CAG Devon membership agreement

The CAG Devon membership agreement sets out what your group pledges to do as a member of the CAG Devon network. The agreement also lists what the CAG Devon team can offer your group as a member of CAG Devon.

Click on the link below to access a printable copy of the agreement.

Conditions of membership

By signing the CAG Devon membership agreement, your group will be agreeing to the following:

1. Agree to a set of aims and objectives to include waste minimisation and other sustainability issues – these could include climate change, carbon and energy reduction, sustainable transport, food, biodiversity, and water issues.
2. Have a constitution or terms of reference as to how the group will operate.
3. Appoint key positions of at least a chair/group contact and a treasurer, as well as providing contact details of these to the CAG Devon team.
4. Open a bank or building society account within four months of becoming a CAG Devon member if receiving funding via CAG Devon, unless using the bank account of an umbrella organisation in which case you must satisfy condition 5.
5. Keep a record of finances or audit trail.
6. Use insurance cover as provided by CAG Devon (free of charge) or an equivalent provider.
7. Complete appropriate risk assessments for all events and activities in order to validate insurance cover through CAG Devon and share digital copies with CAG Devon for minimum of first six months in membership.
8. Hold a minimum of three events, activities or projects a year.
9. (For groups involved in enterprise) Demonstrate clear benefit to the community, provide opportunities for volunteering and not be for private / individual profit.
10. Collect data appropriate to the events, activities or projects and submit them to CAG Devon via the online data collection portal, Resource CIT. Training will be provided.
11. Send a representative of the group to CAG Devon SkillShare, Collaborate groups and training events where practicable.
12. Agree to have a one-to-one guidance session on completing risk assessments, to take place within three months of becoming a CAG (if required).
13. Inform the CAG Devon support team of meetings and events as far in advance as possible.
14. Share knowledge, information, skills and resources with other CAG Devon members as appropriate.
15. Inform the CAG Devon staff if the group is inactive or has been disbanded.
16. We do not accept religious groups unless the project is open to all and does not involve the advancement of religion, by imposing it on service users and volunteers or encouraging them to pursue religious activities.

Benefits of membership

The CAG Devon team will:

1. Provide advice, expertise and mentoring on setting up and maintaining a community action group.
2. Attend individual group events and meetings at least twice a year or, where that is not possible or required, give support via phone or online. Additionally, provide support in facilitating meetings where needed.
3. Support CAG Devon members to find and apply for appropriate funding from other sources.
4. Provide annual insurance cover for the groups’ activities and its members, where necessary, providing that appropriate risk assessments have been provided.
5. Provide risk assessment templates and support in completing these appropriately.
6. Provide appropriate publicity for members’ events, through CAG Devon’s communications channels.
7. Seek press coverage, where appropriate, for CAG Devon news, events or activities.
8. Provide a CAG Devon website to:

• Advertise CAG events and activities;
• Inform CAG Devon members and the wider public about current news and events;
• Provide information to members of the public about CAG Devon and individual groups.

9. Provide access to the Resource CIT (data collection and monitoring portal), as well as support and training on how to use it and collate impact reports (to be rolled out in 2020).
10. Provide training, skills-sharing and networking events.
11. Maintain online resources and project guides, as well as a stock of resources that can be borrowed by CAG Devon members.
12. Provide best practice advice, expertise and mentoring, as well as practical help, on setting up or maintaining specific projects or events.
13. Provide liaison between community action groups and local / national government, partner organisations and other related bodies.