What is the role of the start-up committee?

The start-up committee should try and engage a wide variety of skills from within the village. A committee should ideally include some professional people such as an accountant, a solicitor, somebody with retail know-how, marketing skills or project management experience. However don’t forget the importance of enthusiasm and having a group of people willing to get stuck in and do things. Particular skills can always be co-opted in as and when necessary.

When you have identified a committee, it is beneficial to allocate clear roles to each member such as fundraising, budgeting, marketing or legal issues.

Regular meetings are fundamental for driving the project forward and ensuring that everybody is kept up to date and are consulted on key issues.