Starting a New Group
OSCR - Becoming a Charity
If you If you are thinking of becoming a charity in Scotland, OSCR's guidance will help you to understand what's involved in setting up a Scottish charity.
Community groups often start with a conversation about how to fix a problem or with an idea to create something new for a community. No matter what type of group you are thinking of starting there are a number of key steps you need to take before you can start to operate.
Our Community Toolkit documents provide guidance on the crucial aspects to consider when starting a new group or evaluating the governance and operations of an existing one.
How do you define your idea, assess if there is a need for it and set-up a steering group? This guide takes you through the key steps you should take to assess if your idea could become a reality.
Identifying Need and Starting a Steering Group
Legal Structures and Organisation Types
What legal and operating structure should your group adopt? This guide reviews the different types of structure for community groups and how to register for them.
Governing Documents, Policies and Procedures
Governing documents, policies and procedures establish a framework for how a group operate, this guide takes you through what you need to consider. From writing your constitution to ensuring compliance to regulations.
Community Profiling and Engagement
Understanding your community and the needs of the people in it is essential when setting-up a new group or developing an existing one. This guide helps you to work with your community to understand their needs and gain support.
SCVO - Setting up a Charity
If you’re thinking of setting up a charity, SCVO's information will guide you through the decisions you’ll need to make.
VABS - Policy Templates
Voluntary Action Badenoch and Strathspey are a rural delivery partner for the HTSI. They have a comprehensive range of policy and procedure templates including, code of conduct, financial policies, risk management and more
Group Identity and Promotion
Having a recognisable group identity and clear promotional message will make it easier to publicise your services, raise awareness of what you do and build your reputation. This guide looks at how to plan your promotion and ensure you have a consistent image and message.
Feasibility Studies
The main purpose of a feasibility study is to consider all the factors associated with a group and determine if the investment of time, resources and money will help the group achieve what it set out to do. This guide explains what you should expect a feasibility to show and the key outcomes from one.
Developing and Writing Plans
Good management begins with planning. Having robust plans in place from the very start will clarify your long-term goals and focus your resources. This guide looks at the main plans a group should have and how to create them.
Roles and Responsibilities of Management Committees
All community groups will have a management committee and depending on the groups’ legal form or charitable status they will be known as a Board of Directors, Charity Trustees or Committee Members. This guide looks the duties of management committees and thier legal responsibilities in running a group.
The Role of Office Bearers
Although all committee members, directors and trustees have equality and joint responsibilities, office bearers have specific duties that need to be carried out in the running of the organisation. This guide looks at each of the main roles in a commitee.