The process of a Community Asset Transfer involves many different aspects and phases, which require different skills, can often be complicated, and take time particularly if any building work is involved.
It’s therefore important that your organisation gets a dedicated project team together with a range of skills and experiences to help you progress through the stages and avoid relying on just a few individuals to share the responsibility and additional workload.
The range of tasks that are likely to need completing during the Community Asset Transfer process can include:
- negotiating with the local authority
- engaging with the wider community
- developing your vision
- creating a business plan
- budgeting and cash flow forecasting
- checking leases and agreements
- amending governing documents or the legal structure of your organisation
- marketing and communications
- appointing and liaising with professionals such as architects, surveyors, and consultants
- reviewing the structure and state of the asset and facilities
- fundraising and arranging external finance.
Consider what skills you already have within your organisation and what you need. Undertaking a skills audit, with your members, volunteers and any parents or carers to help determine the skills you already have and any gaps.
Once you have identified any gaps you will need to fill these, which could involve recruiting new volunteers, providing training, identifying potential partners to support or hiring professionals.
You may be able to access funding to help you pay for any professional help that you need, or contact your local council for voluntary service, who can help you find volunteers with specialist skills.