Be a sponsor for the community. Listen to community feedback. Provide opportunities for people to have their say. Identify community members who voice their ideas while not shouting others down. These people constitute ‘the middle ground’ and are more likely to understand competing demands and conflicting community views.

Introduce the groups mission to wider audience. Be aware of the social, financial and political issues that face the community group’s members and communicate them to other support networks (i.e Government, local media and private funding bodies) in a way that shows commitment to the central values of the community group. Promote the view that a community group is not a management process run by the few within set agendas.

Develop budgets that encourage purpose and pride. Understand the future priorities of the community group. Allocate a non-financial value to these priorities. Fund these priorities with a view to their anticipated outcomes not as a traditional resource hotspot. Decide where the money makes a difference.

Monitor and reconcile the budget. The commitment and abilities of the Board membership to cover hazards and celebrate success in the group’s financial pool is a key responsibility. Assumptions are not evidence. Check the community group’s monthly objectives have not become a financial pitfall. Ask whether future events will be threatened by earlier decisions. The financial morale of the community group is an important focus for the Board.

Prepare a code of conduct. Establish guidelines on ethical Management Committee behaviour in relation to financial responsibility and community resources. Outline accepted ways for the Management Committee to deal with others within the community group and those people who are involved in community based activities.

Accept that the Board are the final decision makers. Be open to counter opinion. Defend the decision rather than attack the opposing view. Explain the decision in terms of how it meets the group’s stated objectives and mission.

Knowledge is not a qualification. Seek the professional services of individuals or groups whose accreditation in their fields provides them with the understand of your community objectives. Explain the pitfalls you want to avoid. Question and frequently check the relevance of professional recommendations to the issue raised.

Represent the group interest not your own. Understand your personal contribution to the Management Committee. Question and discover the common link between the Management Committee’s principles and your beliefs. Finally, understand that individual values can be like jigsaw pieces; work towards defining patterns that form part of the bigger picture.

Increase the membership of the group. Encourage the group to thrive. Recognize that involvement is the key to the group’s future existence. See committed people as a legacy rather than a must do process. Match the stated personal goals of the membership with the groups outlined objectives.

Develop long-term goals. Do not tread water. Swim in a grander pool of ideas. Encourage group members to attend set board meeting to pitch ideas that solve problems. Listen to others who see a problem that you may not currently see. Accept differing viewpoints and investigate alternate ideas. These open exchanges can create both resourceful ideas and risk management awareness benefits.