Making contact

Posters are another good way of getting new people involved. They don’t have to cost a lot of money and can be hand drawn if you don’t have access to a computer. The most important thing is that they are clear, eye catching and highlight the purpose of the group. For example, the group’s main purpose may be for single parents to meet and kids to play together or it may be to organise something like a training course for the parents. If you are in the early stages of setting up a group and have not organised any activity yet, make it clear that you are looking for people to help you set up the group. Otherwise people may arrive thinking that you already have a service set up for them to use. When deciding where to put posters think about public places where single parents in your local area are likely to go. Notice boards in places such as health centres, schools, nurseries, cafes, libraries, the post office, pubs and local shops are usually a good start.

Another low cost way of advertising your group is to contact local organisations that produce community newsletters or have websites. This could be a local community centre, your local council or a neighbourhood or tenants’ group. Most areas will have a local Council for Voluntary Service or Rural Community Council. They will be able to help you publicise your group as well as tell you of any other similar groups in the area and offer support in setting up your group. Your local library should have a directory of local organisations and will have computers and internet facilities as well - the internet is another good way to find out what groups are in your area. Ask these organisations to put a short piece about your group in their newsletter or on their website, most should oblige as it is part of their job to help the people in the local community, especially volunteers.

Local radio and newspapers will often report on new groups in the area especially if you can describe your group in a way that sounds new and exciting. Free newspapers are always on the look out for a community story and both these and other local papers usually have a community listing of some kind. See also ‘Publicity’ for information on how to help publicise your group.

Websites for local information:

Local Council websites are usually www.(name of town or district).gov.uk
www.touch(name of town).com
www.ukvillages.co.uk
www.locallife.co.uk
www.netmums.com