Voluntary Action Leeds has refreshed its regular workshop (Starting from Scratch) aimed at supporting new and emerging groups to set up effectively.

Starting a New Group – all you need to know

This fully funded course (formerly known as Starting from Scratch) is suitable for people in Leeds wanting to start a small community, voluntary or faith group (unincorporated association) or who already have an active group but want it to be a bit more formal in order to grow and/or access funding.  You could be a group who wants to deliver arts or recreational activities, do environmental work, improve your community, support people who have limited resources, provide peer support to families or improving people’s mental health etc.

Please note that this workshop is not intended for people who want to incorporate as a community interest company or to register as a charity.

The workshop will help you to clarify what you want to do, how and who for, and help you to set some rules about how you want to run your group.

We will cover:

• Clarifying what you want to do, who will benefit and how
• Advantages of formalising your group
• Drafting a constitution outlining your purposes and how you will operate in a democratic and accountable way
• The key tasks you will need to do to become a small established group and be ready to access funding e.g. draft and understand your constitution, know how to run your group well sharing responsibilities, getting people involved, how to get a bank account, know what policies you will need and where to get help and support.
• Develop an action plan.

This course is only open to small and emerging not-for-profit voluntary/community/faith groups supporting communities in Leeds.

Please note as this course is a free course, if you book a place and are unable to attend for any reason (i.e. illness, or other circumstances) and cannot send another colleague in your place, please let us know as soon as possible. If you give us less than 14 days’ notice you will be charged a £10 non-attendance fee.

To book for the face-to-face session running at Voluntary Action Leeds on 3 December 2025, from 9.45am -12.30pm, please follow the link shown below:

Starting a New Group – all you need to know – Doing Good Leeds

Voluntary Action Leeds

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