Following feedback from members, this update sets out where Ranelagh’s proposed move to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) stands. It covers what members agreed at the September Special General Meeting, the work that’s taken place since and what needs to happen before members vote on the proposed transfer of club assets.
What members agreed in September 2026
All five resolutions passed by a comfortable majority at the Special General Meeting (SGM) on 1 September. Members approved the move to a CIO in principle and authorised the Executive Committee to apply to the Charity Commission and carry out the preparatory work. They also approved the proposed constitution as the basis for the application and approved six initial trustees to take up their roles if the CIO is registered.
Thank you to everyone who came along, contributed to the discussion and took part in the vote. Thanks also to the CIO team, Bruce McLaren, Deborah Blakemore and Jeremy Day, for the work they’ve put in over the past year to prepare the proposals and supporting papers.
Read the September SGM update.
Progress since the SGM
Charity Commission application. The Executive Committee has approved funding for the CIO team to seek legal advice on the application to register the CIO as a charity. As reported in the November Notices, the application was still being prepared at the last Committee meeting.
Clubhouse, land and other assets. Further funding is available for legal advice on how the club’s assets could be transferred if the CIO is registered and members approve the transfer. Mundays, the solicitors who helped set up the club’s trusts in 2012, are advising on the proposed land transfer. This work will help address questions raised at the SGM about the existing arrangements, including access and utilities.
How the CIO would be run. The Executive Committee is preparing draft Terms of Reference to sit alongside the proposed constitution. The draft will give members a clearer picture of the commitments expected of the initial trustees, including how they would work with the Executive Committee, make decisions and consult members.
Read the CIO update section in the November Notices.
What happens next
The next formal step is to submit the application to the Charity Commission. The Commission may ask for further information or changes to the proposed constitution as part of its review.
If the CIO is registered, members will be asked to vote separately on whether to transfer the clubhouse, club funds and other assets to it. Members will receive the proposed transfer arrangements and draft Terms of Reference in advance, with time to read the papers and ask questions. The timing of the vote will depend on the progress of the application and the work on the transfer.
The Becoming a CIO page brings together the background, FAQs, proposed constitution and September resolutions. Members can use the form on that page to ask about the CIO or contact the Executive Committee to discuss this or any other club matter.
