Build a Community Structure

Getting a strong team together is a very important step in the your community sustainability journey.

We have broken down the actions and resources needed into the five areas below. You can dig deeper into each section to build your skills in each area.

 

You don’t have to know everything yourself – a key skill to have is to be able to find out who in your group is best to look into that particular area on behalf of the group. If you don’t have someone who is good at keeping records, or finding out about rules and regulations, you need to find someone, and bring them in!

 

The Stakeholder Mapping resource gives a guide about how to do this.

Listen to our Podcast series with advice from sustainability community activists on how you can make a difference in your community

Latest Podcast #5:

Resource Centres – a supportive, local ‘ecosystem’ where your ideas can grow

James Coyne and Galway Mayor Councillor Hubbard

James Coyne of Westside Resource Centre and Galway Mayor Councillor Mike Hubbard

Maeve speaks with James Coyne, the CEO of the Galway Westside Resource Centre, about how his community-focused organisation is tackling climate and environmental issues from the ground up. The Westside Resource Centre is a hub for the community where people can find resources and make connections to help start their sustainability actions – there are resource centres and community hubs throughout Ireland: find yours and start your own action.

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Podcast 4

The Local Strengths Approach

Carol Loftus describes the journey of Mulranny from a fading tourist spot to a thriving model of community-driven sustainable development. She outlines how projects emerged, how local people were mobilised.

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Podcast 3

Participation and Engagement

Seán from Mulranny discusses how community action is possible through a structured model of deep community engagement, respectful collaboration, and strategic coordination…

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Podcast 2

Co-ops in Europe

Stephanie explains how in her work for Aran Island’s Energy Co-operative, Comharchumann Fuinnimh Oileáin Árainn, she meets co-ops around Europe. She tells us how we can learn from them.

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Podcast 1

A strong foundation

There are different types of community organisations. Dara and Avril from Comharchumann Fuinnimh Oileáin Árainn explain why they chose a co-op approach

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Find out about what the resources are below

Environment and Sustainability Projects

Here are tools that help you on develop a community sustainability organisation or group. They tell you  what the challenges are in this area of community action, and show you how to overcome them.

Find our Environmental and Sustainability resources here

‘Governance’the rules that the group follows

How should we set up and run our community group?

Building a strong foundation for your group will mean that you will grow and thrive. These resources will tell you about how to best set up a community group choosing the system that works best for you.

Click here to see thegroup governance and rules resources here

‘Stakeholder Management’how you manage how you talk with people who will be affected by the work you are doing

Who do we need to talk to, and how do we communicate in the best way?

Getting a good team together is a very important start. This needs something called called ‘stakeholder management’: this just means finding out who the people, and the other groups that are in your community, are that match your aims and seeing if they can help you. They can be people like you or organisations like your county council

Get the Community Engagement and Stakeholder Management tools here

Developing Your Community Organisation

This shows you how to set up a voluntary or a community group. It covers important things like: finding out what the community needs, and how to make a good team. It gives great advice about how you can decide on a suitable set of rules and practices for the group. 

Click here to see our resources on growing your sustainability community group

Managing projects and working with committees

Your community group does not need to re-invent the wheel. There are many successful groups who have gone on this journey before you. They can help you develop are some of the key skills that you will need. The tools given here are excellent information sources as well as examples of how and where to build your skills.

Our Project Management and Soft Skills Development tools can be found here