So you have an idea of something you want to do in your local community. How can you make it happen?
1. First, find out if something similar exists already
Can you partner with an existing organization and extend what they are doing?
East Sussex Community Information Service
2. Find other people who share your vision
Different people will bring different skills, so you can share tasks between you. If you are going to apply for grant funding or become a formal non-profit organisation you normally need to have 3 unrelated people running your group.
3. Do you need to become a formal organisation?
You might be able to do what you want to do as an informal activity with little paperwork. However if you intend to apply for grant funding, open a group bank account or start contracts, you usually will need to make the group formal.
4. Key questions to consider
What are the aims of your project?
Where will the money come from to run your activities?
Do you want to earn an income from this work?
Do you want a membership of local residents to support your project?
5. Choose a legal structure
See our Common Legal Structures for Groups document below.
If you are setting up a group or project in Hastings, and you need further help with any of these steps, you can contact us to request specific support via our Google form below.
