For more information on how to go about arranging a first meeting, please see page seven of this guide. But it's worthwhile to spend a few minutes thinking about what attributes may help make a strong and effective local group, both for new and existing groups affiliated to The Equality Trust.

• active 

• inclusive and democratic

• empowering & enthusiastic

• creative

• organised

• in regular contact with each other

• strategic

• fun & enjoyable

Structure and Democracy

We believe that campaign groups are at their best when they are accessible, open to all and democratic. You might want to think about how your local group can avoid building up hierarchies by holding inclusive meetings (see appendix two) and by coming to democratic decisions (for example via consensus-decision making). Although you may have put in an awful amount of work just to get to the first meeting, it's important to be aware that hierarchical structures can be alienating: if prospective members come to a meeting and sense that they're not involved with taking decisions and that all the important "responsibilities" have already been delegated they may not be coming back again. Don't be afraid to give new members the chance to take on lots of responsibility; this can be tremendously empowering for many people. By all means elect somebody as a "media co-ordinator" or "communication co-ordinator" if your group deems this appropriate but ensure that the structure of your group doesn't reinforce inequalities when it aims to campaign against them.

Strategy

Although it's important to be ambitious and confident it helps also to think realistically about what your group can achieve. Consider the time-frames of each part of your campaigns and actions and gauge what is possible with your resources. To eliminate income inequality in your local area within 12 months may not be realistic! Instead you could focus on lobbying local politicians, awareness raising events, building links in your community, or organising a social for your members.

Most importantly, don't be disheartened if you feel not enough people are getting involved or you're making what seems to be slow progress; remember what the anthropologist Margaret Mead famously said:

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.