Writing a constitution

A constitution is simply the aims and rules that your group will use. It’s a statement of what your group is going to do and how it is going to do it.

Our information about constitutions is suitable for a small organisation such as a residents’ association or campaign group. It will work well for you if you want a simple, uncomplicated structure to guide your group. It is not suitable if you are employing workers, buying premises or dealing with large amounts of money.

For details of other organisations that can help with constitutions, click on the Links tab above.

The services listed below are not provided by the Resource Centre. These are websites and services we feel are particularly useful for small groups in Brighton & Hove, and which are not easy to find by searching the internet.

Most useful services for local groups

Notes:
Very comprehensive website with information how to set up a charity, legal guidance, and a database of all registered charities. Also has specialist guidance section specifically aimed at small groups wanting to become charities.
The Charity Commission is now part of the GOV.uk site, which can make it difficult to search for the information you need. They advise you to:

  • always include 'charity commission' in your search terms, eg 'report serious incident charity commission'

  • enter your search term, then select 'Charity Commission' from the drop down list of 'Organisations' on the search results page


Some specific guidance you may find useful:

Other services you might find useful

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