New Group Welcome Pack12 October 2010
Congratulations on becoming a Friends of the Earth local group.
You should have received an email confirming that your group is now officially registered with electronic copies of your Partnership Agreement and Trade Mark Licence Agreement. You'll also have been sent a bank authorisation letter with that email.
Please contact the Activism Development Team in England or your Network Developer in Wales and Northern Ireland if you have any queries about this paperwork.
What do you need to do now?
1. Make sure we have the correct contact details for your group:
- If you haven't already, email the Activism Development Team (England) or your Network Developer (Wales and Northern Ireland) the completed Local Group contact details form. This will enable us to contact the right individual in the group with key campaign and organisational information.
- Check that your group's website has the correct information, both in terms of the contact details provided for members of the public to get in touch with your group, but also information about your meeting times, current campaigns etc.
- Use the local group website instructions to help you update the site (or email us if you don't know the username and/or password for your group, or have any difficulties updating your group's website).
2. Claim your new group start-up grant:
- All new groups are entitled to a £100 grant to help get you started with hiring venues, buying resources etc. Go to the Local Group Start-Up Grant page for more information on how to claim your £100.
- Once you're up and running, you can also apply for further funding from our Local Group Support Fund.
3. Order your free publicity materials and resources:
- All new groups are entitled to a quota of Friends of the Earth publicity materials and resources to help you make an impact in your local community straight away.
- Visit the Fundraising and Publicity pages to order yours.
4. Read the New Coordinator's Pack:
- The New Coordinator Pack is designed to help new Coordinators get to grips with the role.
- It includes important information about Policies & Procedures for local groups, and links to all the key resources. Please note especially the Insurance Guidance as this details what activities your group is permitted to do.
5. Consider adopting a constitution for your group:
- This is the mini rulebook by which your group agrees to operate. It can be as detailed as you like.
- We've prepared a model constitution that you're welcome to adapt.
- We suggest taking it to your next meeting, working through it together, and once you've all agreed on the content, get your group officers to sign it to make it official.
6. Get in touch with other Friends of the Earth groups nearby:
- Use the Local Group Finder to locate other groups near you, and to contact them to start building links.
- The Activism Development Team - or your Network Developer if you're in Wales or Northern Ireland - will also help you get in touch with other local groups and networks.
7. Use the links below to make sure you get sent the updates you need, and for advice on sharing out group tasks:
