Community Development

Group development

Every group develops at its own pace depending on what it wants to achieve. One size definitely does not fit all. In recognition of this Plum Tree has developed a ten-point scale to help groups assess where they are in terms of their development. By using this tool groups can identify their needs and can then choose which projects they want to start, where to get funding and so on. We call this scale the Gateway.

Gateway
The Gateway tool is applied as follows: a group is at one of the ten stages listed below. The timescales provided are an indication of the time taken for a group to move through the stages e.g. 12 months to get from Stage 1 to Stage 3.

Short Term (12 Months)

Medium Term (18 Months)

Long Term (2 Years)

Stage 1 Low membership but high enthusiasm to create change.

Stage 2 Basic community group structure in place but without clear aims and objectives. Lobbying for change. Membership inconsistent.

Stage 3 Consistent membership and formal committee structure in place. Exploring small grant funding up to £10K.

Stage 4 Group beginning to develop particular focus on projects of interest and developing plans/lobbying for change more vocally. Sourcing grant funding between £10K and £50K. Group looking at their status in terms of best fit for grant funding for example charitable status.

Stage 5 Group experiencing significant increase in membership and running one or two regular projects. Still reliant on volunteer time with some in kind resource from a local stakeholder.

Stage 6 Group running more projects and additional resource required. Existing volunteers may be very stretched by this point to meet demand of their activities and services.

Stage 7 Sourcing funding for part-time staff member to co-ordinate group activities in conjunction with partners, such as council/third sector agency/housing provider.

Stage 8 Group runs regular activities, which are co-ordinated by one or more paid staff members. Core business of the group is still overseen by the committee. Group may be in a position to consider a change in status to assist with grant funding requirements.

Stage 9 Completely independent with long term funding and a robust plan for future development. The group is in a position to develop and deliver their own training and support packages in their community however occasional advice and support may be required on specific projects.

Stage 10 Completely independent with long term funding and a robust plan for future development.

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