Saltburn Community and Arts Association Ltd is a Company Limited by Guarantee (Registered in England & Wales, No. 05719152) and a charity registered with the Charity Commission (No. 1113704); as such all its activities are carried out in accordance with its Memorandum and Articles of Association* and its stated objectives as a registered charity.

The origins of SCAA can be traced back to 1971 when a group was formed to rescue the iconic Primitivist Methodist Church and School Hall on Albion Terrace in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, which had been deconsecrated in the late 1960s and was under threat of demolition for re-development. In the ensuing forty years SCAA has transformed these buildings into a thriving centre benefiting the whole community.

On 23rd February 2006 The Saltburn-by-the-Sea Community and Arts Association was dissolved and a new private company limited by guarantee was formed to undertake the work of the former association on a more sound legal footing and afford the trustees limited liability as company directors. Since then the company has been run by a Board of Directors, with a minimum of twelve members, who are also de facto trustees.

In the context of considering the implications of a CAT, the Board of Directors has undertaken a series of legal and constitutional reforms to ensure that the organisation adheres to accepted best practice, as recommended by both Companies House and the Charity Commission. These reforms will enable it to adapt practically and pro-actively to the challenges that a project of this scale will represent.

At a board meeting held on Monday 19th September 2011, SCAA voted unanimously to adopt the model Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Charity Commission. A Governance sub-committee, chaired by the Company Secretary, has been formed to examine structures and systems in use by the company. This will ensure that best practice is always adhered to and facilitate a process of continuous improvement.

All financial matters are overseen by the company’s Finance Director and the Finance sub-committee, which he chairs; all significant expenditure is voted on by the Board of Directors. The Finance Director presents full accounts to the Annual General Meeting each year. These accounts are not currently audited as the company falls under the £500,000 audit threshold, however it is accepted this might change due to the scale of the project.

The CAT application has been prepared with the full support of the Board of Directors, which formed a dedicated sub-committee to ensure the success of the application and to implement the scheme outlined in this plan; it comprises three members of the Board of Directors, together with other members of the community representing the artistic and potential user interests in the proposed development.

In recognition of the changes to the company’s structure the Board has decided to form several additional sub-committees to undertake the business of the company. Each chaired by a member of the Board these subcommittees have been encouraged to invite members of the public to advise them, thus promoting increased community engagement and enabling the company to benefit from wider expertise.

SCAA is fully compliant with both Companies House and the Charity Commission requirements. The Company Secretary is responsible for filing all annual submissions with both these bodies and this information has been reviewed to confirm it is up to date. The Company Secretary also organises the Annual General Meeting, where a full report is made to members and the membership of the Board of Directors is decided democratically.

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