Becoming a CIO

Sustainable Overton first took shape back in 2019 when I attended an Overton Parish Council (OPC) meeting and asked them to declare a climate emergency. The idea was met with mixed reactions, but fortunately, enough councillors saw the importance of taking action. This led to the formation of the Climate Emergency Working Group, initially made up of half parish councillors and half interested volunteers like myself.

Over time, the involvement of OPC members became smaller, while the volunteer base grew larger. Eventually, the group evolved into Sustainable Overton (SO).

Growing Beyond a Working Party

Over the past five years, SO has expanded significantly in both size and scope. We’ve set up our own bank account, launched a website, and delivered many events and projects.. We’ve grown so much that OPC eventually recognised we could no longer be considered just a working group – we were simply too big.

To operate independently, we sought advice from the Basingstoke Voluntary Association. They recommended that we become a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation).

What Is a CIO?

A CIO is its own legal entity, much like a company. However, unlike a company, it must operate solely for public benefit, with no financial gain for individuals. It’s effectively a charity with a board of trustees working together for a shared purpose, but has an identity of its own beyond simply a group of Trustees.

The process of becoming a CIO is (rightly) thorough, as it’s a legal structure. We’ve had to define our objects (the legal term for our charitable purpose, chosen from an approved list) and outline how we’ll operate. We’ve also appointed trustees to oversee everything we do, ensuring it aligns with our objects and remains appropriate.

Why Does This Matter?

Once our CIO application is approved, we’ll be able to:

• Officially receive donations through our bank account.

• Access support available only to charities, such as free charity versions of Google Workspace (which would otherwise be costly).

• Hold regular meetings to review our strategy and stay on course, preventing us from drifting off track.

• Ensure continuity: As a CIO, SO will exist as a permanent entity, even if the current group of volunteers changes. Until now, SO has relied entirely on the people involved—if they left, the group could disappear. As a CIO, it will carry on, hopefully forever.

• Gain more independence: We’ll no longer be bound by OPC rules, such as the requirement to remain politically neutral.

Get Involved!

This is an exciting time for Sustainable Overton as we gain more independence and expand our reach. We’re always looking for new people to join our teams.

• Our strategy team makes decisions about which projects we take on.

• Our volunteer teams work on delivering those projects.
  

At the moment, we have a full set of trustees, but these roles are elected every two or three years. So, if you’re interested in becoming a trustee in the future, stay in touch – we’ll advertise when we’re recruiting. On our website you can see what other roles you could take on besides trustee.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we’re making Overton a more sustainable place for generations to come. 🌍💚