How we are run

Introduction to our Society

The Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) is a voluntary organisation run by its members through a Council. The day-to-day work of the Society is carried out by two paid employees supported by a team of volunteers:

NHSN Council

The Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) is a registered charity with around 1000 members. The members of the Society run the organisation through an elected “Council”, who are also the Trustees for the Society. The NHSN Council meets four times per year and is the key decision making body and the Trustees are ultimately responsible in law for the organisation.

Members of the NHSN Council comprise the following:

  • Members elected for 3 year terms at the Annual Meeting
  • Vice-presidents, elected for 1 year terms at the Annual Meeting
  • Members nominated to represent one of the Society’s Sections or Committees
  • Members nominated to represent Newcastle University (max 3 people).

The NHSN Council has established a number of committees to focus on particular areas of the Society’s work, such as the running of the nature reserve and library.

Constitution

The rules by which the Society conducts its business are set out in our constitution. You can read or download our constitution by clicking here. Any changes to the constitution can be proposed at the Society’s Annual Meeting, which normally takes place during the winter months.

Financial Accounts

The Society submits its annual accounts and statement to the Charity Commission each year and these can be viewed on the Charity Commission website.  Our annual accounts are independently examined by an accountant and made available to our members. Our financial year starts on 1st August.

Society Sections

In addition to the committees the Society also has more informal “Sections” who are groups of members who have an interest in a particular area of natural history. There are informal “leaders” for each section and they help to devise and run the programme of talks and field trips.

Browse our sections for:

If you would like to get more involved in the Society please do get in contact with us.

Want to Volunteer?

We rely heavily on volunteers, who generously share their time and knowledge with us.

There are many opportunities to help, from conservation work on our nature reserve, to events, fundraising and administration support, to cataloguing our archive collection. Meet new people, learn new skills and help to conserve nature and educate others.

More 'VOLUNTEER' »