Woodcraft Folk has developed a set of training materials called Working Together to help groups establish good co-operative working practises. You can download the session plans and resources here.
Hosting your planning meetings
During your planning meetings we recommend giving some thought to how you will work together and what you can do to ensure the long-term sustainability of your group.
- Agree how you will all work together. It is therefore important to work out shared expectations about how to work with each other and young people.
- Set an agenda. When planning, why not try using the headings from this new group journey as agenda points.
- It is good practice to share responsibility for the tasks involved in running a good meeting. At the outset consider who will chair, take minutes, set the agenda, organise etc.
- Decide on a venue that is comfortable and accessible to everyone. Think about where you meet – at someone’s house might be handy for some, meeting in a pub is usually free but you might exclude people who avoid places that serve alcohol for religious or health reasons. Online meetings on zoom or other video call platforms is also an option.
- Plan a strategy for promoting positive behaviour at group sessions, set clear expectations that everyone can agree on.
Sustainability Scorecard
The ‘Sustainability Scorecard’ is a quick questionnaire which asks a few questions about how your group is managing. The scorecard will quickly assess how your group is performing and will help to identify what can be improved upon. You can use the sustainability scorecard at any point in your new group journey or during a planning meeting to check on the progress you’re making and plan how you will ensure your group continues to thrive. The sustainability scorecard is available here.
Continue on your new group journey
The New Group Journey is organised into seven broad subject areas: