Access to the Minutes of Trustee meetings

Question

Hello,

Our community has a group of Trustees entrusted with the running of the local institute, which has been designated a charity, "for the benefit of the  community".  Do I, as a member of the community, have a right to see the Minutes of their meetings.

Answer 1

No they don’t have to show you their minutes and also don’t have to submit to FOI either. Some publish their minutes but there is no law compelling them to.

Comments

The Institute in question was gifted to the community for their use. The Trustees at their last meeting made a decision regarding the use of the Institute but are not sharing that decision with the locals concerned.  What recourse do we have other than write to the Charity Commission to complain that they are not fulfilling their purpose of administering the building for the benefit of the community?

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You would need to see all of the official documentation relating to the gifting of the premises and the formation of the charity in order to determine whether the Trustees are operating outside their remit. It is likely that the Trustees have wide-ranging powers to operate the facility and to use it to generate funds for other charitable purposes.