Company Structure & Governance
Company StructureECBA as incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in August 2006. Previously it had existed as an unincorporated association. The company is 'owned' by its 'Members'. The Members of ECBA Ltd. are the Community Backgreens Groups which apply to join the company. Any constituted group set up to investigate the collective management of their tenement backgreens may apply to join ECBA. The way ECBA is structured, individuals cannot become members of ECBA, however they can become a member of their local Community Backgreen Group.
The founding documents of ECBA are called its Memorandum and Articles of Association. The 'memo & arts' define the purpose of the company and the rules by which it should be operated.
ECBA is described as a community (or social) enterprise, this refers to the control of the company by the communities which it serves, and that any profits generated by the company will be re-invested in developing these services.
Under the current rules of the company, the management committee of each Community Backgreen Group may appoint one or two Directors to the management board of the company.
Board of Directors
ECBA is governed by a Board of Directors which has oversight over the ECBA management team.
Directors can either be appointed by a Community Backgreen Group, or co-opted directly by the Board. Under current rules a Site of under 100 households can appoint 1 Director, and a site of 101 or more households can appoint 2 Directors.
There will be a limit to the number of Directors which can serve on the Board. It is commonly believed that approximately 8 members is a good number for an effective voluntary management committee. When ECBA has many member Community Backgreen Groups, it will be neccesary to restrict the number of Directors, and perhaps introduce new rules for the choosing of Directors. This will be reviewed over the winter or 2009.