Forming an FSA affiliated Local Group

Forming an FSA Affiliated Local Group

The Forest School Association welcomes and supports members who wish to form Local Groups affiliated to the FSA. We believe that communication, networking and the sharing of skills are all important in helping the Forest School community support and develop professional practice across the UK.

This page is for members who are interested in exploring whether an FSA Affiliated Local Group might be right for their area.  A useful place to start might be to watch the recording of an FSA Wednesday Webinar facilitated by FSA Local Group reps all about these groups and how to set them up.  You can access the relevant webinar recording here as it is publicly available: https://forestschoolassociation.org/public-archive/

What is an FSA Affiliated Local Group?

An FSA Affiliated Local Group is a geographically based group connected to the FSA, run locally by volunteers and shaped by local needs, interests and capacity. Local Groups bring Forest School practitioners together within an area and often offer a mix of professional, practical and social activity.

Each Local Group is a distinct organisation with its own committee, governance and local flavour. The FSA does not aim to control what Local Groups do. Rather, affiliation creates a shared framework so that groups can operate independently while being connected to the FSA National.

Once a group and the FSA agree to the terms of the Affiliation Agreement, the group becomes officially affiliated and can describe itself as an FSA Affiliated Local Group.

Why do Local Groups matter?

FSA Local Groups can play an important role in reducing isolation and helping practitioners connect with others in their area. They may create opportunities for networking, sharing ideas, visiting sites, learning new skills, building confidence and offering support to one another.

Local Groups vary, but activities may include networking days, skill shares, site visits, CPD events, first aid courses, swap shops, meals or socials, walk and talks, camp outs, AGM meetings, raffles, small grant giving, equipment loans and informal support for newer practitioners.

What does affiliation mean in practice?

Affiliation means that a Local Group agrees to work within the expectations set out in the FSA Local Group Affiliation Agreement. This helps create a shared understanding between the FSA and the group about roles, responsibilities and good practice.

In practical terms, affiliated groups are expected to:

• have an appropriate committee structure
• keep suitable records
• have a constitution and relevant governance arrangements in place
• maintain appropriate insurance and financial arrangements
• avoid clashes with key FSA dates where possible
• use FSA communication channels appropriately, including Basecamp where relevant
• ensure their Local Group Rep attends quarterly FSA meetings and uses Basecamp as part of the communication link with FSA National
• complete an annual declaration each year.

How do you set up a new Local Group?

Setting up a Local Group usually begins with local conversations. Before forming a group, it is sensible to explore whether there is enough shared interest, energy and capacity in an area to make a group useful and sustainable.

A helpful process is:

1. Start chatting

• Have informal discussions within your geographical area about whether a Local Group feels useful and realistic. At this stage, the aim is simply to explore interest and possibility.
• The FSA may be able to help with this. Nell can email FSA members in an area to help connect people where appropriate.

2. Gather information from FSA National

• Contact Nell to request a copy of the FSA Local Group Agreement so that interested people can consider whether affiliation feels right for them.
• You can also request access to relevant Guidance Notes. Current examples include guidance on preparing treasurer’s reports, GDPR, preparing annual reports and near misses. These can help groups understand expectations before deciding whether to proceed.

3. Form a committee

• If there is enough interest, the next stage is to form a committee. This should include, as a minimum:

• Chairperson
• Vice Chair
• Treasurer
• Secretary

4. Decide how the group will work

Before affiliating, groups need to think through practical arrangements such as:

• how people will join your group
• how records will be kept
• how events will be priced
• how communication will happen (e.g WhatsApp, email, website, Facebook page)
• how the group will encourage FSA National membership
• how bookings for events will be managed.

5. Put governance arrangements in place

Groups need suitable governance documents and systems. This will usually include:

• a constitution (FSA National can provide a constitution template to support groups in this process)
• relevant policies
• a bank account
• appropriate insurance
• clear arrangements for storing and sharing documents and information.

6. Affiliate to the FSA

• When the group is ready, it should examine and sign the affiliation agreement, return the agreement and constitution, share the group’s contact details and agree a renewal date linked to its AGM cycle.
• Once this is complete, the group becomes an FSA Affiliated Local Group.

7. Plan activity and enjoy getting going

• Plan and host activities that reflect the needs and interests of the practitioners in your area (e.g. network meetings, CPD, socials, skill shares, camp outs, site visits, walk talks etc.)
• When scheduling events, avoid clashes with FSA National events such as roadshows, symposiums and conferences.
• Keep records and systems organised from the outset so the group can run smoothly.
• Use Basecamp to i) advertise upcoming LG events and ii) share news of your recent LG events in the FSA Newsletter.
• Ensure someone from your LG i) attends 1.5 hour quarterly meetings and ii) responds to posts in Basecamp.

8. Maintain annual requirements

• Arrange and host an AGM (in person or face-to-face).
• Complete and return your Annual Declaration to FSA National to include:

• names/contacts for current committee and Local Group Representative
• AGM date and quarterly meeting attendance
• copy of most recent annual report
• brief summary of the year’s activities
• insurance renewal date
• any near misses and incidents
• up to date public contact details
• confirmation that you have reviewed the affiliation agreement and constitution
• confirmation that the group has a bank account and handles data in line with GDPR

Existing groups considering affiliation

Some groups may already exist as informal networks or as constituted local organisations and may be considering affiliation with the FSA.

In these situations, the overall process is similar. The group should first consider whether affiliation feels right, review the Local Group Affiliation Agreement carefully, and make sure that its governance, committee structure and ways of working are compatible with the expectations of affiliation. Existing groups may need to update documents, agree committee roles clearly and make formal decisions through their own processes before affiliating.

Support from the FSA

The FSA can support people who are exploring the possibility of a Local Group by:

• helping connect interested members in an area
• sharing the Local Group Affiliation Agreement
• providing access to relevant Guidance Notes
• offering a communication route through the Local Group Rep network and Basecamp
• supporting groups through the affiliation process.

Contact us about Local Groups

If you are interested in setting up a new FSA Affiliated Local Group in your area, please contact:

applications@forestschoolassociation.org

You can also find existing FSA Affiliated Local Groups here:

https://forestschoolassociation.org/fsa-affiliated-groups/