Start here
Know what
you’re agreeing to.
Before you accept a community role, ask what you'll do, who you'll work with and how much time it takes. Find out which decisions you can make and who can help when you're unsure. Check whether the role fits your other commitments and the needs of the people involved. If you're already doing the work, ask whether anything has changed. Get those answers before agreeing to take on more.
Try it out
Put it
to work.
1 / Find a role that fits
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- Ask the host for the role description, expected time and current priorities.
- Discuss one typical task and clarify what you could decide or would need to check.
- Agree on a first task you have time for and when you'll check how it's going.
Talk it through
- What would you need to do between meetings or events?
- Who would support you, and which decisions would remain with someone else?
- Does the expected time fit the commitments you already have?
2 / Prepare for a council meeting
Read the agenda and available papers before the council meeting. Pick one item where you have a question or experience to share, and check how you can speak or take part. During the meeting, note what's agreed, what's still open and who's following up. Before you leave, make sure you understand any task you've accepted, when it's due and who can help.
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- Read the agenda and mark one question beside the item it relates to.
- Check with the meeting contact if your role or the participation process is unclear.
- After the meeting, record your agreed action, deadline and any unanswered question.
Talk it through
- Which item on the agenda do you have a question about?
- What do the meeting papers tell you, and what still needs checking?
- What would you need to know before accepting a follow-up task?
3 / Listen to the people affected
Ask who will be affected by the work and whose views you haven't heard yet. An open invitation can still miss people because of timing, location, language or how you ask. Explain what their answers can change and offer a suitable way to respond. Keep what people said separate from your interpretation. Bring gaps and unanswered questions back to the group before treating a few responses as the whole community's view.
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- List who's affected and whose views you haven't heard yet.
- Check the invitation's wording, timing and participation options with the community partner.
- Summarize what people said, note who you still haven't heard from and agree what to do next.
Talk it through
- Who will be affected by this decision but has not yet been heard?
- What might make the planned conversation difficult for someone to attend or use?
- How will you explain what participants' responses can influence?
4 / Plan a manageable project
Agree with your community partner or host on a task your group can realistically finish. A garden task or one community session could be a good place to start. Check what people need, who will prepare things, what support is available and who will look after anything you leave behind. Plan around the time people actually have. If the request changes, talk it through before agreeing to more work.
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- Agree with the partner or host on the task, who it's for and how much your group can take on.
- Make a timeline showing who does what, the materials and help needed, and when you'll check progress.
- Start with a manageable piece of work and review it with the people involved before expanding.
Talk it through
- What has the community partner actually asked your group to do?
- Which parts need preparation or support that is not yet arranged?
- Who will look after the result once the initial task or session ends?
5 / Close the work well
Before you finish a community project, check the work against what you agreed to do. Name anything unfinished and ask who can take it on; don't assume the partner will. Leave useful files and instructions where the right people can find them, and offer to explain them. Ask the people involved what helped and what was difficult. Be clear about the results and their limits so the next group can learn from them.
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- Check the original agreement with the partner and write down what's finished and what remains.
- Share useful files or instructions through the agreed channel and confirm who handles any remaining tasks.
- Write down one thing you've learned for next time and tell the people involved when your role ends.
Talk it through
- Which parts of the original agreement are finished, and which remain open?
- Who has agreed to look after any continuing task or resource?
- What did the people using the work say was useful or still difficult?
Choose one next step.
Pick one thing you can try. Check any requirements with the people responsible before you act.
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