Why You Should Join a Community Networking Group

Why you should join a community networking group

Sandwell Networkers Group is a collection of organisations with the shared goal of ‘making a difference in the lives of people of Sandwell’. However, during Covid-19  they were forced to hold their meetings online for the first time. Quickly they realised they were unable to afford the hefty Zoom fee. Aspire4u stepped in, offering to host the meetings, and a partnership was born. Having seen the positive outcomes networking groups first-hand, we thought we would share some of the benefits of these groups for community organisations.

Benefits for Community Organisations:

•  Find organisations that can complement your own. Whether that be through sharing knowledge, skills, staff or a social media platform. ‘It takes a village’ can definitely apply to more than children!
•  Receive support and encouragement from people in a similar position to you. This is valuable during times of crisis such as the coronavirus pandemic.
•  Spreading the word about your organisation. No matter which organisation you represent – everyone within the network will know who you are and what you do. Groups can be used as an explicit (and free) advertising opportunity, or ongoing promotion of your work to the people actively interested in hearing about it.
•  Individuals can discover which resources are available to them. Including charities, training courses, mental health support, facilities, employment opportunities, the list goes on!
• Diversify your organisation. People may want to join your organisation that otherwise would never have heard of it! This is a sure-fire method to include more people from minority groups and subsequently represent your community more effectively.

Having been part of the Sandwell group for a few months, Aspire4u are currently looking to expand into additional Black Country networks – if this is something that may benefit your organisation, please do get in touch!

Written by Alison Fulop

For Aspire4u CIC,
The Mindset-led Organisation.
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We are a not for profit community engagement organisation. We use the arts to develop mindsets to improve well-being, foster financial literacy and give people employability skills.

Lastly, you can contact hello@aspire4u.co.uk to discuss our current opportunities.