Step 1: What, how and who

You need to have a good idea of exactly what you intend to do. Here are some questions to consider:

  • Will your group offer a service to a community or will it solely benefit its members?
  • What are the aims of the group?
  • What do you want to achieve?
  • What geographical areas are you going to cover?

In order to move onto the next step, you will also need to have gathered at least two other people who are committed to your group. This will make up your management committee, (also known as Board of Trustees or Board of Directors). You will need to have a discussion about the different roles on a committee – Chair, Treasurer and Secretary being the main ones. If you feel you have a great idea but you do not have two people who are committed to your group you can speak to our volunteer services and put a call out through our eBulletin to see if there are other people in the community who share your passion.

Who will you work with?

If you are providing a service then you may want to identify a specific group of people with whom you are going to work, for example people affected by a specific issue or living in a defined area. If you are going to work with several groups, then you need to think carefully about any possible conflicts of interest. You should also think about what area you will cover - for example, will you only cover a specific local neighbourhood or a whole town or city? Be realistic with your resources and where you can make the most impact. Don't try and overstretch yourself.

Are you overlapping with other groups?

Once you have put in some consideration on how it might work, you need to research and find out if there are any existing groups that do similar kinds of work in your given area. It is much harder to find support and funding if you are duplicating what other groups are doing.

So make sure that your big idea is new or unique in some way before you start. If there are already groups doing the same work, perhaps you could get involved with them.

If you have a new idea and are ready to go, can you work with other organisations to create something new or benefit from their experience and connections? If you are in a similar geographical area, then you could perhaps share premises and work together for the benefit of both groups.

For more information about committees or other groups near you, contact the development team on Tel: 0161 339 2345 or Email: development@actiontogether.org.uk 

» Step 2: Deciding on your structure