Identifying potential members & strategies for outreach and engagement:

You may know some good potential members through friends and family, but recruiting people you don’t know doesn’t need to be costly. Simple phone calls can be really effective, social media can help spread the word. You can also share information through leaflets, and community noticeboards are a great help. Yet bare in mind even if you design a leaflet yourself printing can quickly cost £20.00 to £100.00.

• Phone calls
• Social Media
• Spread information via leaflets and if they are going to use this option, the average leafless cost (PDFs to print off for community notice boards).

Organising and conducting effective meetings:

• The first meetings are critical as if you get them wrong things might stop before you even get started, so it really is worth getting as much help as you can.
• Contact local football clubs & council to see if space available for meetings
• Contact local MPs to see if funding available to facilitate meetings

Building relationships with local fishermen:

• Contact local fisherman’s organisations to get them to put things up and spread information

What we did:

 We blended all of the above methods to connect with fishermen and it created a huge amount of interest to meet and talk together. That said it still took us time to build momentum and form the CIC and we learnt a few key lessons on the way.

Lessons Learned:

1. Informal Meetings: Find a venue that allows for informal meetings. Organize at least two to three meetings before setting a date for a larger workshop. This approach helps build trust and allows fishermen to hear feedback from their peers who have attended previous meetings, making them more likely to participate.
2. Consistent Engagement: Hold monthly meetings to maintain consistent engagement and ensure that fishermen feel their voices are being heard and valued. This regular interaction can help rebuild trust and foster a sense of community and shared purpose.