|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
- By Times’ Junior Journalist Alina Jiang
You may know many community groups throughout your area and enjoy participating in them so much that you think: ‘Hey, how can I start a community group of my own?’
Sometimes they require more steps to create one than you think, so here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to create one!
To create the group, you have to be clear on exactly what you want to do, like the group’s purpose or aim and what you want to achieve.
Once you’ve settled on an idea, search what type of groups exist in your area.
If some of them have similar projects on what you plan your group to do, decide whether you want to support their current work and link up with them, rather than start a group with the exact same idea.
If you choose to start a new group you will need to plan some things like where you meet, when and how, what the society is based on and which area it will help out with, etc.
Some community groups are incorporated which means it has a legal identity.
The group can have their own bank account, and hire people to work for the group, and even if members leave your group and you still want to be around, you can have your own finances so making your group incorporated is a pretty good idea.
There are plenty of benefits of having an incorporated group mostly around contracts and finances, but there are still some obligations of being incorporated.
The group must be registered with the Registrar of Incorporated Societies, not make a profit passed onto members, and most importantly have a set of rules called a constitution.
These rules cover things like the society’s objections, how somebody becomes and stops being a member, how general meetings are called and held, how offices are appointed and a lot more.
- If you want more information about making a community group, Citizens Advice Bureau Pakuranga hosts a community network meeting to share ideas, better collaborate and raise awareness in other community groups. The link to their website is www.cab.org.nz.
- Alina Jiana is in year 7 at Bucklands Beach Intermediate School
