Residents Forums

How to set up a Residents Forum in your area.

If you want to make a real difference to where you live you can join your local Resident Forums. If you do not have one, why not take the lead and set one up. It's very easy and they are great for promoting community spirit, tolerance and cooperation amongst residents.

What is a Residents Forum?

Resident Forums or Tenants' & Residents' Associations are made up of local volunteers who represent tenants, leaseholders and residents living in their neighbourhoods. They are vital for participation and the decision making process.

Setting up a Resident Forum is probably the most traditional way of getting involved in your local area. They are groups with a constitution that represent a particular area, perhaps a block, street or whole estate. Each group has a committee made up of a chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer and committee members drawn from the local community.

The forums work closely with local residents, the Council and other agencies to ensure that residents' views on their neighbourhood are fully represented and that tenants are involved in decisions which affect them. Exeter City Council provides practical support and administers funding for Forums

Where is my Local Residents Forum?

The Beacon Forum.A forum that meets Mondays, 7pm at the Beacon Church on a quarterly basis throughout the year. This is a really proactive group that looks at the neighbourhood surrounding Beacon Heath, allowing residents to have their say on issues that affect them.

The North Whipton Forum. A forum that meets on a quarterly basis at the Whipton Junior School. This forum is shared with the Police PACT programme and discusses all issues within the North Whipton area.

The Whipton Village Forum. A forum that meets on a quarterly basis at the Whipton Village Community Hall. This forum discusses all issues within the Whipton village area.

The Knights Place Forum. This forum discusses issues with Knights Place.

Why set up a Residents Forum?

There are many reasons for setting up a forum in your area:

• You will be able to focus attention on local issues
• You may be able to improve local facilities
• You are far more likely to get your views heard if they are expressed by a group rather than by an individual
• It creates a channel for information to be fed to the council, police and other agencies
• Having an Association improves your ability to influence council policy
• An Association can bring a community together and get people talking to each other
• For organising community activities and social events e.g. children's fun days, car boot sales, coffee mornings, day trips etc.

Ultimately it can make your area a better place to live and increase the sense of community. 

How do I set up a Residents Forum?

To create a successful Residents Forum you will need to find out if other people in your area feel the same.

You might wish to do the following:

• Speak to your neighbours to find out what their views are. You could do this by knocking on doors, speaking to residents at your local church or shops or asking people out and about in your street. Do not be disheartened if others do not agree with you or are not interested, this will change once they begin to see results.

• Speak to your Neighbourhood Officer and Resident Involvement Manager. Your Neighbourhood Officer will know what the local issues are and may wish to attend meetings. The Housing Resident Involvement Manager can help you set up a simple survey to find out what residents in your area think.

To find out who your Neighbourhood Officer is, please phone Neighbourhood Management on 01392 265033.

• Plan a meeting and invite your neighbours. It is important to hold your meeting at a local public venue so everyone can attend. Early evening is a good time as it allows those that work to come along too. Set aside some time to produce a flyer advertising your meeting and drop this into every house in your area.

It is a good idea to invite your neighbourhood Officer, the Housing Resident Involvement Manager and local Councillors.

To find out who your local Councillors are, please see Councillors and Council meetings - your city councillors.

• Hold your meeting. The meeting should be run in a friendly way. Let everyone introduce themselves and keep a record of who attends. You should ask a neighbour beforehand to take notes so you have a record of discussions. Explain to everyone what you hope to achieve by setting up a Residents Forum and discuss what the priorities are for your area. You might like to ask for volunteers to help you set up the group. Your first meeting should end with a commitment to hold a full public meeting in order to make the group official.

• Plan your public group meeting. You should meet with everyone who volunteered to help set up the association. Consider the venue and time of your official Residents Forum carefully - you need to make sure it is accessible and does not exclude anyone. Again, you may wish to invite your Neighbourhood Officer, the Housing Resident Involvement Manager and local Councillors. You should also draft a constitution and code of conduct. This should be agreed on at your public meeting.

• Hold your public meeting. At your first public meeting, the officers of the Residents Forum such as the chairperson, secretary, treasurer etc. should be elected and the constitution agreed.

For further information about setting up a Tenants and Residents Association or Community Forum please read the  Tenants and Residents Association and Community Forums Starter Pack [136kb].

If you require help with any of the above, please contact the Housing Resident Involvement Manager on 01392 265738.