Resources
We’ve compiled a list of local and national organisations who can help you get your community project off the ground.
LOCAL
Voluntary Norfolk
Voluntary Norfolk offers a one-stop-shop for community groups trying to get off the ground, review their operations, or wanting to expand their project. They have a team of dedicated development workers who offer support and information on a step by step basis. Development workers offer support on a range of issues including: developing a constitution, diversifying income, strategic planning, funding and finance, starting up, governance and the roles of trustees, marketing, recruiting and managing volunteers.
At the beginning stage, they seek to encourage groups to research and plan their projects and identify a clear need, while understanding the time and resources it will involve. With the group firmly in the driving seat further support is available on formalising a group and funding sources.
Once up and running, Voluntary Norfolk can guide groups through the processes for making grant applications and securing funding. Training sessions and networking events are held and Development Workers can sometimes put new groups in touch with established organisations where this would be helpful.
Further resources include; a weekly Members’ e-bulletin with information on grants and funding opportunities; a resource centre at its Pottergate office; and a website with downloads.
The Guild
The Guild provides hands-on support to organisations within the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors that are starting up or developing. Through a team of consultants, it offers business planning, feasibility studies, research, evaluation and strategic development. The Guild also offers a range of training courses, covering a range of topics, including social enterprise legal structures, market opportunities, and project management. Because The Guild does research and policy work, it has knowledge of the policy framework in which community groups operate.
ProHelp
Norfolk ProHelp is a group of 42 professional firms that pledge free support to voluntary and community organisations wanting to get projects started. Members comprise accountants, solicitors, architects, consulting engineers, surveyors, property consultants, marketing and IT specialists.
These professional firms undertake “one off” projects including feasibility studies, structural surveys, drawing up plans, property valuations, business plans, legal and accountancy advice, employment law, IT support and web design.
Support is available for not-for-profit organisations that are not already using paid workers to carry out the work they want help with. To be eligible for support, a group must be community-based and not-for-profit, working for the social and economic regeneration of your local area, and should fit within the following criteria:
• Have a track record of working successfully with the local community
• Have no funding available for the specific project and not paid advisors retained to do the work
• If part of a national organisation, your branch must be locally constituted, and prove that neither the expertise nor the funding to pay for the work is available centrally
• Your project must be realistic and viable
• Your governing body must be willing to authorise the involvement of ProHelp
Momentum
Momentum is a membership based charity that acts as an umbrella organisation to those working with children and young people, within the voluntary and community sector in Norfolk.
The charity provides it’s members with practical support in the establishment and development of their organisation including constitution and policy writing, staff recruitment, CRB checks and induction training. They run loads of courses to help develop individuals and groups working with childrena dn young people in the voluntary/community sector.
Membership is £30 annually per organisation.
Norfolk Community Foundation
A great way to target funders and save time – send your application to Norfolk Community Foundation and they will send it out to the most appropriate funder in their pot of funders.
Norwich City Council
The city council has a number of Community Engagement Officers working across Norwich, whose purpose is to help local residents to develop sustainable and active communities. They provide guidance at every stage of a project and on all manner of areas, including funding applications, the art of good governance, how to set up a committee, and how to write a constitution and policies. They also sign-post people to other organisations in the area who may be of assistance, and generally have a good understanding of what support exists in Norfolk.
Having links with other council departments has the added benefit of being able to point people towards specific council staff relevant to the project.
To find out who your Community Engagement Officer is, call the City Council on 0344 980 3333
The Council has a grant of £500 that it gives out quarterly to groups starting up a small project.
NATIONAL
Association of Charitable Foundations
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