Joining or Starting an Self-Reliant Group

Starting Your Own Group: Work with us to build self-reliance in your local community

Every Self-Reliant Group begins when someone in the community spots a local need.

Sometimes that someone is a founding member, who sees a chance to build a group around a certain mission or activity. While other times, they’re a community partner like a church or housing association. They’ll see a social issue like high levels of isolation or poverty, and address it by working with us to start a local group.

We’ve devised a proven system for starting and building new groups. So if you’re looking to bring change in your community, perhaps there’s scope for us to work together?

It begins with an 8-week programme where potential members meet and start to work as a team – building trust and rapport as they explore common interests and values. Then the most committed will start a formal group, supported by one of our Self-Reliant Group Co-ordinators.

The 4 Sides of a Purple Shoots Self-Reliant Group

Members will define the purpose of their group, drawing on these core values:

  • STRONGER TOGETHER: when like-minded people come together, new friendships begin. For members who feel isolated, it can be a new lease of life. Working together, you can always achieve more than you can alone.
  • MAKE MONEY WORK: Every group saves to build a small pot. Then members decide how to use it to benefit everyone. Every group also does something enterprising. Even if it’s just selling a few crafts to pay for tea and coffee, it’s all about taking control.
  • CHANGING YOUR WORLD: Every group has a purpose. If there’s something missing in your life or your community, this is your chance to change it. Whether it’s just new friendships, or a chance to fill a gap for the older or younger people around you, you can do it if you work together.
  • THE WHOLE YOU: all of you matters – the good bits and the bad. Group members put everything in the mix to solve problems and make progress together.

Continuous Support

Every group is fully supported for the first 10 months. There’s training on how to get organised, manage money and find markets for a product or service, so members needn’t feel they’re starting at the deep end.

Then as the group finds its feet, support is still available – but only when it’s asked for, because this is all about self-reliance.

Interested? Just share a few details here

We work with individuals and organisations: housing charities, religious groups, community projects and more. If you’d like to explore options for starting a group together, get in touch below and tell us what you have in mind.

Looking for more information?

Self Reliant FAQ’s

Joining a Self-Reliant Group:

Find a group near you in South Wales or West of England

We currently have Self-Reliant Groups in South West England in Bristol, Cheltenham and Stroud. In South Wales we have groups in Swansea, Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taff and North Cardiff. Have a look at our location page for more detail.

Some groups may have openings for new members and all the groups are happy to talk to people about the experience of being in an Self-Reliant Group.

If you would like to start a new group, Purple Shoots can support you, whether it’s just you, or you already have a group that would like to become a Self-Reliant Group.

Get in touch with us below if you would like to join or start a group and we will put you in touch with your local Self-Reliant Groups Coordinator.

Join a Self-Reliant Group