Firstly, you have to identify what actually needs to be done. For example, do you want to remove litter or do you want to plant bulbs?
Holding a public meeting is a good way of bringing local people together to discuss local issues, prioritising what needs to be done and organising specific activities.
When holding a public meeting you need to think about the time and place of the meeting. Try to make sure that the venue is accessible for elderly and disabled people and central to the area you are concerned with. You may be able to get a room in the local school or community centre for free or at very low cost. You may also be able to get funding for the meeting if you provide crèche facilities and refreshments.
At the meeting make sure you identify someone who can lead the discussion and someone who can take a record of the meeting. This does not have to be formal minutes - maps, diagrams, photographs or action plans can be used as a record of what happened.
Once the event has been identified you need to decide who is going to do what. You should allocate people to arrange equipment, publicity, risk assessments and refreshments.
You should also consider when to hold the event at a time when most people will be able to attend it, i.e. on an evening or a weekend.
During the event
You should identify one person who is going to lead the event on the day. They will co-ordinate the volunteers and will know what the emergency procedures are.
In addition, identify a handful of people who also know what is being done - make them identifiable to the volunteers (baseball cap or coloured tee-shirt).
A picture can tell a thousand words. Use photographs to record key moments at an event. They can also be useful to promote the activities of the group in the local press.
Finally, remember to keep a record of who took part and ask people to leave their contact details if they want to be contacted again about future events
After the event
It is good to try to report back to the people who attended the event on the outcomes achieved – e.g. how many bulbs were planted or bags of litter collected. You may even want to tell other people such as local councillors, other local groups, the local media or other people who would be interested in what the group has achieved.
Think about ways of rewarding the people who have been involved – this may involve handing out certificates at the end of the day, or holding a social gathering - celebrate your successes.
Try to make sure that one person gathers all of the records and keeps them in a safe place, as you will need them in the future.
After a successful event you may want to arrange more events or make the work of your group more consistent. You should refer to our Factsheet 'Developing Your Group' to get some ideas on the things you should be considering.