Starting a new group

Thinking of starting a new community group?

Perhaps you are at the very stages of starting a group or even just have an idea for a group that you think is needed. If so, there are a number of steps that you can take to help you get started. 

Now either watch the presentation below and reading the webpages below.

New Groups: An Overview (presentation)

  1. Do your research

Get out there and talk to people. Find out if there are any similar groups out there. You don’t want to set up a group if another identical group already exists, unless your group is doing something different or additional.  Find people who have already set up similar groups and ask them about their experience.

Speak to people who you think would benefit from setting up a group and find out whether they think it is a good idea. Is there a demand for this kind of group?  

Once you have a broad idea of what you want to do it might be helpful to speak to other organisations or a worker with a community development role to see if you can get some help to set up your group.

2. Ask your community or the people who you think will benefit from your group

It is a good idea to hold a meeting or an event to ask people who will benefit from your group what they think - do they think a group is needed, would they find it useful, what kind of things would they like you to do? It can be helpful to offer an incentive to get people to come along, like food or refreshments.

You may also be able to find people at the meeting who would be interested in getting involved.

For more information on how to start having these conversations with your community, see Module 3 Finding out the needs of your community.

3. Be  clear on your purpose

An effective group has a clear purpose, which is written down and shared by everyone involved.  A clear purpose will tell people why your group exists, what you do, who you do it for/with and where.

Think about what people have told you so far and start thinking about your purpose. For more information on how to develop your purpose, see Module 2 Running your organisation well

 4. Draw up a set of rules

It is a good idea to start drawing up a  set of rules for your group. This document should set out what you want to achieve overall (aims), what is the change that you want to see (outcomes) and what you will do to make that change happen (outputs). You can also include how your group operates, for example, how do people become members of the group, how often does that group meet and how do you make decisions. This kind of document is usually known as a constitution. 

For more information on constitutions, please see our Constitutions Factsheet.

If your group is very small and isn’t going to be looking for funding in the near future, then you may be able to exist with an informal structure – there is no need to constitute or to take any further steps if you are fine as you are.  However, if you have bigger plans and want to open a bank account and access funding in the future,  you may wish to think about making your organisation more formal. 

To this, you will need to consider the legal structure of your organisation.

5. Consider your legal structure 

Many groups start off by becoming an unincorporated voluntary association, although this structure isn’t suitable if you are planning to employ staff, take a lease or manage large amounts of money.  An unincorporated voluntary association has a management committee (the people who run the organisation) and members (the people who use your services, attend events and/or are involved in your campaigning. To become an unincorporated voluntary association, you will need to develop a constitution which is a governing document which sets out your aims, objectives and how your organisation is run. 

For more information on legal structure, please see our Governance Options Factsheet.

6. Plan an Inaugural General Meeting

An Inaugural General Meeting is the launch of your organisation. It is a meeting of your members where your members:

  • Approve your constitution, and

  • Elect your committee

You should invite all your members or potential members to come along as well as other community groups, other organisations and agencies, particularly those that you have developed a relationship with or who have supported you in getting started, and your elected members. 

You could also use your IGM to ask your members to give you more ideas and suggestions of what they would like you to do in the future.

Many groups also have a celebration event as a key part of the launch of your organisation.

Next steps 

So now that your group has been set up it’s now time to make plans about what you are going to do.

We would suggest working through Module 1 to help you identify what modules would be most useful for your group. Module 2 is also really important for new groups as it will help you to consider your purpose and to make sure that you are able to run your organisation well.

All modules are useful for new groups as these will help you to:

  • Run your organisation well (Module 2) - this is especially important for new groups

  • Find out the needs of your community (Module 3)

  • Develop a project plan (Module 4)

  • Show that you are making a difference (Module 5)

  • Access funding and develop a funding strategy (Module 6)

  • Run your events and services safely (Module 7)

  • Look after your group’s money (Module 8)

  • Campaign and participate in decisions that affect your community (Module 9)

There are lots of other materials online which you can use, depending on what suits your group best. Here are some links to get you started: