|
Why set up a residents’ group?
A group can
be formed for various reasons. It can be a way of getting to know your
neighbours, a way of sharing ideas, local information, and becoming more
involved by having a greater say about decisions relating to your home
and neighbourhood.
Some
associations come together to address one specific issue while others
hope to address a wider spectrum of matters. A few British residents'
associations have registered as locality-based political parties to
enable them to participate in local elections at county, district, and
county council level.
Why get involved?
It’s an
opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills or update your skills,
and gain confidence in dealing with local and community issues. You can
find out more about how to improve your neighbourhood.
To set up an informal group
You will
need to see who is interested so talk to residents in your area and see
who would like to get involved. You will need to find a venue for
meetings. See if you can find a local hall or room to hire. You
will need to advertise your meetings. You can make posters, flyers
or advertise by word of mouth. We can also help with this.
Planning a Meeting (see
also
Preparing for the
Meeting)
Firstly, be clear about why the meeting is being
held, what it aims to accomplish and what other people may be
expect from it. The meeting could have been called for any
number of reasons such as to:
1. pass on or
obtain information
2. test ideas or
reactions to ideas
3. pool views and
experiences on a particular subject
4. improve
understanding of differing points of view
5. agree decisions
arrived at by a majority
5. develop joint
problem solving strategies
7. build
partnerships between groups / organisations
8. build trust and
morale among members / member groups
9. review
performance.
To set up a formal group
If you have been
meeting for a while as an informal group, you may want to get more
serious and form a proper committee. You will need to elect a
Chairperson,
Vice-Chairperson,
Secretary,
and
Treasurer
and committee members.
You will also need to adopt a
Constitution. This is not as difficult as it seems; it just
means setting out your aims, stating that you are open to all residents.
You need a minimum of five people to form a group.
Example: GORING CHASE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION - Worthing, Sussex
|
