How do you set up a charity??

[jofeb04]

Interested in setting up a charity, for premature babys in my local area (as my bm has had her baby, at 27weeks, hes fine now, only 6months old, but hes perfect in every way), but like any hospital, they dont have much money. So we are trying to think of a way to set up a charity. We also want to set up a local meeting place to allow these families, and also ones with Post Natel Depression in the local area once a week (as we live in a valley, theres no town with these type of groups etc).
Ay advice,
Thanks

[SueW]

Do they have something affiliated to the hospital already that you could use instead of setting up something new? E.g. a League of Friends for fundraising?

Or you could talk to \link{http://www.bliss.org.uk/\Bliss
} about setting up local support.

ALso see if you can find a local Council for VOluntary Service (CVS) as they should be able to help you out if you go ahead with formalising the group and need to set up bank accounts, rules, trustees,

And look \link{http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications/cc21.asp\here}

[Bucketsofdinosaurs]

I would definitely try and piggyback someone else's existing work as Sue suggested, no point duplicating all the hard initial work and research. Off the top of my head it might be easiest to set up the group as an offshoot of your local NCT branch (no matter how wide an area it covers), that way you represent a recognised charity and and will get lots of support from other people who have set up their own groups as well as maybe some funding contribution and advertising in their newsletter. I guess it would be polite to join up if you're not a member but hey, they do good work

[jofeb04]

Hiya
Thanks for all the info.
Ive looked at the Bliss website, and think this is one of the ways i will look into.
Im also thinking of setting up a charity to help women and their families who suffer with PND.

What do you think?

[mummydear]

Regrading your charity for prem babaies at your local hospital , have a look at this charity. It is for the Neo natal unit at our local hospital.

You could always contact them and ask their advice.

Good luck

borntoosoon.org.uk no good at links I'm afraid.

[morningpaper]

Contact the Charity Commission

[SueW]

For PND try \link{http://www.mama.co.uk/\MAMA}

It often seems to me that there are so many charities with similar aims e.g. for breastfeeding there is LLL, Breastfeeding Network, Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, NCT and no doubt others and altho I know they all come at it from slightly different angles, there is so much effort and cash taken up for administration in each organisation when maybe they could accomplish so much more if combined.

Also if you go it alone there are so many legal things to think about - public liability, copyright, handling of money, trustees, etc - so to go in with a ready-established group takes all that hassle away from you.