Is-ddeddfau

Name of Author Chief Executive Officer 

Approved by Board of Directors 

Approval dates June 2016 (version 1) 

October 2017 (version 1.1 rebranded)  

January 2019 (version 1.2 eligibility) 

September 2019 (version 2) 

June 2022 (version 3) 

Review Date September 2023 

 

Hockey Wales 

This document constitutes the Byelaws of the Welsh Hockey Union Limited a Company Limited by Guarantee trading as Hockey Wales (Company Registered No: 4891518).

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These Byelaws have been agreed by the Directors of the company as part of their regulations to ensure the proper conduct and management of Hockey Wales; they deal with matters of internal regulation and are binding on all persons within the organisation. The Byelaws should be read in conjunction with the company’s Articles of Association which shall take precedence in all matters where an inconsistency or change might arise.

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Definitions  

“Chair” – is the person chairing the General Meeting / Extraordinary General Meeting in accordance with the Articles of Association

“Commonwealth Games Council for Wales” is the organisation that is responsible for Wales’ participation in the Commonwealth Games

“Commonwealth Games Federation” is the organisation that is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games 

“Director” - means a Director of the Company, and includes any person occupying the position of Director, by whatever name called

“European Hockey Federation” is the governing body of hockey in Europe

“Hockey Wales” is the trading name of the Welsh Hockey Union Limited

“International Hockey Federation” (FIH) is the international governing body for the sport of hockey

“Member” has the meaning given in the Membership Regulations as amended from time to time

“Nominated Representative” is the person nominated by a member with voting rights to attend, speak and vote on behalf of that member at meetings of the Company

“North Region” includes Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Powys, Wrexham

“Officers” means any individual holding a named administrative position within Hockey Wales

“South Region” includes Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan

“writing” means the representation or reproduction of words, symbols, or other information in a visible form by any method or combination of methods, whether sent or supplied in electronic form or otherwise

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1. Membership of Hockey Wales 

1.1 Membership regulations and responsibilities

Hockey Wales will maintain an up-to-date copy of the membership regulations on its website so that all members and potential members may have direct access at any time. Detailed information on membership can be found in the Membership Regulations. Any member wishing to receive a paper copy may apply for one by contacting the Hockey Wales office enclosing a stamped addressed return envelope. The membership regulations are binding on all members in the same way as these Byelaws.

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1.2 Registration and Fees

Hockey Wales will advise the process for membership re-affiliation and individual member registration annually to Members and will also ensure that the process for new members to join for the first time is clearly accessible on the website. The applicable annual fees payable (if any), will be agreed at a General Meeting in advance of the membership year and shall be payable before the date(s) advised in the annual membership information to ensure continuous membership rights.

1.2.1 Member Clubs must register their members by the due date and pay the required fees to Hockey Wales.  New club individual member registrations may be submitted at any time accompanied by the full fee, membership shall run until the next due date for club renewal.  Member clubs are also responsible for registering their volunteers, coaches, umpires and officials.

1.2.2 Member Schools, Universities/Colleges and all other national Member organisations must register by the due date and pay the required fees (if any) to Hockey Wales.

1.2.3 A 12-month membership shall be available on payment of the appropriate fee to individuals including players, coaches, umpires, officials, volunteers, and others who are not members of a Welsh Member Club. The membership period shall usually be September to August.

1.2.4 A 12-month membership shall be available on payment of the appropriate fee for competitive player members who do not reside in Wales or play hockey for a Welsh member club. Examples of players in this category may include Welsh Internationals and Welsh Masters. The membership period shall usually be September to August.

 

2. Financial Matters 

The Finance & Risk Group or equivalent, acting under its delegated powers from the Directors, shall deal with all Hockey Wales financial matters and advise the Directors accordingly.

 

2.1 Financial Year

The financial year of the company shall be April to March.

 

2.2 Annual Accounts

The Directors shall ensure that proper company accounts are prepared and submitted as required to Companies House. A copy of the accounts shall be provided to members by placing them on the Hockey Wales website. Any voting member wishing to receive a paper copy of the annual accounts may apply for one by contacting the Hockey Wales office enclosing a stamped addressed return envelope. Members shall have the opportunity to ask any questions about the content of the company accounts at the General Meeting; an item will be included on the agenda specifically dealing with the annual accounts. 

 

 

3. Not for Profit 

Members of Hockey Wales will not benefit financially from any income generated by the company or any profit made. All money earned must be retained by the organisation and used for its own expenses, operations and programmes in the pursuit of delivery of the organisation’s vision, aims and goals.

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4. General Meetings 

A General Meeting of the company shall be identified as such in the notice given by the Directors. Other meetings of the Company shall be called Extraordinary General Meetings.

 

4.1 Notice of Meeting

The Board of Directors will circulate notices for the General Meeting and any Extraordinary General Meetings no later than 28 days before the date of the meeting.

 

4.2 Notice of Motion

Any member wishing to put forward a motion or resolution to the General Meeting must supply the full wording of it along with the reasoning for it, at least two months prior to the General Meeting in writing to the Company Secretary. Acknowledgement of the motion or resolution will take place in writing to the proposer(s) as soon as reasonably practicable after such receipt.

 

4.3 Calling a Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by

4.3.1 the Directors

4.3.2 the Company Secretary

4.3.3 a request signed by at least 6 Nominated Representatives at least two being from the North Region and at least two from the South Region.

 

5. Nomination and Election Processes for President and Directors 

The Chief Executive Officer shall devise and make available the Company’s approved recruitment process including application forms in line with the requirements of the Articles. The application forms and associated processes for nomination and election shall be made available at least eight weeks prior to the meeting in which the election is to take place. Voting Members will be advised accordingly, and the forms and specific instructions will be placed in a prominent position on the Hockey Wales website.

 

Voting Members will be advised of all nominations received at least fourteen days prior to the General Meeting in which the elections are set to take place.

 

Wherever possible elections should be held by secret ballot and the following process observed: -

 

5.1 The election of a President shall take place prior to any other elections

5.1.1 If there is only one nominee for President, they are automatically elected without a vote.

5.1.2 If there is more than one nominee an election shall take place which shall be decided by simple majority of votes cast.

5.1.2.1 If the highest number of votes cast for two nominees is equal and there are more than two nominees, a second vote shall take place between those two nominees and the decision shall be made by simple majority.

5.1.2.2 If the highest number of votes cast for two nominees is equal the chair of the meeting shall have a casting vote to select the President.

  

5.2 The election of Directors will follow a rolling term process for deciding the number of director positions to be elected in any one year.

5.2.1 In Year 1 - the term of office of one elected Director position shall end.

5.2.2 In Year 2 - the term of office of two elected Director positions shall end.

5.2.3 No elections shall be held in Year 3, save any required due to early resignation.

5.3 If an Elected Director resigns their Director position in either the first or second year of their tenure, to retain the election rolling term process, the term of the newly Elected Director shall be for the remaining term of the original appointment.

5.4 If there is only one nominee for any position being considered they are automatically elected without a vote.

5.5 If there is more than one nominee for any position an election shall take place which shall be decided by simple majority of votes cast.

5.5.1 If the highest number of votes cast for two nominees is equal and there are more than two nominees, a second vote shall take place between those two nominees and the decision shall be made by simple majority.

5.5.2 If the number of votes cast for two nominees is equal the Chair of the meeting shall have a casting vote.

 

6. Representation – Wales and Great Britain 

As a constituent member of Great Britain Hockey Limited, Hockey Wales is committed to supporting and implementing the Great Britain (GB) Framework, particularly the principle of GB Primacy. The eligibility to play for Wales or GB may vary dependent on the competition; eligibility to represent GB is set by the GB Hockey Board. Eligibility to represent Wales in the Commonwealth Games is set by the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales.

 

Hockey Wales Criteria 

In order to be eligible to represent Wales players must fulfil the following criteria: 

• hold a British Passport 

and 

• be an affiliated member of Hockey Wales 

 

In addition to meeting both of the above criteria, you must be able to evidence ONE of the following criteria: 

• Player was born in Wales

• Player’s parent was born in Wales

• Player’s grandparent was born in Wales

• Player has resided in Wales for two (2) years continuously, to the point of first selection

• Players were born in or are resident of a British Crown Dependency or British Overseas Territory – and as a result been deemed able to choose which one of the GB Home Nations, they wish to be considered to represent

 

Players will only be able to represent Welsh underage squads (U21, U18, U16) if they are under the necessary age by 1st January in the year of competition or otherwise as deemed by the European Hockey Federation / International Hockey Federation.

Differing criteria applies for Masters, those players holding dual nationality and for those that have represented another country at U21 level or senior level. Any such person wishing to make themselves available for selection must first contact Hockey Wales for clarification.

 

Commonwealth Games Criteria 

To be eligible to represent Wales at the Commonwealth Games, the eligibility criteria outlined by Team Wales will be adhered to as follows: 

• Player was born in Wales

• Player’s parent was born in Wales

• Player’s grandparent was born in Wales

• Player has resided in Wales for a minimum period of three (3) years continuously, residency immediately prior to the Commonwealth Games.

For the avoidance of doubt, the immediately prior three-year period shall mean the three-year period that immediately proceeds the “final entries deadline” of the relevant Games as determined by the respective Organising Committee

 

Any consideration for residency will need to be considered by Hockey Wales and the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales Committees.

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Any appeal made by an athlete regarding Hockey Wales eligibility rules shall be considered by the Board (or delegated subgroup of the Board) whose decision shall be final.

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Any appeal made by an athlete regarding GB or Commonwealth Games eligibility will be considered in line with the regulations set by the relevant body.

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7. Equality and Discrimination 

Hockey Wales is fully committed to the principles of the equality of opportunity and is responsible for ensuring that no job applicant, employee, volunteer, child, young person, competitor or official receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, gender, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status. The full equity policy is available on the Hockey Wales website.

 

8. Anti-doping  

Hockey Wales accepts as its own rules, the UK Anti-Doping Rules as amended from time to time, which support the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Code within the UK.

 

9. Conflicts of Interest, Hospitality and Gifts 

Hockey Wales is committed to maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance and conducts its business in an open and transparent manner setting policies for Conflict of Interest and Hospitality and Gifts which shall be reviewed regularly by the Directors.

 

10. Code of Ethics and Integrity 

Hockey Wales is responsible for setting and maintaining the standards of behaviour within the sport and for ensuring that codes of conduct are in place. There are clear expectations in terms of standards of behaviour that apply throughout the organisation. All members, athletes, coaches, umpires and volunteers are responsible for being aware of and abiding by the Hockey Wales rules, regulations and codes. The full code and guidance documents are available on the Hockey Wales website.

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11. Complaints and Disciplinary Matters  

Hockey Wales maintains a full complement of complaints and disciplinary regulations which clearly show the processes to be followed relating to any type of complaint or disciplinary matter. This power and jurisdiction shall be in respect of and in relation to:

• Hockey Wales Directors, Officers and Employees

• Associations affiliated to Hockey Wales

• Clubs affiliated to Hockey Wales

  • Individual Club Members and Officers

• Schools and Universities affiliated to Hockey Wales

  • Individual Students, Teachers and Officers

• Committees and Committee Members acting on behalf of Hockey Wales

• Coaches, Officials and Umpires

• Athletes registered directly to Hockey Wales

• Volunteers acting on behalf of Hockey Wales

 

Any matter relating to an employee shall be dealt with using the respective Human Resources (HR) policies.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, all matters relating to Safeguarding shall be managed through safeguarding related policies and processes which may be different from the complaints and disciplinary policies outlined above.

 

12. Safeguarding 

Hockey Wales is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and positive environment for all young people involved in the organisation and accepts its responsibility to help safeguard the welfare of young people and adults and protect them from poor practice, abuse and bullying. All reasonable steps are taken to ensure that all individuals who work with young people and any Adults at Risk in hockey, whether in a paid or unpaid capacity, are suitable and appropriate. Full details of policies, guidelines, forms, requirements and contact details for all safeguarding matters are available on the website.

 

13. Recognition and Reward  

Hockey Wales recognises the importance of volunteers within the game of hockey and will facilitate several recognition opportunities which can be seen in detail on the Hockey Wales website. These include: 

13.1 Hockey Wales Awards, an opportunity that encompasses several nomination categories, including but not limited to, players, officials, coaches and volunteers; decided by an awards panel.

13.2 Anne Ellis Award may be awarded to an individual in recognition of their outstanding contribution to hockey in Wales; decided by Anne Ellis.

13.3 A Certificate of Merit may be conferred following nomination, to an individual for service and/ or an exceptional contribution to hockey in Wales over a long period of time; decided by an awards panel.

13.4 Life Membership – may be awarded to a person who has made a significant contribution and/or provided exceptional service to hockey in Wales over many years; decided by the Board of Directors.

 

14. Staffing 

The role of the staff team is to deliver the operational objectives of the Hockey Wales vision as set by the Directors. The Chief Executive Officer or equivalent is responsible for the operational delivery of the organisation’s vision and leadership of the staffing team. The staffing structure and areas of individual responsibility will be reviewed regularly in line with agreed HR policies. Staff contact details will be available on the Hockey Wales website.

 

15. Links with Other Organisations 

Hockey Wales may work with any organisation in the pursuit of delivery of the organisation’s vision, aims and goals; these organisations may include but shall not be limited to: -

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International Hockey Federation (FIH) – Hockey Wales is a registered member of the FIH and will act under the guidance of the FIH which is responsible for setting international rules and regulations. Hockey Wales may compete in relevant international competitions where appropriate to do so. Hockey Wales will also work with the FIH Executive Board and staff in the best interests of the game both internationally and in Wales.

 

European Hockey Federation (EHF) – Hockey Wales will work under the guidance of the EHF in so far as relevant. Hockey Wales may compete in relevant European competitions where appropriate to do so. Hockey Wales will also work with the EHF Board and staff in the best interests of the game both across Europe and in Wales.

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Great Britain Hockey Ltd (GBHL) – GB Hockey is the body responsible for Olympic qualification and representation. Hockey Wales is part of the GB Framework and as such has director representation on the GB Hockey Board. The HW Board will appoint a representative to the GB Hockey Board as required; this will ordinarily be from within the HW Board.

 

Sport Wales – Hockey Wales works closely with Sport Wales who are the appointed government agency responsible for the development of sport in Wales and the distribution of funds. Sport Wales is a significant funding partner to Hockey Wales and operates to deliver relevant government policy and agenda.

 

UK Sport - UK Sport is the strategic lead body for high performance sport in the UK.  It invests Exchequer and National Lottery funds in Britain’s best Olympic and Paralympic sports and athletes to maximise their chances of success on the world stage.

 

Welsh Sports Association – acts an independent body to support and represent the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of sport and physical recreation in Wales.

 

16. Amendments to the Byelaws 

The Directors are required to review the Byelaws at least every two years or sooner when necessary to ensure the proper conduct and management of the Company. The Directors shall adopt such means as they deem sufficient to bring to the notice of members any changes to the Byelaws. In addition, the Company in General Meetings shall have power to alter or repeal the Byelaws and to make additions thereto provided, nevertheless, that no Byelaw shall be inconsistent with, or shall affect or repeal anything contained in the Articles of Association of the Company.

 

17. Dissolution 

The Company may only be wound up by Special Resolution of the Members at a General Meeting. If the Company is wound up or dissolved and there is any property remaining after all its debts are settled, this will be given to some other institution or institutions that support hockey provided that the receiving institution(s) also prohibits the distribution of income and property among its members in the same way as Hockey Wales. The institutions(s) will be decided by the Members at or before the time of dissolution. 

 

18. Matters Not Covered 

In the event of any question or matter arising which is not provided for in these Byelaws or relating to interpretation or any conflict or error herein such question or matter shall be dealt with by the CEO in the first instance and may be referred to the Board of Directors. If a situation should arise whereby a question or dispute cannot be resolved using any of the means available to the Directors, they may refer the matter to Sport Resolutions UK (or any subsequent successor).

 

Further Information 

For further information about any aspect of the Hockey Wales Byelaws, please contact: 

 

Hockey Wales, Sport Wales National Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, CF11 9SW 

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