About Us> The Civic Forum Council

What does the Civic Forum Council do?

The Civic Forum Council is the direction and policy setting body for the Civic Forum’s own work through the organisation’s Business Plan. It has the opportunity to contribute to major debates about London and inform regional policy made by the Greater London Authority and its associated bodies, as well as national policy frameworks. Recent topics of work include 2012’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, the government’s approach to active citizenship and neighbourhood governance and the Mayor’s economic development strategy.

Council Members

Council members represent their own organisation or community and have their backing and a mandate to liaise on their behalf. They also stand on the basis of their own experience and commitment to serving the Civic Forum. We are keen to ensure that each Civic Forum Council has a strong range of experience and perspectives. Council Members get involved in influencing regional policy consultation responses, joining working groups for events or helping to shape projects with members.

Executive Committee

A small management group takes care of the financial, human resources, performance management, communications, policies and organisational development aspects of the Civic Forum. Members of this group take on the responsibility of being charity trustees and company directors to deal with the legal and audit requirements we have.

Honorary Officers

The Civic Forum Council and Executive Committee are led by the Chair and Deputy Chair.

Experience and Expenses

Individuals who sit on the Council need not have previous experience of being on a similar body, but are willing to serve and to contribute their own enthusiasm, expertise and vision. In return the Honorary Officer and staff team endeavour to support them in their role, help them to network with the membership and cover reasonable out of pocket expenses when necessary. Council Members should be able to make a minimum commitment to attend four quarterly Council Meetings each year and contribute to a working group.

Term of Office

Each Council serves for a 2-year period, from September to the June. This overlaps the Civic Forum’s 2-year Business Plan.

Getting Elected or Co-opted

The deadline for calls for nomination for Council Members for 2009-2011 has now passed. Further information about the results of the election will be posted here shortly.

Council Members are elected under the following electoral colleges that are designed to gather a good mix of sectors and communities:

• Private sector
• Public sector
• Voluntary sector
• Faith sector
• Organisations of Older People
• Organisations of Young People
• Organisations of Disabled People
• Organisations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People
• We also have a formal link with the Black Londoners Forum that elect representatives onto the Civic Forum Council.

In between formal elections, the Council sometimes seeks co-options to fill gaps in expertise or communities represented. If you are interested, please contact the office for more information.

If you would like to talk to an existing Council member about their experience to date or a member of the staff team, do contact us.