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The Student Cross Association (SCA) is a registered charity (charity number 1019313) which exists to raise and disburse funds to needy pilgrims to enable them to walk Student Cross. The main methods of fundraising are:
-
through individual donations
-
producing and selling Student Cross Association merchandise.
When the Association started in the 1990s, it was able to disburse only limited funds, under £500 each year. As income has grown through fundraising and donations, the SCA is now able to disburse more money through grants to legs and individual supported places. The SCA currently disburse over £4,000 every year in grants.
The SCA's aims
Fundraising and regular giving
SCA grants
Committee membership
Committee meetings
Annual General Meeting
Joining the Committee
Trustees
Our patrons
Contact us
- To raise funds for grants or loans through individual donations, Student Cross merchandise, and other appropriate means
- To distribute grants or loans to needy pilgrims (low-waged and unwaged) to help them to take part in Student Cross
- To ensure that all grants or loans are properly spent and accounted for
- To report back to the Student Cross Annual General Meeting on allocation and use of grants or loans
- To maintain the Student Cross Association web page
The Constitution of the Student Cross Association
Fundraising and regular giving
Individual donations are the most important part of our annual income – they allow us to plan ahead and be able to distribute a guaranteed number of grants every year. We particularly welcome regular donations in the form of monthly or annual standing orders.
If you would like to make a regular donation, please ask us for a Regular Giving and Gift Aid form by sending an email to association [at] studentcross.org.uk Please include your name, postal and email addresses and a contact phone number. Tell us whether you would prefer to receive a downloadable (pdf) form sent by email or a paper form sent by post.
Gift Aid – if you are a UK taxpayer, you can help us to increase the value of your donation, at no extra cost to yourself, by completing the Gift Aid Declaration on the donation form. This will enable us to increase your donation by 28p for every £1 you give.
We provide two types of grants for needy pilgrims walking Student Cross:
- General disbursement: this is a set amount allocated to each leg on Student Cross every year to help students/unwaged/low waged pilgrims. The amount allocated is based on the number of needy pilgrims on each Leg in the previous year and will usually act as a subsidy to the full cost of the walk for students/unwaged/low waged walkers
- Emergency hardship: Where necessary, leg leaders or individual pilgrims can apply for this extra grant. It can help with things like travel costs to and from the Student Cross pilgrimages, meeting the cost of necessary equipment such as sleeping bags or waterproofs, or in special cases, meeting the total cost of the walk for students or unwaged pilgrims
In special cases we can also provide loans to individual pilgrims or to a Student Cross leg.
SCA committee members are (re-)elected every year at the Student Cross Association Annual General Meeting in Walsingham. The current Student Cross Association Committee consists of:
- Up to 5 Trustees
- 1 Honorary Treasurer
- 1 Assistant Treasurer
- 1 representative from each Leg of Student Cross (10 in total)
- Maximum of 5 Other Elected Members (OEMs)
The Chair and Vice-Chair of the
Committee are elected by the SCA Committee from within its own body every
three years. Leg Reps are elected by their individual Legs every
year. OEMS and Trustees are elected by the general body of Student
Cross at the SCA AGM.
SCA 2008-2009
Chair: Ruth Stanley
Vice-Chair: Colin Macdougall
Treasurer: The Rev Paul Wilkinson
Assistant Treasurer: Clare Byrne
When does the SCA Committee meet?
The SCA Committee meets a minimum of twice per year. The first meeting is the SCA AGM. This is normally held at the same time and place as the Student Cross AGM (usually in the Pilgrim Bureau in Walsingham each Holy Saturday.) The second meeting is held in Walsingham every Holy Saturday, usually in the Pilgrim Bureau Library, after the Student Cross AGM. The third meeting is usually held in October/November. This third meeting is where most of the SCA’s main business is discussed and decisions made, including how much money is available for disbursement to Legs in grants for the following Easter.
Read the minutes of the latest SCA meeting
All members of Student Cross, regardless of whether or not they are on the SCA Committee, can be invited to attend SCA meetings as an observer and/or to propose items for the agenda. However, as physical space can sometimes be limited, if you would like to attend an SCA meeting please contact the Chair in advance to let them know you would like to come.
The SCA AGM is held every year at Easter, usually on Holy Saturday in Walsingham at the same time as the Student Cross AGM. The Agenda for the SCA AGM is available from Leg Reps, and is displayed on the Pilgrim Bureau noticeboard from arrival on Good Friday.
As with the Student Cross AGM, an item for discussion at the SCA AGM can be proposed by passing the item to be considered for discussion to the Chair, by midday on the day of the SCA AGM. The Chair will determine if the item can be added to the agenda. The agenda will include a standing item listing the positions available for election at the SCA AGM.
How can someone join the SCA Committee?
Anyone with an interest in or expertise in fundraising, marketing, merchandising, design or volunteering for charity might like to consider serving on the SCA Committee. There are two main ways to serve on the SCA Committee:
- As a Leg Rep
- As an OEM (Other Elected Member)
Leg Reps are responsible for being the contact point between their Leg and the SCA. This includes:
- attending SCA meetings
- making sure that key decisions made by the SCA are communicated back to the Leg (including information about available grants)
- helping Leg leaders to ensure that they complete and return their annual statement of how SCA grants have been spent
- publicising the work of the SCA to the Leg
SCA Leg Reps are elected every year by the Leg in its individual Leg AGM.
For more information please contact your current SCA Leg Rep:
- Easter – John Bryden (Trustee)
- Ely – Juliet Brien
- Essex – Clare Byrne
- Kettering – Gez Carpenter
- London – Alison Hodrien
- Midland – Dave Stanley
- Northern – Gwilym Stone
- Oxford – Blaise Bradley
- Peg – Colin MacDougall (Vice-Chair)
- Wells – Dominic Shirt
OEMs (Other Elected Members) are elected every year at the SCA AGM. OEMs have full voting rights. To stand for election as an OEM please submit your name, with the name of a proposer and a seconder, to the Chair by midday on the day of the SCA AGM (usually Holy Saturday). A nomination can be submitted by:
- Emailing it to the Chair by the Thursday before Palm Sunday
- Adding it to the nomination list which will be displayed on the Pilgrim Bureau noticeboard (alongside the SCA AGM agenda) at Walsingham
- Giving it to your Leg SCA Rep to pass to the Chair
- Giving it to the Chair in person at Walsingham
(NB: please make sure that you and your proposer will be present in person at the SCA AGM, as in the event of a contested election both you and your proposer will be required to speak.)
Current OEMs:
Anthony Rourke
Steve Simmons
Joe Slade
Ruth Stanley (SCA Chair)
1 Vacant position
The Trustees of the SCA carry the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that all legal and financial aspects of the Association’s work are in order, and that the SCA’s work is carried out in accordance with its Constitution, and in accordance with Charity Commission’s guidelines and other legal guidelines.
Up to 5 Trustees can serve at any one time and may serve for up to 5 years. After 5 years they may stand for re-election at the annual SCA AGM in Walsingham, or choose to stand down and a new Trustee elected. As the position of Trustee carries both legal and financial responsibility and liability, it is essential that anyone wishing to serve as a Trustee has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the remit and processes of the Association and charity law also. It is strongly recommended that anyone interested in becoming a future Trustee first takes the opportunity to serve on the Committee as a Leg Rep or OEM so that they can gain an intimate knowledge and understanding of how the committee and the Association function.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Trustee role, please contact the SCA Chair
Current Trustees:
John Bryden
Steve Carpenter
Michele Crawford
Paul Fay
Damien Sweeney
- Rt Rev Peter Nott, former Bishop of Norwich
- Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP, former Master of the Order of Preachers
- Rt Rev Bishop Malcolm McMahon OP, Bishop of Nottingham
Registered charity no: 1019313
The Constitution of the Student Cross Association
For
further information, contact the Chair of the Student Cross
Association, Ruth Stanley.
Email:
association [at] studentcross.org.uk