Involvement & engagement

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4. Set up a Residents’ Association

A residents’ association is a group of people who live in the same area and work together to improve their neighbourhood and represent local views.

Residents’ associations can:

  • raise shared issues that affect the area
  • campaign for improvements
  • organise community activities
  • help shape council policies and services

They are not for dealing with individual tenancy issues or neighbour disputes. These should be raised with your Housing Officer.

Getting started

  1. Talk to your neighbours
    Find out who is interested by chatting locally, knocking on doors or using social media. We can help with surveys, printing and posting.
  2. Arrange a first meeting
    • choose a time that works for most people (early evening is often best)
    • pick a local, accessible venue
    • invite all residents in the area

We can help with venue costs and planning.

  1. Spread the word
    Use flyers, posters or neighbourhood apps. You may also want to invite your Housing Officer, councillors or local community officers.
  2. Check there’s enough support
  • 20+ homes: at least 25% of households should be members
  • 10–20 homes: at least 50% of households

If there isn’t enough interest, you can still run an informal group.

Running the association

To operate formally, your group will need:

  • a constitution (rules for how the group runs)
  • an elected committee (Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Secretary)
  • regular meetings with agendas and minutes
  • an Annual General Meeting (AGM) each year

If you plan to apply for funding, you will also need:

  • a bank account
  • basic financial records
  • a diversity and inclusion statement

We can provide templates and guidance for all of this.

Funding and fundraising

Money can help cover costs such as meetings, events and publicity.

You can raise funds by:

  • running local events
  • applying for grants once your group is set up

You may be able to apply for Exeter City Council community grants

How we can help

Exeter City Council can support you by:

  • helping you plan your first meeting
  • covering initial venue costs
  • providing example constitutions, surveys and publicity materials
  • offering advice on funding and inclusion
  • attending meetings if needed

Contact us

If you’d like help setting up a residents’ association or want more information, contact the Housing Community Initiatives team.