Over the past year, the BSPR committee have been investigating what formal structure the group should hold, in order to be registered as a specific entity.
BSPR is currently unregistered, with all funds in our account being utilised for promoting paediatric radiology and providing educational opportunities. Over the years BSPR has grown from a small group to now having around 200 members, with a proportional growth in our activities and funds. The time has come to review our position and ensure we have appropriate legal standing and protection.
BSPR is currently an unincorporated group, and should it incur liabilities in excess of its assets, the members of the Executive Committee and all of the members themselves, could be jointly liable to contribute from their personal assets to any shortfall in BSPR assets in the event of an incident for which we are found to be in any way responsible.
Other similar societies (e.g., BSIR, BSNR, BSGAR etc) have also been going through similar restructuring for the same reasons, several of the larger societies choosing to apply for charitable status and others choosing to become companies.
We have taken professional advice on the options and appropriateness of changing our organisations status and the committee feel BSPR would benefit from becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC).
The key benefits would be a limited liability structure, improved banking facilities, the opportunity to employ its own staff in the future. Potential disadvantages would be stricter regulation and oversight of the BSPR processes and some increased administrative costs (e.g. accounting costs).
Changing our status would require a significant change in the organisations structure with a new constitution, bank account and registration with Companies’ House.
Given the significance of this potential change the committee have proposed the following timeline to engage members and canvas opinion on the proposed changes:
Phase 1
Communicate information to members
Encourage email submission of questions to the Committee via dedicated email address [email protected]
Phase 2
Hold online meeting to canvas opinion and answer/take queries from members
This is provisionally planned for the evening of Wednesday 14th October and joining details will be sent closer to the time.
Phase 3
Present to members at AGM (November 2024) and vote on a resolution to alter the status from ‘unincorporated’ to a Community Interest Company
Phase 4
Complete and submit paperwork to register as CIC to companies house.
We encourage all BSPR members to please engage in this decision making process to secure the future of the BSPR.
Please submit any comments or questions to the dedicated email address above.
Questions submitted will be discussed by the committee and with our advisors, answers will be circulated and/or presented at the AGM in November.
We value your opinions and comments.
Kind regards
Dr Joanna Kasnia-Brown (president) and the BSPR committee.
