Civic Voice is asking both current member societies, and organisations not currently members, for views on what to prioritise as the charity develops a new member offer.
New Chief Executive Rob Hattersley said: ‘Civic Voice recognises that it must provide a valuable set of benefits to local societies so that membership is seen as an essential investment in growth and impact, rather than an optional cost.’
‘To do that, we need to know what local societies really require from Civic Voice as the national membership body’, he added.
Areas for development have been split into those Civic Voice thinks it can deliver in the immediate future, and those which will require work over the medium term. These include support and advice, online seminars and workshops, a members online forum, new regional and topical networks, practical systems support, and support for engaging harder to reach audiences. A full breakdown of the proposed new offer can be viewed here.
The results of the survey will be used to prioritise development, bearing in mind current limited resources. Some ideas may be postponed or dropped if not deemed useful, and others may be added if they are popular but not already included.
The survey closes at the end of May 2025 and a summary of findings will be published on the website and newsletter. Civic Voice welcomes responses from any active member of a civic or amenity society in England. The society does not need to be a current Civic Voice member, and multiple responses are acceptable from the same organisation as individuals may have different views.