Community Projects
The Founder Problem: When a Project Cannot Outlive Its Starter
The qualities that get a local project off the ground are frequently the ones that prevent anyone else from running it.
Community Projects
Small local efforts, how they start, and why some of them last.
21 articles · updated August 11, 2026 · page 1 of 2
Community Projects
Why Most Community Projects Stall in Their Second Year
Launch energy is abundant and lasts about eighteen months. What replaces it decides whether anything is still running at year three.
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Community Projects
Starting a Community Group Without Registering Anything
A great deal can be done by a few people with a shared purpose and no legal structure at all. Knowing where that stops matters more…
Community Projects
Finding a Room: The Constraint That Decides Most Local Projects
Access to a suitable space determines what a group can do, when and for whom. It is negotiated early and then shapes everything…
Community Projects
Community Fridges and the Logistics Nobody Sees
A shared fridge redistributing surplus food looks simple and runs on a schedule of collections, checks and records that has to hold…
Community Projects
Why Small Grants Come With Disproportionate Paperwork
A modest local grant can require nearly as much work as a large one. The reasons are structural and there are ways to reduce the…
Community Projects
Opening a Bank Account Is the Hardest Part of Starting a Group
New community groups consistently report the same first obstacle, and it is not funding or volunteers. It is persuading a bank to…
Community Projects
Constitutions, Committees and What They Are Actually For
The governance apparatus of a small group looks like bureaucracy until the first disagreement, at which point it is the only thing…
Community Projects
How Community Gardens Survive Their Third Winter
Growing space attracts volunteers in spring and empties by November. The projects that last have decided in advance what happens in…
Community Projects
Insurance for a Volunteer-Run Activity
Most local groups discover they need cover at the point a venue asks for a certificate. Working out what is actually required takes…
Community Projects
The Difference Between a Group of Neighbours and an Organisation
Informal cooperation and organised delivery answer different problems. Confusing them is why some groups collapse under structure…
Community Projects
Working Out Whether a Local Project Actually Worked
Small groups are asked for evidence they have no capacity to produce. A proportionate approach exists and is more honest than the…