Keen to get started on building your village? Here are a few key idea which we've found helpful:
Declare yourself a start-up Village Builder - complete this short form to get our Village Building Handbook and access the Facebook group
Look at our resources - worksheets and call recordings which can help you
Gather a small team. Look around and shout out - who it interested to improve their lives, and the lives of those around them, by building a Village In The City. You'll need at least two others to become a Village In The City on our community map.
Set up a place where people can find you. A Facebook group or similar is a good start, somewhere that people can opt in to and have some control over their engagement.
Put your community on the map! Fill in our short Village-Builder form and you can be part of our growing community of Village-Builders. That way you can access resources, learn from others and share your experiences.
Scan the local eco-system
What's out there already?
Is there a convenient, cheery and public place (like a cafe or bar) where you can meet? Find one!
Are there already people working to build community in your micro-locality. Get them involved! (Offering to help them is a good way to do this in the first instance.)
How can you reach out to everyone? Facebook and email is a good start, but that won't reach everyone. Consider leaflets through the door, posters in local shops, starting a regular get-together with an open invitation (at the same time/day each month?).
Organisational principles
Look to use:
- The simplest possible organizational structure
- The least possible hierarchy (we all matter but have different skills)
- A focus on energy and processes rather than results
Employ a strengths-based approach:
- Start where people are
- Start with what people care about
- Don’t be afraid of starting small
- Share ideas with others
- Encourage fun and creativity
- Seek innovative solutions to problems
- Assume everyone has something to contribute
- See issues/tension as something to explore
- Allow things to take their own time
- Trust in the process