The City Council defines Community Groups thus:

Community groups differ from voluntary sector organisations. They are generally smaller and run on a voluntary basis to pursue a common interest or tackle a problem that is unique to them. These same groups of people will usually benefit from pursuing and / or solving the problem themselves. Voluntary organisations are generally professionally led, have some paid staff and operate a service that meets a particular need. Voluntary organisations can be local, regional or national, whereas community groups always represent a community of interest that is usually, but not exclusively, within a local geographic area.

Other definitions include:

"A Community Group is a group of people who come together to pursue a common cause or interest for the good of their community. This community can be a geographic area, e.g. Stoke, or a group of people, e.g. Boslemites. They are often run by volunteers, manage themselves and, although they don't necessarily have to have a management committee or set of rules, many do."

or

"A non-profit organisation or association of persons with the primary aim of working to provide services and benefits to the community. A community group may take part in profit-making activities, but the surplus is reinvested in pursuit of the group’s goals. Membership or participation in activities is available to everyone who wishes to join in. Community groups may be special interest or advocacy groups for particular sections of the community, e.g. women, disabled people; or campaign on specific issues, like the environment. But community groups do not impose restrictions such as requiring new members to be recommended by existing members, or setting fees that, effectively, exclude most people who might want to participate."

Community groups that are geared toward citizen action are often termed "community organisations". In these cases, organised community groups seek accountability from elected officials and increased direct representation within decision-making bodies. Where good-faith negotiations fail, these constituency-led organisations seek to pressure the decision-makers through a variety of means, including picketing, boycotting, sit-ins, petitioning, and electoral politics. Some are committed to shielding local communities from government and corporate domination and inordinate influence.

Community organisers generally seek to build groups that are open and democratic in governance. Such groups facilitate and encourage consensus decision-making with a focus on the general health of the community rather than a specific interest group.

Extracts from the Compact are in the white boxes.

The Compact Code of Good Practice aims to promote a better understanding of the community sector and have a positive effect on the way the City Council and Partner Organisations deal with community groups. Community involvement is where local people: Are involved in their own community groups, networks and initiatives; Know what is being planned for in their area and feel they have a say in influencing these plans; Co-operate with schemes and add value through their voluntary effort; Gain experience, develop their own skills and create the community they want; Have ownership of the results and build on them in the future. Community groups may or may not be constituted. Constituted means to have written rules that everyone within the group abides by. Dependent on how the group is organised they may have a volunteer committee that abides by the written rules and makes decisions on behalf of the group, or have the support of the group to make decisions on their behalf where there are no written rules for guidance.

Stoke-on-Trent has fallen down on four of the bulleted points above:

1. Local people do not know what is being planned for in their area or feel they have a say in influencing these plans - refer to the Schools reorganisation plans or to RENEW's efforts in the area.
2. Local people have not been allowed to co-operate with schemes and add value through their voluntary effort - we are told what is going to happen before any "consultation" takes place, and that is what happens (Schools and RENEW).
3. Local people have not been permitted to create the community they want - possible Academies in Stoke and RENEW again.
4. Local people do not have ownership of the results and so will not necessarily want to build on them in the future - if the people have not been properly consulted, or listened to, they have no ownership of any project, so see no reason to continue with maintaining the project into the future.

The School reorganisation plans and the RENEW programme have practically and conclusively proved that Stoke-on-Trent City Council, with its present form of governance, has absolutely no idea about Community involvement. In fact, they don't even bother to pay more than lip service to it! There are, of course, many other examples of the Council hierarchy totally ignoring the Community's needs and wishes.

Seeing these words in print makes one wonder if those who control the Council have any idea what they are actually committing themselves to.
Let us take the second point. "Develop an influential community, which is consulted and has a strong voice in decisions that affect its interest". Has any Community in Stoke-on-Trent had a strong voice in decisions made by RENEW? Was any Community consulted before the proposals for the closure of the Dimensions Splash Pool, the City Farm and the Bowling Greens were announced in the 2008 budget? Has the Burslem Community been properly consulted about the future of their Indoor Market, of the Wedgwood Institute or of their town centre? We have seen and heard numerous representations to those in "power" about the Indoor Market and about retail in Burslem. Has anything been done that suggests to the Community that they have any influence whatsoever?

Unfortunately, the answer to all the questions above is NO!

The third point states that the help available to residents to get together to tackle local issues and interests should be increased ...

There is also a commitment to support groups that deal with issues highlighted by local people. The Council's answer to this undertaking was to threaten the Hands off Haywood High group with legal action for libel! Some support.

City Council and Partner Organisation Commitments The City Council and Partner Organisations undertake: To support the culture of active citizenship by raising expectations and the communities understanding of the kinds of activity open to them; To support the increase in the ability of excluded people to form and or take part in community groups and activities; To support the creation of the right physical conditions to make it easy for people to take part in meetings by choosing a natural meeting place that is accessible to all, creating an atmosphere of trust and safety; To increase its ability to involve local people in decision-making; To recognise that successful regeneration schemes need local people to be actively involved throughout the scheme, to take ownership on completion and to develop and sustain it for the future; To value the work knowledge and expertise of the Community Sector.