Mission, Vision & Values

Purpose:

These three components define an organisation's purpose.
Vision: Describes the desired future.
Mission: Explains what the organisation does to achieve the vision.
Values: Describe how the organisation works and its core beliefs.

Think about why you want to start the group, not just what activities you want to do.

Define what you want to achieve, not how. Focus on outcomes like reducing loneliness or relieving stress.

Why use them?

Benefits:

Provides a long-term view.
Unites the organisation with a common purpose.
Clearly communicates the organisation's purpose to stakeholders.
Creates a foundation for strategy development.

Limitations:

Terminology can vary and cause confusion.

When to use them

Review vision and values every 8-10 years, and mission every 3-5 years.

How to develop them:

Involve everyone in the organisation, led by trustees.

A good vision:

Describes the desired future.
Inspires enthusiasm and commitment.
Is easily understood and aligns with the mission.

Assessing the Need:

Ask the community what they need through surveys or social media.
Check local statistics for additional insights.
Use this information to plan activities that fit your resources.

What are you going to do?

Consider the needs and schedules of the people you want to help.
Think about transport and safety.
Ensure activities match your mission and are suitable for your audience.

Creating a Forward Plan:

Be patient; the first 6-9 months are the hardest.
Gather feedback from users, volunteers, and committee members.
Plan how to grow and develop activities over time.
Consider future needs for money, resources, and team members.

A good mission statement:

States who you are, what you do, why you do it, how you do it, and why you exist.
It is clear, short, inspiring, realistic, and outcome focused.
Aligns with charitable objectives.

Feature values:

Reflect beliefs and principles.
Govern organisational behaviour.
Consistent with vision and mission.