Most community groups are set up by local people or communities of interest who have identified a need for a particular activity or service in their area and are committed to doing something about it. Here are some first steps you can take to getting your group up and running.
What will it be like starting a voluntary group?
It is an achievement to start a group. It can be enjoyable and give you a lot of satisfaction. It can also be a daunting prospect.
How to begin?
The best way to start is to bring together a group of people who share your interests and/or concerns. At first just talk about what the group could do (in other words, setting your aims and objectives). It will possibly emerge that not all interested people want to get fully involved, but will be prepared to help occasionally.
What should come from the initial discussions?
You should have some idea of what you hope to do and how you could go about doing it. Also, you should find out what people have to offer.
How can I ensure that this is achieved?
A good start is to discuss what the problem is that you are trying to tackle. You will probably find that people see the problem in different ways. People will have:
- different solutions and methods in mind
- different skills to offer
- varying amounts of time to give
Try to get some commitment and agreement from people.
How do I do all this?
It is usually a good idea to have an open meeting to launch the new organisation. You can advertise the meeting in local community centres, noticeboards, social media etc. You could also invite particular people such as:
- potential users
- people from other voluntary organisations
- interested councillors and/or local authority/health staff
- people from similar groups elsewhere
The meeting could be formal or informal. Either way it is a chance to:
- explain what you have in mind
- make or strengthen useful contacts
- seek publicity
- attract group members
- attract other volunteers
- find out how your proposals look to other interested people
To contact Links for free advice on this matter please complete the following questionnaire: Advice Questionnaire. This service is for groups operating in Chesterfield & North East Derbyshire only.
