Set up a
Local Welcome
Group
Local Welcome groups are run by small teams of amazing people on the ground, we call them ‘Leaders’. Leaders are supported by Local Welcome’s small staff team and the resources they develop. Members and supporters make regular donations to fund their group’s local and support costs.
If you’re interested in helping set up a Local Welcome group you’ve come to the right place! This page takes you through all these details:
How Local Welcome will support you
Your commitments as a Local Welcome leader
How much it costs to run a group, and where the money comes from
The benefits your future Local Welcome group could bring to its members and you, as a leader!
What help will I get as a leader?
All the resources to run meals
We’ll provide a leader handbook stuffed full of information designed to support you in not only launching, but also growing your group. Some of the many useful resources it includes are:
Advice on finding the perfect home for your Local Welcome group
Guidance for connecting with local partners (e.g. refugee support charities)
A catalogue of tried and tested Local Welcome recipes, including some submitted by other groups!
Promotional materials for your group (e.g. posters)
We’ll send a starter kit of cooking equipment to your group ready for your first meal
Staff support to keep things running smoothly, safely and securely
We’ll provide you with On-call support whenever you’re running a meal
We’ll set up and maintain digital systems to help your group run smoothly:
Pre-paid Soldo card for buying ingredients for your meal
Meal booking forms
A booking page for your group’s meals which we’ll update monthly
Monthly invitation emails to your group’s mailing list (plus confirmation and reminder emails/SMS)
We’ll review feedback from you and your group members, and debrief your meals monthly. We’ll use this feedback to support you in growing your group and helping you make your meals as smooth running and magical as possible.
We’ll provide you and all other leaders with our bespoke safeguarding training, and organise all your DBS checks
We’ll cover your group with our insurance and associated policies (e.g. risk assessments etc.)
Belonging and connections within a national movement
Weekly leader check-ins with a member of the Local Welcome staff team
Weeknotes to help keep you in the loop with everything going on at Local Welcome, and for the team to share openly with leaders about how it’s spending its support time
Access to a Local Welcome UK WhatsApp group where you can connect with other leaders and exchange advice
What will be expected of me as a leader?
Essential Commitments
Completing a DBS check and our online safeguarding training (plus committing to identifying and reporting and safeguarding concerns that arise at meals)
Committing 4-6 hours a month - 4 hours per meal and up to 2 hours for prep before and sharing feedback afterwards (it’s okay if you can’t commit to running a monthly meal). Meals run on the first Saturday or Sunday on the month.
Remaining in touch with the Local Welcome team (this is primarily via WhatsApp) on group matters - e.g. reporting any safety incidents
Supporting your group with monthly planning - e.g. ‘what are we going to cook this month?’
Helping submit feedback to Local Welcome after each meal
(Ideal) Extra Contributions
Our leaders find it works best when they share these tasks between themselves, so everyone can play to their own strengths:
Connecting with local partners and attending their services to help invite people to meals (we find this works best!) - e.g. by attending a local refugee support drop-in centre
Taking a lead on venue relationships (we find this works best when it’s managed locally)
Engaging with your group’s community to help it grow - e.g. by inviting people to sign up as members, encouraging them to donate if they can afford to
Taking photos at meals, gathering photo consent for them, and sharing them with Local Welcome
Opting to be your group’s Soldo (pre-paid) cardholder and leading on organising monthly grocery shops
Attending weekly leader check-ins
Connecting with other leaders in our National Leader Whatsapp group
Contributing to Local Welcome’s fundraising bids for your group
What does this cost?
We support teams of leaders in organising donations from your local community through monthly payments. Some of these will be people who want to get involved as a member of your group, others might be people who aren’t time-rich enough to take part, but love the idea and want to support your group.
It’s important to remember that paying a monthly donation is not a requirement to take part in Local Welcome meals. However, we do have a vision to become a member-funded organisation so those who can afford it are encouraged to contribute.
The numbers in more detail
Local Welcome apportions all group donations 50-50:
Half pays for the local costs of your group (food, venue, advertising); and
Half pays for its support costs (on-call staff support, insurances, etc).
Our aim is to have all groups raising £300 per month in donations from members and supporters after 6-12 months.
The context for this is, to be sustainable, an average group needs to be bringing in £50 for food, £75 for venue, £25 for advertising, and £150 for ongoing support costs.
We won’t expect you to reach £300/month straight away though - your first target is £50/month, and then let’s go from there! We want your group to have the time it needs to grow (after all, impact is important to us), so we’ll cover the additional costs whilst your new group gets up and running.
What do current group members say?
Our Leaders…
83% leaders feel they have provided more direct support to refugees
88% of leaders believe their group is making a difference in the local community
100% say LW provides valuable support and guidance
94% feel they are supported to take decisions in the best interests of their group
“First time nervous. Now I can just do it without thinking.”
“It creates a definite feeling of empowerment to know that we are not an isolated group but part of a larger force for positivity and change.”
“Local Welcome are there when we need them”
Our members…
83% of members feel more confident after attending LW meals
91% feel more positive after attending LW meals
90% of members looking to improve their English do so
75% of members feel more at home in their community by attending LW meals
78% feel their group is making a difference in their local area
“I’m retired and moved to Norwich and this has been a great way to integrate and meet new people”
“Meeting others from my community, talking, cooking, eating and cleaning together let me feel more happy.”
“My family love to attend these meals to feel connected to the community and to share experiences with people we might not ordinarily meet.”