Constitution¶

Field	Value
Reference	CON-002
Type	Constitution
Version	1.00
Status	Approved
Owner	Chair
Approver	Board
Approval Reference	MIN-2026-08-02
Effective Date	2026-08-05
Next Review	2027-08-05
Review Requirements	As defined in STD-001
Classification	Public

Established 2024

Purpose¶

This is BRSA's founding document. It establishes the Association, defines its aims, and sets out the framework within which the Committee and members operate. Every other BRSA governance document sits underneath this one.

Scope¶

Applies to the Association as a whole - its Committee, its members, and its affairs. Amendment is by majority agreement of the Committee (Section 8).

1. Name¶

The name of the organisation shall be the British Rabbit Smallholders Association, referred to throughout this constitution as "the Association" or "BRSA."

2. Status¶

The Association is an unincorporated association, not a company or registered charity. It has no legal personality separate from its members; the Committee acts on behalf of, and binds, the Association within the authority granted by this constitution.

3. Aims and Objects¶

The aims of the Association are to:

Educate — provide accurate, accessible information on the keeping, welfare, and husbandry of rabbits in a smallholding context.
Support — build a community of UK rabbit smallholders who can share knowledge, experience, and practical advice.
Promote — encourage responsible, welfare-led rabbit keeping practices across the UK, including compliance with relevant animal welfare legislation.

4. Membership¶

4.1. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in rabbit smallholding who supports the aims of the Association, subject to acceptance by the Committee.

4.2. The Committee may from time to time establish different categories of membership (for example, individual, family, or affiliate membership), along with any associated fees, by resolution. Any such categories and fees will be published on the Association's website.

4.3. The Committee may decline or revoke membership where a person's conduct is reasonably considered contrary to the aims of the Association or to the welfare standards it promotes. Any person whose membership is declined or revoked has the right to request the Committee's reasons in writing.

4.4. Members agree to act in accordance with this constitution and any code of conduct or welfare standards published by the Association.

5. The Committee¶

5.1. The Association shall be managed by a Committee, currently comprising:

Chair — overall leadership and representation of the Association
Secretary — administration of Committee meetings and records, including agendas, minutes, and correspondence
Treasurer — financial management
Technical Lead — technical infrastructure and systems
Standards & Welfare Officer — welfare standards, guidance content, and related policy

Roles may be held concurrently by the same Committee member.

5.2. The Committee may co-opt additional officers or roles as the Association grows, by majority agreement of existing Committee members.

5.3. Committee members serve in a voluntary capacity unless the Committee resolves otherwise.

5.4. Decisions of the Committee shall be made by majority agreement. In the event of a tie, the Chair shall have a casting vote.

5.5. For the purposes of the inaugural meeting at which the founding members adopt this constitution and elect the initial Committee, quorum is met by a simple majority of the founding members present, since no Committee yet exists for the quorum rules elsewhere in this Section to apply against. This provision applies only to that inaugural meeting and has no continuing effect once the initial Committee is elected.

5.6. The Association's correspondence address is held by the Committee and available on request for verification purposes.

6. Data Protection¶

6.1. The Association processes personal data of members and website users in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, as set out in its separate Privacy Policy.

6.2. The Committee shall designate a member responsible for data protection matters (currently the Technical Lead, acting as Data Protection Lead). This role does not constitute a statutory Data Protection Officer appointment under UK GDPR.

7. Finances¶

7.1. All funds belonging to the Association shall be applied solely towards the aims set out in Section 3.

7.2. The Treasurer shall maintain accurate financial records and report on the Association's financial position to the Committee.

7.3. Any bank account opened in the name of the Association shall require authorisation from at least two Committee members for transactions above a threshold set out in the Financial Policy (POL-010).

8. Amendments to this Constitution¶

This constitution may be amended by majority agreement of the Committee. Material changes should, where practicable, be communicated to members in advance.

9. Dissolution¶

Should the Association be wound up, any remaining assets after settling debts shall be applied to a related charitable purpose or organisation, as agreed by the Committee, and not distributed to individual members.

10. Affiliation¶

The Committee may seek affiliation with other organisations whose aims are compatible with those of the Association. Where an affiliating body's requirements necessitate amendment to this constitution, such amendments will be made in accordance with Section 8.

POL-003 Code of Conduct
POL-010 Financial Policy
STD-001 Document Standard

Review Requirements¶

As defined in STD-001.

Change History¶

Version	Date	Author	Summary
0.10	2026-07-23	DC	Initial draft
0.50	2026-07-24	DC	Reviewed; added 5.5 (inaugural meeting quorum provision); 7.3 cross-references POL-010
0.60	2026-07-30	DC	Added 5.6 (correspondence address)
1.00	2026-08-05	DC	Version -> 1.00; Approval Reference -> MIN-2026-08-02; Status -> Approved; Effective Date -> 2026-08-05; Last Reviewed -> 2026-08-05; Next Review -> 2027-08-05