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About this resource
For anyone who supports, runs (or plans to run) a small community group in Hertfordshire
Over the past fifty years, communities have undergone an unprecedented transformation: our families are often scattered across the world, jobs are rarely more than temporary, our communities are transitory, and most of our relationships are merely transactional. Voluntary associations are squeezed out by over-regulation and Business and Government are slowly taking over more and more of the spaces that used to be occupied by informal societies and organisations.
We live in a world of Big Government and Big Corporations and those running small voluntary organisations are fighting back to restore and build human values and human relationships. Puddingstone celebrates and supports your heroic work.
At Puddingstone, we know the problems and challenges of red tape, fundraising, finding venues or accommodation, inspiring volunteers, managing risks and liabilities, accounting, dealing with regulators and seeking sustainability … and all this while you really want to focus on planning and delivering your chosen project.
The bad news
Whatever the words of politicians and business leaders, we live in a world that does not understand or value the idea of community - and thoughtless bureaucracy has created a hostile environment for grassroots community organisations. The impending bonus threat of AI will not improve things.
The good news
We are still human. We are still neighbours. We are still free to come together and develop our own relations, networks and organisations to pursue whatever goals we agree. There are still challenges and hurdles but we can share skills, build connections, make our communities stronger - and perhaps take back a sliver of the territory gobbled up by Big Government and Big Business.
At Puddingstone ...
We believe your engagement and activity makes the world a better place and we want to support you. We will:
- Create and share news and resources to help you manage your community activities (see attached a summary of the support available for charities and community organisations in Hertfordshire)
- Link people together to share problems, skills and solutions (see our Forums here)
- Host a monthly online surgery or informal network so people can ask questions and share solutions (see our calendar of Events for the Puddingstone Community Forums held on the third Wednesday of every month)
- Offer a (free, but limited) “research and resolve” service to help find the solutions you need (join a Puddingstone Community Forum to discuss)
