Governance and finance

Unincorporated association governing document templates

We have developed two new template governing documents for music groups. They are both for non-charitable unincorporated associations:

  • Non-charitable unincorporated association - with a wider membership
  • Non-charitable unincorporated association - without a wider membership

Each document is available below as a PDF with notes and guidance on how to use it, and as a Word doc without notes to make it easy for you to use and insert your group’s details.

Before you use the document we suggest you read:

What is an unincorporated association?

When you are starting a music group thinking about the formal structure is not necessarily top of the list. But as groups grow and become more stable it is a good idea to start thinking about how your group is structured.

Choosing a structure for your group

When you are starting a music group thinking about the formal structure is not necessarily top of the list. With finding venues, members and music you have plenty on your plate without creating more paperwork and admin - and to be honest an informal, flexible approach can be useful when you are getting things off the ground. But as groups grow and become more stable it is a good idea to start thinking about a formal structure for your group.

Template contract for working with a Music Director

This model contract has been developed to provide a starting point for negotiations when engaging a Music Director.

Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) overview - webinar

This online webinar will introduce you to Orchestra Tax Relief, a new source of income for instrumental groups with 12 or more performers, explaining what it is and how your group can benefit from it.

 

You can find out more about OTR, including whether you are eligible and how to claim, in our resources:

How to approach health and safety

Health and Safety is one of those terms that can bring dread and derision in equal measure. With some of the stories you hear it’s easy to see why it has a bad reputation. In practical terms though, all it really means is spending a little bit of time thinking about what risks exist in a particular situation and what can be done to minimise them.

Health and safety policy template

This is a template Health and Safety Policy for use by Making Music members. It is based on the template provided by the Health and Safety Executive and is designed to be a starting point for your policy:

Group Policies: Overview

Policies aren’t necessarily the most exciting thing to think about when you’re running a music group. But they are important and will help you run your group more efficiently and effectively. We have provided a list of the most common polices you might consider having, together with links to further resources and some template documents. But first, a quick word on why you should have polices in place.

A policy sets out your commitment to a particular area. This can:

Safeguarding Policy template

We have developed a template Safeguarding policy for use by our member groups, consisting of the policy itself and some guidance notes to help you adapt it appropriately.

It is designed to be a starting point for you policy and can be adapted to suit your group’s circumstances. As well as the accompanying notes, we recommend you read our general Safeguarding guidance

Conflict of Interest Policy template

This is a template Conflict of Interest Policy for use by Making Music members. It includes a Conflict of Interest declaration form and a Conflict of interest register. It is designed to be a starting point for your policy and can be adapted to suit your group’s circumstances.

The template comes with brief notes and some examples and you should also read our general Conflict of Interest guidance before using the policy.