By Joanna Monks, Isobel Hatfield and Sue Jane O'Keefe
Herts Small Groups Development Workers.
Intro:
The Small Groups Development Worker (SGDW) project has been up and running since the end of September 2009. This BASIS 2 Project is funded by The Lottery for five years. There are four members of staff covering: North Herts (Anne Taylor), Stevenage (Jo Monks), Broxbourne & East Herts (Sue Jane O’Keefe) and Welwyn Hatfield and Hertsmere (Isobel Hatfield).
We work together to offer support, guidance and encouragement in starting or developing a community/voluntary group on issues of governance, confidence, understanding and knowledge, funding, charitable status, sustainability, forward planning and networking plus many more. The benefits of having four staff at different CVS locations across Hertfordshire are many. We can offer local knowledge, we are able to specialise in the needs of the local groups, we can share best practice and we then have other people to call on if we don’t have the answer to a query.
In terms of creating a cohesive and comprehensive service for the users, I believe we have been providing a valuable and accurate source of knowledge and signposting for the groups we deal with. We have each spread links into other local infrastructure organisations and often work with external partners such as the Funding Advice Network and other charities, to support our groups’ needs. We share experiences, advice and information so we can improve our services to the groups. Jo
Jo:
I work part-time, 2 days per week and have a wide range of groups that contact me, from many different cultural backgrounds and with a huge variety of focuses. Some are only at the start-up stage, others have been running for a while and are looking to develop into full blown Charities. All groups require a personal meeting to assess their needs, and it often helps to attend one of their meetings to gauge support, confidence levels and governance aptitudes.
The SGDW’s are endeavouring to record the development of the groups that we deal with to assess future requirements and improvements needed. Sometimes only a ‘light touch’ is needed, but commonly the groups need advice and guidance about their structure, governance and funding. Many groups need help writing a constitution document and setting up a committee structure. We offer this advice through meetings, site visits, email and phone.
Sue:
My support varies from low level information provision such as templates for policies and links to similar orgs, to full on intensive project support – an example is a LBGT youth group (unique in Herts) who wanted help with governance. Through my London links, I put them in touch with other groups & organisations they can affiliate to and gain knowledge and information from. Networking is a vital part of my role, connecting groups with organisations with which they can support each other, but which are not “in competition” for local funding. Another important role is to ensure that there is a need for the service or group – I carry out research to check that there is no duplication and I have linked one depression group with a drop in support group so that rather than set up as a separate group, they merged.
Another example is a creative awareness project for people with mental health issues – I have helped organise a guest speaker for the AGM for their homelessness project and I also arranged a book launch, and helped with marketing & outdoor events. I continue to offer high level support.
I am assisting 3 residents associations to get off the ground. One has since set up a shop on their estate which is a real community hub and is utilised by several organisations, as well as surgeries for police and local councillors. I assist youth groups, several BME OAP groups, some disabled groups, children’s groups, sports groups, sailing groups and more – extremely diverse!
Isobel:
At a recent meeting with my fellow SGDW’s, we concurred that we are all experiencing a high level of high demand for assistance from groups, without advertising our services.
We felt it would not be practicable to work with many more groups. Accordingly, I have implemented an ‘exit strategy’ in Welwyn/ Hatfield and Hertsmere for 35 groups in each area, that I have not had contact with for a few months. This frees me up to give the remaining 13 ‘live’ groups in Welwyn/Hatfield, and 12 ‘live’ groups in Hertsmere more in depth help.
For monitoring and evaluation purposes, groups are asked to do a self-evaluation before I work with them. I also do my own assessment, so that I may see what the differences are. The groups I have been working with are very diverse: from a BME after school club in Borehamwood to the HatfieldTownswomens Guild. So far, the majority of groups I have met with need advice on potential funding streams and governance. However, I am also being approached by groups outside my remit who want funding advice. These are signposted to the Funding Advice Network (FAN) which has close links with the Small Groups Developoment Workers . I am the SGDW representative on the FAN.
Final thoughts:
Being an SGDW is an amazing role as you really do get to see the ‘beating heart’ of the local community working together. I am always amazed at the amount of time and effort people are willing to give voluntarily to help set-up or run a group, often for the benefit of others. It is great to see that Hertfordshire is alive with individuals and small groups that are making the area we live and work a great place to be.
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