Many organisations want to involve the community as a way of helping to achieve their aims. For Neighbourhood Forums, however, helping people to be involved in local affairs is the main aim. A Forum which fails to get people involved could have an active committee, healthy finances and all the boxes ticked as far as the rest of this guide goes… and still not be achieving what it was set up to do.
Key questions are:
- How do we keep in touch with residents and others in our area?
- How can residents and others with an interest in the area get in touch with us?
Public meetings are part of the answer. All Forums organise at least 4 public meetings each year at least one of which is an AGM at which members can elect the committee. Public meetings, however, are not always well attended – especially when there is no urgent and immediate issue of concern for most residents. Meetings are not the only way of keeping in touch. You might also want to think about:
Public contact information – make sure there is a name and phone number or email address, or both, which people can use to get in touch with the forum. The details should be publicly available on flyers, noticeboards and the website and available for other people to pass on.
Noticeboards – in community centres, clubs, shops and places of worship etc. can be used to advertise the forum and give contact information and for details of the next public meeting.
Newsletters – some Forums produce a newsletter which is delivered around the area. The cost of producing and delivering a newsletter (in terms of money and volunteer time) should, however, be balanced against the benefits. Many people ignore unsolicited written material put through their letter box.
Stalls, surgeries and drop in sessions – some Forums organise regular stalls staffed by committee members in the local high street. Others have organised advice surgeries (sometimes working with the Council, a housing association or the local police) or sessions at a local venue where people can ‘drop in’ for a cup of tea and a chat about local issues.
Website – a large and steadily increasing number of people use the internet to find out about what’s local. Your Forum might already have a website, Facebook page or space on someone else’s site. All Forums can set up a free set of pages on this website – use the contact form under Get in Touch to find out more.
Social Media – includes your website and applications (like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube – also called ‘social networks) that enable users to create and share content with you and to engage with your Forum. The link below suggests ways your Forum can use social media.