Board minutes appointing a new secretary

  • Quick and easy to complete
  • Compliant with the Companies Act 2006 and the model articles of association
  • Customisable for your needs

You can use these board minutes appointing a new secretary as part of your company's internal process. They are for use by companies with the model articles of association.

It is very unlikely that you are legally required to have a company secretary, but you can choose to appoint one if you wish, for example if your business is a reasonable size and has a lot of shareholders.

The most straightforward process for appointing a company secretary is for the directors to pass a board resolution approving the appointment. The resolution should generally be passed at a board meeting, to enable the matter to be discussed and debated. You must ensure that minutes of the meeting are kept. It is an offence not to keep minutes of your board meetings. Use these board minutes as an easy way to avoid problems.

Q&A

  • When should I use this document?

    Use these board minutes as a record of your board's approval of the appointment of a new company secretary. They are ideal for any company that uses the model articles and has more than one director.

    If your company has different articles of association, or has a shareholders' agreement, check them for any particular requirements around getting board approval or appointing a new company secretary. You must do what they say.

    You can find out whether your company has the model articles by checking its entry at Companies House.

  • What does this document cover?

    These board minutes cover all the resolutions you need when approving the appointment of a new company secretary, including:

  • Why do I need this document?

    You need these board minutes appointing a company secretary to record your directors' decisions. They show that you are following the proper process when appointing people to important posts within your company. Also, and importantly, it is a criminal offence to fail to keep board minutes of your meetings, punishable by a fine.

    Keep a copy of these board minutes as a convenient way to comply with your company's legal obligations to keep proper records, and to avoid disputes about the date and terms upon which a secretary was appointed.

  • Where can I find out more?

    For more information about:

    If your directors would prefer to make this decision by a written resolution instead of during a board meeting, you can use Written board resolution appointing a new secretary.

    If your company only has one director, use Sole director resolution appointing a new secretary instead.

    If you do not have a contract, see Letter of appointment for a company secretary.

Related Toolkits

Share transfer toolkit

This toolkit contains guidance on the process to follow in order to transfer shares, and copies of all the documents your company will need to properly approve the transfer of shares. The toolkit includes the stock transfer form necessary to make a transfer of shares, company resolutions to approve the transfer, and supporting guidance and documents to give legal effect to a share transfer. The documents contained in this toolkit are suitable for any transfer of shares in a company with the model articles of association.
  • How to guide: Share transfer toolkit
  • Blank stock transfer form
  • Board minutes approving a transfer of shares
  • Indemnity for lost share certificate
  • Sole director resolution approving a transfer of shares
  • Step-by-step guide to completing a stock transfer form
  • Written board resolution approving a transfer of shares
  • Share certificate
  • Quick guide to shareholder rights and shareholding percentages

Small claims toolkit

This small claims toolkit guides you through the right process to follow if you want to make a straightforward small claim against someone, and contains a pack of all of the template documents you are likely to need. Use the small claims process to get back money you are owed for amounts less than £10,000 (for example, if a supplier has not sent you the right goods or you have not received payment from a customer). Documents provided in this small claims toolkit include: letter before action (also known as a letter of claim), which must be sent to someone before you sue them to set out what you are claiming; witness statement, which provides a template for any witness statements you are providing to ensure they are legally compliant; and letter of non-attendance for small claims hearing (if you want the court to judge your case on paper evidence rather than you attending a hearing). By using this small claims toolkit you can avoid the need to use a lawyer and maximise your chances of getting back money you are owed. It helps you avoid common mistakes that can reduce your chance of a successful claim.
  • How-to guide: Small claims toolkit
  • Letter before action
  • Witness statement
  • Letter of non-attendance for small claims hearing

Redundancy toolkit

This redundancy toolkit guides you through the key steps you need to take to make an employee redundant, and provides a pack of the relevant template documents you are likely to need. You will find guidance and a pack of 9 supporting documents, including letters, notices and agendas, for each step of the redundancy process: Initial steps (considering alternatives and reasons for redundancies); Creating a redundancy pool, applying selection criteria and notifying employees; Carrying out a consultation process; and Making a final decision, calculating payments and terminating employment. It also includes a template letter to offer alternative employment to employees who are at risk of being made redundant. By using this redundancy toolkit, you will ensure that your redundancy process is fair and legally compliant, which reduces the chance of any employees suing you. The guidance in this redundancy toolkit also helps you to ensure you do not make redundancies in a discriminatory way. Use this redundancy toolkit to ensure you are legally compliant without the need for a lawyer.
  • How-to guide: Redundancy toolkit
  • Redundancy - Letter warning of proposed redundancies
  • Redundancy - Selection criteria form
  • Redundancy - Provisional selection for redundancy letter
  • Redundancy - First individual consultation meeting agenda
  • Redundancy - Outcome of individual consultation meeting
  • Redundancy - Invitation to final individual consultation meeting
  • Redundancy - Final individual consultation meeting agenda
  • Redundancy - Notice of termination of employment
  • Redundancy - Offer of alternative employment

Starting an online business toolkit

This toolkit to start an online business includes all the legal documentation and know-how you need to set up a website and change your business to online sales. It comprises 9 key documents, including: separate cookie and privacy policies, and terms of use for your website; a customisable set of terms and conditions to cover you for the supply or goods or services or both; template invoices (VAT and non-VAT) and cancellation form; and a quick guide to customer rights, which are much broader for online sales than face-to-face transactions. Our helpful how-to guide will take you step-by-step through how to use the documents included in this pack, whether you are starting a new business or changing an existing business model to set up your own website and start selling online. Note that if you provide online services in the EEA, you will also need to ensure that you follow the rules of each EEA country you operate in. If you are not sure how this applies to you, you can access a specialist lawyer in a few simple steps using our Ask a Lawyer service.
  • How-to guide: Starting an online business toolkit
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookie policy
  • Website terms of use
  • Terms and conditions
  • Cancellation form
  • VAT invoice
  • Non-VAT invoice
  • Quick guide to customer rights in online sales
  • Checklist of information to include to ensure your website is legally compliant