STEP 6 : WORKING GROUPS

Set up working groups (WG) as soon as possible. This makes the whole project a strong foundation and help to make it run more efficiently and effectively. 

Roles should possibly be revolved every 6 months – 1 year to help train up new people and replacements and create project resilience – (more people can do each job and train others. There needs to be enough continuity of time for people to stay in a role – so maybe 1 year in certain positions and 6 months in others) This helps to mitigate for power. It also makes the group more resilient as more people can do eachothers jobs and a wider range of skills is gained. 

6.1 Form a working group, decide a coordinator and create a time each working group meets.  Publicise the time and place and contact person / details. Each WG has a brief or area of responsibility to take on certain tasks or projects.

A co-ordinator is a non hierarchical term from the activist movement that means a person who helps to focus , organise and share info around a group. Helping to arrange , and facilitate  meetings, projects , actions and events. 

6.2 Suggestions for working groups : 

• Building finders

• Legal Entity set up   

• • Events : books a  timetable of events and workshops, helps fundraising 
  •  Admin : Oversee official company / charity paperwork, lease documents, volunteer coordination, supporting self organising systems, crew training. Inter working group co-ordination, income streams, accounts, banking. 
  • Media and Messaging : Outreach Promotion marketing, networking, social and mainstream media, publicity press releases. 
  • Sustainability / environment : is responsible for  sustainability in all aspects of  the CEC. Promoting Eco ethics – providing centre groups with a list of eco friendly or  sustainable service/product providers.  This working group formulates a plan for the gradual implementation of renewable energy to the whole building. ( wind, solar, bike energy / energy gym providers in the useful websites pages at the end of the Handbook )  Conducts an Energy Audit of the space, how much electricity, water used and how to reduce by fitting lower energy bulbs/devices, insulation, water saving systems etc 
  • Art / Creative :  art and design of project graphics and decor etc. Making a creative space with arts,crafts, multimedia /   equipment within the centre to encourage art and creativity, as a regenerative process for all project users of all ages. 
  •  Tech : Free internet cafe set up using recycled/ donated computers. Website, social media, comms, cyber security, safeguarding digital assets.

•  Crew welfare and wellbeing : looking after the crew, supporting rest and regeneration activities.

• •  Catering :  Vegan / Vegetarian   Cafe/ Food and kitchen – Provides an income stream and promotion of vegan/vegetarian sustainable diet. ( info and displays) 
  •  Repairs and maintenance : Building assessment, compiles repairs list – structural, electrics, plumbing, carpentry,  HNS, Fire safety. 
  •  Council Liaison : with council officers, departments  and local councillors
  • Gardening / permaculture :  front of house, roof garden, window boxes. local food production. vertical farming. Greening up each CEC with plants. 

• Fundraising : grants, crowd funding, events, income streams

• • Volunteer coordination : Volunteer induction/ training – creation of documents and processes/ policy   

• Future Democracy working Group of https://www.trustthepeople.earth  : 

Aims to link up Future Democracy Hubs into every CEC. This is aimed at building whole community engagement and empowerment with community and peoples assemblies. The Future Democracy Hub is running a ‘Community Transformers’ program, a peer support network of people dedicated to community organising to build better and more sustainable neighbourhoods. If you’d like the support of a close team of 8 other Community Transformers in a ‘Hive’ (like your community organising family) then please contact Trust the People and we will match you with your hive.

Community Transformers is part of a broader project, Trust the People, which is a collection of best practices from democratic movements from all over the world. Trust the People aims to spread this knowledge and learning. This is about us bringing power back into communities so we can build the societies that we need.