Many community groups and voluntary organisations will at some point need to draft and adopt a 'governing document' e.g. constitution, trust deed or memorandum and articles of association.

The type of governing document that your group will need varies according to the type of legal structure the group wishes to adopt. See the PAVO information sheet 1.5 Choosing Legal Structures for more details.

There are a number of readily available 'model' governing documents which can provide a useful starting point when preparing a document for your group. However, these will frequently need amendment to meet an individual group's aims, structure and activities.

If your group is looking to draft a new governing document or amend your existing one, PAVO is available to provide information and support to help you do this.  If you would like our assistance please contact the PAVO Helpdesk here or on 0845 009 3288.

A simple model constitution, intended for groups with an income of less than £5000 a year, is available in both Welsh and English language versions from the WCVA Trustees and Governance website. It can be downloaded under the title of 'Constitution for Small Groups (Dec 07)' here.

For groups or organisations who are seeking to become a registered charity the Charity Commission provides the following model governing documents; Constitution, Trust Deed and Memorandum and Articles of Association. These are detailed documents designed to meet the Charity Commission's requirements for charity registration.

If you are intending to use one of these documents you will also need to see the Charity Commission guidance CC21 - Registering as a Charity and CC22 - Choosing and Preparing a Governing Document.