert - elected by Board 30 July 2014, resigned 6 September 2024.

Neil Morris - elected by Board 1 October 2024. '''Currently on the Board'''

=== Vice Chair ===

Jen Williams - elected by the Board 1st October 2024

===Society Secretary===

Alison Redway - in role from February 2014 for transition period to IPS, stood down at first Board Meeting of Freegle Limited as an IPS, on 30 July 2014.

Andy Ludlow - elected by the Board 30 July 2014, resigned 16 June 2022.

Mike Jury - elected by the Board 9th November 2022, resigned 28th March 2024.

Kathryn Bird - elected by the Board 7th May 2024, co-option ended 6 September 2024, but kept in post until the next Board meeting after the AGM, resigned 1st October 2024.

Edward Hibbert - elected by the Board 23rd February 2025, resigned 1st April 2025.

Wendy Lishman - elected by the Board 2nd April 2025. '''Currently on the Board'''

===Finance Director===

John Carroll - elected by Board 30 July 2014, resigned February 2017

Craig Hilton - elected by Board 10 March 2021, resigned 31 December 2024

Matthew Fletcher - elected by Board 2nd April 2026 '''Currently on the Board'''

Links:
* [[Freegle Board]]
[[category:Freegle Board]]

Collecting Offers

2026-05-22T19:49:03Z

Jacky:

This Admin is a reminder about how to arrange safe collection of offers.

With everyone living busy lives, we know it is often more convenient to arrange to leave things in an accessible place to be collected and some people prefer to do this, even when at home for personal safety reasons, or to avoid unnecessary contact due to Covid-19.

We urge members to try to take precautions to prevent their goods being taken by anyone other than those who have arranged to collect them. We suggest that you try to arrange a collection time when the item will only be outside for as short a time as possible. Also maybe think of leaving the item somewhere accessible to others but not immediately visible to passers-by – for example, inside a recycling bin [don’t do this on your Council collection day!]. If items for more than one collector are visible we recommend labelling each item.

It goes without saying that if you are collecting items which have been left out for you to only take those which have been promised to you. Taking anything else amounts to theft.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact your volunteers at XXXX-volunteers@groups.ilovefreegle.org

Thank you for being a member of $groupname

......

Items left in public place, eg. On a pavement: technically this is fly tipping, even if a 'Free' notice is attached. Also, technically, it's theft to take such items unless they are given specifically to the person picking up.

Link: [[Admins]]

[[Category:Sample Admins]]
[[Category:Safety]]

Sample Messages

2026-05-22T19:44:37Z

Jacky:

Sample messages to individual members for every occasion (well, some of them.....)
Please remember that your rules are your rules, they are not necessarily the rules administered by your fellow Freegle communities and that members appreciate a personal, friendly approach, not a corporate memo!

If you have ideas for improving these messages or want to share some of your own, please add them or post on Central group asking someone else to add them.

For those you use frequently, remember you can add them to your Standard Settings for your community - and share them with the rest of your team.

;Messages sent in response to Pending (or Approved) Offer/Wanted messages
*[[Sample message: Animals]]
*[[Sample message: Approve and unmod]]
*[[Sample message: Borrowing or lending]]
*[[Sample message: Clarify]] – response to a vague or unclear Wanted message
*[[Sample message: Contact member]] – trying to contact someone through an offer or request post
*[[Sample message: Copyright]] – Books, computer discs, DVDs, CDs
*[[Sample message: Duplicate message]]
*[[Sample message: Event]] – advertising an event in an offer or request post
*[[Gas cylinders or bottles‎]] - legal explanation plus a suggested rejection message
*[[Sample message: Hacked]] in response to spam messages
*[[Information request]]
*[[Intangible Items]]
*[[Sample message: Joining multiple Freegle communities]] and [[Sample message: Joining distant Freegle communities]] – encouraging member to leave excess groups
*[[Sample message: Legal threat]] – response to a threat of legal action
*[[Sample message: Medicines and supplements]]
*[[Sample message: Moderator assistance request]] – member asking for help via a offer or request post
*[[Sample message: Money, selling, swaps]]
*[[Sample message: Non landfill items]]
*[[Sample message: Not selling]] – member using wrong option on TrashNothing
*[[Sample message: Offer too soon]]
*[[Sample message: Old posts]] – response to member asking about deleting their list of old posts
*[[Sample message: Personal details]]
*[[Sample message: Reply to post via offer/wanted]]
*[[Sample message: Reselling]]
*[[Sample message: Sob stories]]
*[[Sample message: Too many wanteds]]
*[[Sample message: Vouchers]]
*[[Sample message: Wanted too soon]]
*[[Sample message: Weapons]]

;Messages to send to Approved Members
*[[Sample message: Money, selling, swaps]]
*[[Sample message: Reselling]]

;Messages to use in Chat, etc.
*[[Sample message: Is Freegle a Charity?]] – suggested answer for this regular query
*[[Sample message: No-shows]]
*[[WhatJobs]] about adverts

See also:
*[[Admins]] - big list of Admin messages you can use for sending to the whole community

Links:
*[[Admin]]
*[[Freegle Direct]] - queries that might crop up for members using Freegle
*[[Running Your Group]]
*[[ModTools]]

[[Category:Sample Messages| ]]
[[category:ModTools]]

Our Aims

2026-05-21T10:05:06Z

Jacky: /* Local volunteers agree to run their Community by: */

Thanks for volunteering for Freegle. Freegle is run nationally and in local Communities by volunteers. Here's what nationally and locally we aim to do and how we all can work to make Freegle good for us and members.

=== Freegle nationally is committed to: ===
*Providing the IT infrastructure to list and host local Communities.
*Providing support for all aspects of running a Community by using email communications, national discussion forums and the Freegle wiki.
*Representing Freegle nationally and promoting freegling to national bodies and agencies.
*Running national social media and other publicity, and encouraging local freegling by provision of Modtools promotional facilities.
*Providing policies, guidance and insurance for local events to help ensure the safe running of Communities.
*Supporting all volunteers regardless of race, gender, age, sexuality, disability, religion, political belief, ethnic origin, marital status or nationality.
*Being open about how Freegle works and keeping everyone well informed.
*Ensuring that Freegle is run collaboratively, with all volunteers able to take part in decision making.
*Encouraging volunteers to join as an official Member of the Freegle Ltd.
*Supplying references for volunteers.

=== Local volunteers agree to run their Community by: ===
*Following mandatory Freegle rules and aligning with best practice.
*Moderating their Community using Modtools, working with fellow volunteers to ensure that their Community is moderated at least daily, 7 days a week.
*Helping members with problems and information in a consistently positive way.
*Keeping in touch nationally, joining and engaging on Discourse.
*Not taking advantage of their position when personally freegling.

and it would also be great if local teams:
*Know the area that is served by their Freegle Community and have an interest in local and national environmental causes.
*Publicise their Community to build membership, eg do social media, press releases, run stalls, run events.
*Work with local councils or other relevant local bodies, businesses, charities etc to increase freegling in the community.
*Keep in touch with neighbouring volunteer teams.

'''Links:'''
*[[Freegle Aims]]
*[[Best Practice]]
*[[Freegle Affiliation Policy]]
*[[Community Affiliation Requirements Policy]]
*[[National Volunteers Procedure]]
*[[Freegle Equality and Diversity Policy]]
*[[Freegle Health and Safety Policy]]
*[[Safe Home Working]]
*[[Can I make use of freegle]]
*http://freegle.in//joinfreegleltd
*[[Insurance]]
*[[Document Approval Policy]]

This document was originally called Freegle Volunteer Agreement, and was adopted by the Board in August 2016. After a review in February 2022 on Development Group, the Board agreed to adopt this version and title.

An annual pop up is presented on Modtools, reminding volunteers of these aims. This started in 2022. A brief discussion about this came up on Discourse in April 2026 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/annual-message-to-volunteers/9550]]

[[category:The Basics]]

Our Aims

2026-05-21T10:04:24Z

Jacky: /* Local volunteers agree to run their Community by: */

Thanks for volunteering for Freegle. Freegle is run nationally and in local Communities by volunteers. Here's what nationally and locally we aim to do and how we all can work to make Freegle good for us and members.

=== Freegle nationally is committed to: ===
*Providing the IT infrastructure to list and host local Communities.
*Providing support for all aspects of running a Community by using email communications, national discussion forums and the Freegle wiki.
*Representing Freegle nationally and promoting freegling to national bodies and agencies.
*Running national social media and other publicity, and encouraging local freegling by provision of Modtools promotional facilities.
*Providing policies, guidance and insurance for local events to help ensure the safe running of Communities.
*Supporting all volunteers regardless of race, gender, age, sexuality, disability, religion, political belief, ethnic origin, marital status or nationality.
*Being open about how Freegle works and keeping everyone well informed.
*Ensuring that Freegle is run collaboratively, with all volunteers able to take part in decision making.
*Encouraging volunteers to join as an official Member of the Freegle Ltd.
*Supplying references for volunteers.

=== Local volunteers agree to run their Community by: ===
*Following mandatory Freegle rules and aligning with best practice.
*Moderating their Community using Modtools, working with fellow volunteers to ensure that their Community is moderated at least daily, 7 days a week.
*Helping members with problems and information in a consistently positive way
*Keeping in touch nationally, joining and engaging on Discourse.
*Not taking advantage of their position when personally freegling.

and it would also be great if local teams:
*Know the area that is served by their Freegle Community and have an interest in local and national environmental causes.
*Publicise their Community to build membership, eg do social media, press releases, run stalls, run events.
*Work with local councils or other relevant local bodies, businesses, charities etc to increase freegling in the community.
*Keep in touch with neighbouring volunteer teams.

'''Links:'''
*[[Freegle Aims]]
*[[Best Practice]]
*[[Freegle Affiliation Policy]]
*[[Community Affiliation Requirements Policy]]
*[[National Volunteers Procedure]]
*[[Freegle Equality and Diversity Policy]]
*[[Freegle Health and Safety Policy]]
*[[Safe Home Working]]
*[[Can I make use of freegle]]
*http://freegle.in//joinfreegleltd
*[[Insurance]]
*[[Document Approval Policy]]

This document was originally called Freegle Volunteer Agreement, and was adopted by the Board in August 2016. After a review in February 2022 on Development Group, the Board agreed to adopt this version and title.

An annual pop up is presented on Modtools, reminding volunteers of these aims. This started in 2022. A brief discussion about this came up on Discourse in April 2026 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/annual-message-to-volunteers/9550]]

[[category:The Basics]]

Affiliation Procedure

2026-05-20T11:23:53Z

Jacky: /* Disaffiliation */

'''Affiliation Procedure'''

Applications for affiliation are considered from individuals without a current group, or from a team or individual with a group in another area, or from a majority of an existing group team in that area.

===Enquiry Record===
A spreadsheet should be used to log the dates of start and completion of each major step. The details of the application are listed. If there is more than one application for an area they should generally be dealt with in the order of receipt by [[New Groups Team]] (NGT) of a completed application form.

===Application Form===
One of two application forms is sent to all applicants, one for brand new groups or one for moves from another network. http://frgl.it/groupapplicationform or http://frgl.it/MoveMergerForm

If the enquiry is from outside the UK a standard rejection letter is sent and the details of the application filed in NGT and/or info@ mailboxes in appropriately labelled folders.

===Checks===
The caseworker assigned to process an application should:
*Check reuse groups already operating in the area -
**If there is an active Freegle group a standard response is sent informing the applicant that the area is already covered.
**If there is a Freegle group within the area that would be split by the new application the caseworker refers the applicant to the appropriate group's owner.
**The caseworker can consider whether to approach an existing non-Freegle group to see whether they wish to affiliate instead of starting a new Freegle group. To do this, the majority of the group’s volunteers must agree, have the right to the group’s membership list, agree to work to Freegle’s [[Best Practice]] and mandatory requirements, and move within a timetable given by the caseworker.
**Consider the area the new proposed new group will cover using [[Freegle Affiliated Group Area Guidelines]].

*Consider the proposed name of a new group, using [[Freegle Affiliated Group Name and Logo Guidelines]].

*Inform existing Freegle groups of the proposed new group and applicant via a notice or email announcement on Modtools, Discourse or other agreed method. A time frame for response will be given (not less than 48 hours) with no obligation to chase replies, although comments based on local knowledge may be considered at any time before approval.

*Consider the suitability of an applicant. 
Has the applicant:
**A history of spamming or of extensive multigroup joining, other than having had a hacked account or for Freegle national work requirements.
**An internet history showing them to be intolerant e.g. making offensive comments on gender, sexuality, disability, religion etc.
**A convincing commitment and motivation to taking on this community and no recent indications to the contrary.
**Ensured that the mandatory rules of Freegle are being implemented if they already run a community.
**Acted in ways that could, on the balance of probability, likely bring the name of Freegle into disrepute.

===Recommendations for Approval===
The caseworker creates a file to include:
**The application form
**Relevant correspondence, or a summary of that, with local groups/other relevant parties
**Research into the geographical area, population, name, keeping to basic information unless wider knowledge is felt required.
**The final recommendation

Poll for new group applications:
**Poll on whether it is in the best interests of the community and Freegle to affiliate and appoint the new volunteer/team taking into the above considerations.
**If the poll, by a simple majority of those voting, doesn’t agree to the appointment, the community will not be affiliated until further discussions have taken place and a new poll is run.
**If the decision is to not affiliate the group the caseworker will inform the applicant as soon as possible.
**Ultimately, if no consensus is reached, a recommendation can be given to the Board that the application is rejected, and the Board will make a decision. The applicant will be advised of the decision and the reason, and also that they have the right to use the Freegle Complaints Procedure.

===On Handover of the Community===
**All volunteers involved in the community will be advised and encouraged to follow Best Practice. Although not mandatory these are nationally agreed recommended ways of working to achieve the best outcomes for volunteers and members.
**New volunteers to Freegle taking on a community must have a Mentor as backup on their community for 6 months.
**Experienced Freegle volunteers taking on a community must have a Mentor as backup on their community until they have an experienced and/or active backup volunteer who can regularly moderate, unless no Mentor is available.
**The Mentor, unless the volunteer(s) request otherwise, should not actively moderate unless messages are being left unmoderated for periods of 24 hours or more.
**If the Mentor is removed as a volunteer without having appropriate backup arrangements in place, it will be grounds for automatic addition of a backup by the Board or possible disaffiliation.
**The group may at its sole discretion ask the Mentors for the Mentor to be replaced subject to availability.

The Complaints Procedure offers a mediation or appeals process for applicants and/or Freegle volunteers who are unhappy with NGT, Mentor or Board decisions.

At the time of affiliation, the group’s owners will be asked to confirm they will hand over the group to Freegle Mentors if they no longer wish to run it, and/or give Mentors details of any new owners they have appointed. If the group’s owners wish to run the community on a different platform, the Disaffiliation Procedure must be followed.

===Arrange Group Launch===
Appoint a member of the team to act as Group Launch Coordinator. That NGT member introduces themselves to the applicant and existing group owner (if applicable) and explains the next steps.

====a. New Group Launch Procedure====
*Create a new Freegle group.
*Promote the applicant to Owner status.
*Communicate with the mentoring team to assign a mentor if applicable.
*Provide the applicant with basic moderating and Freegle Direct and Social Networks instructions.
*Introduce the applicant to their assigned mentor.

====b. Group Move or Merger Procedure====
*Provide a questionnaire to confirm the move or merger is agreeable to the enquiring reuse group’s moderating team.
*Agree the new Freegle group name.
*Create a pointer group if required.
*Provide Admin templates and move or merger information.
*Provide the applicant with any applicable Freegle instructions and support information.
*Offer and arrange the services of a Mentor if wanted.

====c. Implement Group Support arrangements and notifications====
*Notify newgroup-launch@ilovefreegle.org with pre-launch, pre-move or merger information.
*Request logos from graphics@ilovefreegle.org (if applicable)
*Communicate with Freegle Direct support to add Freegle Direct and Social Networks (if applicable).
*Publish the group on www.ilovefreegle.org/groups.
*Request 100 business cards.
*Arrange an invite to FreegleUKCentral
*Notify the Board, info@, support@, media@, volunteers@ and Central of new group

===Special Interest Groups===
These groups are intended to cover such examples as specific workplaces, schools or groups for specialist items. Consultation/notification will follow the same procedures as above. Also:

1. Freegle private in-house organisational groups are subject to the same procedures as other specialist group applications.

2. All specialist groups (closed and otherwise) must allow Volunteers from the local group(s) to be members if they wish in the interests of promoting community links.

3. Closed, private affiliated groups should have a representative for Freegle nationally as a member of the group . NGT will help to find a suitable volunteer to represent Freegle nationally on any closed groups. This may be a local volunteer but may also be a member of the Mentor or NGT teams if a volunteer can't be found. NGT will keep a list of who is representing Freegle on each closed group.

Types considered so far:
*Glastonbury Festival
*Boating Community
*Scout Group
*Disability Aids
*Noticeboard based Micro Group
*Closed work based Groups
*University Groups

===Disagreements===
If there is disagreement between NGT and a neighbouring group, NGT may consult with the Development Working Group and/or Freegle UK Central Group. NGT will make the final decision.
The [[Complaints Procedure]] can offer a mediation or appeals process for applicants and/or Freegle volunteers who are unhappy with NGT decisions.

===Disaffiliation===
See [[Disaffiliation Procedure]].

===Volunteer Team===

The 2025 AGM passed a resolution that it is compulsory for there to be at least 2 owners for each Freegle group. It was further agreed they need not be fully active on all groups as long as they are active somewhere and can cover any absence by the usual active/regular owner.

===Links===
* This procedure was adopted by the Board in July 2017, after recommendation by Development Group.
*This document replaces Freegle Affiliation Application Procedures and Freegle Affiliation Process Procedures.
*[[Glossary]]
*[[Document Approval Policy]]
*[[New Groups Team - NGT]]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]][[category:New Groups Team]]

Best Practice

2026-05-20T10:56:38Z

Jacky: /* Summary */

This page summarises our agreed Best Practice for running a Freegle community. Each point has a link to further information on [[Best Practice Notes]].

==Summary==
Freegle promotes reuse. We need to make sure that using Freegle is as quick, easy and enjoyable as possible for us and our members. Further explanation about each of these points can be found at [[Best Practice Notes]]

[[Our Aims]] outlines expectations of Freegle and Volunteers. The intent of this is to support Freegle and members, and to safeguard our reputation. All the advice below is within the context of the [[Community_Affiliation_Requirements_Policy#Local_Rules]].

====Emergency arrangements====
To safeguard your community and give you peace of mind, have backup arrangements in place.
* Make sure all of your Volunteer Team know they can contact Mentors to get some help - email [mentors@ilovefreegle.org](mailto:mentors@ilovefreegle.org)
* Exchange contact information with your chosen other volunteers locally and/or nationally in case of crisis.

Note: The 2025 AGM passed a resolution that it is compulsory for there to be at least 2 owners for each Freegle group. It was further agreed they need not be fully active on all groups as long as they are active somewhere and can cover any absence by the usual active/regular owner.

[[Best_Practice_Notes#Emergency_arrangements|More info]]

====First impressions====
Home pages (Freegle website, Facebook etc.) should be welcoming and quick and easy to read. All website homepages should have a logo or local picture, tagline, welcoming message and, optionally, local rules. To do this, go to Settings in Modtools.

[[Best_Practice_Notes#First_impressions|More Info]]

====New Freeglers need an easy start====
*Ensure all posts, especially first posts, are dealt with swiftly and sympathetically.
*Don’t overwhelm members with lots of admin emails.

[[Best_Practice_Notes#New Freeglers need an easy start|More info]]

====Quick posting====
Ideally, moderation of messages needs to be at least every few hours. Put members who post correctly on Group Settings (unmoderated). 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Quick_posting|More info]]

====Simple and minimal rules====
Keep rules short and to the point. Apply them fairly, always politely, and with flexibility where appropriate. Your community rules are for your community only, it’s not acceptable to try to enforce your rules on other communities, such as asking your member to leave another community. 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Simple_and_minimal_rules|More info]]

====Don’t knock enthusiasm====
It isn't an indication of ill intent if a member is a ‘multi-joiner’ or makes lots of requests. Freegle is about encouraging reuse, so people who are able to travel or need things are not going against our objects. They don’t need to be removed or restricted unless there is a very good reason to do so. Occasionally, there will be people who exploit Freegle - but this is rare, and you should assume that people are innocent and kind until proven guilty. 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Don't knock enthusiam|More info]]

====‘Wanted’ posts are a good thing====
Equally accept requests or offers as first and subsequent posts from members. Our primary purpose is to keep things in use, so members who reuse those items are essential for Freegle. Requests should be encouraged, with no restrictions on numbers of wanted posts or numbers of items requested.
 [[Best_Practice_Notes#'Wanted'_posts_are_a_good_thing|More info]]

====Avoid rejecting messages====
Members have made the effort to post a message, so unless it contravenes core rules (free and legal), try not to reject it. Editing a message and, if needed, sending a friendly personal message to the member to explain the rules, whilst promoting the website and apps as an easy way to compose messages, will be more effective in the long run. 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Avoid_rejecting_messages|More info]]

====Impression of you and Freegle====
We are providing a service which is helping your members get in touch with one another to keep stuff out of the waste stream, so let’s be good hosts.
 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Impression_of_you_and_Freegle|More info]]

====Member problems====
Handling problems and complaints from members is tricky. Finding the balance between running the community how you would like it to be run and how members would like you to run it is not always easy but is important to do well. [[Best_Practice_Notes#Member_problems|More info]]

====Use tools/services to make it easier to run or use your Community====
Take up some or all of the helpful tools and services that Freegle makes available for your members and you.
 [[Best_Practice_Notes#Use_tools/services_to_make_it_easier_to_run_or_use_your_Community|More info]]

====Ask for help====
You are not alone. All Freegle volunteers are in this together, we have a shared mission, so take advantage of others’ experience, friendship and advice.
 [[Best_Practice_Notes#Ask_for_help|More info]]

====Publicise your community====
The more people who know about your community, the better it will be for freegling. Make use of national publicity tools to spread the word and get more members. 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Publicise_your_community|More info]]

====Supporting Freegle====
Freegle is run collectively by all of us, so make sure that you are involved and informed about Freegle nationally.
 [[Best_Practice_Notes#Supporting_Freegle|More info]]

====Get to know other Freegle Mods====
Chatting to other Freegle volunteers can help put a 'face' to people and to establish better rapport for good and bad times. [[Best_Practice_Notes#Get_to_know_other_Freegle_Mods|More info]]

'''Note:''' The guidelines on [[Best Practice Notes]] were last formally discussed and amended on Development Group in 2021.

'''Links:'''
*[[Running Your Group]]
*[[Our Aims]]
[[Category:The Basics]]

Best Practice

2026-05-20T10:55:02Z

Jacky: /* Emergency arrangements */

This page summarises our agreed Best Practice for running a Freegle community. Each point has a link to further information on [[Best Practice Notes]].

==Summary==
Freegle promotes reuse. We need to make sure that using Freegle is as quick, easy and enjoyable as possible for us and our members. Further explanation about each of these points can be found at [[Best Practice Notes]]

[[Our Aims]] outlines expectations of Freegle and Volunteers. The intent of this is to support Freegle and members, and to safeguard our reputation. All the advice below is within the context of the [[Basic Requirements of a Freegle Group#Local Rules]].

====Emergency arrangements====
To safeguard your community and give you peace of mind, have backup arrangements in place.
* Make sure all of your Volunteer Team know they can contact Mentors to get some help - email [mentors@ilovefreegle.org](mailto:mentors@ilovefreegle.org)
* Exchange contact information with your chosen other volunteers locally and/or nationally in case of crisis.

Note: The 2025 AGM passed a resolution that it is compulsory for there to be at least 2 owners for each Freegle group. It was further agreed they need not be fully active on all groups as long as they are active somewhere and can cover any absence by the usual active/regular owner.

[[Best_Practice_Notes#Emergency_arrangements|More info]]

====First impressions====
Home pages (Freegle website, Facebook etc.) should be welcoming and quick and easy to read. All website homepages should have a logo or local picture, tagline, welcoming message and, optionally, local rules. To do this, go to Settings in Modtools.

[[Best_Practice_Notes#First_impressions|More Info]]

====New Freeglers need an easy start====
*Ensure all posts, especially first posts, are dealt with swiftly and sympathetically.
*Don’t overwhelm members with lots of admin emails.

[[Best_Practice_Notes#New Freeglers need an easy start|More info]]

====Quick posting====
Ideally, moderation of messages needs to be at least every few hours. Put members who post correctly on Group Settings (unmoderated). 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Quick_posting|More info]]

====Simple and minimal rules====
Keep rules short and to the point. Apply them fairly, always politely, and with flexibility where appropriate. Your community rules are for your community only, it’s not acceptable to try to enforce your rules on other communities, such as asking your member to leave another community. 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Simple_and_minimal_rules|More info]]

====Don’t knock enthusiasm====
It isn't an indication of ill intent if a member is a ‘multi-joiner’ or makes lots of requests. Freegle is about encouraging reuse, so people who are able to travel or need things are not going against our objects. They don’t need to be removed or restricted unless there is a very good reason to do so. Occasionally, there will be people who exploit Freegle - but this is rare, and you should assume that people are innocent and kind until proven guilty. 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Don't knock enthusiam|More info]]

====‘Wanted’ posts are a good thing====
Equally accept requests or offers as first and subsequent posts from members. Our primary purpose is to keep things in use, so members who reuse those items are essential for Freegle. Requests should be encouraged, with no restrictions on numbers of wanted posts or numbers of items requested.
 [[Best_Practice_Notes#'Wanted'_posts_are_a_good_thing|More info]]

====Avoid rejecting messages====
Members have made the effort to post a message, so unless it contravenes core rules (free and legal), try not to reject it. Editing a message and, if needed, sending a friendly personal message to the member to explain the rules, whilst promoting the website and apps as an easy way to compose messages, will be more effective in the long run. 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Avoid_rejecting_messages|More info]]

====Impression of you and Freegle====
We are providing a service which is helping your members get in touch with one another to keep stuff out of the waste stream, so let’s be good hosts.
 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Impression_of_you_and_Freegle|More info]]

====Member problems====
Handling problems and complaints from members is tricky. Finding the balance between running the community how you would like it to be run and how members would like you to run it is not always easy but is important to do well. [[Best_Practice_Notes#Member_problems|More info]]

====Use tools/services to make it easier to run or use your Community====
Take up some or all of the helpful tools and services that Freegle makes available for your members and you.
 [[Best_Practice_Notes#Use_tools/services_to_make_it_easier_to_run_or_use_your_Community|More info]]

====Ask for help====
You are not alone. All Freegle volunteers are in this together, we have a shared mission, so take advantage of others’ experience, friendship and advice.
 [[Best_Practice_Notes#Ask_for_help|More info]]

====Publicise your community====
The more people who know about your community, the better it will be for freegling. Make use of national publicity tools to spread the word and get more members. 
[[Best_Practice_Notes#Publicise_your_community|More info]]

====Supporting Freegle====
Freegle is run collectively by all of us, so make sure that you are involved and informed about Freegle nationally.
 [[Best_Practice_Notes#Supporting_Freegle|More info]]

====Get to know other Freegle Mods====
Chatting to other Freegle volunteers can help put a 'face' to people and to establish better rapport for good and bad times. [[Best_Practice_Notes#Get_to_know_other_Freegle_Mods|More info]]

'''Note:''' The guidelines on [[Best Practice Notes]] were last formally discussed and amended on Development Group in 2021.

'''Links:'''
*[[Running Your Group]]
*[[Our Aims]]
[[Category:The Basics]]

Directors Ending Term of Office Procedure

2026-05-04T13:43:31Z

Jacky: /* Links: */

Adopted by the Board at their meeting on 25th March 2015.

In addition to Rule 81(Termination of a Director’s Appointment), a Director will cease to hold office if:
*They cease to be a Freegle Member (1); or
*They resign their office (2); or
*They are absent without agreement for all discussions held within a period of three months and the Directors decide by majority vote that their office is vacated (3); or
*There is a breach of Working Practices (4).

PROCEDURE

(Each step in the sections to be taken in order)

====1. Ceases to be a Freegle Member====
a. A Director ceases to be eligible to be a Director if they are no longer a current Member of Freegle.(for eligibility, see Rule 54)

b. If the Director does not voluntarily resign, the Board will hold an internal vote, which can be carried by majority, to remove the Director without prejudice.(7)

c. The ex Director can remain as a member of centrally run groups in accordance with our rules that apply to all ex-Freegle Members.

====2. Resignation====
a. The Director should tender their resignation by email to the Board Discussion Group only in the first instance.

b. A maximum of a week will be allowed for the Director to reconsider their resignation. If the request is withdrawn the Directors will vote whether to accept the withdrawal. If the withdrawal is accepted by majority the Director will continue in post.

c. When the resignation is accepted the Director will be asked to inform Central of their resignation and they will no longer be entitled to participate in activities as a Director. If the ex-Director chooses not to inform Central themselves within 3 days, the Board will carry out the notification.

====3. Absent====
a. If a Director does not post on the Board Discussion Group for more than 7 days without notice or otherwise make contact, the remaining Directors will designate one of their number to establish contact by email, telephone or by checking with co-group owners and/or moderators on their home or neighbouring Freegle groups.

b. If there is no contact with any Director without prior arrangement or notification for more than 4 consecutive weeks, the Board can vote for:
*A vote of no confidence, leading to removal of the Director (7), or
*Improvement request (5), or
*Mediation (6).

====4. Breach of Working Practices====
(see Board Role and Remit http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/Board_Role_and_Remit)

The Board can vote for:
*A vote of no confidence, leading to removal of the Director (7), or
*Improvement request (5), or
*Mediation (6).

====5. Improvement Request====
a. The purpose of a request is to find ways to improve ways of working.

b. The request will be be issued to a Director with agreement of the Board.

c. The request will be issued by email, accompanied by suggestions for development and opportunities for discussing the issue that is proving difficult.

d. The request will be logged by the Board and will be kept confidential within the Board Discussion Group.

e. If a Director is removed, dates and brief details of improvement requests, if relevant to the reason for removal, will be supplied to any relevant appeals process.

====6. Mediation====
In any dispute, a serving Director may request that review/mediation be used where appropriate in accordance with [[Complaints Procedure]] .

====7. Removal====
If a Director is removed from office under the terms of this procedure, they are entitled to appeal the decision. The ex-Director should lodge this complaint with the Ombudsman who will initiate the Complaints procedure or assist with appointing an adjudicator, in line with http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/Rules#Rule_83:_DISPUTES

====8. Notification of End of Office====
The Board will post a Special Notice on Central when a Director is no longer in post. The Ombudsman will also be separately informed. If an election to fill the vacancy is required (see Rules 57 and 58) the election process will be triggered for a replacement. Polling papers will give the reason for the vacancy.

====Links:====
*[[Board Role and Remit]]
*[[Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy]]
*[[Complaints Procedure]]
*[[Rules]]
*[[Glossary]]
*Previous equivalent Freegle UK document: [[Reps Ending Term of Office Procedure]]
*Amendments to this document: [[Document Approval Policy]]

[[category:Freegle Board]] [[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]

Disaffiliation Procedure

2026-05-04T13:42:18Z

Jacky: /* Links: */

This procedure was adopted by the Board at their meeting of 29th October 2014. 
Amendments have since been adopted on 24th November 2015, 12th October 2017, 3rd August 2023, 17th October 2023 and 20th April 2024.

==For Communities leaving Freegle of their own volition==

====If a Community decides to leave Freegle, they need to inform NGT. NGT will then:====
*Notify the Board and the new groups notification list to remove them from the Freegle website, maps etc
*Give a week's grace on Central, Cafe and working groups to say their goodbyes on those groups.
*Ask them to post on Central about why they're leaving. If they don't, post on Central to say that they've left.
*Consider whether the Community leaving enables the acceptance of an application (but not sooner than 4 weeks).
*Send them a helpful goodbye mail (e.g. don't forget to leave ModTools, if you rename, please remove the logo from your Community).

====If a Community leaves Freegle by disaffiliating themselves(1) but doesn't liaise with NGT, NGT will do the following:====
*Contact all known Community volunteers via all known contact details to check that they wish the Community to be disaffiliated.
*If Community volunteers confirm they wish to leave, follow the procedures above.(2)
*If no Community volunteers respond within 14 days, inform the Board they are proceeding with Disaffiliation or Abandoned Group procedures, whichever are most applicable to the situation.
*When the Board confirms a procedure is acceptable, put a SN notice on Central to explain procedure being used and to continue to ask Community volunteers to contact NGT if they wish the group to remain with Freegle.
*The normal procedure for Abandoned or Disaffiliated groups will now come into force at the appropriate point in each procedure.

(1)If a Community removes all links to Freegle, renames itself to exclude Freegle without NGT liaison, or other scenario that indicates the Community volunteers wish disaffiliation.

(2)If there is disagreement amongst the Community volunteers, they will be asked to sort it out and NGT will check by emailing the owner address after 14 days. NGT will advise them on the different technical options available. If the situation is unresolved after 14 days and there is no evidence of affiliation (eg. name change, logo, links to Freegle) on the Community pages, the Community will be subject to the disaffiliation process with the discretional option for NGT to offer those in dispute to restart the Community.

(3) Ask the leaving volunteer team if they wish to have membership information to establish the community on another platform. If requested, ask the Geeks to download membership information from Modtools to pass to the leaving group. Before actioning this, written agreement will be needed that the GDPR legal basis and aims of the new community and platform will be the same as Freegle.

==Failing Communities==
====A. Failed Community due to problems for members====
We believe it is crucial that Communities affiliated to Freegle provide a good level of service so that Freeglers have a good freegling experience. If Freeglers complain about their Community, Freegle will always try to find ways to contact the local Community moderators and see if there is any help which can be provided. We would hope and expect that most problems can be resolved this way.

Occasionally, it may be that there are serious problems with the way a Community is run, which means that Freeglers will find it unusable or there are or have been circumstances which bring Freegle into disrepute. The Board should be informed by Mentors or other relevant national teams (eg. mailboxes), so they can consider what action to take (if any).

====B. Failed Community due to lack of activity====
There are also cases where a community is sadly failing for a number of reasons. Guidelines for a failed community are:
*One which has been open for members for longer than 12 months
*Where monthly posts by members have stopped for at least 6 months or have been less than 1 per month for 6 months
*Where the general trend does not show any increase in posts or active members over the previous 6 months.

However, this is not a straightforward decision and will depend on the level of interaction and cooperation with national support and other external factors.
Given the above, we think it would be better for Freegle to delete the community. Consideration can be given to applications for a new community in that area (part or all) in the future if there is some confidence that it could succeed.

====C. Action to take for a failed or failing community====
Mentors or a local owner/moderator should send a report to the Board for a failing group, who will decide whether further action is required. If so:
*Every effort will be made to communicate and to provide support to the community.
*If this is unsuccessful within a reasonable and practicable timescale then consideration may be given to caretaking (for A above) or deletion (for B above).
*A minimum of 14 days notice of any deletion will be given to the community members, Freegle UK Central, NGT, Mentors, the Councils team, Media, and info & support mailboxes. These notices to be given by whichever team is tasked by the Board to action the disaffiliation.

The above can be delegated by the Board to NGT or Mentors as suitable. Any final decision will be taken by or on behalf of the Board and be eligible for the appeal procedure.
NGT must be informed and agreed data supplied and retained by them for any deleted communities.

==Links:==
*Freegle Affiliation Application Procedures
*[[Contacting Groups Procedure]]
*[[New Groups Team - NGT]]
*[[Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy]]
* Appeal procedure [[Complaints Procedure]]
*AGM 2016 Polls [https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/FreegleUK-Central/conversations/topics/61112] relating to possible disaffiliation for lack of representation on Central, platform choice and affiliation confirmation.
*Amendments to this procedure - refer to [[Document Approval Policy]]
*[[Glossary]]

Addition of 'failing group' definition made in October 2017, following recommendation to the Board by Development Group.

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]] [[category:New Groups Team]]

Policies, Procedures and Remits

2026-05-04T13:41:33Z

Jacky: /* C */

This section contains links to all those documents we have put in place to keep Freegle Ltd ticking over centrally. It also includes links to significant polls which have contributed to the decisions we have jointly made for Freegle, and footnote pages for significant revisions.

A list of documents that have been archived/deleted can be found at [[Archived Documents]]

These documents can be revised and amended, or new ones created in line with the [[Document Approval Policy]].

{{CompactTOC}}
===1===

[[10% Polling Guidelines]]

===A===

[[Advisory Panel Procedure]]

[[Affiliation Procedure]]

[[Archived Documents]]

===B===
[[Board Agenda and Minutes Procedure]]

[[Board Chair]]

[[Board Meeting Procedure]]

[[Board Role and Remit]]

[[Budget Creation Process]]

===C===

[[Caretaker Group Rules]]

[[Caretaker Groups]]

[[Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy]]

[[Chief Technology Officer]]

[[Co-option for Elected Roles]]

[[Community Affiliation Requirements Policy]]

[[Community Mapping]]

[[Complaints Procedure]]

[[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]]

[[Contacting Groups Procedure]]

[[Contract for Services]]

===D===

[[Data Use & Protection]]

[[December 2010 Poll]]

[[Development Working Group]]

[[Director Autopromotion Procedure]]

[[Director Role Description]]

[[Directors Ending Term of Office Procedure]]

[[Disaffiliation Procedure]]

[[Discourse Support Team Remit]]

[[Document Approval Policy]]

===E===

[[Election Timetable Guidelines]]

[[Election and Poll Procedure]]

[[Election links]]

[[Emergencies]]

===F===

[[Finance Documents Review]]

[[Finance Policy]]

[[Finance Procedures]]

[[Finance Role Remits]]

[[Freegle Affiliated Group Area Guidelines]]

[[Freegle Affiliated Group Name and Logo Guidelines]]

[[Freegle Affiliation Policy]]

[[Freegle Aims]]

[[Freegle Central Group]]

Freegle Direct Information Policy

[[Freegle Equality and Diversity Policy]]

[[Freegle Funding Group]]

[[Freegle Group Membership Information Policy]]

[[Freegle Health and Safety Policy]]

[[Freegle Ltd Adopted Document Summary]]

[[Freegle Mailbox Guidelines]]

===G===

[[Geeks Team Remit]]

[[Glossary]]

[[Governance Wonk]]

[[Group Affiliation Requirements Policy]]

Group Affiliation Team (GAT) Remit

Group Affiliation Team - Naming New Groups

Group Affiliation Team Footnotes

Group Affiliation Team Procedures

===H===

[[Head of Media]]

[[Head of Volunteers]]

===I===

[[Insurance]]

===J===

[[January 2010 Poll]]

[[July 2011 Poll]]

[[June 2010 Poll]]]

[[June 21st 2010 Poll]]

===M===

[[May 2011 Poll]]

[[May 2013 Poll]]

[[Mentor Team Remit]]

===N===

[[Named Role Holder Ending Term of Office Procedure]]

[[National Volunteers Procedure]]

[[New Director Procedure]]

[[New Group Support Procedures]]

[[November 2009 Poll]]

===O===

[[October 2009 Poll]]

[[October 2012 Poll]]

[[Ombudsman Remit]]

[[Operations Team]]

===P===

[[Partners with Freegle]]

[[Partnerships and Website Links Procedure]]

[[Paying People in Freegle Guidelines]]

[[Poll Voting Protocol Guidelines]]

[[Poll and Election Guidelines]]

[[Polls]]

[[Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblowing) Policy and Procedures]]

===R===

[[Returning Officer Remit]]

[[Rules]]

[[Rules - Amendments]]

===S===

[[Safeguarding]] Statement

[[Social Media Guidelines]]

[[Society Secretary]]

===T===

[[Tech Working Group Remit]]

[[Trading Subsidiary Working Team]] Remit

===U===

[[Unused and Redundant National Groups Procedure]]

===W===

[[Working Groups Procedure]]

Back to [[The Freegle Organisation]]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]

Working Groups

2026-05-04T13:40:36Z

Jacky:

Working Groups were originally designed to focus on particular areas/topics, to keep the traffic on the Central group down to manageable levels. In April 2026 they were replaced with Board led groups, with specific delegated responsibilities.

*[[Finance and Risk Working Group]] - To safeguard Freegle’s financial integrity, ensure regulatory compliance, and mitigate organisational risk.

*[[ Operations & Tech Working Group]] - To oversee the stability, security, and continuous development of the Freegle digital platform.

*[[ People & Growth Working Group]] - To drive Freegle’s expansion through strategic fundraising, communications, and robust volunteer support.

PREVIOUS WORKING GROUP INFORMATION

These were open to all Freegle Volunteers; see [[ Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy|here]] for the membership policy of the central groups. Originally on Yahoo Groups, the ones remaining when Yahoo Groups were closed were transferred to Discourse. Archives of messages on the Yahoo Groups were downloaded and kept for reference.

The [[Working Groups Procedure]] document explains how the main groups carried out their business.

Previous Working Groups since Freegle first started in 2009. Previous Working Groups until April 2026 have been:

* [[Development Working Group]] formed in 2015, amalgamating the remits of Structure, Growth and Media working groups [https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/c/development]

*[[Freegle Funding Group]] - A group set up for looking at the availability of local and national funding opportunities and offering support to local groups who wish to access financial assistance [https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/c/funding]

*[[Tech Working Group Remit|Freegle Tech & Mod Tools]] - A working group for technical discussions about tools/websites etc. Open to all Freegle Central members who are interested.[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/] - this is still a Discourse group, but is a not a working group in terms of delegated powers.

* Freegle Growth - this group was dedicated to supporting Volunteers and Groups achieve growth of their Groups. It was an amalgamation of the Freegle People and Freegle Start groups, but was then amalgamated with others to form the Freegle Development Group in 2015.

*Freegle Legal - A closed group where volunteers could view questions and answers about legalities of Freegle. Closed in 2015 as the Board decided it was more practical to consult over legal matters as needed, minuting discussion and decisions in their Minutes.

*Freegle Media - A Freegle Working Group formed in 2009 to help raise Freegle's media profile and improve visibility of Freegle generally, with an aim to increase member subscriptions. Open to all FreegleUK Central members who are interested. It was amalgamated with others to form the Freegle Development Group in 2015.

*Freegle People - Formed in 2009, this group amalgamated with Freegle Start to become Freegle Growth. [[People Group Report 2010-04|Report]]

*Freegle Start - Formed in 2009, this group amalgamated with Freegle People to become Freegle Growth.

*Freegle Structure - A group formed in 2009 to develop proposals for how Freegle works as an organisation. Open to all Freegle Volunteers who are interested. A [[Trading Subsidiary Working Team]] was appointed February 2013. It was amalgamated with others to form the Freegle Development Group in 2015.

Links:
*[[Freegle Board]]
*[[The Freegle Organisation]] [[Image:Freegle-heart.png|20px]]

[[Category:Central Groups]] [[Category:Freegle Organisation]]

Central Groups

2026-05-04T13:18:21Z

Jacky:

Discourse [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/]] hosts our Central discussion groups, that all owners, moderators and volunteers of groups affiliated to Freegle are welcome and encouraged to join. [[Central Discussion and Groups Membership Policy]] explains the criteria for membership of all these national Freegle groups.

All Central Groups are looked after by the [[Discourse Support Team Remit|Discourse Support Team]]

== Freegle Central Group ==

This is your main group to ask for help and information from your fellow Freegle moderators. It is a '''strong''' recommendation that you and your co-moderators belong to Freegle Central.

If anyone wants to raise a general comment or ask questions about the way Freegle is working, they can just post a message on the group!

== Freegle Cafe ==

Off topic group for all Freegle volunteers to chat, post jokes and ditties, and generally socialise.

== Tech and ModTools ==

== Announcements ==

== Freestock ==

A summary of our central policies, procedures etc can be found in the [[:category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]

==Participating==

New members of Freegle Central and other national groups are encouraged to consider the following as a part of getting involved.

* Introducing yourself to the Group and sharing any relevant experience which you bring to the group. Of course, everyone is welcome in the Freegle Working Groups regardless of experience. 
* Familiarise yourself with the various groups. 
* And lastly, please engage in the discussions on the Groups, contributing your thoughts to the collaborative process.

Participating in the Central and Working Groups can be a first step toward getting more involved with your Freegle organisation on a national level.

 '''Links''' to all the central groups of Freegle:

All the following central groups for Freegle can be found on https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/

*Freegle Central
*Freegle Cafe
*Freegle Development Working Group
*Freegle Tech Working Group
*Freegle Funding Group
*Freestock

Back to [[The Freegle Organisation]] [[Image:Freegle-heart.png|20px]]

[[Category:Central Groups]]

Category:Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy

2026-05-04T13:07:51Z

Jacky: Jacky moved page Category:Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy to Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy: Change in governance structure to new Board working groups

#REDIRECT [[Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy]]

Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy

2026-05-04T13:07:51Z

Jacky: Jacky moved page Category:Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy to Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy: Change in governance structure to new Board working groups

This policy was adopted by the Board at their meeting of 27th August 2014.

The membership policy for centrally run discussion and working groups is:

*All Freegle Members and Volunteers are welcome to join Central, the Cafe and Working Groups.
*Ex Members or Volunteers (i.e. who have voluntarily left or have been removed as a volunteer from all groups affiliated with Freegle, or as a national Volunteer, or have ceased being a Member) may remain on or join the groups for up to 7 days, which may be extended by Board of Directors’ approval.
*No-one will be moderated on Central unless they personally request it or there are damaging circumstances which necessitate it. The same applies to other groups and teams unless the policy of that group is expressly to only allow posts from some participants (e.g. Legal).
*Ex-Volunteers or Members will be removed from Central, the Cafe and the Working Groups if they have not left voluntarily by the end of the agreed time.

Links:
* Refer to: [[Disaffiliation Procedure]] for related processes involving volunteers leaving Freegle.
* Note: A database of members of Central is kept on http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/FreegleCentralAndCafeMods/
*[[Glossary]]
* The previous document of Freegle UK can be found here - Freegle Group Membership Policy
* Amendments to this document - refer to [[Document Approval Policy]]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]

Central Discussion and Working Group Membership Policy

2026-05-04T13:06:01Z

Jacky: Jacky moved page Central Discussion and Working Group Membership Policy to Category:Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy: Change in governance structure

#REDIRECT [[:Category:Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy]]

Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy

2026-05-04T13:06:01Z

Jacky: Jacky moved page Central Discussion and Working Group Membership Policy to Category:Central Discussion Groups Membership Policy: Change in governance structure

4.5 Levels of Authority

2026-05-03T15:23:24Z

Jacky:

The Board holds ultimate financial responsibility for Freegle, but the Directors can delegate the work and authority to any person or committee consisting of Members of the Society.

The Board has an appointed [[Finance and Risk Working Group]], which assists with approval of certain types of expenditure. They can also suggest financial procedures and highlight other finance related matters to the Board.

*[[4. Finances]]
*[[4.1 Budget cycle and approval]]
*[[4.2 Funding]]
*[[4.3 Annual Accounts]]
*[[4.4 Financial Management]]

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:4.Finances]]

4.4 Financial Management

2026-05-03T15:21:46Z

Jacky:

Current financial records and accounts are presented regularly at Board meetings and can also be requested from the Finance Director or the Treasurer.
Email addresses: finance@ilovefreegle.org and treasurer@ilovefreegle.org

Two signatures are required for any payments to be approved. A minimum of three signatories are required for the bank account.

The Treasurer is copied into board emails and other correspondence relating to financial matters.

The Board appoints a [[Finance and Risk Working Group]]

*[[4. Finances]]
*[[4.1 Budget cycle and approval]]
*[[4.2 Funding]]
*[[4.3 Annual Accounts]]
*[[4.5 Levels of Authority]]

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:4.Finances]]

3.4 Policies

2026-05-03T15:14:46Z

Jacky:

From April 2026, policies will be discussed by the Board, either in delegated Working Groups or raising a discussion on Central. There is a [[Document Approval Policy]] which outlines how Policies and other documents are agreed and implemented.

All documents are kept here on this wiki, under [[:Category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]].

* [[3.1 Board Structure]]
* [[3.2 How the Board operates]]
* [[3.3 Practicalities]]

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:3. Directors, Meetings, Policies]]

3.3 Practicalities

2026-05-03T15:11:32Z

Jacky:

(Page still under construction}

As an online organisation, it is essential for Directors to have the IT capacity to attend Zoom and other types of online meetings, and to converse within forums and via email.

From April 2026 Board Meetings will be held quarterly on the 3rd Thursday of the month @6.30pm, using the same Zoom link each month - https://zoom.us/j/93308199871?pwd=Sk5qeHRlQXRHYVZnZ01SeTEzbTlHZz09

- The private Board discussion group is - https://groups.io/g/FreegleBoard/

- The open national volunteer discussion forum is on Discourse - https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/

Certain expenses can be paid to Directors, the form is ………. (Need new expenses policy and form)

This Freegle Wiki provides extensive information on Freegle UK and Freegle Ltd decisions and resources.

* [[3.1 Board Structure]]
* [[3.2 How the Board operates]]
* [[3.4 Policies]]

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:3. Directors, Meetings, Policies]]

Freegle Family

2026-05-03T15:06:26Z

Jacky:

When a community is affiliated to Freegle, all the Volunteers working for that community become part of Freegle. We are all in this together guys!

If you wish to take fuller part in Freegle organisational activities (voting and stuff), please become a Member of Freegle Ltd - see [[Freegle Ltd Membership]] for more details.

See the page "[[Organisation]]" for how it all works, and, now a bit outdated, [https://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/images/Freegle_Organigram_v6bt_Jul13.pdf this 2013 diagram].

When a [[New Groups Team|new Freegle community]] is affiliated, it is put on the Freegle website with appropriate links and [[maps|mapping]] details.

We all have different skills and time to offer to Freegle. Please don't be shy about joining in!

Back to [[The Freegle Organisation]], [[Contacts]] or [[First Steps]]

[[Category:Contact Details]] [[category:The Basics]]

Organisation

2026-05-03T15:03:21Z

Jacky: /* Can I get involved? */

Freegle has been formed as a collective of groups. We have built our national organisational structure democratically (and all that consultation took a long time!).

====What is Freegle?====

Freegle is at heart all the Volunteers of affiliated groups coming together to form a mutually supportive organisation. If you are working with a Freegle group, you are a part of Freegle and are known as a Freegle Volunteer.

If you wish to participate fully in national decisions and support the organisation, [[Freegle Ltd Membership]] is an option for all Volunteers. As we have evolved into a Registered Society, there is the requirement to pay for that (hey, though, it is only a £1 for life!) but it does allow you to show your full support and vote on important issues as a Freegle Member.

====Who manages it?====

There are annual elections for the [[Freegle Board]]. The Board Directors are also Trustees of Freegle and responsible for strategic direction and management of Freegle Ltd. (see full remit at [[Board Role and Remit]]) The Board is accountable to the Members of Freegle.

We have no paid staff, but there are opportunities for [[Contracted Roles]] from time to time.

====Can I get involved?====

The [[Working Groups]] are where discussions take place to move ourselves forward in a positive way to keep more items out of landfill, support each other and sustain our present success.

[[Freegle Teams]] are where tasks that have been identified collectively as needing doing to maintain a central organisation are carried out.

And of course we have general groups – [[Freegle Central Group]] and [[Freegle Cafe]] – where more general issues are raised and chatted about.

(We produced [https://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/images/Freegle_Organigram_v6bt_Jul13.pdf this 2013 diagram] when we had a change in structure, but it is a bit out of date now.)

===Do we have a formal structure?===

Yes!

We started as an unincorporated association - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/ctmanual/CTM41305.htm - so were not a legal entity, but we did have a mutually agreed structure, with a Constitution which outlined the structure and decision making processes we mutually agreed to follow as Freegle UK. Freegle UK registered with the HMRC [https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxDLE82mEn2jUlRONmhMUmoyZHc/view] as charitable and opened a bank account.

In 2014 we decided to change to a more formal structure, [[Freegle Structural Change]] lists the processes and decisions undertaken. We became an IPS, Freegle Ltd with [[Rules]], which now is regarded as a [[Registered Society]].

If you get queries about this, there is a sample message here that might help - [[Sample message: Is Freegle a Charity?|Is Freegle a Charity?]]

===Do we have rules?===

Other than the formal [[Rules]] we have adopted as part of bring a Registered Society, there have been polls and discussions to adopt a variety of other supporting policies and procedures. All of these are listed on this wiki under the category [[:category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]

The question of trademarking the name Freegle is also a recurring topic of discussion. An interesting article to read about other's experiences on this can be found at [http://www.beneschlaw.com/pubs/xprPubDetail.aspx?xpST=PubDetail&pub=2485]

Not a rule as such, but we do care about each other. We have a [[Freegle Equality and Diversity Policy]] that we have agreed to all work to.

===How are we funded?===

We have costs, that is the reality of running things online. Although we all offer our time voluntarily, running the central website, offering extra IT goodies and getting the Freegle name recognised at a national level does incur expenses.

At the moment we run on very little, links to our accounts can be found here [[Finance Reports]]. We have set up a variety of ways that people can donate towards our costs, full explanations of these can be found at [[Donations for Freegle]].

 Back to [[The Freegle Organisation]]

[[Category:Freegle_Organisation]]

Wiki Reports

2026-05-03T12:25:55Z

Jacky:

In 2020 it was decided to post a regular report to Central for changes to the wiki. The reports include edits that are significant, not the odd spelling mistake etc. The links are:

'''2026'''

January 2026 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-january-2026/9371]] - February 2026 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-28th-february-2026/9462]] - March 2026 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-march-2026/9536]] - April 2026 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-april-2026/9640]]

'''2025'''

January 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-january-2024/8268]] - February 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-28th-february-2025/8365]] - March 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-march-2025/8462]] - April 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-april-2025/8539]] - May 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-may-2025/8612]] - June 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-june-2025/8700]] - July 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-july-2025/8815]] - August 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-august-2025/8901]] - September 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-september-2025/9010]] - October 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-october-2025/9119]] - November 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-november-2025/9194]] - December 2025 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-december-2025/9265]]

'''2024'''

December 2024 -[[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-december-2024/8183]] - November 2024 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-november-2024/8103]] - October 2024 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-october-2024/8024]] - September 2024- [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-september-2024/7953]] - August 2024 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-august-2024/7869]] - July 2024 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-july-2024/7709]] - June 2024 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-june-2024/7601]] - May 2024 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-may-2024/7509]] - April 2024 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-april-2024/7387]] - March 2024 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-march-2024/7280]] - February 2024 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-29th-february-2024/7175]] - January 2024 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-january-2024/7087]]

'''2023'''

December 2023 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-december-2023/7000]] - November 2023 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-november-2023/6913]] - October 2023 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-october-2023/6828]] - September 2023 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-september-2023/6733]] - August 2023 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-august-2023/6612]] - July 2023 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-july-2023/6492]] - June 2023 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-june-2023/6366]] - May 2023 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-april-2023/6269 ]](incorrect subject line, this was the report for 31st May 2023)- - April 2023 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-april-2023/6177]] - March 2023 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-march-2023/6083]] - February 2023 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-28th-february-2023/5966]]

'''2022'''

December 2022 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-december-2022/5791]] - November 2022 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-november-2022/5703]] - October 2022 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-october-2022/5594]] - September 2022 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-for-30th-september-2022/5507]] - August 2022 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-august-2022/5388]] - July 2022 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-july-2022/5243]] - June 2022 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-june-2022/5140]] - May 2022 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-may-2022/5049]] - March 2022 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-march-2022/4841]] - February 2022 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-28th-february-2022/4729]] - January 2022 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-january-2022/4619]]

'''2021'''

December 2021 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-december-2021/4488]] - November 2021- [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-november-2021/4348]] - October 2021 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-31st-october-2021/4217]] - September 2021 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-30th-september-2021/4054]] - August 2021 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-26th-august-2021/3935]] - July 2021 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-25th-july-2021/3750]] - June 2021 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-25th-june-2021/3624]] - May 2021 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-25th-may-2021/3492]] - April 2021 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-25th-april-2021/3322]] - March 2021 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-22nd-march-2021/3127]] - February 2021 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-22-2-21/2936]] - January 2021 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-20-1-2021/2766]]

'''2020'''

September 2020 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-14th-sept-2020/20]] - October 2020 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-14-10-20/2223]] - November 2020 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-18th-november-2020/2439]] - December 2020 - [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/wiki-report-18th-december-2020/2590]] -

Link: [[Freegle Wiki]]

[[category:Freegle Wiki]]

People & Growth Working Group

2026-05-02T23:27:40Z

Jacky: /* Membership */

'''TERMS OF REFERENCE'''

===== Purpose =====

To drive Freegle’s expansion through strategic fundraising, communications, and robust volunteer support.

===== Membership =====
* Chair: [[Board_Portfolio_Roles#Lead_for_Fundraising_&_Partnerships|Lead for Fundraising & Partnerships]] (or [[Board_Portfolio_Roles#Lead_for_Volunteer_Engagement|Lead for Volunteer Engagement]]).
* Board Members: Three additional Board members (including the [[Board_Portfolio_Roles#Lead_for_Communications_&_PR|Lead for Communications & PR]])
* Co-opted Volunteers: Up to 4 volunteers

===== Key Responsibilities =====
* Fundraising: Executing the Board-approved Fundraising Strategy, including grant applications and individual giving appeals
* Communications: Oversight of PR, social media, and the "Freegle Voice"
* Volunteer Support: Developing and supporting moderators, welfare policies, and dispute resolution frameworks
* Impact: Measuring and reporting on Freegle’s environmental and social outcomes

===== Financial Authority =====
* Budgeted: Authorised to approve spend within the levels of the Board-approved Annual Budget for Growth/Volunteer operations.
* Unbudgeted: Requires joint written approval from the Chairperson and the Finance Director (or the Treasurer if one is absent).

===== Standard Governance Provisions Decision-Making & Voting =====

The Working Group should strive for consensus. However, as the Board is legally liable for the organisation's actions, formal voting rights on delegated authority matters are reserved for the Board members within the group. Volunteer members serve in an advisory and delivery capacity.

* Working Groups are to meet monthly to manage delivery and operations

*Reporting and Transparency
** Minutes: A brief record of decisions and actions must be circulated to the full Board within 7 days of each meeting
** Quarterly Reports: Each WG Chair must present an update at the quarterly Board meeting
** Unbudgeted Spends: All approvals granted by the Chair/Finance Director/(or Treasurer in their absence) must be reported as a standing item to the full Board

* Conduct & Confidentiality
**All Working Group members (Board and Volunteers) must adhere to Freegle’s [[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]]

The formation of this working group, with the above terms of reference, was agreed by the Board at their meeting of 2nd April 2026.

Links:
* [[Working Groups]]
* [[Freegle Board]]

[[category:Freegle Board]] [[category:Freegle Organisation]]

Finance and Risk Working Group

2026-05-02T23:25:30Z

Jacky: /* Membership */

'''TERMS OF REFERENCE'''

===== Purpose =====

To safeguard Freegle’s financial integrity, ensure regulatory compliance, and mitigate organisational risk.

===== Membership =====
*Chair: The [[Finance_Role_Remits#FINANCE_DIRECTOR|Finance Director]]
* Board Members: Two additional Board members
* Co-opted Volunteers: Up to 2 volunteers with relevant expertise

===== Key Responsibilities =====
*Monitoring monthly management accounts and cash flow
*Overseeing the production of the Annual Budget and Statutory Accounts
*Maintaining the organisational Risk Register and reporting significant changes to the Board
* Ensuring compliance with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and other relevant UK regulators.

===== Financial Authority =====
* Budgeted: Authorised to approve spend within the levels of the Board-approved Annual Budget for Finance/Legal operations.
* Unbudgeted: Requires joint written approval from the Chairperson and the Finance Director (or the Treasurer if one is absent).

===== Standard Governance Provisions Decision-Making & Voting =====

The Working Group should strive for consensus. However, as the Board is legally liable for the organisation's actions, formal voting rights on delegated authority matters are reserved for the Board members within the group. Volunteer members serve in an advisory and delivery capacity.

* Working Groups are to meet monthly to manage delivery and operations

*Reporting and Transparency
** Minutes: A brief record of decisions and actions must be circulated to the full Board within 7 days of each meeting
** Quarterly Reports: Each WG Chair must present an update at the quarterly Board meeting
** Unbudgeted Spends: All approvals granted by the Chair/Finance Director/(or Treasurer in their absence) must be reported as a standing item to the full Board

* Conduct & Confidentiality
**All Working Group members (Board and Volunteers) must adhere to Freegle’s [[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]]

The formation of this working group, with the above terms of reference, was agreed by the Board at their meeting of 2nd April 2026.

Links:
* [[Working Groups]]

[[category:Freegle Board]] [[category:Freegle Organisation]]

Working Groups

2026-05-02T15:28:04Z

Jacky:

Working Groups were originally designed to focus on particular areas/topics, to keep the traffic on the Central group down to manageable levels. In April 2026 they were replaced with Board led groups, with specific delegated responsibilities.

*[[Finance and Risk Working Group]] - To safeguard Freegle’s financial integrity, ensure regulatory compliance, and mitigate organisational risk.

*[[ Operations & Tech Working Group]] - To oversee the stability, security, and continuous development of the Freegle digital platform.

*[[ People & Growth Working Group]] - To drive Freegle’s expansion through strategic fundraising, communications, and robust volunteer support.

PREVIOUS WORKING GROUP INFORMATION

These were open to all Freegle Volunteers; see [[ Central Discussion and Working Group Membership Policy|here]] for the membership policy of the central groups. Originally on Yahoo Groups, the ones remaining when Yahoo Groups were closed were transferred to Discourse. Archives of messages on the Yahoo Groups were downloaded and kept for reference.

The [[Working Groups Procedure]] document explains how the main groups carried out their business.

Previous Working Groups since Freegle first started in 2009. Previous Working Groups until April 2026 have been:

* [[Development Working Group]] formed in 2015, amalgamating the remits of Structure, Growth and Media working groups [https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/c/development]

*[[Freegle Funding Group]] - A group set up for looking at the availability of local and national funding opportunities and offering support to local groups who wish to access financial assistance [https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/c/funding]

*[[Tech Working Group Remit|Freegle Tech & Mod Tools]] - A working group for technical discussions about tools/websites etc. Open to all Freegle Central members who are interested.[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/] - this is still a Discourse group, but is a not a working group in terms of delegated powers.

* Freegle Growth - this group was dedicated to supporting Volunteers and Groups achieve growth of their Groups. It was an amalgamation of the Freegle People and Freegle Start groups, but was then amalgamated with others to form the Freegle Development Group in 2015.

*Freegle Legal - A closed group where volunteers could view questions and answers about legalities of Freegle. Closed in 2015 as the Board decided it was more practical to consult over legal matters as needed, minuting discussion and decisions in their Minutes.

*Freegle Media - A Freegle Working Group formed in 2009 to help raise Freegle's media profile and improve visibility of Freegle generally, with an aim to increase member subscriptions. Open to all FreegleUK Central members who are interested. It was amalgamated with others to form the Freegle Development Group in 2015.

*Freegle People - Formed in 2009, this group amalgamated with Freegle Start to become Freegle Growth. [[People Group Report 2010-04|Report]]

*Freegle Start - Formed in 2009, this group amalgamated with Freegle People to become Freegle Growth.

*Freegle Structure - A group formed in 2009 to develop proposals for how Freegle works as an organisation. Open to all Freegle Volunteers who are interested. A [[Trading Subsidiary Working Team]] was appointed February 2013. It was amalgamated with others to form the Freegle Development Group in 2015.

Links:
*[[Freegle Board]]
*[[The Freegle Organisation]] [[Image:Freegle-heart.png|20px]]

[[Category:Central Groups]] [[Category:Freegle Organisation]]

Freegle Board

2026-05-01T13:19:49Z

Jacky: /* Officers and Roles */

===Current Freegle Board of Directors===

In order of last name, the current people elected to the Freegle Board are:

*Cat Fletcher - elected February 2014, re-elected August 2015, October 2017, November 2020 and 7th September 2023

*Matthew Fletcher - elected 6th September 2024

*Bill Hopkinson - elected 7th September 2023

*Wendy Lishman - co-opted to the Board 2nd April 2025, elected 24th September 2025

*Neil Morris - co-opted to the Board 1st October 2024, elected 24th September 2025

*Mike Paterson - co-opted by the Board January 2022, elected 4th September 2022

*Jen Williams - elected 22nd October 2021 and re-elected 6th September 2024

*Natasha Townsend- elected 24th September 2025

As of 24th September 2025 , there are two vacancies for external independent Directors who need not be Members and are selected for their particular skills and/or experience.

Update: Sandra Llewelyn resigned from the Board on 6th February 2026, which creates one vacancy. The Board has the option to co-opt a Member to fill this vacancy, term of office to end at the next AGM.

''Rule 58. At no time must the number of co-opted individuals comprise more than one-third of the Board of Directors.''

(See [[Board Elections]] for links on the most recent election) 
(See [[Board History]] for more information about previous Directors etc)

===Responsibilities===

Directors are also Trustees of Freegle Ltd. http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/trustees-staff-and-volunteers/trustee-role/becoming-a-trustee/ explains what is involved in being a Trustee.

Board and Member activities are subject to the adopted [[Rules]] of Freegle.

The [[Board Role and Remit]] details the responsibilities of Directors.

===Officers and Roles===

The Board elects Directors to be Officers. The Rules state: ''Rule 82. The Board shall elect from among their own number a chairperson and Secretary and such other Officers as they may from time to time decide. These Officers shall have such duties and rights as may be bestowed on them by the Board or by law and any Officer appointed may be removed by the Board. A serving Officer who is not re- elected to the Board at the annual general meeting shall nevertheless continue in office until the first Board meeting following the annual general meeting.''

The current elected appointments are:
* [[Board Chairman]] - Neil Morris, email [mailto:chair@ilovefreegle.org chair@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Society Secretary]] - Wendy Lishman, email [mailto:secretary@ilovefreegle.org secretary@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Finance Role Remits|Finance Director]] - Matthew Fletcher, email [mailto:finance@ilovefreegle.org finance@ilovefreegle.org]

The Board appoints (from April 2026 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/freegle-board-news-april-2026/9619]]) [[Board Portfolio Roles]].
The current appointments are:
* Lead for Technology & Innovation - Mike Paterson [mailto:mike.paterson@ilovefreegle.org mike.paterson@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Volunteer Engagement - Jen Williams [[mailto:jen.williams@ilovefreegle.org @ilovefjen.williams@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Fundraising & Partnerships - Natasha Townsend [mailto:natasha.townsend@ilovefreegle.org natasha.townsend@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Communications & PR - Cat Fletcher [mailto:media@ilovefreegle.org media@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Legal, Risk & Safeguarding - Bill Hopkinson [mailto:bill.hopkinson@ilovefreegle.org bill.hopkinson@ilovefreegle.org] or, for safeguarding issues [mailto:safeguarding@ilovefreegle.org safeguarding@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Impact & Strategy - vacant (covered presently by Natasha with assistance from Neil)

The Board also appoints other roles:
The current appointment are:
* [[Chief Technology Officer]] - Edward Hibbert, email [mailto:CTO@ilovefreegle.org CTO@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Head of Media]] - Cat Fletcher, email [mailto:media@ilovefreegle.org media@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Board Secretary]] - Wendy Lishman [mailto:secretary@ilovefreegle.org secretary@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Finance Role Remits|Treasurer]] - Jane Loveday [mailto:treasurer@ilovefreegle.org treasurer@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Ombudsman Remit|Ombudsman]] - Jeni Mason [mailto:ombudsman@ilovefreegle.org ombudsman@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Returning Officer Remit|Returning Officer]] - Jacky Barrett and Wendy Lishman [mailto:returningofficer@ilovefreegle.org returningofficer@ilovefreegle.org]

===Retirement Cycle===

From the [[Rules]]:

56. At the first annual general meeting all elected Directors shall stand down. At every
subsequent annual general meeting one-third of the elected Directors, or if their
number is not a multiple of three then the number nearest to one-third, shall retire from
office. The Directors to retire shall be the Directors who have been longest in office
since their last election. Where Directors have held office for the same amount of time
the Directors to retire shall be decided by lot. A retiring Director shall be eligible for re-
election.

A Director may leave midterm under the [[Directors Ending Term of Office Procedure]].

===Discussion Group===

The Board discussion group is at [https://groups.io/g/FreegleBoard/topics]

=== Meeting Cycles ===
* Full Board: Meets Quarterly (4 times per annum) for strategic and statutory business.
* [[Working Groups]]: Meet Monthly to manage delivery and operations.
* Annual Strategy Day: One in-person session for long-term visioning.

===Contact===

Our Board can be contacted via [mailto:board@ilovefreegle.org board@ilovefreegle.org] or [mailto:directors@ilovefreegle.org directors@ilovefreegle.org]

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:Freegle Board]]

Freegle Board Meeting Procedure

2026-04-30T15:06:28Z

Jacky: /* Minutes */

This Remit and Procedure was initially agreed by the Board at their August 2014 meeting and reviewed in November 2021.

===Freegle Board Meeting Procedure===

The full requirements for Director Board Meetings are in [[Rules]] 71 - 82

====Before====
c.2 weeks before a board meeting, a Google doc is prepared covering:
* Agenda
* Details on how to attend
* Matters Arising

The [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fe8yXXQl9qTBP1rdFfhcQVhc6OoBSVX-_mArW2mr_EU/edit?usp=sharing Freegle Board Timetable] contains a list of regular items which should be included in the agenda.

[[Share Board Minutes Template]] offers a suggested email to be used when sending to relevant people for input into the Agenda.

=====Main Agenda=====
The standing items are:
* Approval of Minutes of last meeting
* Review Declaration of interest
* Polls held and decisions made since last board meeting
* A section for each board member covering their actions and any items they wish to raise
* Other Business / AOB

=====Meeting Input=====
These consist of appropriate supporting content for each agenda item, for example:
* Reports or links to documents providing reports by role holders, officers, portfolio holders and Working Groups
* Explanatory notes and any information that would save time in the board meeting
* Resolution wording, if long
* The date of polls for items already voted on

Links:
*[[Share Board Minutes Template]]
*[[Society Secretary]], section on Board Secretary

[[category:Freegle Board Meetings]]

====During====
* Meetings are usually held via online conferencing platforms such as Zoom
* They are usually held at 6:30pm
* The meeting schedule is held on the Freegle Board timetable
* Meeting Polls are conducted via a show of hands
* Polls prior to the meeting are conducted via the Freegle Board Group (https://groups.io/g/FreegleBoard/topics at October 2021) and will be recorded in the minutes of the next board

====After====
The board secretary will;
* arrange for agreement and distribution of the meeting minutes
* share the draft minutes with with the Board (currently via Groups.IO)
* publish the minutes on Central
* publish the minutes on the Freegle wiki

===Actions Log===
* The log of board actions is held in a separate document
* Currently: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ABPPp4qp3UwHImVcVVDyvr0iiXLjejJ0ic4N32Cbq8g/edit?usp=sharing
* The board agenda documents contain a summary or link to relevant, open actions

Agendas, Minutes and Action log are held in google drive.

=====Minutes=====
* Captured by the Board Secretary
* Must include any financial decisions and/or appointments/elections of officers and role holders
* Agreed by the Board
* Shared with the board and the wider volunteer community
* Formally approved at the next board meeting

===Links===
*[[Freegle Board]]
*[[Document Approval Policy]]
*[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fe8yXXQl9qTBP1rdFfhcQVhc6OoBSVX-_mArW2mr_EU/edit?usp=sharing Freegle Board Timetable]
*[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1W5e8IGRqRGT_7kb-opa6Lni-Sb5ObEFV?usp=sharing Google Drive folder containing agenda and minutes]
*[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rekWOVj9ryGx5hLHC2olMQOt7JfzanWbzkEmixJUizY/edit?usp=sharing 2022 Board Action Log]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]][[category:Freegle Board]]

Freegle Board Meeting Procedure

2026-04-30T15:05:12Z

Jacky: /* Meeting Input */

This Remit and Procedure was initially agreed by the Board at their August 2014 meeting and reviewed in November 2021.

===Freegle Board Meeting Procedure===

The full requirements for Director Board Meetings are in [[Rules]] 71 - 82

====Before====
c.2 weeks before a board meeting, a Google doc is prepared covering:
* Agenda
* Details on how to attend
* Matters Arising

The [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fe8yXXQl9qTBP1rdFfhcQVhc6OoBSVX-_mArW2mr_EU/edit?usp=sharing Freegle Board Timetable] contains a list of regular items which should be included in the agenda.

[[Share Board Minutes Template]] offers a suggested email to be used when sending to relevant people for input into the Agenda.

=====Main Agenda=====
The standing items are:
* Approval of Minutes of last meeting
* Review Declaration of interest
* Polls held and decisions made since last board meeting
* A section for each board member covering their actions and any items they wish to raise
* Other Business / AOB

=====Meeting Input=====
These consist of appropriate supporting content for each agenda item, for example:
* Reports or links to documents providing reports by role holders, officers, portfolio holders and Working Groups
* Explanatory notes and any information that would save time in the board meeting
* Resolution wording, if long
* The date of polls for items already voted on

Links:
*[[Share Board Minutes Template]]
*[[Society Secretary]], section on Board Secretary

[[category:Freegle Board Meetings]]

====During====
* Meetings are usually held via online conferencing platforms such as Zoom
* They are usually held at 6:30pm
* The meeting schedule is held on the Freegle Board timetable
* Meeting Polls are conducted via a show of hands
* Polls prior to the meeting are conducted via the Freegle Board Group (https://groups.io/g/FreegleBoard/topics at October 2021) and will be recorded in the minutes of the next board

====After====
The board secretary will;
* arrange for agreement and distribution of the meeting minutes
* share the draft minutes with with the Board (currently via Groups.IO)
* publish the minutes on Central
* publish the minutes on the Freegle wiki

===Actions Log===
* The log of board actions is held in a separate document
* Currently: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ABPPp4qp3UwHImVcVVDyvr0iiXLjejJ0ic4N32Cbq8g/edit?usp=sharing
* The board agenda documents contain a summary or link to relevant, open actions

Agendas, Minutes and Action log are held in google drive.

=====Minutes=====
* Captured by the Board Secretary
* Agreed by the Board
* Shared with the board and the wider volunteer community
* Formally approved at the next board meeting

===Links===
*[[Freegle Board]]
*[[Document Approval Policy]]
*[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fe8yXXQl9qTBP1rdFfhcQVhc6OoBSVX-_mArW2mr_EU/edit?usp=sharing Freegle Board Timetable]
*[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1W5e8IGRqRGT_7kb-opa6Lni-Sb5ObEFV?usp=sharing Google Drive folder containing agenda and minutes]
*[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rekWOVj9ryGx5hLHC2olMQOt7JfzanWbzkEmixJUizY/edit?usp=sharing 2022 Board Action Log]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]][[category:Freegle Board]]

Board History

2026-04-30T14:59:22Z

Jacky: /* Chair */

===Freegle Limited Directors===

(alphabetical by surname order)

Jacky Barrett - elected 21st February 2014, resigned 14th August 2015.

Kathryn Bird - co-opted by the Board 7th May 2024. The co-option terminated, in accordance with the Rules, at the AGM on 6th September 2024

Christian Brenninkmeijer - elected 15th August 2015, re-elected 10th November 2016 and 7th October 2018, resigned 31st October 2020.

John Carroll - Elected 21st February 2014, resigned February 2017.

Ollie Clark - Elected 21st February 2014, resigned 14th August 2015.

Jo Fisher - co-opted by Board in 2016, then elected in October 2017 and 7th November 2019, resigned 20th October 2021.

'''Cat Fletcher''' - elected 21st February 2014 and August 15th 2015, re-elected 2nd October 2017, 1st November 2020 and 6th September 2023. '''Currently on the Board'''

'''Matthew Fletcher''' - elected 6th September 2024. '''Currently on the Board'''

Dr David Greenfield - appointed 10th November 2016, re-appointed 2017, 2018 and elected 7th November 2019 and 3rd September 2022. Resigned 5th September 2023.

Edward Hibbert - elected 21st February 2014 and 15th August 2015, re-elected 10th November 2016, 7th October 2018, 21st October 2021 and 6th September 2024. Resigned 24th September 2025.

Craig Hilton - elected 1st November 2020, re-election 6th September 2023, resigned 7th January 2025.

Michael Hoeben - elected 1st November 2020, resigned 20th October 2021.

'''Bill Hopkinson''' - elected 7th September 2023. '''Currently on the Board'''

Mike Jury - elected 4th September 2022, resigned 19th March 2023.

Sheila Little - elected 10th November 2016, end of term of office 6th November 2019.

'''Wendy Lishman'''- co-opted 2nd April 2025. Elected 24th September 2025 '''Currently on the Board'''

Sandra Llewelyn - elected 24th September 2025. Resigned 6th February 2026

Andy Ludlow - elected 21st February 2014 and 15th August 2015, re-elected 2nd October 2017 and 7th November 2019. Resigned 16th June 2022.

'''Neil Morris''' - co-opted by the Board 1st October 2024. Elected 24th September 2025 '''Currently on the Board'''

Deborah Moss - elected 2nd October 2017 and 1st November 2020, resigned 3rd September 2022.

Ray Owen - elected 7th October 2018, resigned 31st October 2020.

'''Mike Patterson''' - co-opted by the Board January 2022 (filling a vacancy for an elected Director), elected 4th September 2022.'''Currently on the Board'''

Alison Redway - elected 21st February 2014, resigned 14th August 2015.

Maggie Sand - elected 21st October 2021, resigned November 2021.

Kathy Speight - elected 21st February 2014, resigned July 2014.

'''Natasha Townsend''' - elected 24th September 2025. '''Currently on the Board'''

Penny Townsend - elected 4th September 2022, resigned 24th September 2025.

Michael Watts - appointed November 2017, resigned July 2018.

Andrew Widgery - elected 21st February 2014, resigned October 2014

Tina Willcox - co-opted July 2014, resigned 14th August 2015

'''Jen Williams''' - elected 21st October 2021. '''Currently on the Board'''

Ruth Willmore - elected 1st November 2020, term of office ended 5th September 2023..

===Chair===

Edward Hibbert - elected by Board 30 July 2014, resigned 6 September 2024.

Neil Morris - elected by Board 1 October 2024. '''Currently on the Board'''

=== Vice Chair ===

Jen Williams - elected by the Board 1st October 2024

===Society Secretary===

Alison Redway - in role from February 2014 for transition period to IPS, stood down at first Board Meeting of Freegle Limited as an IPS, on 30 July 2014.

Andy Ludlow - elected by the Board 30 July 2014, resigned 16 June 2022.

Mike Jury - elected by the Board 9th November 2022, resigned 28th March 2024.

Kathryn Bird - elected by the Board 7th May 2024, co-option ended 6 September 2024, but kept in post until the next Board meeting after the AGM, resigned 1st October 2024.

Edward Hibbert - elected by the Board 23rd February 2025, resigned 1st April 2025.

Wendy Lishman - elected by the Board 2nd April 2025. '''Currently on the Board'''

===Finance Director===

John Carroll - elected by Board 30 July 2014, resigned February 2017

Craig Hilton - elected by Board 10 March 2021, resigned 31 December 2024

Matthew Fletcher - elected by Board 2nd April 2026 '''Currently on the Board'''

Links:
* [[Freegle Board]]
[[category:Freegle Board]]

Board History

2026-04-30T14:58:57Z

Jacky: /* Society Secretary */

===Freegle Limited Directors===

(alphabetical by surname order)

Jacky Barrett - elected 21st February 2014, resigned 14th August 2015.

Kathryn Bird - co-opted by the Board 7th May 2024. The co-option terminated, in accordance with the Rules, at the AGM on 6th September 2024

Christian Brenninkmeijer - elected 15th August 2015, re-elected 10th November 2016 and 7th October 2018, resigned 31st October 2020.

John Carroll - Elected 21st February 2014, resigned February 2017.

Ollie Clark - Elected 21st February 2014, resigned 14th August 2015.

Jo Fisher - co-opted by Board in 2016, then elected in October 2017 and 7th November 2019, resigned 20th October 2021.

'''Cat Fletcher''' - elected 21st February 2014 and August 15th 2015, re-elected 2nd October 2017, 1st November 2020 and 6th September 2023. '''Currently on the Board'''

'''Matthew Fletcher''' - elected 6th September 2024. '''Currently on the Board'''

Dr David Greenfield - appointed 10th November 2016, re-appointed 2017, 2018 and elected 7th November 2019 and 3rd September 2022. Resigned 5th September 2023.

Edward Hibbert - elected 21st February 2014 and 15th August 2015, re-elected 10th November 2016, 7th October 2018, 21st October 2021 and 6th September 2024. Resigned 24th September 2025.

Craig Hilton - elected 1st November 2020, re-election 6th September 2023, resigned 7th January 2025.

Michael Hoeben - elected 1st November 2020, resigned 20th October 2021.

'''Bill Hopkinson''' - elected 7th September 2023. '''Currently on the Board'''

Mike Jury - elected 4th September 2022, resigned 19th March 2023.

Sheila Little - elected 10th November 2016, end of term of office 6th November 2019.

'''Wendy Lishman'''- co-opted 2nd April 2025. Elected 24th September 2025 '''Currently on the Board'''

Sandra Llewelyn - elected 24th September 2025. Resigned 6th February 2026

Andy Ludlow - elected 21st February 2014 and 15th August 2015, re-elected 2nd October 2017 and 7th November 2019. Resigned 16th June 2022.

'''Neil Morris''' - co-opted by the Board 1st October 2024. Elected 24th September 2025 '''Currently on the Board'''

Deborah Moss - elected 2nd October 2017 and 1st November 2020, resigned 3rd September 2022.

Ray Owen - elected 7th October 2018, resigned 31st October 2020.

'''Mike Patterson''' - co-opted by the Board January 2022 (filling a vacancy for an elected Director), elected 4th September 2022.'''Currently on the Board'''

Alison Redway - elected 21st February 2014, resigned 14th August 2015.

Maggie Sand - elected 21st October 2021, resigned November 2021.

Kathy Speight - elected 21st February 2014, resigned July 2014.

'''Natasha Townsend''' - elected 24th September 2025. '''Currently on the Board'''

Penny Townsend - elected 4th September 2022, resigned 24th September 2025.

Michael Watts - appointed November 2017, resigned July 2018.

Andrew Widgery - elected 21st February 2014, resigned October 2014

Tina Willcox - co-opted July 2014, resigned 14th August 2015

'''Jen Williams''' - elected 21st October 2021. '''Currently on the Board'''

Ruth Willmore - elected 1st November 2020, term of office ended 5th September 2023..

===Chair===

Edward Hibbert - elected by Board 30 July 2014, resigned 6 September 2024.

Neil Morris - elected by Board 1 October 2024.

=== Vice Chair ===

Jen Williams - elected by the Board 1st October 2024

===Society Secretary===

Alison Redway - in role from February 2014 for transition period to IPS, stood down at first Board Meeting of Freegle Limited as an IPS, on 30 July 2014.

Andy Ludlow - elected by the Board 30 July 2014, resigned 16 June 2022.

Mike Jury - elected by the Board 9th November 2022, resigned 28th March 2024.

Kathryn Bird - elected by the Board 7th May 2024, co-option ended 6 September 2024, but kept in post until the next Board meeting after the AGM, resigned 1st October 2024.

Edward Hibbert - elected by the Board 23rd February 2025, resigned 1st April 2025.

Wendy Lishman - elected by the Board 2nd April 2025. '''Currently on the Board'''

===Finance Director===

John Carroll - elected by Board 30 July 2014, resigned February 2017

Craig Hilton - elected by Board 10 March 2021, resigned 31 December 2024

Matthew Fletcher - elected by Board 2nd April 2026 '''Currently on the Board'''

Links:
* [[Freegle Board]]
[[category:Freegle Board]]

Board History

2026-04-30T14:58:20Z

Jacky: /* Finance Director */

===Freegle Limited Directors===

(alphabetical by surname order)

Jacky Barrett - elected 21st February 2014, resigned 14th August 2015.

Kathryn Bird - co-opted by the Board 7th May 2024. The co-option terminated, in accordance with the Rules, at the AGM on 6th September 2024

Christian Brenninkmeijer - elected 15th August 2015, re-elected 10th November 2016 and 7th October 2018, resigned 31st October 2020.

John Carroll - Elected 21st February 2014, resigned February 2017.

Ollie Clark - Elected 21st February 2014, resigned 14th August 2015.

Jo Fisher - co-opted by Board in 2016, then elected in October 2017 and 7th November 2019, resigned 20th October 2021.

'''Cat Fletcher''' - elected 21st February 2014 and August 15th 2015, re-elected 2nd October 2017, 1st November 2020 and 6th September 2023. '''Currently on the Board'''

'''Matthew Fletcher''' - elected 6th September 2024. '''Currently on the Board'''

Dr David Greenfield - appointed 10th November 2016, re-appointed 2017, 2018 and elected 7th November 2019 and 3rd September 2022. Resigned 5th September 2023.

Edward Hibbert - elected 21st February 2014 and 15th August 2015, re-elected 10th November 2016, 7th October 2018, 21st October 2021 and 6th September 2024. Resigned 24th September 2025.

Craig Hilton - elected 1st November 2020, re-election 6th September 2023, resigned 7th January 2025.

Michael Hoeben - elected 1st November 2020, resigned 20th October 2021.

'''Bill Hopkinson''' - elected 7th September 2023. '''Currently on the Board'''

Mike Jury - elected 4th September 2022, resigned 19th March 2023.

Sheila Little - elected 10th November 2016, end of term of office 6th November 2019.

'''Wendy Lishman'''- co-opted 2nd April 2025. Elected 24th September 2025 '''Currently on the Board'''

Sandra Llewelyn - elected 24th September 2025. Resigned 6th February 2026

Andy Ludlow - elected 21st February 2014 and 15th August 2015, re-elected 2nd October 2017 and 7th November 2019. Resigned 16th June 2022.

'''Neil Morris''' - co-opted by the Board 1st October 2024. Elected 24th September 2025 '''Currently on the Board'''

Deborah Moss - elected 2nd October 2017 and 1st November 2020, resigned 3rd September 2022.

Ray Owen - elected 7th October 2018, resigned 31st October 2020.

'''Mike Patterson''' - co-opted by the Board January 2022 (filling a vacancy for an elected Director), elected 4th September 2022.'''Currently on the Board'''

Alison Redway - elected 21st February 2014, resigned 14th August 2015.

Maggie Sand - elected 21st October 2021, resigned November 2021.

Kathy Speight - elected 21st February 2014, resigned July 2014.

'''Natasha Townsend''' - elected 24th September 2025. '''Currently on the Board'''

Penny Townsend - elected 4th September 2022, resigned 24th September 2025.

Michael Watts - appointed November 2017, resigned July 2018.

Andrew Widgery - elected 21st February 2014, resigned October 2014

Tina Willcox - co-opted July 2014, resigned 14th August 2015

'''Jen Williams''' - elected 21st October 2021. '''Currently on the Board'''

Ruth Willmore - elected 1st November 2020, term of office ended 5th September 2023..

===Chair===

Edward Hibbert - elected by Board 30 July 2014, resigned 6 September 2024.

Neil Morris - elected by Board 1 October 2024.

=== Vice Chair ===

Jen Williams - elected by the Board 1st October 2024

===Society Secretary===

Alison Redway - in role from February 2014 for transition period to IPS, stood down at first Board Meeting of Freegle Limited as an IPS, on 30 July 2014.

Andy Ludlow - elected by the Board 30 July 2014, resigned 16 June 2022.

Mike Jury - elected by the Board 9th November 2022, resigned 28th March 2024.

Kathryn Bird - elected by the Board 7th May 2024, co-option ended 6 September 2024, but kept in post until the next Board meeting after the AGM, resigned 1st October 2024.

Edward Hibbert - elected by the Board 23rd February 2025, resigned 1st April 2025.

Wendy Lishman - elected by the Board 2nd April 2025.

===Finance Director===

John Carroll - elected by Board 30 July 2014, resigned February 2017

Craig Hilton - elected by Board 10 March 2021, resigned 31 December 2024

Matthew Fletcher - elected by Board 2nd April 2026 '''Currently on the Board'''

Links:
* [[Freegle Board]]
[[category:Freegle Board]]

Finance Documents Review

2026-04-30T14:49:44Z

Jacky: /* Finance Procedures */

Log of amendments to the financial documents of Freegle Ltd

[[Finance Policy]], [[Finance Procedures]], [[Finance Role Remits]],
[[Paying People in Freegle Guidelines]],
[[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]], [[Contract for Services]], [[Finance Sub Committee Remit]].

====Finance Policy====
*'''12th October 2020''' Amended section 7 to record the current (improved) processes involved in presenting accounts. Also amended Section 7 to allow more than one bank account. Development group discussed, polled and recommended the changes to the Board, who agreed to adopt.

*'''January 2025''' Year end date changed to 31st March from 5th April. The Board decided to change this to make accounting easier. The FCA approved the change.

*'''April 2026''' Added working groups to point 9, to include changed governance model adopted by the Board [https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/freegle-board-news-april-2026/9619]

====Finance Procedures====
* '''April 2026''' Changed references to the Finance Sub-Committee to the Finance and Risk Working Group to reflect the change in governance adopted by the Board [https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/freegle-board-news-april-2026/9619]

* '''25th June 2024''' Added Section 12. Approval of End of Year Accounts
12.1 At the April 2024 board meeting, the following process for approving the Year end accounts was agreed:

During the relevant Financial Year, the AGM votes to disapply the need for an audit for that year's accounts
Shortly after the end of the Financial Year, a draft set of accounts are produced by the Treasurer and reviewed by the Finance Subcomittee
The draft End of Year Accounts are issued to the auditors who produce a report which is incorporated into the accounts
The draft End of Year Accounts and report are approved via a vote held at a Freegle Board Meeting
The approved End of Year Accounts are submitted to the Financial Conduct Authority
The approved End of Year Accounts are shared at the next AGM for information
Notes:
Note 2. Disapplying the need for an audit is done in-line with FCA rules 7.2.12 - 7.2.17 - https://www.handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/RFCCBS/7/2.html
Note 3. FCA rules 7.2.21 - 7.2.24 require that even if a report is produced (as opposed to a full audit), it must be produced by a qualified auditor if certain criteria are met
Note 4. Freegle Rules 23a requires that the accounts are provided to the AGMproval of Year End Account. This was drawn up by Craig, Finance Director.
* '''10th August 2015''' Added section 11.Tendering to the document. This was discussed and polled on Development Group, then recommended to the Board who agreed to adopt it.

* '''30th September 2015''' Added section 12.Reserves to the document. This was agreed by the Board on 29th July.

*'''4th December 2015''' Amended section 11.4 from ''11.4 A contract will be set up for all paid work over £100 ([[Contract for Services]]) and Directors will follow agreed procedures when discussing and deciding on paid work ([[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]])'' to ''11.4 A contract (Contract for Services) will be set up for all paid work over £250 for new suppliers, and the smaller of £1000 or 10% of total current bank balances for suppliers with a pre-existing relationship. Directors will follow agreed procedures when discussing and deciding on paid work (Conflicts of Interest Procedure).'' Discussed and polled on Development Group, approved by the Board.

*'''28th May 2016''' Amended section 5 from:

''5.1 Under certain special circumstances, the Treasurer, in accordance with authority of the Board (4.1) can issue up to £50 float to an individual for them to disburse within guidelines set down and agreed by the Board at that time.

''5.2 Special circumstances may include but are not limited to Freegle Volunteers who anticipate incurring incidental costs associated with an event or activity on behalf of Freegle nationally.''

''5.3 This float will be the sole personal responsibility of the person to whom it is issued and all expenditure must be accounted for with a proper receipt. Receipts will be returned each month to the Treasurer and any unspent funds will be returned along with outstanding receipts to the Treasurer at the end of the agreed period of the float issue.''

''5.4 Freegle Ltd will not operate any ongoing petty cash systems.''

to

''5.1 Under certain special circumstances, the Treasurer, in accordance with authority of the Board (4.1) can issue up to £300 float to an individual for them to disburse within guidelines set down and agreed by the Board at that time.''

''5.2 Special circumstances may include but are not limited to Freegle Volunteers who anticipate incurring incidental costs associated or an event or activity on behalf of Freegle nationally, or work provided under and agreed within a Contract of Service where the Board agrees the contractor can receive payment in advance for specific activities and/or expenses.''

''5.3 This float will be the sole personal responsibility of the person to whom it is issued and all expenditure must be accounted for with a proper receipt. Receipts will be returned each month to the Treasurer and any unspent funds will be returned along with outstanding receipts to the Treasurer at the end of the agreed period of the float issue. Where the float is on a pre-paid debit card the float remains with the on-line statement returned showing remaining funds. It is the role of the Director of Finance to periodically review the spend on these cards with those who are holding them. Card holders will be encouraged to check with the board before they spend if they are not sure the spend is in line with pre-agreed categories. Should any spend be outside of agreed categories the board may ask the card holder to reimburse freegle the sums not approved.''

''5.4 Recharging of the funds on the pre-paid cards will be done periodically in line with pre-agreed limits set out in section 5.1.''

''5.5 Freegle Ltd will operate a ongoing float via an authorised prepaid debit card subject to the rules above, it will not operate any ongoing petty cash system.''

This proposed change was outlined by the Board in a message to Central on 12th May 2016 and then, following no dissent, was adopted by the Board at their meeting on 26th May 2016.

*'''19th August 2018''' Amended section 13 (approved by Board at July 26th meeting) from:

''11.3 If a piece of work or service required exceeds payment of £10k, the Board will seek at least 2 quotes from interested parties, and if in excess of £20k will seek at least 3 quotes, including from external parties if practicable. The Board will decide on the best person or company to deliver the work based on which is in the best interests of Freegle.''

to

''11.3 If a new piece of work or service exceeds payment of £11k, the Board will seek at least 2 quotes from interested parties, and if in excess of £22k will seek at least 3 quotes, including from external parties if practicable. These limits were set in April 2018 and will rise in line with consumer price inflation each year. For renewal of an existing contract, the Board can extend the contract for the same value (plus inflation) without the requirement for new tendering. The Board will decide on the best person or company to deliver the work based on which is in the best interests of Freegle.''

* '''14th November 2018''' Amended section 8 to add the ability for the Board to issue a specific multipay card. Discussed and polled on Development Group, recommended to the Board who agreed to adopt it.

====Contract for Services====
Amended complete model document uploaded March 2021. This was adopted when all contracts were reviewed in Feb/March/April 2021.

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]
[[category:Finance]]

Finance Documents Review

2026-04-30T14:47:57Z

Jacky: /* Finance Policy */

Log of amendments to the financial documents of Freegle Ltd

[[Finance Policy]], [[Finance Procedures]], [[Finance Role Remits]],
[[Paying People in Freegle Guidelines]],
[[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]], [[Contract for Services]], [[Finance Sub Committee Remit]].

====Finance Policy====
*'''12th October 2020''' Amended section 7 to record the current (improved) processes involved in presenting accounts. Also amended Section 7 to allow more than one bank account. Development group discussed, polled and recommended the changes to the Board, who agreed to adopt.

*'''January 2025''' Year end date changed to 31st March from 5th April. The Board decided to change this to make accounting easier. The FCA approved the change.

*'''April 2026''' Added working groups to point 9, to include changed governance model adopted by the Board [https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/freegle-board-news-april-2026/9619]

====Finance Procedures====
* '''25th June 2024''' Added Section 12. Approval of End of Year Accounts
12.1 At the April 2024 board meeting, the following process for approving the Year end accounts was agreed:

During the relevant Financial Year, the AGM votes to dissapply the need for an audit for that year's accounts
Shortly after the end of the Financial Year, a draft set of accounts are produced by the Treasurer and reviewed by the Finance Subcomittee
The draft End of Year Accounts are issued to the auditors who produce a report which is incorporated into the accounts
The draft End of Year Accounts and report are approved via a vote held at a Freegle Board Meeting
The approved End of Year Accounts are submitted to the Financial Conduct Authority
The approved End of Year Accounts are shared at the next AGM for information
Notes:
Note 2. Disapplying the need for an audit is done in-line with FCA rules 7.2.12 - 7.2.17 - https://www.handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/RFCCBS/7/2.html
Note 3. FCA rules 7.2.21 - 7.2.24 require that even if a report is produced (as opposed to a full audit), it must be produced by a qualified auditor if certain criteria are met
Note 4. Freegle Rules 23a requires that the accounts are provided to the AGMproval of Year End Account. This was drawn up by Craig, Finance Director.
* '''10th August 2015''' Added section 11.Tendering to the document. This was discussed and polled on Development Group, then recommended to the Board who agreed to adopt it.

* '''30th September 2015''' Added section 12.Reserves to the document. This was agreed by the Board on 29th July.

*'''4th December 2015''' Amended section 11.4 from ''11.4 A contract will be set up for all paid work over £100 ([[Contract for Services]]) and Directors will follow agreed procedures when discussing and deciding on paid work ([[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]])'' to ''11.4 A contract (Contract for Services) will be set up for all paid work over £250 for new suppliers, and the smaller of £1000 or 10% of total current bank balances for suppliers with a pre-existing relationship. Directors will follow agreed procedures when discussing and deciding on paid work (Conflicts of Interest Procedure).'' Discussed and polled on Development Group, approved by the Board.

*'''28th May 2016''' Amended section 5 from:

''5.1 Under certain special circumstances, the Treasurer, in accordance with authority of the Board (4.1) can issue up to £50 float to an individual for them to disburse within guidelines set down and agreed by the Board at that time.

''5.2 Special circumstances may include but are not limited to Freegle Volunteers who anticipate incurring incidental costs associated with an event or activity on behalf of Freegle nationally.''

''5.3 This float will be the sole personal responsibility of the person to whom it is issued and all expenditure must be accounted for with a proper receipt. Receipts will be returned each month to the Treasurer and any unspent funds will be returned along with outstanding receipts to the Treasurer at the end of the agreed period of the float issue.''

''5.4 Freegle Ltd will not operate any ongoing petty cash systems.''

to

''5.1 Under certain special circumstances, the Treasurer, in accordance with authority of the Board (4.1) can issue up to £300 float to an individual for them to disburse within guidelines set down and agreed by the Board at that time.''

''5.2 Special circumstances may include but are not limited to Freegle Volunteers who anticipate incurring incidental costs associated or an event or activity on behalf of Freegle nationally, or work provided under and agreed within a Contract of Service where the Board agrees the contractor can receive payment in advance for specific activities and/or expenses.''

''5.3 This float will be the sole personal responsibility of the person to whom it is issued and all expenditure must be accounted for with a proper receipt. Receipts will be returned each month to the Treasurer and any unspent funds will be returned along with outstanding receipts to the Treasurer at the end of the agreed period of the float issue. Where the float is on a pre-paid debit card the float remains with the on-line statement returned showing remaining funds. It is the role of the Director of Finance to periodically review the spend on these cards with those who are holding them. Card holders will be encouraged to check with the board before they spend if they are not sure the spend is in line with pre-agreed categories. Should any spend be outside of agreed categories the board may ask the card holder to reimburse freegle the sums not approved.''

''5.4 Recharging of the funds on the pre-paid cards will be done periodically in line with pre-agreed limits set out in section 5.1.''

''5.5 Freegle Ltd will operate a ongoing float via an authorised prepaid debit card subject to the rules above, it will not operate any ongoing petty cash system.''

This proposed change was outlined by the Board in a message to Central on 12th May 2016 and then, following no dissent, was adopted by the Board at their meeting on 26th May 2016.

*'''19th August 2018''' Amended section 13 (approved by Board at July 26th meeting) from:

''11.3 If a piece of work or service required exceeds payment of £10k, the Board will seek at least 2 quotes from interested parties, and if in excess of £20k will seek at least 3 quotes, including from external parties if practicable. The Board will decide on the best person or company to deliver the work based on which is in the best interests of Freegle.''

to

''11.3 If a new piece of work or service exceeds payment of £11k, the Board will seek at least 2 quotes from interested parties, and if in excess of £22k will seek at least 3 quotes, including from external parties if practicable. These limits were set in April 2018 and will rise in line with consumer price inflation each year. For renewal of an existing contract, the Board can extend the contract for the same value (plus inflation) without the requirement for new tendering. The Board will decide on the best person or company to deliver the work based on which is in the best interests of Freegle.''

* '''14th November 2018''' Amended section 8 to add the ability for the Board to issue a specific multipay card. Discussed and polled on Development Group, recommended to the Board who agreed to adopt it.

====Contract for Services====
Amended complete model document uploaded March 2021. This was adopted when all contracts were reviewed in Feb/March/April 2021.

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]
[[category:Finance]]

Finance Procedures

2026-04-30T14:46:28Z

Jacky: /* Relevant links: */

===1. Financial Management===
1.1 The Chairman, Finance Director and two other Signatories will be appointed by the Board as signatories on the bank account. When a Signatory ceases to be a Director they can, if necessary, continue as Signatory until a replacement Signatory is chosen from the Board and accepted by the bank. The time taken to enact this changeover should be minimised as far as possible. The other Directors will be responsible for authorising expenditure, and hold the Signatories to account. The Treasurer, whether a Board member or not, should always be a signatory.

1.2 Freegle Ltd will keep proper accounts, which will include bank and petty cash control accounts, which will be updated regularly.

1.3 The accounts will be kept electronically on a spreadsheet, which will be viewable by the Finance Director and on demand by the Board. A monthly PDF will be provided of the cashbook and summary, which will be submitted to the Board and available by link on Central.

1.4 Annual accounts will be prepared, audited and published on Central and to Members in line with the Finance Policy. [[Finance Reports]]

===2. Bank===
2.1 The bank mandate (list of people who can sign cheques on the organisation's behalf) will be approved and recorded by the Board as well as all changes to it. This will be by a copy of the mandate in PDF form on the Board’s discussion group, and a list of the authorised signatories in the files on Central. Any new signatory must be approved by the Board before the bank is notified. All cheques will require two signatures.

2.2 Electronic payments may be used. The accounts will record which signatories have authorised each payment.

2.3 The Freegle Ltd bank account will be reconciled to the accounts at least monthly, and the reconciliation will be available open to view by all Members as part of the accounts spreadsheet.

===3. Receipts===
3.1 All receipts will be recorded and banked not less than once each week. The make-up of each banking deposit transaction will be clearly recorded in the accounting records.

3.2 All relevant information relating to receipts must be passed to the Treasurer with the cheque and/or remittance advice. Lack of documentation will lead to such items being banked, but unavailable for expenditure commitments, until the validity of the receipt is established.

3.3 Payments due against specific income receipts will not be made until those receipts have been cleared.

===4. Payments===
4.1 All payments will require the pre-approval of the Board, in accordance with their decision making processes.

4.2 The Treasurer will be responsible for holding unused and partly used cheque books which should be kept securely, as should cheques that have been written out but not yet sent for signature.

4.3 Payments can be made either direct to the supplier of the goods or services, or to reimburse expenditure by individual Volunteers.

4.4 Every payment made by Freegle Ltd will be supported by an original invoice (see [[Invoice Information]]) or receipt, either as a hard copy or electronic documentation. Payments will not be made against a supplier’s statement or final demand. Signatories should ensure they have seen supporting documentation before they authorise electronic payment or sign a cheque.

4.5 The only exceptions to cheques not being supported by an original invoice or receipt would be for items such as advanced booking fees for a future course, donations to charity, etc., or when floats are issued, where a signed request form by the float holder will be used, or for third party payments.

4.6 From time to time opportunities arise for Volunteers to attend events and meetings to represent Freegle nationally. Reasonable travel expenses for the Volunteer may be reimbursable if there are sufficient funds and attendance and costs have been agreed in advance with the Board.

4.7 Signatories will never sign blank cheques, or cheques or authorise electronic payments made out to themselves. Cheques will be sent to the supplier by the last signatory, never to the person requesting the cheque, unless it is a reimbursement payable to them.

4.8 Cheques must be filled in completely (payee amount in words and figures and date and full cheque stub details) before being sent for signature.

4.9 The same person should not be responsible for ordering, processing and checking invoices/receipts as well as raising cheque requisitions, signing cheques, initiating or authorising electronic payments.

===5. Floats and Petty Cash===
5.1 Under certain special circumstances, the Treasurer, in accordance with authority of the Board (4.1) can issue up to £300 float to an individual for them to disburse within guidelines set down and agreed by the Board at that time.

5.2 Special circumstances may include but are not limited to Freegle Volunteers who anticipate incurring incidental costs associated or an event or activity on behalf of Freegle nationally, or work provided under and agreed within a Contract of Service where the Board agrees the contractor can receive payment in advance for specific activities and/or expenses.

5.3 This float will be the sole personal responsibility of the person to whom it is issued and all expenditure must be accounted for with a proper receipt. Receipts will be returned each month to the Treasurer and any unspent funds will be returned along with outstanding receipts to the Treasurer at the end of the agreed period of the float issue. Where the float is on a pre-paid debit card the float remains with the on-line statement returned showing remaining funds. It is the role of the Director of Finance to periodically review the spend on these cards with those who are holding them. Card holders will be encouraged to check with the board before they spend if they are not sure the spend is in line with pre-agreed categories. Should any spend be outside of agreed categories the board may ask the card holder to reimburse Freegle the sums not approved.

5.4 Recharging of the funds on the pre-paid cards will be done periodically in line with pre-agreed limits set out in section 5.1.

5.5 Freegle Ltd will operate a ongoing float via an authorised prepaid debit card subject to the rules above, it will not operate any ongoing petty cash system.

===6. Third Party Receipts and Payments===
In order to facilitate grants offered to affiliated communities that have no bank account or individuals doing specific work for Freegle centrally, the Freegle Ltd bank account can be used to enable payments under the following conditions.

6.1 The community should forward copies of any grant documentation showing:
*what and who the payment is for
*whether there are any conditions attached to the payment e.g. receipts need to be provided
*whether any/all of the funding might need to be paid back if certain conditions are not met.

6.2 If conditions attached to such grants are too onerous, the Board reserve the right to not offer a third party service.

6.3 Any individual receiving funds in this arrangement must be a Freegle Volunteer. This status should be validated by at least 2 other Volunteers not on the same affiliated local community.

6.4 Payment must only be for funding Freegle local or central activities.

6.5 The payment to the individual will not be paid until the above criteria are satisfied and in accordance with section 4 Payments of this document.

6.6 All such arrangements will be clearly recorded in the accounts.

6.7 Payments will not be accepted if there is any concern as to the source so that there can be no risk of money laundering legislation being breached.

===7. Accounts and Paperwork===
7.1 The accounts spreadsheet will be updated at least monthly. Access to edit the accounts will only be by the Treasurer ID.

7.2 Back-up copies of accounts will be kept electronically and in paper form.

7.3 The accounts will record, for each payment made, the message number of the Board’s poll result which authorised the payment, and the name of the second authoriser - the submitter usually being the Treasurer unless there are special circumstances. There will also be a note of the beneficiaries set upon the bank account to receive payments, and the message number of the Board’s poll result which authorised them to be beneficiaries.

7.4 The Finance Director, in consultation with the Board and Treasurer, will prepare a Financial Report which will accompany audited accounts presented to Freegle Members annually.

7.5 Original receipts, invoices and other related paperwork will be held, filed and kept for seven years by the Treasurer, and passed on if the Treasurer changes.

===8. Cheque Signatories and Cash Cards===
8.1 Each cheque will be signed by at least two people. All cheque signatories will be appointed by the Board, and the authority clearly recorded. Holders of passwords to view the bank account on the Internet, or make electronic payments (subject to procedure 2.1) will also be appointed by the Board, and the authority clearly recorded on the accounts spreadsheet and in the form of a copy of the mandate sent to the bank.

8.2 The only card allowed to be used on the Freegle bank account is the Unity Corporate Multipay ( https://www.unity.co.uk/corporate-multipay-card/) under the following conditions:
*Board approval is required for issuing the card.
*Spending limits will be set by the Board, and linked to specific spend budgets.
*The card must not be used for cash withdrawals.
*The card can only be used for the card holder’s Freegle approved expenses, not for any other Freegle volunteer or contractor expenses.
*Other conditions relating to use of the card will be as required in line with 5.3 and 8.3 of this document.
**

8.3 It is the role of the [[Finance and Risk Working Group]] to periodically review the spend on pre-paid and multipay cards with those who are holding them. Card holders should check with the Board before they spend if they are not sure the spend is in line with pre-agreed categories. Should any spend be outside of agreed categories, the Board will ask the pre-paid or multipay card holder to reimburse Freegle the sums not approved, or deduct the amount from payment of card holder invoices if appropriate.

===9. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest===
9.1 The confidentiality of any volunteers’ financial circumstances will be respected at all times.

9.2 The Board and those involved in grant applications must declare any conflict of financial interest.

===10. Other Rules===
10.1 The Board will consider the level of reserves that is prudent for Freegle Ltd to have after the poll to accept the Annual Accounts. Consideration will be given to liabilities, lease agreements and any other significant factors that should be taken into account were Freegle Ltd to cease.

10.2 Where assets are purchased, or there are significant stock holdings of non-capital items, e.g. stationery, suitable records will be kept and the items checked at least annually at the financial year-end.

10.3 Any Volunteer - whether elected, active centrally, or not - can receive payment for services for Freegle Ltd, as long as everything is properly documented and the process is fair and transparent, and approved by the Board or Members as necessary.

===11. Tendering===
11.1 The Board will publish on Central each year the annual objectives with associated budgets, including where any funding is available or planned to be raised.

11.2 All paid work will be open to expressions of interest from any volunteer for delivering any of the objectives or wishing to be involved in raising required funding. [[Paying People in Freegle Guidelines]] refers. If and when budgets or priorities change, the Board will publish those amendments in advance of contracting paid work.

11.3 If a new piece of work or service exceeds payment of £11k, the Board will seek at least 2 quotes from interested parties, and if in excess of £22k will seek at least 3 quotes, including from external parties if practicable. These limits were set in April 2018 and will rise in line with consumer price inflation each year (see note 1). For renewal of an existing contract, the Board can extend the contract for the same value (plus inflation) without the requirement for new tendering. The Board will decide on the best person or company to deliver the work based on which is in the best interests of Freegle.

11.4 A contract [[Contract for Services]] will be set up for all paid work over £250 for new suppliers, and the smaller of £1000 or 10% of total current bank balances for suppliers with a pre-existing relationship. Directors will follow agreed procedures when discussing and deciding on paid work [[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]].

Notes: 
Note 1. CPI was 2% in the year April 2018 to April 2019 - https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/consumerpriceinflation/april2019 

===12. Approval of End of Year Accounts===
12.1 At the April 2024 board meeting, the following process for approving the Year end accounts was agreed:
*During the relevant Financial Year, the AGM votes to dissapply the need for an audit for that year's accounts
*Shortly after the end of the Financial Year, a draft set of accounts are produced by the Treasurer and reviewed by the [[Finance and Risk Working Group]]
*The draft End of Year Accounts are issued to the auditors who produce a report which is incorporated into the accounts
*The draft End of Year Accounts and report are approved via a vote held at a Freegle Board Meeting
*The approved End of Year Accounts are submitted to the Financial Conduct Authority
*The approved End of Year Accounts are shared at the next AGM for information

Notes: 
Note 2. Disapplying the need for an audit is done in-line with FCA rules 7.2.12 - 7.2.17 - https://www.handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/RFCCBS/7/2.html 
Note 3. FCA rules 7.2.21 - 7.2.24 require that even if a report is produced (as opposed to a full audit), it must be produced by a qualified auditor if certain criteria are met 
Note 4. Freegle [[Rules]] 23a requires that the accounts are provided to the AGM 
Note 5: Freegle's year end date was changed from 4th April to 30th March in 2025. This was agreed by the FCA and the register entry changed on 3.3.25 [[https://mutuals.fca.org.uk./Search/Society/9593]]

===Relevant links and notes:===

*This document was originally adopted by the Board at their meeting of 27th August 2014, see [[Finance Documents Review]] for the record of subsequent reviews and amendments. The document as it stands above is the current version.
*[[Document Approval Policy]]
*[[Finance Policy]]
*[[Invoice Information]]
*[[Paying People in Freegle Guidelines]]
*[[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]]
*[[Budget Owner]]
*[[Budget Creation Process]]
*[[Finance Role Remits]]
*[[Finance Reports]]
*[[Finance Sub Committee Remit]]
*[[Bank Account and Donation Methods]]
*[[Contract for Services]]
*[[Glossary]]
*[[Rules]]
*Previous Freegle UK document Financial Management and Controls
*Link to Financial Conduct Authority website. The FCA is the body to which IPSs are accountable [http://www.fca.org.uk/firms/firm-types/mutual-societies/industrial]
* Explanation of FCA requirement for annual reporting [https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/annual-returns-accounts-mutual-societies]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]
[[category:Finance]]

Finance Policy

2026-04-30T14:42:17Z

Jacky:

This document was adopted by the Board at their meeting of 27th August 2014. With a change in governance structure [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/freegle-board-news-april-2026/9619]] in April 2026, this document was amended to include reference to working group under point 9.

In January 2025, the year end date was proposed to change from 5th April to 31st March. The FCA approved the change on 3rd March 2025.

1. The financial year for Freegle Ltd runs from 1st April to 31st March.

2. At the end of each year, the final accounts will be prepared. The accounts and a short financial report will be posted on Central as part of the AGM Finance Report. The Board will also provide interim financial reports as part of the Minutes of Board Meetings posted on Central.

3. If required (ie. if not disapplied under Rule 103) an Auditor will be sought from suitably qualified candidates from within and outside of Freegle within the criteria set out in Rule 104. The Auditor will be chosen by the Board and recommended to Freegle Members. (Refer to Rules 104-107)

4. Financial records will be kept so that Freegle can:
*Meet any legal and other obligations.
*Enable the Board to oversee the organisation’s finances on behalf of Freegle Members.
*Meet contractual obligations and the requirements of any funding bodies.
*Provide auditable records to ensure accountability and security for individuals and the organisation.

5. The Board are responsible for ensuring that any expenditure is in the best interests of Freegle Ltd, taking account of ethical, recycling, reuse and environmental implications where practicable. Any income will be applied solely towards the Objects of Freegle (Rule 4).

6. Expenditure must not be committed without prior authorisation by the Board. No contracts, hire purchase agreements or leases will be entered into in the name of Freegle without the Board’s approval, in an email from the Board’s email account. Freegle Ltd does not accept liability for any financial commitment unless properly authorised. Should a situation occur where an order is placed or undertaken or given with unauthorised financial consequences, the Board will decide a course of action and will record their decision in Board minutes.

7. Freegle’s central funds will be lodged with an FCA approved bank and will be held in the name of Freegle Limited. Other financial accounts (e.g. payment services, credit cards) may be established with agreement of the Board.

8. Any fund raising and grant applications undertaken on behalf of Freegle Ltd nationally can only be carried out in the name of the organisation with prior approval of the Board. Approval must be in an email from the Board’s email account.

9. The Board are collectively responsible for financial matters, and that legal responsibility is not reduced by appointment of a Finance Director, Treasurer, Working Group or Committee, or any other financial role.

Relevant links:
*[[Finance Documents Review]] for the record of reviews and amendments of this document.
*[[Document Approval Policy]]
*[[Finance Procedures]]
*[[Finance Role Remits]]
*[[Glossary]]
*[[Rules]]
*[[Bank Account and Donation Methods]]
*Previous Freegle UK document Financial Management and Controls
*Link to Financial Conduct Authority website. The FCA is the body which oversees Mutual/Registered Societies financially [https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/managing-your-society]
*Link to FCA page giving details of submitted annual accounts [https://mutuals.fca.org.uk/Search/Society/9593]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]
[[category:Finance]]

Budget Creation Process

2026-04-30T14:39:19Z

Jacky: /* Links */

The Freegle budget is an estimation of income and expenditure for the next financial year (and beyond)

It is used to provide an insight into how Freegle's operates, assess the health of Freegle's finances and to provide a benchmark which the actual income and expenditure is measured against

Whilst the budget is being set, it is also a convenient moment for the board to also approve much of the standard financial expenditure related to operations (e.g. IT expenditure)

This process describes how the budget is created

====Triggers====
The creation of a budget is an annual process, triggered by an entry in the [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fe8yXXQl9qTBP1rdFfhcQVhc6OoBSVX-_mArW2mr_EU/edit?usp=sharing Board Calendar]

If there was a major change to Freegle's finances or operations, it might be necessary to refresh the budget on an ad-hoc basis, but as of January 2025, this has never happened

====Responsibilities====
* Individual [[Budget Owner]]s provide a view of the likely expenditure in their budget areas for the coming period(s)
* The Finance Director supported by the Treasurer creates the budget
* The [[Finance and Risk Working Group]] is consulted on the content and approves the budget for submission to the Board
* The [[Freegle Board]] reviews and approves the Budget

====Inputs====
* The previous budget
* Previous actual financial spend, accounts and forecasts
* Payment approvals
* Views from [[Budget Owner]]s

====Outputs====
* Budget Sheet
* Budget Narrative/Report

====Budget Sheet Detail====
The simplest way to view what detail exists on the budget sheet is by looking at a previous example

However, the budget sheet has previously contained the following key information for each entry:
* An Account Code to allow a match to the information held in the actual accounts
* The [[Budget Owner]]
* Details of expenditure for the next financial year
* Details of expenditure for years following the next financial year (to identify any items that do no recur)
* Any assumptions or calculations used to create the item
* Approval information for any items approved as part of the budget

====Budget Report Detail====
The simplest way to view what detail exists on the budget report is by looking at a previous example

However, the budget report has previously contained the following key information:
* A view of our financial health made by projecting forward our likely deficit or surplus. Specifically, a view of when we will exhaust our reserves
* A graph showing where the main areas of income and expenditure
* A report against a set of Budget Owner Financial Controls (see [[Budget Owner]] best practice guidelines)
* A list of the payment approvals requested/made as part of the budget

====Process====
# Using the inputs above, the Finance Director, supported by the treasurer creates a draft budget sheet estimating the proposed expenditure for the next financial years and those that follow
# The Finance Director reviews the draft budget with individual Budget Owners and agrees any changes
# The Finance Director reviews the draft budget with the [[Finance and Risk Working Group]] and agrees any changes
# The Finance Director creates a draft report, supporting the budget
# The Finance Director also creates a set of approvals for standard operational items to go alongside the budget (see [[Managing Financial Approvals Process]])
# The Finance Director submits the budget sheet and report to the [[Finance and Risk Working Group]] for Approval
# The [[Finance and Risk Working Group]] approves (or asks for changes which trigger a refresh/reapproval loop) the budget
# The Finance Director submits the budget sheet and report to the Board for approval
# The Board approves (or asks for changes which trigger a refresh/reapproval loop) the budget
# The Finance Director secures the budget documents
# The Finance Director creates an updated document for current approved payments, based on the newly approved budget and approvals

====Links?notes====
* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fe8yXXQl9qTBP1rdFfhcQVhc6OoBSVX-_mArW2mr_EU/edit?usp=sharing Board Timetable]
* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kyGaqBNiXsGPfo8rRpXcK9RYvi-s3MdaPFsNJGwv97o/edit?usp=drive_link Freegle Budget Report for Financial Year 2024-2025]
* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a1UpWrtpfNcaei2X7p-dHIg2iSVR3xx_QETxl9Aaj_k/edit?usp=drive_link Freegle Budget Sheet for Financial Year 2024-2025]

April 2026 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/freegle-board-news-april-2026/9619]] - The Board announced a change in governance, which included changing the Finance Sub-Committee to the Finance and Risk Working Group. This document was updated in April 2026 to reflect the change.

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]
[[category:Finance]]

3.2 How the Board operates

2026-04-30T14:35:58Z

Jacky:

The Board discusses day to day matters on the Board Group and uses polls to help with decision-making. Directors are expected to read all mails and contribute regularly to this group. In April 2026 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/freegle-board-news-april-2026/9619]], it was agreed to change to a portfolio governance model and the establishment of working groups. The intention being to distribute workload and responsibilities more evenly across Board members, empowering our volunteer base, and maintaining strict financial oversight.

* Board Group link – https://groups.io/g/FreegleBoard/

* [[Board Meeting Procedure]]

* Links to all Board Minutes on this wiki – [[:Category:Freegle Board Minutes]]. The Minutes, with full agendas and accompanying papers, are also on the Board's shared Freegle Drive.

(Updated Board Role and Remit to be referenced here.)

* [[3.1 Board Structure]]
* [[3.3 Practicalities]]
* [[3.4 Policies]]

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:3. Directors, Meetings, Policies]]

Board Role and Remit

2026-04-30T14:35:01Z

Jacky: /* 4.9 Delegation of Responsibilities (Rules 65-67) */

This document was adopted by the Board of Freegle Ltd at their meeting of 27th August 2014.

===1. ROLE===
1.1 The Board holds responsibility for ensuring that the aims and rules of Freegle Ltd are enacted and maintained.

1.2 The Board is responsible for the strategic direction and management of Freegle Ltd.

1.3 The Board will represent and respond to Members’ and Volunteers’ views, including those made in confidence where appropriate.

===2. REMIT===
2.1 The Remit for the Board is given in [[Rules]] 59-69.

2.2 The Board will report to Central and Members on their activity once a month.

===3. MEMBERSHIP (Rules 50-58)===
3.1 The Board will consist of nine elected Directors who are voted in by Freegle Members to steer and manage Freegle. In addition the Board of Directors may co-opt up to two external independent Directors.

3.2 Elections for the Board will be held annually. At the end of their term of office, Directors are eligible to stand again immediately.

3.3 If a vacancy arises mid term for a Director an election will be called of Freegle Members unless any agreed procedures have been invoked for co-option (see 3.5 below)

3.4 A Director will cease to hold office if this is agreed as part of the [[Directors Ending Term of Office Procedure]] and [[Rules]] 81.

3.5 The Board may at any time fill a casual vacancy on the Board by co-option. Co-opted individuals must be Freegle Members and will hold office as a Director only until the next annual general meeting. The principles of the [[Director Autopromotion Procedure]] will be taken into account by the Directors for co-options.

3.6 At no time must the number of co-opted individuals comprise more than one-third of the Board.

3.7 Note: All Directors are required to complete an annual 'fit and proper persons' form, which needs completing by all Directors after each AGM.

===4. WORKING PRACTICES===
====4.1 Context and Role of this Document====
This part of the document defines the current Board Working Practices. The previous Freegle Reps Role and Remit document was used as a reference for drawing up this document.

4.1.1 The basis of election, term, powers, and other constitutional matters are contained in the Rules and are not repeated in full here.

4.1.2 This document covers the working practices of the Board so that the way in which they exercise their responsibilities under the Rules are clear.

4.1.3 This document may be amended from time to time, but the currently active version will be in the Freegle Volunteer Wiki for all Members and Volunteers to access, with a link provided in the Links section of Central.

====4.2 Working Space====
4.2.1 The Board will use an online discussion group (“Discussion Group") as their primary working space. This is a private group, https://groups.io/g/FreegleBoard/

4.2.2 All Directors will have Group Owner or equivalent status on the Discussion Group.

4.2.3 Messages on the Discussion Group will not be posted on other groups or otherwise forwarded to non-Directors without prior Agreement (see Section 5). No messages will be deleted.

4.2.4 If the Discussion Group is not suitable or unavailable and it becomes necessary to set up a replacement group, this will be reported to Central, Members and the Freegle Volunteer Wiki as soon as it is opened, and when it stops being used. All Directors will be required to be members of the replacement group, and it will be used under the same terms as the Discussion Group, including the non-deletion of messages.

4.2.5 In addition to the Discussion Group, other cloud based means may be used for specific activities and will be confidential to the Board unless agreed by the Directors.

====4.3 Board Meetings====
4.3.1 Board meetings are subject to rules 70-79. The Board orinally aimed to meet once each month, but in April 2026 this was changed to quarterly meetings.

4.3.2 The Board will decide where/how these meetings are held, taking into account 4.2.3 and 4.2.4 above.

4.3.3 The meeting will take place usually online, although face to face meetings can be arranged as agreed.

4.3.4 An agenda and any accompanying papers will be circulated to all Directors before the meeting.

4.3.5 Minutes will be taken of the meeting and approved by poll as soon as practicable.

4.3.6 .Attendance: at the commencement of the meeting Directors will ‘'sign in', or will have previously submitted apologies for absence. If there isn’t a quorum, the meeting will be abandoned and rescheduled as soon as practicable.

4.3.7 Decisions will be taken in line with 4.5 below.

====4.4 Availability and Contact Protocols====
4.4.1 Directors should all be active members of the Discussion Group, contributing to discussions and polls (see Section 4.5), It is recognised that different Directors have differing availability at different times and all undertake their role as Director voluntarily.

4.4.2 If an individual Director is aware that they will be away from the Internet for a 48 hour period or more, they should take all reasonable steps to advise the Board and indicate the likely length of time of absence, whether loss of access will be total or intermittent and whetherthey are available for urgent communications by other means (e.g. telephone). If significant decisions are therefore delayed, the remaining Directors should notify Central.

4.4.3 Absence without prior notification will be dealt with under section 3 of the Freegle Board - Ending Term of Office Procedures document.

4.4.4 Individual Directors will provide the other Directors with a phone number on which they may be contacted. A confidential contact spreadsheet will be maintained but individuals are free to decide if their number is published on it. If a phone number is provided to other Directors confidentially, it must not be posted on the Discussion Group or otherwise forwarded without permission. Telephone numbers should not be used for casual purposes unless by express permission.

====4.5 Decision Making and Agreement====
4.5.1 A valid quorum for decision making and the number of votes required for Agreement will be the same. (Rule 76-77) The quorum necessary shall be 50% of the Directors or 3 Directors, whichever is the greater and shall include those Directors attending, either in person or virtually.

4.5.2 All non-confidential decisions agreed by the Board will be advised to members of Central, by means of the monthly report. The Minutes of the monthly Board meeting will normally act as this report, with any additions or amendments as agreed by poll on the Discussion Group.

4.5.3 Once there has been discussion on an issue a Group (or agreed equivalent) Poll will be created.

4.5.4 Any Board Poll should ideally run until all Directors have voted. However, if there are Directors who have pre-notified the group of their absence, then the poll may be closed once all the non-absent Directors have voted, provided that is a quorum as defined in 4.5.1. However, if it is known that an absent Director has a strong opinion on the subject of a poll, where possible, the poll will be left open until they have voted. In the rare case of an emergency, a poll may be closed once the number of votes required for agreement (as defined in 4.5.1.) has been reached.

4.5.5 All Polls will have an abstention option which can be used by Directors who believe that they have a conflict of interest or believe the poll to be unconstitutional or on a matter beyond the remit of the Board. Other than for a conflict of interest, a Director abstaining from a poll should post a message on the Discussion Group explaining their reasons. This will give other Directors the opportunity to change their votes to abstentions. An abstention for a conflict of interest will count as an absent Director. The remaining votes will be determined under section 4.5.1.

4.5.6 All polls will have an “Abandon” option. This is to be used only if a Director believes that issues have moved on or information has come to light after the poll was started that make the poll result invalid or meaningless. Any Director voting for the poll to be abandoned must explain by posting a message on the Discussion Group and give other Directors the opportunity to change their votes.

4.5.7. All Polls will be created with the following options: Display results during polling, Display voter identity with each vote, and Send results to the entire group via email.

4.5.8 No decision will be considered an official Board decision unless it is polled or there is a clear discussion thread with a majority in favour.

4.5.9 No poll will be deleted or changed once voting has begun.

====4.6 Communication with Freegle Volunteers and Central====
4.6.1 Any communication with other people should be explicit as to whether the Director is posting on behalf of the Board or in a personal capacity. This can be done by adding a notation such as "Director’s Hat On" or "Personal Views" to the signature of a message.

4.6.2 No Director should post a message and state that it is on behalf of the Board without being confident that they have the backing of the Board. This confidence could come from a Poll result or other communication on the Discussion Group.

====4.7 Communication with External People and Organisations====
4.7.1 No Director should claim to represent Freegle to people or organisations external to Freegle without being confident that they have the backing of the other Directors.

4.7.2 This confidence could come from a Poll result or other communication on the Discussion Group.

4.7.3 Any correspondence by Directors with people or organisations external to Freegle on behalf of the Board or Freegle should be made available or summarised for the Board, other than if it is within the delegated powers of a Working Group, Team or specific role.

====4.8 Finances====
In accordance with the [[Rules]] 6-11 and current [[Finance Policy]] and [[Finance Procedures]] documents, the Board can raise, hold and expend funds for Freegle, and handle third party receipts and payments for Freegle affiliated groups and individuals undertaking Freegle national work.

====4.9 Delegation of Responsibilities (Rules 65-67)====
4.9.1 The Board can delegate work to individuals, teams or groups.. They will look for ways both to take advantage of existing skills and to allow people with an interest in developing a skill to do so. The Board will provide a role or group remit and will be responsible for the decisions relating to the appointment and dismissal of role holders.

4.9.2 In April 2026 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/freegle-board-news-april-2026/9619]], the Board adopted a new governance structure for Freegle that distributes workload and responsibilities more evenly across Board members, empowers the volunteer base, and maintains strict financial oversight. In addition to the 3 [[Freegle_Board#Officers_and_Roles|Officers]] elected by the Board, 6 [[Board Portfolio Roles|Portfolio Leads]] and 3 [[Working Groups]] were established.

4.9.3 The Board may devolve its responsibility and authority to others as it sees appropriate. Any such devolution will be reported to Members and Central.

Links:
* Amendments to this document - refer to [[Document Approval Policy]]
* Previous Freegle UK related document - Freegle Reps Role and Remit
* [[Director Handbook]]
* [[Board Meeting Procedure]]
* [[Glossary]]

Obsolete/Historic documents:
*[[Board Observer Guidelines]]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]][[category:Freegle Board]]

Freegle Board

2026-04-30T14:33:15Z

Jacky:

===Current Freegle Board of Directors===

In order of last name, the current people elected to the Freegle Board are:

*Cat Fletcher - elected February 2014, re-elected August 2015, October 2017, November 2020 and 7th September 2023

*Matthew Fletcher - elected 6th September 2024

*Bill Hopkinson - elected 7th September 2023

*Wendy Lishman - co-opted to the Board 2nd April 2025, elected 24th September 2025

*Neil Morris - co-opted to the Board 1st October 2024, elected 24th September 2025

*Mike Paterson - co-opted by the Board January 2022, elected 4th September 2022

*Jen Williams - elected 22nd October 2021 and re-elected 6th September 2024

*Natasha Townsend- elected 24th September 2025

As of 24th September 2025 , there are two vacancies for external independent Directors who need not be Members and are selected for their particular skills and/or experience.

Update: Sandra Llewelyn resigned from the Board on 6th February 2026, which creates one vacancy. The Board has the option to co-opt a Member to fill this vacancy, term of office to end at the next AGM.

''Rule 58. At no time must the number of co-opted individuals comprise more than one-third of the Board of Directors.''

(See [[Board Elections]] for links on the most recent election) 
(See [[Board History]] for more information about previous Directors etc)

===Responsibilities===

Directors are also Trustees of Freegle Ltd. http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/trustees-staff-and-volunteers/trustee-role/becoming-a-trustee/ explains what is involved in being a Trustee.

Board and Member activities are subject to the adopted [[Rules]] of Freegle.

The [[Board Role and Remit]] details the responsibilities of Directors.

===Officers and Roles===

The Board elects Directors to be Officers. The Rules state: ''Rule 82. The Board shall elect from among their own number a chairperson and Secretary and such other Officers as they may from time to time decide. These Officers shall have such duties and rights as may be bestowed on them by the Board or by law and any Officer appointed may be removed by the Board. A serving Officer who is not re- elected to the Board at the annual general meeting shall nevertheless continue in office until the first Board meeting following the annual general meeting.''

The current elected appointments are:
* [[Board Chairman]] - Neil Morris, email [mailto:chair@ilovefreegle.org chair@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Society Secretary]] - Wendy Lishman, email [mailto:secretary@ilovefreegle.org secretary@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Finance Role Remits|Finance Director]] - Matthew Fletcher, email [mailto:finance@ilovefreegle.org finance@ilovefreegle.org]

The Board also appoints (from April 2026 [[https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/freegle-board-news-april-2026/9619]]) [[Board Portfolio Roles]].
The current appointments are:
* Lead for Technology & Innovation - Mike Paterson [mailto:mike.paterson@ilovefreegle.org mike.paterson@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Volunteer Engagement - Jen Williams [[mailto:jen.williams@ilovefreegle.org @ilovefjen.williams@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Fundraising & Partnerships - Natasha Townsend [mailto:natasha.townsend@ilovefreegle.org natasha.townsend@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Communications & PR - Cat Fletcher [mailto:media@ilovefreegle.org media@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Legal, Risk & Safeguarding - Bill Hopkinson [mailto:bill.hopkinson@ilovefreegle.org bill.hopkinson@ilovefreegle.org] or, for safeguarding issues [mailto:safeguarding@ilovefreegle.org safeguarding@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Impact & Strategy - vacant (covered presently by Natasha with assistance from Neil)

The Board also appoints roles:
The current appointment are:
* [[Chief Technology Officer]] - Edward Hibbert, email [mailto:CTO@ilovefreegle.org CTO@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Head of Media]] - Cat Fletcher, email [mailto:media@ilovefreegle.org media@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Board Secretary]] - Wendy Lishman [mailto:secretary@ilovefreegle.org secretary@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Finance Role Remits|Treasurer]] - Jane Loveday [mailto:treasurer@ilovefreegle.org treasurer@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Ombudsman Remit|Ombudsman]] - Jeni Mason [mailto:ombudsman@ilovefreegle.org ombudsman@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Returning Officer Remit|Returning Officer]] - Jacky Barrett and Wendy Lishman [mailto:returningofficer@ilovefreegle.org returningofficer@ilovefreegle.org]

===Retirement Cycle===

From the [[Rules]]:

56. At the first annual general meeting all elected Directors shall stand down. At every
subsequent annual general meeting one-third of the elected Directors, or if their
number is not a multiple of three then the number nearest to one-third, shall retire from
office. The Directors to retire shall be the Directors who have been longest in office
since their last election. Where Directors have held office for the same amount of time
the Directors to retire shall be decided by lot. A retiring Director shall be eligible for re-
election.

A Director may leave midterm under the [[Directors Ending Term of Office Procedure]].

===Discussion Group===

The Board discussion group is at [https://groups.io/g/FreegleBoard/topics]

=== Meeting Cycles ===
* Full Board: Meets Quarterly (4 times per annum) for strategic and statutory business.
* [[Working Groups]]: Meet Monthly to manage delivery and operations.
* Annual Strategy Day: One in-person session for long-term visioning.

===Contact===

Our Board can be contacted via [mailto:board@ilovefreegle.org board@ilovefreegle.org] or [mailto:directors@ilovefreegle.org directors@ilovefreegle.org]

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:Freegle Board]]

Freegle Board

2026-04-30T14:31:39Z

Jacky:

===Current Freegle Board of Directors===

In order of last name, the current people elected to the Freegle Board are:

*Cat Fletcher - elected February 2014, re-elected August 2015, October 2017, November 2020 and 7th September 2023

*Matthew Fletcher - elected 6th September 2024

*Bill Hopkinson - elected 7th September 2023

*Wendy Lishman - co-opted to the Board 2nd April 2025, elected 24th September 2025

*Neil Morris - co-opted to the Board 1st October 2024, elected 24th September 2025

*Mike Paterson - co-opted by the Board January 2022, elected 4th September 2022

*Jen Williams - elected 22nd October 2021 and re-elected 6th September 2024

*Natasha Townsend- elected 24th September 2025

As of 24th September 2025 , there are two vacancies for external independent Directors who need not be Members and are selected for their particular skills and/or experience.

Update: Sandra Llewelyn resigned from the Board on 6th February 2026, which creates one vacancy. The Board has the option to co-opt a Member to fill this vacancy, term of office to end at the next AGM.

''Rule 58. At no time must the number of co-opted individuals comprise more than one-third of the Board of Directors.''

(See [[Board Elections]] for links on the most recent election) 
(See [[Board History]] for more information about previous Directors etc)

===Responsibilities===

Directors are also Trustees of Freegle Ltd. http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/trustees-staff-and-volunteers/trustee-role/becoming-a-trustee/ explains what is involved in being a Trustee.

Board and Member activities are subject to the adopted [[Rules]] of Freegle.

The [[Board Role and Remit]] details the responsibilities of Directors.

===Officers and Roles===

The Board elects Directors to be Officers. The Rules state: ''Rule 82. The Board shall elect from among their own number a chairperson and Secretary and such other Officers as they may from time to time decide. These Officers shall have such duties and rights as may be bestowed on them by the Board or by law and any Officer appointed may be removed by the Board. A serving Officer who is not re- elected to the Board at the annual general meeting shall nevertheless continue in office until the first Board meeting following the annual general meeting.''

The current elected appointments are:
* [[Board Chairman]] - Neil Morris, email [mailto:chair@ilovefreegle.org chair@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Society Secretary]] - Wendy Lishman, email [mailto:secretary@ilovefreegle.org secretary@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Finance Role Remits|Finance Director]] - Matthew Fletcher, email [mailto:finance@ilovefreegle.org finance@ilovefreegle.org]

The Board also appoints (from April 2026) [[Board Portfolio Roles]].
The current appointments are:
* Lead for Technology & Innovation - Mike Paterson [mailto:mike.paterson@ilovefreegle.org mike.paterson@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Volunteer Engagement - Jen Williams [[mailto:jen.williams@ilovefreegle.org @ilovefjen.williams@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Fundraising & Partnerships - Natasha Townsend [mailto:natasha.townsend@ilovefreegle.org natasha.townsend@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Communications & PR - Cat Fletcher [mailto:media@ilovefreegle.org media@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Legal, Risk & Safeguarding - Bill Hopkinson [mailto:bill.hopkinson@ilovefreegle.org bill.hopkinson@ilovefreegle.org] or, for safeguarding issues [mailto:safeguarding@ilovefreegle.org safeguarding@ilovefreegle.org]
* Lead for Impact & Strategy - vacant (covered presently by Natasha with assistance from Neil)

The Board also appoints roles:
The current appointment are:
* [[Chief Technology Officer]] - Edward Hibbert, email [mailto:CTO@ilovefreegle.org CTO@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Head of Media]] - Cat Fletcher, email [mailto:media@ilovefreegle.org media@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Board Secretary]] - Wendy Lishman [mailto:secretary@ilovefreegle.org secretary@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Finance Role Remits|Treasurer]] - Jane Loveday [mailto:treasurer@ilovefreegle.org treasurer@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Ombudsman Remit|Ombudsman]] - Jeni Mason [mailto:ombudsman@ilovefreegle.org ombudsman@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Returning Officer Remit|Returning Officer]] - Jacky Barrett and Wendy Lishman [mailto:returningofficer@ilovefreegle.org returningofficer@ilovefreegle.org]

===Retirement Cycle===

From the [[Rules]]:

56. At the first annual general meeting all elected Directors shall stand down. At every
subsequent annual general meeting one-third of the elected Directors, or if their
number is not a multiple of three then the number nearest to one-third, shall retire from
office. The Directors to retire shall be the Directors who have been longest in office
since their last election. Where Directors have held office for the same amount of time
the Directors to retire shall be decided by lot. A retiring Director shall be eligible for re-
election.

A Director may leave midterm under the [[Directors Ending Term of Office Procedure]].

===Discussion Group===

The Board discussion group is at [https://groups.io/g/FreegleBoard/topics]

=== Meeting Cycles ===
* Full Board: Meets Quarterly (4 times per annum) for strategic and statutory business.
* [[Working Groups]]: Meet Monthly to manage delivery and operations.
* Annual Strategy Day: One in-person session for long-term visioning.

===Contact===

Our Board can be contacted via [mailto:board@ilovefreegle.org board@ilovefreegle.org] or [mailto:directors@ilovefreegle.org directors@ilovefreegle.org]

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:Freegle Board]]

3.2 How the Board operates

2026-04-29T20:51:31Z

Jacky:

The Board discusses day to day matters on the Board Group and uses polls to help with decision-making. Directors are expected to read all mails and contribute regularly to this group. In April 2026, it was agreed to change to a portfolio governance model and the establishment of working groups. The intention being to distribute workload and responsibilities more evenly across Board members, empowering our volunteer base, and maintaining strict financial oversight.

* Board Group link – https://groups.io/g/FreegleBoard/

* [[Board Meeting Procedure]]

* Links to all Board Minutes on this wiki – [[:Category:Freegle Board Minutes]]. The Minutes, with full agendas and accompanying papers, are also on the Board's shared Freegle Drive.

(Updated Board Role and Remit to be referenced here.)

* [[3.1 Board Structure]]
* [[3.3 Practicalities]]
* [[3.4 Policies]]

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:3. Directors, Meetings, Policies]]

3.2 How the Board operates

2026-04-29T20:50:31Z

Jacky:

The Board discusses day to day matters on the Board Group and uses polls to help with decision-making. Directors are expected to read all mails and contribute regularly to this group. In April 2026, it was agreed to change to a portfolio governance M=model and the establishment of working groups. The intention is to distribute workload and responsibilities more evenly across Board members, empowering our volunteer base, and maintaining strict financial oversight.

* Board Group link – https://groups.io/g/FreegleBoard/

* [[Board Meeting Procedure]]

* Links to all Board Minutes on this wiki – [[:Category:Freegle Board Minutes]]. The Minutes, with full agendas and accompanying papers, are also on the Board's shared Freegle Drive.

(Updated Board Role and Remit to be referenced here.)

* [[3.1 Board Structure]]
* [[3.3 Practicalities]]
* [[3.4 Policies]]

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:3. Directors, Meetings, Policies]]

Freegle Board

2026-04-29T20:40:48Z

Jacky: /* Officers and Roles */

===Current Freegle Board of Directors===

In order of last name, the current people elected to the Freegle Board are:

*Cat Fletcher - elected February 2014, re-elected August 2015, October 2017, November 2020 and 7th September 2023

*Matthew Fletcher - elected 6th September 2024

*Bill Hopkinson - elected 7th September 2023

*Wendy Lishman - co-opted to the Board 2nd April 2025, elected 24th September 2025

*Neil Morris - co-opted to the Board 1st October 2024, elected 24th September 2025

*Mike Paterson - co-opted by the Board January 2022, elected 4th September 2022

*Jen Williams - elected 22nd October 2021 and re-elected 6th September 2024

*Natasha Townsend- elected 24th September 2025

As of 24th September 2025 , there are two vacancies for external independent Directors who need not be Members and are selected for their particular skills and/or experience.

Update: Sandra Llewelyn resigned from the Board on 6th February 2026, which creates one vacancy. The Board has the option to co-opt a Member to fill this vacancy, term of office to end at the next AGM.

''Rule 58. At no time must the number of co-opted individuals comprise more than one-third of the Board of Directors.''

(See [[Board Elections]] for links on the most recent election) 
(See [[Board History]] for more information about previous Directors etc)

===Responsibilities===

Directors are also Trustees of Freegle Ltd. http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/trustees-staff-and-volunteers/trustee-role/becoming-a-trustee/ explains what is involved in being a Trustee.

Board and Member activities are subject to the adopted [[Rules]] of Freegle.

The [[Board Role and Remit]] details the responsibilities of Directors.

===Officers and Roles===

The Board elects Directors to be Officers. The Rules state: ''Rule 82. The Board shall elect from among their own number a chairperson and Secretary and such other Officers as they may from time to time decide. These Officers shall have such duties and rights as may be bestowed on them by the Board or by law and any Officer appointed may be removed by the Board. A serving Officer who is not re- elected to the Board at the annual general meeting shall nevertheless continue in office until the first Board meeting following the annual general meeting.''

The current elected appointments are:
* [[Board Chairman]] - Neil Morris, email [mailto:chair@ilovefreegle.org chair@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Society Secretary]] - Wendy Lishman, email [mailto:secretary@ilovefreegle.org secretary@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Finance Role Remits|Finance Director]] - Matthew Fletcher, email [mailto:finance@ilovefreegle.org finance@ilovefreegle.org]

The Board also appoints (from April 2026) [[Board Portfolio Roles]].
The current appointments are:
* Lead for Technology & Innovation - Mike Paterson
* Lead for Volunteer Engagement - Jen Williams
* Lead for Fundraising & Partnerships - Natasha Townsend
* Lead for Communications & PR - Cat Fletcher
* Lead for Legal, Risk & Safeguarding - Bill Hopkinson
* Lead for Impact & Strategy - vacant (covered presently by Natasha with assistance from Neil)

The Board also appoints roles:
The current appointment are:
* [[Chief Technology Officer]] - Edward Hibbert, email [mailto:CTO@ilovefreegle.org CTO@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Head of Media]] - Cat Fletcher, email [mailto:media@ilovefreegle.org media@ilovefreegle.org]
* [[Board Secretary]] - Wendy Lishman
* [[Finance Role Remits|Treasurer]] - Jane Loveday
* [[Ombudsman Remit|Ombudsman]] - Jeni Mason
* [[Returning Officer Remit|Returning Officer]] - Jacky Barrett and Wendy Lishman

===Retirement Cycle===

From the [[Rules]]:

56. At the first annual general meeting all elected Directors shall stand down. At every
subsequent annual general meeting one-third of the elected Directors, or if their
number is not a multiple of three then the number nearest to one-third, shall retire from
office. The Directors to retire shall be the Directors who have been longest in office
since their last election. Where Directors have held office for the same amount of time
the Directors to retire shall be decided by lot. A retiring Director shall be eligible for re-
election.

A Director may leave midterm under the [[Directors Ending Term of Office Procedure]].

===Discussion Group===

The Board discussion group is at [https://groups.io/g/FreegleBoard/topics]

=== Meeting Cycles ===
* Full Board: Meets Quarterly (4 times per annum) for strategic and statutory business.
* [[Working Groups]]: Meet Monthly to manage delivery and operations.
* Annual Strategy Day: One in-person session for long-term visioning.

===Contact===

Our Board can be contacted via board@ilovefreegle.org or directors@ilovefreegle.org

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:Freegle Board]]

3.1 Board Structure

2026-04-29T20:33:00Z

Jacky:

The Board comprises up to 9 elected Directors and 2 appointed external Directors. A term of office for an elected Director is normally 3 years. Officers are appointed by the Board annually, plus other named roles.

Freegle Board - see [[Freegle Board]] for current list of Directors.

The Board elects three Officers - Chair, Society Secretary and Finance Director.

The Board also appoints, from within the Board, six Portfolio Leads covering Technology, Volunteer Engagement, Fundraising & Partnerships, Communications & PR, Legal & Risk, and Impact & Strategy.

Freegle has no employees, rather it contracts a small team of contractors. You can find out more here: [[Contracted Roles]]

We rely heavily on our fantastic team of volunteers, both at a national and local level.

You can find details about our National Volunteers here: [[Freegle Teams]]

* [[3. Directors, Meetings, Policies]]
* [[3.2 How the Board operates]]
* [[3.3 Practicalities]]
* [[3.4 Policies]]

Link: [[Director Handbook]]

[[category:3. Directors, Meetings, Policies]]

Finance Procedures

2026-04-29T17:02:18Z

Jacky: /* 12. Approval of End of Year Accounts */

===1. Financial Management===
1.1 The Chairman, Finance Director and two other Signatories will be appointed by the Board as signatories on the bank account. When a Signatory ceases to be a Director they can, if necessary, continue as Signatory until a replacement Signatory is chosen from the Board and accepted by the bank. The time taken to enact this changeover should be minimised as far as possible. The other Directors will be responsible for authorising expenditure, and hold the Signatories to account. The Treasurer, whether a Board member or not, should always be a signatory.

1.2 Freegle Ltd will keep proper accounts, which will include bank and petty cash control accounts, which will be updated regularly.

1.3 The accounts will be kept electronically on a spreadsheet, which will be viewable by the Finance Director and on demand by the Board. A monthly PDF will be provided of the cashbook and summary, which will be submitted to the Board and available by link on Central.

1.4 Annual accounts will be prepared, audited and published on Central and to Members in line with the Finance Policy. [[Finance Reports]]

===2. Bank===
2.1 The bank mandate (list of people who can sign cheques on the organisation's behalf) will be approved and recorded by the Board as well as all changes to it. This will be by a copy of the mandate in PDF form on the Board’s discussion group, and a list of the authorised signatories in the files on Central. Any new signatory must be approved by the Board before the bank is notified. All cheques will require two signatures.

2.2 Electronic payments may be used. The accounts will record which signatories have authorised each payment.

2.3 The Freegle Ltd bank account will be reconciled to the accounts at least monthly, and the reconciliation will be available open to view by all Members as part of the accounts spreadsheet.

===3. Receipts===
3.1 All receipts will be recorded and banked not less than once each week. The make-up of each banking deposit transaction will be clearly recorded in the accounting records.

3.2 All relevant information relating to receipts must be passed to the Treasurer with the cheque and/or remittance advice. Lack of documentation will lead to such items being banked, but unavailable for expenditure commitments, until the validity of the receipt is established.

3.3 Payments due against specific income receipts will not be made until those receipts have been cleared.

===4. Payments===
4.1 All payments will require the pre-approval of the Board, in accordance with their decision making processes.

4.2 The Treasurer will be responsible for holding unused and partly used cheque books which should be kept securely, as should cheques that have been written out but not yet sent for signature.

4.3 Payments can be made either direct to the supplier of the goods or services, or to reimburse expenditure by individual Volunteers.

4.4 Every payment made by Freegle Ltd will be supported by an original invoice (see [[Invoice Information]]) or receipt, either as a hard copy or electronic documentation. Payments will not be made against a supplier’s statement or final demand. Signatories should ensure they have seen supporting documentation before they authorise electronic payment or sign a cheque.

4.5 The only exceptions to cheques not being supported by an original invoice or receipt would be for items such as advanced booking fees for a future course, donations to charity, etc., or when floats are issued, where a signed request form by the float holder will be used, or for third party payments.

4.6 From time to time opportunities arise for Volunteers to attend events and meetings to represent Freegle nationally. Reasonable travel expenses for the Volunteer may be reimbursable if there are sufficient funds and attendance and costs have been agreed in advance with the Board.

4.7 Signatories will never sign blank cheques, or cheques or authorise electronic payments made out to themselves. Cheques will be sent to the supplier by the last signatory, never to the person requesting the cheque, unless it is a reimbursement payable to them.

4.8 Cheques must be filled in completely (payee amount in words and figures and date and full cheque stub details) before being sent for signature.

4.9 The same person should not be responsible for ordering, processing and checking invoices/receipts as well as raising cheque requisitions, signing cheques, initiating or authorising electronic payments.

===5. Floats and Petty Cash===
5.1 Under certain special circumstances, the Treasurer, in accordance with authority of the Board (4.1) can issue up to £300 float to an individual for them to disburse within guidelines set down and agreed by the Board at that time.

5.2 Special circumstances may include but are not limited to Freegle Volunteers who anticipate incurring incidental costs associated or an event or activity on behalf of Freegle nationally, or work provided under and agreed within a Contract of Service where the Board agrees the contractor can receive payment in advance for specific activities and/or expenses.

5.3 This float will be the sole personal responsibility of the person to whom it is issued and all expenditure must be accounted for with a proper receipt. Receipts will be returned each month to the Treasurer and any unspent funds will be returned along with outstanding receipts to the Treasurer at the end of the agreed period of the float issue. Where the float is on a pre-paid debit card the float remains with the on-line statement returned showing remaining funds. It is the role of the Director of Finance to periodically review the spend on these cards with those who are holding them. Card holders will be encouraged to check with the board before they spend if they are not sure the spend is in line with pre-agreed categories. Should any spend be outside of agreed categories the board may ask the card holder to reimburse Freegle the sums not approved.

5.4 Recharging of the funds on the pre-paid cards will be done periodically in line with pre-agreed limits set out in section 5.1.

5.5 Freegle Ltd will operate a ongoing float via an authorised prepaid debit card subject to the rules above, it will not operate any ongoing petty cash system.

===6. Third Party Receipts and Payments===
In order to facilitate grants offered to affiliated communities that have no bank account or individuals doing specific work for Freegle centrally, the Freegle Ltd bank account can be used to enable payments under the following conditions.

6.1 The community should forward copies of any grant documentation showing:
*what and who the payment is for
*whether there are any conditions attached to the payment e.g. receipts need to be provided
*whether any/all of the funding might need to be paid back if certain conditions are not met.

6.2 If conditions attached to such grants are too onerous, the Board reserve the right to not offer a third party service.

6.3 Any individual receiving funds in this arrangement must be a Freegle Volunteer. This status should be validated by at least 2 other Volunteers not on the same affiliated local community.

6.4 Payment must only be for funding Freegle local or central activities.

6.5 The payment to the individual will not be paid until the above criteria are satisfied and in accordance with section 4 Payments of this document.

6.6 All such arrangements will be clearly recorded in the accounts.

6.7 Payments will not be accepted if there is any concern as to the source so that there can be no risk of money laundering legislation being breached.

===7. Accounts and Paperwork===
7.1 The accounts spreadsheet will be updated at least monthly. Access to edit the accounts will only be by the Treasurer ID.

7.2 Back-up copies of accounts will be kept electronically and in paper form.

7.3 The accounts will record, for each payment made, the message number of the Board’s poll result which authorised the payment, and the name of the second authoriser - the submitter usually being the Treasurer unless there are special circumstances. There will also be a note of the beneficiaries set upon the bank account to receive payments, and the message number of the Board’s poll result which authorised them to be beneficiaries.

7.4 The Finance Director, in consultation with the Board and Treasurer, will prepare a Financial Report which will accompany audited accounts presented to Freegle Members annually.

7.5 Original receipts, invoices and other related paperwork will be held, filed and kept for seven years by the Treasurer, and passed on if the Treasurer changes.

===8. Cheque Signatories and Cash Cards===
8.1 Each cheque will be signed by at least two people. All cheque signatories will be appointed by the Board, and the authority clearly recorded. Holders of passwords to view the bank account on the Internet, or make electronic payments (subject to procedure 2.1) will also be appointed by the Board, and the authority clearly recorded on the accounts spreadsheet and in the form of a copy of the mandate sent to the bank.

8.2 The only card allowed to be used on the Freegle bank account is the Unity Corporate Multipay ( https://www.unity.co.uk/corporate-multipay-card/) under the following conditions:
*Board approval is required for issuing the card.
*Spending limits will be set by the Board, and linked to specific spend budgets.
*The card must not be used for cash withdrawals.
*The card can only be used for the card holder’s Freegle approved expenses, not for any other Freegle volunteer or contractor expenses.
*Other conditions relating to use of the card will be as required in line with 5.3 and 8.3 of this document.
**

8.3 It is the role of the [[Finance and Risk Working Group]] to periodically review the spend on pre-paid and multipay cards with those who are holding them. Card holders should check with the Board before they spend if they are not sure the spend is in line with pre-agreed categories. Should any spend be outside of agreed categories, the Board will ask the pre-paid or multipay card holder to reimburse Freegle the sums not approved, or deduct the amount from payment of card holder invoices if appropriate.

===9. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest===
9.1 The confidentiality of any volunteers’ financial circumstances will be respected at all times.

9.2 The Board and those involved in grant applications must declare any conflict of financial interest.

===10. Other Rules===
10.1 The Board will consider the level of reserves that is prudent for Freegle Ltd to have after the poll to accept the Annual Accounts. Consideration will be given to liabilities, lease agreements and any other significant factors that should be taken into account were Freegle Ltd to cease.

10.2 Where assets are purchased, or there are significant stock holdings of non-capital items, e.g. stationery, suitable records will be kept and the items checked at least annually at the financial year-end.

10.3 Any Volunteer - whether elected, active centrally, or not - can receive payment for services for Freegle Ltd, as long as everything is properly documented and the process is fair and transparent, and approved by the Board or Members as necessary.

===11. Tendering===
11.1 The Board will publish on Central each year the annual objectives with associated budgets, including where any funding is available or planned to be raised.

11.2 All paid work will be open to expressions of interest from any volunteer for delivering any of the objectives or wishing to be involved in raising required funding. [[Paying People in Freegle Guidelines]] refers. If and when budgets or priorities change, the Board will publish those amendments in advance of contracting paid work.

11.3 If a new piece of work or service exceeds payment of £11k, the Board will seek at least 2 quotes from interested parties, and if in excess of £22k will seek at least 3 quotes, including from external parties if practicable. These limits were set in April 2018 and will rise in line with consumer price inflation each year (see note 1). For renewal of an existing contract, the Board can extend the contract for the same value (plus inflation) without the requirement for new tendering. The Board will decide on the best person or company to deliver the work based on which is in the best interests of Freegle.

11.4 A contract [[Contract for Services]] will be set up for all paid work over £250 for new suppliers, and the smaller of £1000 or 10% of total current bank balances for suppliers with a pre-existing relationship. Directors will follow agreed procedures when discussing and deciding on paid work [[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]].

Notes: 
Note 1. CPI was 2% in the year April 2018 to April 2019 - https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/consumerpriceinflation/april2019 

===12. Approval of End of Year Accounts===
12.1 At the April 2024 board meeting, the following process for approving the Year end accounts was agreed:
*During the relevant Financial Year, the AGM votes to dissapply the need for an audit for that year's accounts
*Shortly after the end of the Financial Year, a draft set of accounts are produced by the Treasurer and reviewed by the [[Finance and Risk Working Group]]
*The draft End of Year Accounts are issued to the auditors who produce a report which is incorporated into the accounts
*The draft End of Year Accounts and report are approved via a vote held at a Freegle Board Meeting
*The approved End of Year Accounts are submitted to the Financial Conduct Authority
*The approved End of Year Accounts are shared at the next AGM for information

Notes: 
Note 2. Disapplying the need for an audit is done in-line with FCA rules 7.2.12 - 7.2.17 - https://www.handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/RFCCBS/7/2.html 
Note 3. FCA rules 7.2.21 - 7.2.24 require that even if a report is produced (as opposed to a full audit), it must be produced by a qualified auditor if certain criteria are met 
Note 4. Freegle [[Rules]] 23a requires that the accounts are provided to the AGM 
Note 5: Freegle's year end date was changed from 4th April to 30th March in 2025. This was agreed by the FCA and the register entry changed on 3.3.25 [[https://mutuals.fca.org.uk./Search/Society/9593]]

===Relevant links:===

*This document was originally adopted by the Board at their meeting of 27th August 2014, see [[Finance Documents Review]] for the record of subsequent reviews and amendments. The document as it stands above is the current version.
*[[Document Approval Policy]]
*[[Finance Policy]]
*[[Invoice Information]]
*[[Paying People in Freegle Guidelines]]
*[[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]]
*[[Budget Owner]]
*[[Budget Creation Process]]
*[[Finance Role Remits]]
*[[Finance Reports]]
*[[Finance Sub Committee Remit]]
*[[Bank Account and Donation Methods]]
*[[Contract for Services]]
*[[Glossary]]
*[[Rules]]
*Previous Freegle UK document Financial Management and Controls
*Link to Financial Conduct Authority website. The FCA is the body to which IPSs are accountable [http://www.fca.org.uk/firms/firm-types/mutual-societies/industrial]
* Explanation of FCA requirement for annual reporting [https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/annual-returns-accounts-mutual-societies]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]
[[category:Finance]]

Finance Procedures

2026-04-29T17:01:03Z

Jacky: /* 8. Cheque Signatories and Cash Cards */

===1. Financial Management===
1.1 The Chairman, Finance Director and two other Signatories will be appointed by the Board as signatories on the bank account. When a Signatory ceases to be a Director they can, if necessary, continue as Signatory until a replacement Signatory is chosen from the Board and accepted by the bank. The time taken to enact this changeover should be minimised as far as possible. The other Directors will be responsible for authorising expenditure, and hold the Signatories to account. The Treasurer, whether a Board member or not, should always be a signatory.

1.2 Freegle Ltd will keep proper accounts, which will include bank and petty cash control accounts, which will be updated regularly.

1.3 The accounts will be kept electronically on a spreadsheet, which will be viewable by the Finance Director and on demand by the Board. A monthly PDF will be provided of the cashbook and summary, which will be submitted to the Board and available by link on Central.

1.4 Annual accounts will be prepared, audited and published on Central and to Members in line with the Finance Policy. [[Finance Reports]]

===2. Bank===
2.1 The bank mandate (list of people who can sign cheques on the organisation's behalf) will be approved and recorded by the Board as well as all changes to it. This will be by a copy of the mandate in PDF form on the Board’s discussion group, and a list of the authorised signatories in the files on Central. Any new signatory must be approved by the Board before the bank is notified. All cheques will require two signatures.

2.2 Electronic payments may be used. The accounts will record which signatories have authorised each payment.

2.3 The Freegle Ltd bank account will be reconciled to the accounts at least monthly, and the reconciliation will be available open to view by all Members as part of the accounts spreadsheet.

===3. Receipts===
3.1 All receipts will be recorded and banked not less than once each week. The make-up of each banking deposit transaction will be clearly recorded in the accounting records.

3.2 All relevant information relating to receipts must be passed to the Treasurer with the cheque and/or remittance advice. Lack of documentation will lead to such items being banked, but unavailable for expenditure commitments, until the validity of the receipt is established.

3.3 Payments due against specific income receipts will not be made until those receipts have been cleared.

===4. Payments===
4.1 All payments will require the pre-approval of the Board, in accordance with their decision making processes.

4.2 The Treasurer will be responsible for holding unused and partly used cheque books which should be kept securely, as should cheques that have been written out but not yet sent for signature.

4.3 Payments can be made either direct to the supplier of the goods or services, or to reimburse expenditure by individual Volunteers.

4.4 Every payment made by Freegle Ltd will be supported by an original invoice (see [[Invoice Information]]) or receipt, either as a hard copy or electronic documentation. Payments will not be made against a supplier’s statement or final demand. Signatories should ensure they have seen supporting documentation before they authorise electronic payment or sign a cheque.

4.5 The only exceptions to cheques not being supported by an original invoice or receipt would be for items such as advanced booking fees for a future course, donations to charity, etc., or when floats are issued, where a signed request form by the float holder will be used, or for third party payments.

4.6 From time to time opportunities arise for Volunteers to attend events and meetings to represent Freegle nationally. Reasonable travel expenses for the Volunteer may be reimbursable if there are sufficient funds and attendance and costs have been agreed in advance with the Board.

4.7 Signatories will never sign blank cheques, or cheques or authorise electronic payments made out to themselves. Cheques will be sent to the supplier by the last signatory, never to the person requesting the cheque, unless it is a reimbursement payable to them.

4.8 Cheques must be filled in completely (payee amount in words and figures and date and full cheque stub details) before being sent for signature.

4.9 The same person should not be responsible for ordering, processing and checking invoices/receipts as well as raising cheque requisitions, signing cheques, initiating or authorising electronic payments.

===5. Floats and Petty Cash===
5.1 Under certain special circumstances, the Treasurer, in accordance with authority of the Board (4.1) can issue up to £300 float to an individual for them to disburse within guidelines set down and agreed by the Board at that time.

5.2 Special circumstances may include but are not limited to Freegle Volunteers who anticipate incurring incidental costs associated or an event or activity on behalf of Freegle nationally, or work provided under and agreed within a Contract of Service where the Board agrees the contractor can receive payment in advance for specific activities and/or expenses.

5.3 This float will be the sole personal responsibility of the person to whom it is issued and all expenditure must be accounted for with a proper receipt. Receipts will be returned each month to the Treasurer and any unspent funds will be returned along with outstanding receipts to the Treasurer at the end of the agreed period of the float issue. Where the float is on a pre-paid debit card the float remains with the on-line statement returned showing remaining funds. It is the role of the Director of Finance to periodically review the spend on these cards with those who are holding them. Card holders will be encouraged to check with the board before they spend if they are not sure the spend is in line with pre-agreed categories. Should any spend be outside of agreed categories the board may ask the card holder to reimburse Freegle the sums not approved.

5.4 Recharging of the funds on the pre-paid cards will be done periodically in line with pre-agreed limits set out in section 5.1.

5.5 Freegle Ltd will operate a ongoing float via an authorised prepaid debit card subject to the rules above, it will not operate any ongoing petty cash system.

===6. Third Party Receipts and Payments===
In order to facilitate grants offered to affiliated communities that have no bank account or individuals doing specific work for Freegle centrally, the Freegle Ltd bank account can be used to enable payments under the following conditions.

6.1 The community should forward copies of any grant documentation showing:
*what and who the payment is for
*whether there are any conditions attached to the payment e.g. receipts need to be provided
*whether any/all of the funding might need to be paid back if certain conditions are not met.

6.2 If conditions attached to such grants are too onerous, the Board reserve the right to not offer a third party service.

6.3 Any individual receiving funds in this arrangement must be a Freegle Volunteer. This status should be validated by at least 2 other Volunteers not on the same affiliated local community.

6.4 Payment must only be for funding Freegle local or central activities.

6.5 The payment to the individual will not be paid until the above criteria are satisfied and in accordance with section 4 Payments of this document.

6.6 All such arrangements will be clearly recorded in the accounts.

6.7 Payments will not be accepted if there is any concern as to the source so that there can be no risk of money laundering legislation being breached.

===7. Accounts and Paperwork===
7.1 The accounts spreadsheet will be updated at least monthly. Access to edit the accounts will only be by the Treasurer ID.

7.2 Back-up copies of accounts will be kept electronically and in paper form.

7.3 The accounts will record, for each payment made, the message number of the Board’s poll result which authorised the payment, and the name of the second authoriser - the submitter usually being the Treasurer unless there are special circumstances. There will also be a note of the beneficiaries set upon the bank account to receive payments, and the message number of the Board’s poll result which authorised them to be beneficiaries.

7.4 The Finance Director, in consultation with the Board and Treasurer, will prepare a Financial Report which will accompany audited accounts presented to Freegle Members annually.

7.5 Original receipts, invoices and other related paperwork will be held, filed and kept for seven years by the Treasurer, and passed on if the Treasurer changes.

===8. Cheque Signatories and Cash Cards===
8.1 Each cheque will be signed by at least two people. All cheque signatories will be appointed by the Board, and the authority clearly recorded. Holders of passwords to view the bank account on the Internet, or make electronic payments (subject to procedure 2.1) will also be appointed by the Board, and the authority clearly recorded on the accounts spreadsheet and in the form of a copy of the mandate sent to the bank.

8.2 The only card allowed to be used on the Freegle bank account is the Unity Corporate Multipay ( https://www.unity.co.uk/corporate-multipay-card/) under the following conditions:
*Board approval is required for issuing the card.
*Spending limits will be set by the Board, and linked to specific spend budgets.
*The card must not be used for cash withdrawals.
*The card can only be used for the card holder’s Freegle approved expenses, not for any other Freegle volunteer or contractor expenses.
*Other conditions relating to use of the card will be as required in line with 5.3 and 8.3 of this document.
**

8.3 It is the role of the [[Finance and Risk Working Group]] to periodically review the spend on pre-paid and multipay cards with those who are holding them. Card holders should check with the Board before they spend if they are not sure the spend is in line with pre-agreed categories. Should any spend be outside of agreed categories, the Board will ask the pre-paid or multipay card holder to reimburse Freegle the sums not approved, or deduct the amount from payment of card holder invoices if appropriate.

===9. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest===
9.1 The confidentiality of any volunteers’ financial circumstances will be respected at all times.

9.2 The Board and those involved in grant applications must declare any conflict of financial interest.

===10. Other Rules===
10.1 The Board will consider the level of reserves that is prudent for Freegle Ltd to have after the poll to accept the Annual Accounts. Consideration will be given to liabilities, lease agreements and any other significant factors that should be taken into account were Freegle Ltd to cease.

10.2 Where assets are purchased, or there are significant stock holdings of non-capital items, e.g. stationery, suitable records will be kept and the items checked at least annually at the financial year-end.

10.3 Any Volunteer - whether elected, active centrally, or not - can receive payment for services for Freegle Ltd, as long as everything is properly documented and the process is fair and transparent, and approved by the Board or Members as necessary.

===11. Tendering===
11.1 The Board will publish on Central each year the annual objectives with associated budgets, including where any funding is available or planned to be raised.

11.2 All paid work will be open to expressions of interest from any volunteer for delivering any of the objectives or wishing to be involved in raising required funding. [[Paying People in Freegle Guidelines]] refers. If and when budgets or priorities change, the Board will publish those amendments in advance of contracting paid work.

11.3 If a new piece of work or service exceeds payment of £11k, the Board will seek at least 2 quotes from interested parties, and if in excess of £22k will seek at least 3 quotes, including from external parties if practicable. These limits were set in April 2018 and will rise in line with consumer price inflation each year (see note 1). For renewal of an existing contract, the Board can extend the contract for the same value (plus inflation) without the requirement for new tendering. The Board will decide on the best person or company to deliver the work based on which is in the best interests of Freegle.

11.4 A contract [[Contract for Services]] will be set up for all paid work over £250 for new suppliers, and the smaller of £1000 or 10% of total current bank balances for suppliers with a pre-existing relationship. Directors will follow agreed procedures when discussing and deciding on paid work [[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]].

Notes: 
Note 1. CPI was 2% in the year April 2018 to April 2019 - https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/consumerpriceinflation/april2019 

===12. Approval of End of Year Accounts===
12.1 At the April 2024 board meeting, the following process for approving the Year end accounts was agreed:
*During the relevant Financial Year, the AGM votes to dissapply the need for an audit for that year's accounts
*Shortly after the end of the Financial Year, a draft set of accounts are produced by the Treasurer and reviewed by the Finance Subcomittee
*The draft End of Year Accounts are issued to the auditors who produce a report which is incorporated into the accounts
*The draft End of Year Accounts and report are approved via a vote held at a Freegle Board Meeting
*The approved End of Year Accounts are submitted to the Financial Conduct Authority
*The approved End of Year Accounts are shared at the next AGM for information

Notes: 
Note 2. Disapplying the need for an audit is done in-line with FCA rules 7.2.12 - 7.2.17 - https://www.handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/RFCCBS/7/2.html 
Note 3. FCA rules 7.2.21 - 7.2.24 require that even if a report is produced (as opposed to a full audit), it must be produced by a qualified auditor if certain criteria are met 
Note 4. Freegle [[Rules]] 23a requires that the accounts are provided to the AGM 
Note 5: Freegle's year end date was changed from 4th April to 30th March in 2025. This was agreed by the FCA and the register entry changed on 3.3.25 [[https://mutuals.fca.org.uk./Search/Society/9593]]

===Relevant links:===

*This document was originally adopted by the Board at their meeting of 27th August 2014, see [[Finance Documents Review]] for the record of subsequent reviews and amendments. The document as it stands above is the current version.
*[[Document Approval Policy]]
*[[Finance Policy]]
*[[Invoice Information]]
*[[Paying People in Freegle Guidelines]]
*[[Conflicts of Interest Procedure]]
*[[Budget Owner]]
*[[Budget Creation Process]]
*[[Finance Role Remits]]
*[[Finance Reports]]
*[[Finance Sub Committee Remit]]
*[[Bank Account and Donation Methods]]
*[[Contract for Services]]
*[[Glossary]]
*[[Rules]]
*Previous Freegle UK document Financial Management and Controls
*Link to Financial Conduct Authority website. The FCA is the body to which IPSs are accountable [http://www.fca.org.uk/firms/firm-types/mutual-societies/industrial]
* Explanation of FCA requirement for annual reporting [https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/annual-returns-accounts-mutual-societies]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]
[[category:Finance]]

Finance Policy

2026-04-29T16:17:40Z

Jacky:

This document was adopted by the Board at their meeting of 27th August 2014. In January 2025, the year end date was proposed to change from 5th April to 31st March. The FCA approved the change on 3rd March 2025.

1. The financial year for Freegle Ltd runs from 1st April to 31st March.

2. At the end of each year, the final accounts will be prepared. The accounts and a short financial report will be posted on Central as part of the AGM Finance Report. The Board will also provide interim financial reports as part of the Minutes of Board Meetings posted on Central.

3. If required (ie. if not disapplied under Rule 103) an Auditor will be sought from suitably qualified candidates from within and outside of Freegle within the criteria set out in Rule 104. The Auditor will be chosen by the Board and recommended to Freegle Members. (Refer to Rules 104-107)

4. Financial records will be kept so that Freegle can:
*Meet any legal and other obligations.
*Enable the Board to oversee the organisation’s finances on behalf of Freegle Members.
*Meet contractual obligations and the requirements of any funding bodies.
*Provide auditable records to ensure accountability and security for individuals and the organisation.

5. The Board are responsible for ensuring that any expenditure is in the best interests of Freegle Ltd, taking account of ethical, recycling, reuse and environmental implications where practicable. Any income will be applied solely towards the Objects of Freegle (Rule 4).

6. Expenditure must not be committed without prior authorisation by the Board. No contracts, hire purchase agreements or leases will be entered into in the name of Freegle without the Board’s approval, in an email from the Board’s email account. Freegle Ltd does not accept liability for any financial commitment unless properly authorised. Should a situation occur where an order is placed or undertaken or given with unauthorised financial consequences, the Board will decide a course of action and will record their decision in Board minutes.

7. Freegle’s central funds will be lodged with an FCA approved bank and will be held in the name of Freegle Limited. Other financial accounts (e.g. payment services, credit cards) may be established with agreement of the Board.

8. Any fund raising and grant applications undertaken on behalf of Freegle Ltd nationally can only be carried out in the name of the organisation with prior approval of the Board. Approval must be in an email from the Board’s email account.

9. The Board are collectively responsible for financial matters, and that legal responsibility is not reduced by appointment of a Finance Director, Treasurer, Working Group or Committee, or any other financial role.

Relevant links:
*[[Finance Documents Review]] for the record of reviews and amendments of this document.
*[[Document Approval Policy]]
*[[Finance Procedures]]
*[[Finance Role Remits]]
*[[Glossary]]
*[[Rules]]
*[[Bank Account and Donation Methods]]
*Previous Freegle UK document Financial Management and Controls
*Link to Financial Conduct Authority website. The FCA is the body which oversees Mutual/Registered Societies financially [https://www.fca.org.uk/firms/managing-your-society]
*Link to FCA page giving details of submitted annual accounts [https://mutuals.fca.org.uk/Search/Society/9593]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]
[[category:Finance]]

Budget Creation Process

2026-04-29T16:10:35Z

Jacky: /* Process */

The Freegle budget is an estimation of income and expenditure for the next financial year (and beyond)

It is used to provide an insight into how Freegle's operates, assess the health of Freegle's finances and to provide a benchmark which the actual income and expenditure is measured against

Whilst the budget is being set, it is also a convenient moment for the board to also approve much of the standard financial expenditure related to operations (e.g. IT expenditure)

This process describes how the budget is created

====Triggers====
The creation of a budget is an annual process, triggered by an entry in the [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fe8yXXQl9qTBP1rdFfhcQVhc6OoBSVX-_mArW2mr_EU/edit?usp=sharing Board Calendar]

If there was a major change to Freegle's finances or operations, it might be necessary to refresh the budget on an ad-hoc basis, but as of January 2025, this has never happened

====Responsibilities====
* Individual [[Budget Owner]]s provide a view of the likely expenditure in their budget areas for the coming period(s)
* The Finance Director supported by the Treasurer creates the budget
* The [[Finance and Risk Working Group]] is consulted on the content and approves the budget for submission to the Board
* The [[Freegle Board]] reviews and approves the Budget

====Inputs====
* The previous budget
* Previous actual financial spend, accounts and forecasts
* Payment approvals
* Views from [[Budget Owner]]s

====Outputs====
* Budget Sheet
* Budget Narrative/Report

====Budget Sheet Detail====
The simplest way to view what detail exists on the budget sheet is by looking at a previous example

However, the budget sheet has previously contained the following key information for each entry:
* An Account Code to allow a match to the information held in the actual accounts
* The [[Budget Owner]]
* Details of expenditure for the next financial year
* Details of expenditure for years following the next financial year (to identify any items that do no recur)
* Any assumptions or calculations used to create the item
* Approval information for any items approved as part of the budget

====Budget Report Detail====
The simplest way to view what detail exists on the budget report is by looking at a previous example

However, the budget report has previously contained the following key information:
* A view of our financial health made by projecting forward our likely deficit or surplus. Specifically, a view of when we will exhaust our reserves
* A graph showing where the main areas of income and expenditure
* A report against a set of Budget Owner Financial Controls (see [[Budget Owner]] best practice guidelines)
* A list of the payment approvals requested/made as part of the budget

====Process====
# Using the inputs above, the Finance Director, supported by the treasurer creates a draft budget sheet estimating the proposed expenditure for the next financial years and those that follow
# The Finance Director reviews the draft budget with individual Budget Owners and agrees any changes
# The Finance Director reviews the draft budget with the [[Finance and Risk Working Group]] and agrees any changes
# The Finance Director creates a draft report, supporting the budget
# The Finance Director also creates a set of approvals for standard operational items to go alongside the budget (see [[Managing Financial Approvals Process]])
# The Finance Director submits the budget sheet and report to the [[Finance and Risk Working Group]] for Approval
# The [[Finance and Risk Working Group]] approves (or asks for changes which trigger a refresh/reapproval loop) the budget
# The Finance Director submits the budget sheet and report to the Board for approval
# The Board approves (or asks for changes which trigger a refresh/reapproval loop) the budget
# The Finance Director secures the budget documents
# The Finance Director creates an updated document for current approved payments, based on the newly approved budget and approvals

====Links====
* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Fe8yXXQl9qTBP1rdFfhcQVhc6OoBSVX-_mArW2mr_EU/edit?usp=sharing Board Timetable]
* [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kyGaqBNiXsGPfo8rRpXcK9RYvi-s3MdaPFsNJGwv97o/edit?usp=drive_link Freegle Budget Report for Financial Year 2024-2025]
* [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a1UpWrtpfNcaei2X7p-dHIg2iSVR3xx_QETxl9Aaj_k/edit?usp=drive_link Freegle Budget Sheet for Financial Year 2024-2025]

[[category:Policies, Procedures, Remits]]
[[category:Finance]]