Essential Guide to Creating a Community Group
23rd June 2016
Here at Nikoo Homes, we’re firm believers in forming a close-knit community and within that, lots of mini communities.
Not only is creating a community group a great way to meet new people, share ideas and to feel part of something, but it’s a great way to let your hair down whilst enjoying your favourite hobby. Whether you want to fly kites on the weekends or bake cookies with fellow budding chefs in the evenings, there’s a community group out there for everyone. They can be based around anything, so if you’re dream organisation doesn’t exist yet, here’s how you can make it happen for you and your community.
Find your focus
You might like sports, but a ‘sports group’ is too broad. Your first job is to narrow your focus down enough to explicitly say what your group does and what they stand for. If you’re unsure exactly what your group should focus on, take the time to look for any gaps and think about why the community is lacking a certain activity and cannot go a single day more without it.
Make it official
Whilst you won’t be jumping through hoops and cutting through red tape to get your group started, it’s always best to get permission for these things, especially if you will be using public property to conduct meetings and events. Speak to the local authorities and discuss your requirements with them to make sure everything’s A-Okay.
Polish your public image
This can be worked on more attentively later, but for now you are going to need a basic image to advertise the group to your community. How you target elderly members of the community will differ greatly from the young. If you’re targeting the older generations for a knitting club, it’s worth targeting public places such as cafes, parks and residential noticeboards with some beautifully designed posters. However, if you are targeting millennials, it’s best to use technology like Facebook and Twitter to invite them to join directly. But before you start with the advertising, you’ll need to research your target audience. Think about who they are, their age, what they do, their likely availability and likes.
Choose your location
Right now your group technically doesn’t exist, so it’s up to you to choose the location for your first meeting. If you’ve created a cricket team, you needn’t be outside for this one as this one will be all talk. Pick a location that’s both relaxed and public such as a cafe where members can discuss their expectations of the group openly. Choose a date and time that is likely to work for your group, knowing what you know about the kind of people they are likely to be, without having met them. For example, if it’s a ‘maths club’, you can assume that after-school hours will work well for everyone and that everyone will be on time!
Announce it publicly
Now that you’ve solidified your group’s focus and you’ve booked into a venue that’s easily accessible for your group, it’s time to announce it to the world and rally the troops.
Hold your first meeting
Before you meet for the first time, it’s a good idea to set an agenda to allow you to stay on track in the meeting, rather than veering off on random tangents intermittently to discuss your burning passion for your shared hobby. During this meeting you should assemble a committee to look after the group and to create some kind of formality about it all, but just remember it’s all for fun, so don’t take it too seriously. Use the remainder of the time to get to know each other before discussing the frequency, dates and times of future meeting dates as well as what you’d like to do in the sessions- this way everyone will be happy.
Sit back, relax and enjoy
That’s formalities out of the way, now it’s time to enjoy your hobby in the company of a great bunch of likeminded people who all share your passion.