Events are the lifeblood of our local community. But what makes these events so special is the people who organise and run them.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to team up with Latrobe City Council to put together a workshop to help create successful community events.
Based on the insights and questions, I’ve put together five things community event leaders and volunteers should know!
How to get more volunteers for your community events
When running volunteer or community-led groups/events, it can be a challenge to get people to help out. What we’ve come to realise is that most volunteers are retirees as a lot of working men and women can’t find the time to volunteer for their local community events and groups.
A common question I get is “how do I get more volunteers to help?”. While there is no magic answer, there are a few things you can do:
- Show the success of your events and the benefits of working with your group AT your events (or after) – use social media or other marketing to “market” to potential volunteers
- Give people a specific task and tell them how many hours, this will help them commit as they’ll know exactly what they will be doing and for how long
- Approach people you think will be a good fit, we all like being asked to do something that can help others
Try one or all three of these and see how you go!
Where can you get more grants and funding
There are a lot of grants out there and a lot of the time we don’t know how to access them! A grant can help with the financial support of your event to make it work to your vision!
Here are some grant websites* you might not have heard of:
*Disclaimer: we’re not receiving any kickbacks, just find their platforms useful. These platforms have paid and free options.
Also, if you want to learn more, we have an article dedicated to help you with all things grants!
What are the organisation values and how do they relate to the community event?
The values of the organisation or business that is running a community event are very important. Why? Because if the values don’t align to the event, it might need to be changed or restructured.
Understanding what you value makes it easier to plan your event too.
For example, you are a rotary club running a Christmas event. You really value collaboration in your organisation. If you had an event that didn’t bring in local businesses, that isn’t really aligning with your values.
So it might be a good idea to work with local businesses to bring together the event.
Think about the values and reflect if your event is aligned with those values.
If I want to start a community event, what is the first step?
We all have amazing ideas to support our local community, and that has been made pretty clear to me! But often it’s starting that is the hardest part!
The first thing to do when you are thinking of running your own community event is this:
- Do target research: go out in your local community and ask people what they think of your idea! Ask family and friends (as long as it’s not bias 😉 ), anyone and get as much information as possible
- Ask people to help: get people on board to help you bring this vision to life
Most of the time it is about going back to the foundations. Understand the who, what, when, where, why and how of the event you wish to start.
Risk Management, Permits and Legislation
Honestly, this is never the funnest part of organising an event but often the most critical. Need help and guidance? Reach out to your local council.
You’ll find that should your event be in a council facility or public place, event permits, risk assessments and other such documentation to ensure the safety of your event, attendees and the community.
Most councils will have templates or will be able to point you in the right direction.
Final thoughts
Events are an integral part of the community that bring people together to connect and share. Without community events, this connection and collaboration is a challenge.
If you are a community events leader and want more support or a place for more resources to guide you, please reach out. We want to hear from you!