Residents' association

A residents’ association represents the interests of residents in a particular area - normally an estate or group of connecting estates - and can influence local decision making.

Anyone living in the defined area can be a member of the association.

Residents’ associations usually hold monthly committee meetings and at least 4 public meetings a year that are open to all of their members.

Guest speakers are often invited along to talk to members about things of local interest or to promote local services.

The benefits of starting a residents' association include:

• they are more likely to be able to influence change than one individual voice
• they can influence local decision making about things that affect residents
• you can meet and share skills with people from your area that you might otherwise never see
• they help build safer and stronger communities, with residents’ best interests at heart
• they can become the main local body for consultation when we undertake major projects

Set up a residents' association

The Youth and Citizenship team will provide support and guidance to people wanting to set up new groups.

To set up a residents’ association, recognised by Harlow Council, the group needs to:

• cover a specific area and be inclusive of all the people within it, with a record of membership
• aim to improve the quality of life for everyone in the neighbourhood
• have a constitution (including a clear equal opportunities statement)
• have officers, including a chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer, elected annually
• have a community bank account with at least 2 signatories and circulate regular statements to membership

For more information and advice on writing a constitution, read our guide to setting up a residents’ association (pdf)

We offer a small start-up grant to help with opening a bank account and buying essentials. You can apply for this grant online.