“The Associations Incorporation Act 1981 requires an association’s annual general meeting (AGM) to be held within 6 months of the end of their financial year. There is an existing provision in the Act (s. 121) that allows the chief executive to grant an extension to an association for holding its AGM.

Normal practice is that an individual association must apply to OFT, outlining the special circumstances as to why the extension should be granted. However, in the current circumstances, we will allow a grace period of a further 6 months to hold your AGM, if required, without the need for you to make a written application.

In effect, this may result in a management committee’s term being longer than is described in the rules, but, given the current circumstances, we hope members will be accepting of this.”