Governance and policies
Governance and committees
The Charity is set up as a company limited by guarantee and we are governed according to our Memorandum and Articles of Association.
The Board of Governors
The overall responsiblity for the work of the Charity lies with the Board of Governors. The Board sets the strategy, agrees objectives and approves plans to deliver the Charity's aims. They monitor and evaluate the progress of the Charity to ensure we achieve what we have set out to do. The Board is held to account by the Membership at the Annual General Meeting at which it presents the Governors' report and the financial accounts for the previous year.
The Board may comprise of up to nine elected members, two co-opted and one nominated from the Health Advisory Council. The elected members are elected by the Membership at the Annual General Meeting for a three-year term of office. They may serve no more than two consecutive three-year terms.
New Governors are advertised for openly in our membership magazine, Crossed Grain and in newsletters. Any full member of Coeliac UK can stand for election by being nominated by another full member and voted in at the Annual General Meeting. Nominations have to be received by the Charity up to 70 days in advance of the AGM and nominees have to be over 18.
Board committees
The Board delegates some of its responsibilites to Board committees to provide a particular focus on some issues:
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Audit Committee - ensures the financial compliance and the robustness of the Board's overall monitoring and governance
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Human Resources Committee - reviewing overall HR policies and ensuring legal and best practice compliance
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Executive Action Committee - to be activated when there is a crisis and the Board cannot be convened
The Board also has two established advisory groups: the Health Advisory Council and the Food Sector Advisory Panel. Each provides advice and intelligence on matters relating to the health and food sectors respectively. The Health Advisory Council may from time to time manage the award of grant funds with any final recommendations for the Board's approval.
