Community Steering Group

Barking & Dagenham Giving is a local funder that believes that the people affected by funding decisions should be making those decisions.
Over the last 18 months, local people have worked with us to make decisions about how we distributed around £200,000 to local causes.
We have new flagship projects that are a much bigger scale than anything we have done before so we want to draw on the knowledge and experience of local people more formally to ensure we get things right.
We are creating a Community Steering Group of people from across the borough to help us change the future of funding in Barking & Dagenham.
Could you be one of them?
What will the Community Steering Group do?
- Meet once a month to co-design the investment policy for our new community endowment fund, as well as the framework for our other funds.
- Draw on their experience of Barking & Dagenham to shape the funds.
- Use decision-making techniques and tools to find a way forward that includes all voices in the group.
- Be accountable to the community for the decisions they make together.

What will you get from taking part?
This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference to your borough.
- Training and support around group decision-making, community engagement, and understanding finances.
- Skills development that could be transferred into your personal or professional life.
- Power to shape what gets funded in Barking and Dagenham.
- Networking with a diverse group of people who care about Barking & Dagenham.
- Be involved in a unique, new funding model that could put B&D on the map for community investment.
- Insight into charitable funding processes.
- Fair recognition for the contribution you make to the group (see next section)

... and more rewards
Pay it forward
You can nominate another local charity and we will make a donation to them in your name.
With this option, your work on the CSG will go twice as far in the local community.
Catalyst
We will pay for something on your behalf, to compensate you for the time you spend working as part of the CSG.
This might be an item, shopping vouchers, or an experience like dance lessons.
Cash
You also have the option to have your participation costs covered directly via bank transfer.
Please note that, with this option, you may be liable to pay tax and any benefits you are on could be effected. Make sure to check in advance how this would impact you.
Am I eligible?
In order to be eligible to join the steering group, you must:
- Have a current connection to Barking & Dagenham
- Be at least 18 years old on 14 September 2021
- Have the right to work in the UK
- Be able to commit to 6-7 hours a month until the end of June 2022, including one monthly evening meeting (these will initially be online but may move in-person at some point)
We want the board to represent the whole borough so we are looking for a diverse range of people – if you meet these criteria, we want to hear from you

You're interested – what next?

If you have any questions, come to our 30-minute drop-in session on 23 September at 5:30pm. Click the button on the right to register your interest.
You can also email cameron@bdgiving.org.uk or call/text/WhatsApp 07756 227 491.

Anyone wishing to apply must first attend our launch event on Tuesday 5 October 5:30pm – 7:00pm. To register for that, click the orange button.

You’ll then be sent a follow-up email after the event with a link to the application form. This won’t be open until Wednesday 6 October.