VOA Protocol – Members, Friends and Friend Representatives

1. Purpose

Following the decision made at the VOA AGM held during VOACON 2026, the VOA will adopt a clear distinction between Members of the organisation and Friends of the VOA.

The purpose of this structure is to ensure that responsibility for the governance and management of the VOA sits with those individuals actively serving the organisation, while maintaining a strong and representative voice for the wider veterinary orthopaedic community.

2. VOA Members

For the purposes of the VOA’s governance, a Member will be an individual who:

• serves on the VOA Board; or
• is formally appointed to and serves on a VOA committee.

Membership therefore reflects an individual’s active role in the governance, management or delivery of the organisation.

As the VOA is a member organisation, Members will carry the associated limited financial liability of £1 per Member, in accordance with the organisation’s governing arrangements.

Members may participate in the management and governance of the VOA and, where a formal organisational vote is required, will be entitled to vote.

An individual’s membership will normally continue for as long as they hold an eligible Board or committee position.

3. Friends of the VOA

The wider VOA community will be known as Friends of the VOA.

Friends are individuals who wish to associate with, support and participate in the activities of the VOA but who do not hold a formal governance or management role within the organisation.

Friends may include veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, physiotherapists and other appropriately recognised professionals with an interest in veterinary orthopaedics.

Being a Friend of the VOA does not:

• make the individual a legal Member of the organisation;
• create the £1 Member liability;
• confer responsibility for the general management or governance of the VOA; or
• provide an automatic individual vote on organisational or governance matters.

Friends should nevertheless remain an important part of the VOA community and should be encouraged to contribute to its educational, professional and wider activities.

4. Friend Representatives

To ensure that the Friends of the VOA have a formal voice when wider organisational decisions are required, three Friend Representatives will be appointed.

The three representatives will comprise:

• one veterinary surgeon;
• one veterinary nurse; and
• one physiotherapist.

Their role is to represent the views and interests of the wider Friends community rather than solely their own individual views.

The Friend Representatives should therefore provide a mechanism through which Friends can raise matters, provide feedback and contribute to the future direction of the VOA.

5. Voting

The day-to-day management of the VOA remains the responsibility of the Board, its Members and the appropriate committees operating under their delegated authority.

Where a matter requires a wider organisational vote, the three appointed Friend Representatives will be called upon to participate in that vote alongside the VOA Members.

For clarity, this does not provide every Friend with an individual organisational vote. The three Friend Representatives collectively provide the mechanism through which the wider Friends community is represented.

The Management Committee or Board will determine when an issue requires a wider organisational vote rather than being a matter of normal operational or committee management.

6. Communication and Representation

The VOA will establish a straightforward mechanism through which Friends can communicate with their appointed representatives.

Friend Representatives should be given sufficient notice of matters on which their input or vote is required and, where appropriate, be provided with an opportunity to seek views from the wider Friends community before responding.

A simple reporting mechanism will also be established so that significant matters raised by Friends can be communicated back to the VOA Management Committee.

7. Guiding Principle

The structure is intended to create a clear distinction between governance and participation.

Members govern and manage the VOA. Friends form the wider professional community that the VOA engages with and represents.

The Friend Representative structure ensures that the wider community retains a meaningful voice in significant organisational decisions without placing general management responsibilities or legal membership obligations upon every Friend.

8. Implementation

Subject to confirmation by the Management Committee:

1. Current Board and committee members will be recorded as VOA Members.
2. The wider existing VOA membership/community will be redesignated as Friends of the VOA.
3. Three Friend Representatives – veterinary surgeon, veterinary nurse and physiotherapist – will be appointed.
4. A mechanism for communication between Friends and their representatives will be established.
5. The distinction between Members and Friends, including their respective responsibilities and voting arrangements, will be clearly explained on the VOA website and in future VOA communications.
6. The structure will be reviewed after its first year of operation to ensure that it remains representative, practical and appropriate for the organisation.

9. Governance Points for Confirmation

To ensure the protocol operates consistently with the VOA’s governing documents, the Management Committee should confirm:

• the method by which the three Friend Representatives are appointed or elected;
• the length of their term of office and arrangements for replacement;
• what constitutes a wider organisational vote; and
• that the VOA’s Articles or other governing documents accurately reflect the Member, Friend and voting structure.