There are so many great events and activities run by community groups in our neighbours, we've picked out a few guides to help you get it right first time. We've also found some useful 'how to' guides for setting up some of the more common groups.
Finally if you are in need of ideas check out the Eden Project Communities website or ioby's resource section, they are both great sources of inspiration.
PREVENT Safe Venue hire Guidance
Norfolk County Community Safety Partnership have put together a advice and good practice guide to support those hiring community facilities in providing safe venues.
Loneliness Guide: National Loneliness Awareness Week
The Marmalade Trust have produced a useful guide to help you understand loneliness and how to have meaningful conversations.
marmaladetrust.org/law-loneliness-guide/
Love Where You Live - Inspiration for our Alleyways
This guide is for anyone who is interested in transforming a shared outdoor space, and needs some practical advice to get started. It features the work carried out in Oldham alleyways and is packed with top tips and quotes from local residents, but the ideas can be applied to a range of community spaces. To support this guide Hubbub have put together a ‘Love Where Your Live’ resource pack to help you get your project off the ground.
For more information visit: https://www.hubbub.org.uk/transform-your-alleyway
WEBSITE - Club Matters
Run by Sports England, Club Matters gives you access to free tools to help develop your club. This useful website has a wide range of free and helpful tools to help you run and improve and sustain your sports club.
WEBSITE - Eden Project Communities
This inspirational website is full of ideas on how to make a positive change where you live. Wide range of step by step stages on running community/Neighbourhood events and projects from a walking bus, pop up shop, to a Street Party.
WEBSITE - Guide to organising a community event (Gov.uk)
This 'Can Do' guilde helps you to plan and run successful events with a minimum of red tape. If you are holding a particular type of event, this will help you to find the specific advice you need.
WEBSITE: Guide to organising a Street Party (Streetparty)
Street parties are a great way to meet your neighbours and build community spirit. Knowing where to start doesn't need to be daunting.
Street Party's website provides the perfect starting point from their guide to planning a street party and top tips. To how to involve neighbours and your frequently asked questions. Check out their site for more info.
WEBSITE - Help with organising Street Play (Playing Out)
If you are looking to organise a Street Play Day or similar event, this is a great website to help you get started. Here you’ll find all you need to start regular ‘playing out’ sessions on your street or other actions to spark change where you live. Alongside ideas, stories and inspiration gathered from people around the UK and beyond
WEBSITE: Inter Faith Week Toolkit
If you are thinking of taking part in Inter Faith Week, an annual celebration every November for building relationships, understanding and celebrating how different faiths groups contribution to community life, you need go no further.
This useful website is packed with hints and tips on how to get involved, from helpful toolkits for events, from planning to press releases. Including some fantastic examples of events from previous years for inspiration. For more guidance and to get your event on their activities map visit the site
WEBSITE ioby
Although this is an American site, it has loads of guidance on how to organise, launch and promote community based projects
WEBSITE - Planning accessible events (Function Central)
If you're planning an an event, there are loads of reasons to promote inclusiveness, after all you want people to attend and enjoy themselves. For people with a disability, it can be difficult to find accessible events.
This useful guide by Function Central helps ensure your event is accessible for a wide audience. It guides you through from how to communicate with your audience from their point of booking, to how folk will move around the event. With simple hints and tips, to run a better event for everyone.
Event planning checklist (Brighton Resource Centre)
However big or small your event is going to be, planning it will follow the same general pattern - and include some common pitfalls!
Guide to providing food at a community centre (Food Standards Agency)
This helpful guidance is on providing food in a community centre or other community setting for volunteers and charity groups. It includes advice on registration, certificates and allergen information to help get you going and stay safe.
https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/providing-food-at-community-and-charity-events
Making Events Accessible (UEA Access All Areas team)
If you are running a public event, this helpful resource gives you some ideas to help make it more accessible to people with disabilities. And as the writer points out, apart from the legal and ethical issue of excluding people, with 20% of the population having a disabililty, there is a hard money arguement to ensuring everyone can participate.
Produced by Dr Katherine Deane, from the UEA's Access All Areas team; this guidance helps you can get the best from your event.
Organising a public meeting (Brighton Resource Centre)
Holding a public meeting can be a really good way of building a campaign or getting more people involved in your group. Here are a few ideas to help you organise a meeting that is interesting, accessible and runs smoothly.
Making Meetings Accessible (UEA Access All Areas team)
If you are holding a public meeting, focus group or consultation, this resource gives you some ideas to help make it accessible to people with disabilities. If you are running your meeting in an inaccessible manner, you may be excluding their voices without even realising it.
Produced by Dr Katherine Deane, from the UEA's Access All Areas team; this guidance helps you ensure everyone's voice can be heard.
Street Party (Norwich City Council)
Organising a street party application and guide.
www.norwich.gov.uk/info/20217/street_events_and_road_closures/1380/organise_a_street_party
To apply for a road closure for your street party, you will need to apply to Norfolk County Council, the process usually requires 6 weeks notice. For more information and the application form, click here: www.norfolk.gov.uk/business/licences-and-permits/highways-licences-and-permits
Street Play - Road Closure (Norwich City Council)
Here you can find details on how to apply to close a road for a local community play session, either on a one-off occasion or regularly each week or month.
www.norfolk.gov.uk/business/licences-and-permits/highways-licences-and-permits
If you need help towards the cost of running a Street Play Day, don't forget to check out the council's Get Involved Grants: www.norwich.gov.uk/info/20256/commissioning/1685/community_grants_programme/1
Licensing and regulations for events (Brighton Resource Centre)
Basic information about whether you need to register or apply for a licence for your event
Running a crèche (Brighton Resource Centre)
Information for community groups about providing childcare at a one-off community event.
A practical guide to setting up a community gardening project (Thrive)
This guide focuses on a group for people affected by mental ill health, but the information could also be applied to any community garden. Also includes H&S and sample risk assessments
How to set up a community cinema (BFI Neighbourhood Cinema)
This is a great website to guide you through running your own community cinema.
https://www.bfi.org.uk/neighbourhoodcinema/seven-steps-starting-community-cinema
How to hire a Park / Open Spaces (Norwich City Council)
Norwich is blessed with a range of beautiful parks and open spaces which make a great location for running an public event.
To help we have produced helpful guides on how to hire a park or open space. If you would like to apply to hire one of our parks or open spaces, download the information pack, complete the relevant booking form and risk assessment and email or post these to the events team
How to set up a Residents Association (Peabody)
An easy follow guide on how to set up a R.A (need to ignore location/org references)
How to set up/run a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme (Our Watch)
A step to step guide to setting up neighbourhood watches in your community.
How to set up a parent and toddler group (Net Mums)
Easy follow guide on how to set up a group.
How to set up a Buggy Walk (Mums Supporting Mums)
Buggy walks are a great thing to do to get out and meet people. Written by Mums, naturally it is very mum based, but is still a good resource for all parents.
How to organise a litter pick
Useful things to think about when organising a litter pick. This guideline covers the key things you'll need to consider when running a community litter pick.
We have also attached some practical support guidance on each of the pages where we are lending out litter picking kit.
How to start a sports club (Sports England)
If you looking to set up a new sports club or thinking of turning your current recreational club into something more formal. This Sports England guide covers every you need to know.