Governance

The CGCA is managed day-to-day by a voluntary Executive Committee, with up to ten elected members. It meets quarterly or as needed, and oversees the activity of CGCA including Planning, Licensing, Public Realm and Community Safety, as well as making operational decisions for CGCA. It enables us to decide what to do across the Covent Garden area on a wide range of issues.

‘Exec.’ members are elected by the Association’s membership, usually at an AGM. All Full Members of the CGCA are entitled to give notice to stand for election. Up to four members can be co-opted onto the Exec. as well.

The Exec. appoints sub-committees for areas of work with particularly heavy volume, such as Planning and Licensing. It also appoints steering groups for projects and to organise events such as Street Festivals and the annual Community Carol Service in December.

We are always keen for new people to join our committees. It is a great way to meet other local people with similar interests, to gain new expertise and to learn more about our wonderful neighbourhood at the heart of London.

Volunteering, and standing for the ‘Exec.’ committee.

Some new Exec. members are standing to fill our committee at our next AGM. You can find more details about the meeting here on our 2023 AGM page. However, we can co-opt a few more members between AGMs for specific reasons, and of course welcome many more volunteers beyond the Exec. In 2023 we are particularly looking for:

An ‘area rep’ for the South Western part of Covent Garden – Exec. post now filled.
An ‘area rep’ for the North Eastern corner of Covent Garden – Exec. post now filled.
People to help us with fundraising.
People who are skilled in IT, website work and social media.
People with an interest in policing.
People familiar with negotiating contractual agreements, though not necessarily lawyers.
A membership secretary with reasonable office IT skills.

If you fit any of these categories, or if you have other suggestions about how you could help and have some capacity for our interesting work, then we would like to hear from you!

Please call Amanda on 07957 388801 or email her at ViceChair@CoventGarden.org.uk if you’re interested. Contacting us won’t commit you in any way. It’s just an opportunity to chat and see if this is something for you.

Trustees, AGMs and Report & Accounts

Details are held on the Charity Commission website. Please click here for our latest, 2023 Annual Report & Accounts. Capacity and cost prevent us from issuing a full Report & Accounts document as often as we would like, but we submit our basic accounts to the authorities every year and a full Trustees’ report with professionally exmained accounts every few years.

Constitution

The Association is established for the public benefit to protect and to improve the quality of life of people living in, working in, or visiting the area bounded by High Holborn, New Oxford Street, Charing Cross Road, St. Martin’s Place, Northumberland Avenue, Victoria Embankment, Lancaster Place, Aldwych and Kingsway (‘the Covent Garden area’ or ‘the area’), in particular but not exclusively by promoting and encouraging:

conditions that serve to preserve, protect and improve quality of life, including the imposition and enforcement of suitable laws, regulations, licences and policies;
high standards of: planning, urban design, landscaping, infrastructure and transport;
conservation of, creation of, or improvement to: lands, buildings, open spaces, amenities, features of historic or community interest and the individual character of area.
avoidance, removal, or improvement of: features that are unsightly, unhealthy or, in the public interest, undesirable;
a stable community, community involvement and the capacity to effect change;
a sense of public concern for the area;
the principles and practice of sustainable development – being development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs;
knowledge of and interest in these matters amongst persons concerned in a professional, legislative or administrative capacity and amongst other persons or corporate bodies.

In furtherance of these Objects the Association may:

represent the interests of the Association to local authorities and all other statutory authorities having responsibilities in or affecting the area of benefit;
consider and – if it shall seem desirable or appropriate – promote, encourage or oppose any proposals for the use, licensing or development of land, buildings or other activities in or affecting the area of benefit.
hold meetings and social events.
produce or commission papers, surveys, maps, reports and other media.
raise funds and invite and receive contributions from any person or persons whatsoever by way of subscription or donation and otherwise.
borrow or raise money for the purposes of the Association on such terms and on such security as the Trustees of the Charity shall think fit.
educate the public, give advice and information regarding the area.
do all such other lawful things deemed necessary or desirable for the achievement of the Objects.

The CGCA’s constitution was last amended at our AGM in June 2016, and the full text can be found via a link at the top of our ‘About the Covent Garden Community Association’ page.