(Focus Groups are known as House Meetings in Community Organising speak.....)
What is a house meeting?
A house meeting is a small-group conversation where members of an organisation come together to share the issues that matter most to them. It’s a space to reflect on whether they are ready to invest their time and energy into addressing those concerns.
Why do we run house meetings?
- To identify new and emerging leaders.
- To surface concerns or issues that may not yet be visible.
- To spark collective curiosity about what could be possible.
These conversations help us dream beyond complaints and begin imagining meaningful change.
Why are we holding house meetings about our priority campaigns?
Good organising starts with deep listening. House meetings help ensure our campaigns are shaped by what students actually experience and care about, not what we assume they feel.
This meeting is not a space to choose actions or solutions yet. Instead, the aim is to build a shared understanding of the issue by listening to the stories, motivations, and concerns of everyone in the room. This helps ensure any campaign we create genuinely reflects the needs of those affected.
What happens next?
After the meeting, you’ll have several ways to stay involved. You may choose to:
- Join a Community Action Group and get more hands-on,
- Stay lightly involved and keep up to date from a distance, or
- Step into a leadership role within your community, even if not directly connected to the priority campaigns.
This first step is all about building clarity, trust, and alignment before moving into any planning of actions or strategy. Your voice at this stage is essential, and we’re really looking forward to hearing from you.
This meeting is in person as it helps us build trust and connection more easily. If you would like to join from Burnley or Westlakes campuses, and/or have access needs, please let us know by emailing sucommunities@lancashire.ac.uk.
Get a free ticket to register your attendance.