Starting a group

When you are thinking about setting up a new group, it can be easy to get bogged down in worrying about paperwork and formalities. Equally, it can cause problems later if you don’t put a few basic things in place to make sure your group is set up in a way that will work best for you.

This section provides advice about getting people involved in your group, deciding the purpose of your group, and agreeing a set of rules or principles that will govern your group. It provides practical information about things you may need to do, such as open a bank account and allocate roles in the group.

It also includes information about the different legal structures that a community group or organisation can use, the pros and cons of each of these, and how to set up different types of organisation.

Information and advice

First steps for new groups
Choosing a legal structure
Writing a constitution
Opening a bank account
Setting up an arts project
Setting up a social enterprise
Getting outside help with starting a group