Governance of The Nutrition Society
The Nutrition Society's governing body is the Board of Trustees, who are Directors of the company as well as charity Trustees. The Board of Trustees are responsible for all aspects of the Society's work, including setting the Society's policies and strategic direction. The Trustees also ensure the Society's Articles of Association and Rules of the Society continue to meet Charity Commission standards (the UK government body that regulates charities).
Annual Charity Meeting (ACM), elections and voting
Elections for the Board of Trustees, Advisory Council, and Section posts are held annually to fill vacancies caused by retirements. Nominations for vacancies on the Board of Trustees, Advisory Council, and Sections are sought from the membership via email after being advertised below. All current members of the Nutrition Society with three or more years of consecutive membership are eligible to nominate themselves or a fellow member to stand for election. The Board of Trustees and Advisory Council also nominate suitable candidates for election to Board of Trustee or Advisory Council vacancies. Where there is more than one nomination for a vacancy, then a ballot of the membership is held and the results are announced at the Annual Charity Meeting (ACM).
All members except student members can vote for elected members to fill vacancies. Student members vote in a separate process for a Student Section Chair who sits on the Advisory Council and leads the Student Section, for a period of two years.
Elections
Elections 2025
The Nutrition Society elections take place for the Scottish Section from January to March each year; the Irish Section from April to June each year and for the main elections from May to July each year. This year, as the Congress is being held in Belfast and therefore there is no Irish Section Conference, the Irish and Main elections will run partly along the same time period. In Scotland and Ireland the elections are to find the Secretary and Ordinary Members of the Committees, whilst in the main elections we seek to appoint members to both Trustee and Council Member vacancies.
Scottish Section: 27 January nominations opened; no voting necessary as candidates were elected unopposed. Declaration of results - 1 April 2025
Irish Section: 4 April - nominations open; Voting commenced 8 May 2025; Declaration of result 12 June 2025
Main Society election: 5 May - nominations opened, Declaration of result 1July 2025 (the longer period allows time for the Nominations Panel to sit and approve the candidates).
For details of who the current Section Committees are, and who is on the Advisory Council and Trustee Board, please see below: