AGM 2026 Guide

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The HELOA Annual General Meeting (AGM) is a virtual meeting being held on Wednesday 28 January 2026, 09:30 – 12:30 via Teams.

AGM stands for Annual General Meeting, and it is the policy-making body for HELOA. The Association has a legal requirement to hold an Annual General Meeting which gives members the opportunity to give a final stamp of approval for the work carried out by the Association over the last 12 months and give approval, or not, to the proposals for the future running and development of the Association over the coming 12 months. By members using their vote, they are directing the work of the Association.

At the AGM, proposals are submitted from the membership and the UK Committee. All proposals are submitted to the Vice-Chair (Membership & Administration) prior to the AGM. The financial and annual reports are presented, and budgets are discussed for the forthcoming year.

The AGM has three key objectives that should be met by the end of the session:

  • Discuss and agree on policy;

  • Discuss and agree expenditure for the forthcoming year as well as agreeing on the level of subscriptions;

  • Hold the UK Committee accountable for the work they have carried out and expenditure made over the past year and review the audited accounts.

ESTABLISHING QUORUM

The Chair will first determine if there are enough Primary Contacts or their nominated proxies present to hold the AGM – this is called quoracy. This is set at a third of the number of Primary Contacts, and if not enough are present, the AGM is unable to go ahead and conduct formal business.

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

The Chair will formally open the AGM and explain the process.

MINUTES OF THE 2025 AGM

The meeting will refer back to the minutes of the past AGM, discuss any clarifications or mistakes and decide if they are a true representation of the meeting. 

View the AGM 2025 minutes

REPORTS

All members of the UK Committee report to the AGM on the work that they have undertaken over the year. Each member of the UK Executive will present their report (all reports and proposals are circulated prior to AGM and are available on the HELOA website). There will then be an opportunity for comments and questions. The reports will be proposed as one report and then a seconder will be sought from the members attending who must provide their full name and institution. The Executive member will then ask primary contacts or proxies to vote on the motion. 

View the AGM 2026 reports

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS

Audited accounts from the previous year and proposed budgets and subscription levels for the next year will be presented to the AGM for comment. The AGM will then be asked to formally accept the audited accounts.

View the 2026 financial accounts

PROPOSALS

Matters relating to changes in policy and the Constitution will be presented separately in the form of proposals. Each paper will be debated and be presented by a proposer and a seconder sought before being put to a vote. 

VOTING

Institutional full members are entitled to vote on motions at the AGM which is the role of the institutional primary contact. If the primary contact is unable to attend the AGM, they may appoint another institutional HELOA member as a proxy to exercise all, or any, of that primary contact’s rights to attend, speak and vote. 

Where there is no proxy available at an institution, the primary contact may nominate their Group Chair as proxy to vote on behalf of the institution or votes may be sent to the office via email ahead of the meeting.

Each primary contact or proxy may only hold one vote. It is the role of the primary contact or nominated proxy to canvas the views of their institutional HELOA members and vote accordingly during the AGM. They can choose to vote for, against or to abstain for each motion.

Any decision other than one falling within clause 10.4 (Decisions that must be taken in a particular way) shall be taken by a simple majority of votes cast at the meeting. In the event of an equality of votes, the chair shall either:

  1. call for another vote; or
  2. exercise his or her second, or casting vote. 

Decisions that must be taken in a particular way including, any decision to amend the constitution, must be passed at the AGM by a 75% majority of votes cast.

  • Ensure your institution is represented at the meeting and that the primary contact or nominated proxy can attend. The meeting cannot proceed without having a quorum. Primary contacts must nominate a proxy by Monday 19 January 2026
  • Complete the HELOA AGM Form if you wish to attend, nominate a proxy (if you are a primary contact) or send your apologies for absence by Monday 19 January 2026. 
Complete the HELOA AGM form
  • Familiarise yourself with the AGM agenda, reports and the 2025 minutes on the AGM web pages.
  • Discuss these reports with HELOA members at your institution, your primary contact and group committees.
  • Discuss the proposals with your institutional HELOA members and primary contact and where possible, decide how your institution will vote.
  • Submit any comments or questions for the UK Committee or to your Group Chair prior to AGM so that the executive committee can collate them and formulate a response which will help reduce the number of similar questions asked on the day and help to keep to time.
Read the UK Committee reports
  • Send Any Other Business (AOB) to be discussed at the AGM, to the Vice-Chair (Membership & Administration) by Wednesday 31 December 2025.
  • If you are attending the HELOA National Conference 2026 in Stratford-upon-Avon, there is an AGM drop in on Wednesday 14 January, 14:30-15:00 if you would like to hear more about the AGM or discuss the reports and proposals.
  • Attend the AGM Discussion Forum via Teams on Wednesday 21 January 12:30 – 13:30 where members have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the reports and proposals and the Chair will provide a run-down of the structure and protocols of AGM, details how members can get involved during the meeting and the voting system.
  • Consider nominating a HELOA member for Honorary Membership. See the HELOA AGM FAQs for further details. 
Nominate a member for Honorary membership
  • All full members are invited to attend, submit questions, make comments and second motions – when speaking please first state your name and institution. 
  • Make comments or ask questions during the AGM. Please ask if there is anything that you don’t understand. 
  • Vote on motions. Primary contacts will use an online voting system. Details will be sent separately from Mi-Voice on the 27 January 2026. 
  • Report back to your institution on the decisions and outcomes from the AGM.
Return to AGM 2026