An organisers guide to running a green open homes event

An organisers guide to

running a green open

homes event

Contents

Getting started

Planning a Green Open Homes event Choosing a Green Open Homes approach Getting the experts in Making your Green Open Homes event relevant and inclusive Funding your open homes event Securing sponsorship for Green Open Homes events

Legals and insurance

Insurance and risk management for an open homes event Adopting a legal structure for your organisation

Hosts and volunteers

Recruiting and supporting open homes hosts Recruiting and supporting volunteers Guide for open home hosts Guide for volunteers

Marketing and publicity

Marketing your event Creating a map for your green open homes event

Increasing your impact

Why green open homes events work Open Homes and the Green Deal

Monitoring and evaluation

Using questionnaires for open homes events - guidance Template questionnaire (A4)

More help and support

www.greenopenhomes.net

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/support-for-organisers/getting-started

http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/planning_an_open_homes_event.pdf

http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/choosing_an_open_homes_approach.pdf

http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/getting_the_experts_in.pdf

http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/making_your_GOH_event_relevant_inclusive.pdf

http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/funding_your_open_homes_event.pdf

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/securing_sponsorship.pdf

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/support-for-organisers/legals-and-insurance

http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/insurance_and_risk_management.pdf

http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/adopting_a_legal_structure.pdf

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/support-for-organisers/recruiting-hosts-and-volunteers

http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/recruiting_and_supporting_open_home_hosts.pdf



http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/guide_for_open_home_hosts.pdf

http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/guide_for_volunteers.pdf

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/support-for-organisers/marketing-and-publicity

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/marketing_your_event.pdf

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/Creating%20a%20map%20for%20your%20green%20open%20homes%20event.pdf

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/support-for-organisers/increasing-your-impact

http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/why_open_homes_events_work%281%29.pdf

http://dev.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/open_homes_and_the_green_deal.pdf

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/support-for-organisers/monitoring-and-evaluation

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/monitoring_evaluation.pdf

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/downloads/file/questionnaire.pdf

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/

Green Open Homes | www.greenopenhomes.net

Planning an open homes event

If you plan to organise a green open homes event,this guide is a good place to start. It is set out in foursections which you can also use as a checklist forplanning your event:

1) Getting started£ Aims£ Target audience£ Type of event£ Geographical focus £ Set a date

2) Resources£ Core group£ Time£ Volunteers £ Expertise£ Money

3) Organising the event£ Meetings£ Sub groups and steering groups£ Timetable and task list £ Fundraising £ Publicity and marketing£ Finding homes£ Recruiting volunteers£ Turning visits into action£ Managing risk£ Monitoring and evaluation

4) Follow up£ Review£ Write up£ Thanks

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Green open homes events are afantastic way to showcase energysaving improvements people havemade to their houses andencouraging others to follow suit.


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1) Getting startedYou’ll probably start with a meeting or discussion,with a few people who are interested in running anopen homes event. There are some key decisions youcan make straight away, including (if possible)setting a date. You could use these ‘why-who-what-where-when’ questions to help get the ball rolling.

Why do you want to run a green open homes event?Have a good think about exactly why you want to doit and what you want to achieve. Then set someconcrete goals, such as visitor numbers, number ofhomes involved, or the number of people who saythey’ll make home improvements as a result. It’smuch easier to work towards a defined goal.

We recommend the PlanLoCaL video on ‘Runningan open homes event’ as essential viewing for anyonewanting to get an overview of what’s involved:http://youtu.be/onUufFrwI-U.

Who is your target audience?In other words, what sort of people do you want tocome to your event? You could aim to involve peoplefrom across your whole community, or you may havea specific target group in mind. Bear your audiencein mind throughout your planning as it will affecteverything from the type of homes you want toshowcase through to the wording on your leaflets.

Marketing an open homes event is discussed in moredetail in the resource ‘Marketing your event’.

What scale and type of event?How long do you want it to be, how many buildingswould you like to include and how big an area do youwant to cover? It’s good to think through questionsof scale at the beginning so you can set realistictargets and make sure you’re all on the same page.Obviously for larger events you’ll need to scale upthe level of time, person days, planning andorganisation needed.

What type of event will work best in yourcommunity? Which would be easiest for your coregroup to deliver? You could run a bus tour, drop-ins,an appointment system or a combination of these.There are pros and cons to weigh up.

See the resource on ‘Choosing an Open HomesApproach’.

Where will your event be? The area you concentrate on could depend on thesort of houses you want to feature, the type ofcommunity you live in, the size of the population...and your ambition. Remember that people live indifferent types of housing, with different tenures(homeowners, private tenants, council housing).Including a range of homes will make the eventrelevant to a wider audience because they’ll be ableto visit a home like theirs. You could extend youropen homes event to non-residential buildings toadd interest.

See the resource on ‘Making open homes eventsrelevant and inclusive’

“Limit the number of sexy new-build homes as thesedetract from the far more important retrofits.” | ChrisBird, Transition Town Totnes

When is the best time to hold an event? Get a date in the diary early on and make sure youallow enough time to organise the event well. Thinkabout your target audience and when visitors aremost likely to be able to come, as well as what willwork best for your open homes hosts.

You may want to plan your event to coincide withother events. This has advantages (for example, youmay be able to piggy-back on the publicity) anddisadvantages (people may be drawn to eventselsewhere). Consider the time of year – experiencefrom other events suggests that autumn and springevents attract the most visitors.

“Just go for it - and allow more time than you think!” |James Smith, Shrewsbury Green Doors


2) ResourcesNext, look at your resources. You’ll need a goodgroup of people, some money and quite a lot of time.

Core groupFrom the start you’ll need a core organising group.Be realistic about what time and expertise this groupcan give, and consider looking for extra support tohelp share out the work. Now may also be a goodtime to consider whether you need to adopt a moreformal legal structure for your group.

Resource: ‘Adopting a legal structure’

TimeIt will help your planning if you are clear from thestart about available time. Are you all going to beworking on the event alongside jobs, families andother commitments? Run a quick reality check onhow long things will take and how much time youare really able to give. The event is likely to takemore time than you think.

VolunteersAn active group of additional volunteers can reallyhelp with the smooth running of your open homesevent – for example helping with promotion or asevent stewards.

“Eco Homes is very time-consuming to organise.Dedicated help is a must.” | Helen Fairweather,Lightfoot Enterprises

ExpertiseYou don’t have to do it all alone. Expert support foryour event could come from a variety of sources suchas your local authority, groups that have done openhomes events before, or an energy advice agency.They could help with fundraising, providingtechnical expertise, marketing or putting you intouch with volunteers.

See our resource ‘Getting the experts in’.

MoneyEven the smallest events will need some level offunding to cover publicity materials, volunteerexpenses and insurance. Setting out a basic budget isan important part of the planning process, and willbe useful when it comes to fundraising.

3) Organising the eventGood planning is crucial for a successful event but ifyou have worked through the first two sections aboveyou are already well on your way. You may need torevisit your plans a few times in case anythingchanges.

MeetingsSchedule and hold regular meetings of your coreorganising group to make sure everyone is up tospeed with developments. Keep checking backagainst your task list so that nothing gets forgotten.

Remember that there’s a balance to be struckbetween planning and doing. Planning meetings areessential but if they drag on for too long with littleactivity you may lose momentum (and volunteers)which could have a serious impact on your project.

Sub groups and steering groupsIf you’re running a small event then a set of regularmeetings with your core group is enough, but forlarge events it is worth considering smaller subgroups that can focus on particular tasks, such asmarketing. An overarching steering group could alsohelp to maintain a strategic overview and keep thingson track.

If you decide to set up sub groups or a steeringgroup, here are a few things to bear in mind:

• Strong communication between groups isabsolutely essential, but will take someorganisation.

• Check that the extra time it will take to haveseparate groups running in addition to your coregroup is really worth it.

• Think carefully about who will be involved andwhat their skills and contacts are.

Timetables and task listsCreate a timetable and write a project plan. There aremany different ways you can do this (for exampleonline tools, paper templates); the most importantthing is to find something that works well for yourgroup.

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Basically, you need to start with the date you’veagreed for your event and, working backwards,schedule in all the tasks that need to be done and bywhen. Agreeing exactly who is going to do what (andby when) is crucial, especially if you’re planning a bigevent, as it will need really good organisation tobring all the different parts together.

Timetable in periods when people will be away orwill have less free time (such as during schoolholidays) and the crunch when you will need allhands on deck.

Fundraising Fundraising can be done in a number of ways and it’sa good idea to try a few different avenues, such assimple raffles, sponsorship from local businesses,small grants or awards. If you don’t raise as muchmoney as you had hoped for, you might need toreview decisions about the aims, scope, and timingsof your event.

Have a look at the Green Open Homes resource‘Finance and fundraising for your project’ for furtheradvice.

Publicity and marketingGood promotion of your event could make thedifferent between success and failure. Creating abuzz and selling it as a fun thing to take part in willhelp to engage open home hosts and get people alongon the day. Write a marketing plan and do as muchpublicity as you possibly can in the lead up to yourevent.

There is a GOH resource on ‘Marketing your eventto the public’ which will give you some hints and tipson how to do this effectively.

Finding homesYou can’t have an open homes events without openhomes. You will need to engage people who arewilling to open their homes for your event, collectinformation about their houses and the low energyfeatures that will be on display, and find a way topresent these to visitors (for example on a map or inan event guide).

See ‘Recruiting and supporting open home hosts’

Recruiting volunteers You may have decided that you need additionalvolunteers to help your core group prepare for andrun your event. Recruiting volunteers does needsome thought and careful planning but it is worththe effort.

For more detailed advice have a look at ‘Recruitingand supporting volunteers’ and the ‘Guide forvolunteers’.

Turning visits into actionObviously there is a huge amount of planningentailed in setting up a green open homes event. Butthe event itself is really only a means to an end. Mostorganisers ultimately want their visitors to go homeafter an event and make energy saving changes totheir own homes. So do think about the things whichwill help with that. For example: personal contact;good communication; captivating displays in homes;straightforward and reliable information; clear andtargeted messaging; benefits which are simple forvisitors to remember and actions which are easy tocarry out.

See our resource ‘Turning visits into action’.

Managing riskMake sure you have appropriate arrangements inplace for insurance and for managing risk (e.g. a riskassessments of each home; clear guidance for homeowners and volunteers). You have a duty of care toyour visitors and volunteers and you need to takeappropriate steps to protect them.

See our resource ‘Insurance and risk management’

Monitoring and evaluationBefore you run the event, plan your evaluation(including how you will record visitor numbers andfeedback) and how you want to write up yourfindings (so that you collect the right information tostart with).

See our resource ‘Evaluation of open homes events’.

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4) Follow upWhen the event is over there is still a little bit ofwork to do. Follow up activities, in particularcollating feedback, sharing successes and sayingthanks, will help you to know how well you did, willkeep your group, volunteers and householdersmotivated, and could help you to design new projectsor attract future funding.

ReviewReview your project while it’s fresh in your mind.Collect and collate monitoring data (e.g. number ofhomes, number of visitors, types of questions thatwere asked) and feedback from participants(including visitors, hosts, supporters and organisers).Record quotes and comments, suggestions andlessons learned. If you have photos or videos fromthe event so much the better.

Write upPull together any project reports that are needed forfunders, write up a short summary of the event toshare with participants, include an update on yourwebsite or in newsletters, and see if you can get anyfollow up good-news stories to keep the publicitygoing.

ThanksThank everyone who was involved. It is likely that alarge number of people have given time and energyto help make your event happen and they willappreciate a thank you.

Green Open Homes networkEven though at this early stage the list of things toconsider may seem daunting, don’t forget that it canalso be fun! You’re not alone and there are groupsthat have done all of this before, many of which arefeatured on the Green Open Homes website.

To help with each element of planning your greenopen homes event, all the guidance referred to in thisdocument as well as more resources and templates,are available at www.greenopenhomes.net.

Here are some words of encouragement from openhomes organisers:

“Just do it! Start small and have a go.” | Tina Holt,Transition West Bridgford

“Very worthwhile, has great feel-good factor, excellentway to spread good practice - do it!” | Sally Cooke,Greendor

Good luck with your event!

The Green Open Homes network supports low carbon retrofit by promotingexisting open homes events and helping new initiatives get going withresources, practical support and funding.

We’ve produced lots of other information sheets like this one covering legaland insurance issues, volunteers and marketing. See www.greenopenhomes.net

Green Open Homes is funded by the Department of Energyand Climate Change, and delivered by the Centre forSustainable Energy in partnership with Bristol Green Doors


There are different approaches youcan take to running an open homesevent. Which one you choose willdepend on factors like your budget,the number of homes, the geographicspread of homes and the targetaudience you want to attract.

We’ve presented some of the differentoptions here, including insights fromother open homes organisers. Youmay already feel that one of theseapproaches suits you best but it’sworth looking at the alternatives.

Choosing an Open Homesapproach

A summary of the optionsYou can ‘mix and match’, but the main options foropen homes events are these:

Drop-inWhere the event organiser and householder specify adate and time when visitors can turn up, e.g. ‘10.00 to17.00 on Saturday 28 September’

BookingsWhere visitors book a slot to see a house they areinterested in

ToursA group tour by bus or on foot of the homes takingpart in the open homes event

A central hubSomewhere like a community centre or cafe acts as afocal point for the event

PiggybackingWhere the event is linked to a bigger initiative likean arts trail or open gardens event

1. The ‘drop-in’ approachThis option means visitors can turn up and lookaround an open house at any time during the event.Opening hours are defined, whether it be a day,evening or weekend, but a visitor does not need tobook or specify when they plan to drop in. This givesvisitors more flexibility but means that the hostsneed to be prepared for a visit at any time.

If your homes are easily identifiable from the street(with markers, flags, balloons, etc.) you may attractthe occasional passer by who perhaps didn't knowthey wanted to visit a green open home.

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Many Heritage Open Days operate on a drop-in basis(www.heritageopendays.org.uk), not least becausethis approach takes less co-ordination than settingup and managing a booking system.

There is a risk that the popular houses may becomeovercrowded at times, and this could be hard for thehost and disappointing for the visitors. Longeropening hours, volunteer stewards, or simply askingpeople to come back later if it gets really busy couldhelp to make sure this isn’t a problem.

“This year we’ve extended the opening hours to allowvisits to be spread over a longer period – 10.00 to13.00 and 14.00 to 17.00. This reduces crowding andallows more visits in the day.” | Neil Williams, LewesEco Open Homes

A drawback of the drop-in option is that the peopleopening their homes may have concerns aboutletting anyone turn up at their house at any time. Toalleviate this anxiety, you can suggest that hosts setlimited opening times, and make sure there is asteward at each home asking for people’s details inorder to deter opportunists.

Note, too, that it may be harder to count how manyvisitors have attended without a booking system. Butyou can set up a sign-in sheet or a simple way ofcounting people as they arrive.

2. Booked visits and toursThis approach involves setting up a booking systemfor people to visit houses on a certain day and time,arranged in advance.

SuperHomes (www.superhomes.org.uk) and theGreen Homes Network in Scotland(www.bit.ly/QDJ4sL) are examples of initiativeswhich do this.

A booking system does make the day moremanageable for hosts, particularly in the mostpopular houses, who will know exactly how manypeople are coming and at what time. Dedicated timeslots mean the host can run a tour of the houseensuring everyone gets to see all the ‘green’ features,making it a better experience for the visitor as well.

“We found that showing groups of 15 around workedmuch better than trying to provide a meaningfulexperience to an endless stream of couples andindividuals.” | Chris Bird, Transition Town Totnes

A booking system is a good option if security is aconcern, as it allows you to ask for visitors’ personaldetails. You’ll also be able to monitor numbers moreeasily and can get back in touch with them if youneed to. Knowing in advance who will be visitingtheir home and when may also reassure your openhomes hosts.

But a booking system won’t suit everyone. A manualsystem is time consuming for volunteers, while anautomated web-based system will be complex and/orexpensive to set up, so for smaller groups expectinglower numbers of visitors, the extra complexity isprobably not worth it. Consider asking hosts toprovide an email address if they want to takebookings and manage the process themselves.

“The main drawback is admin. It takes a bit of time toconfirm time slots with each visitor. But on the day welook more organised as people arrive and we tick themoff and know their names.” | Tina Holt, TransitionWest Bridgford

Potential visitors might not want to book in advance,and once at the house might prefer to look aroundon their own and ask questions on a one-to-one basisinstead of in a group. Therefore a booking or tour-only system may put some people off coming at all.

Note, too, that visitors who have pre-booked mightnot turn up on the day. This is disappointing for thehosts (and you as organisers), and also deprivesothers of the chance to visit those homes because theslot was taken.


3. Bus or walking toursYou could arrange group visits to each of the housesin your event with a bus or walking tour. This way allvisitors have a similar experience, see all the homesand benefit from the same learning experience. TheCarbon Co-op has used this approach to running anopen homes event (http://carbon.coop).

A bus tour makes sense if the homes that are part ofyour event are very spread out. It can also have theenvironmental benefit of helping to reduce car travelbut of course you’ll have to factor the costs of e.g. bushire, fuel, a driver and insurance.

It also makes life easier for hosts who only need toopen up their homes to a set number of visitors atfixed times for each tour, so it will take less of theirtime and they can prepare in advance.

Visitors could get more from a prepared tour wherethey will be able to ask questions. Whether it is awalking tour or a bus trip, they will get to know eachother during the trip which may make the experienceitself more sociable and fun, and the chance todiscuss what they have seen could be as valuable asseeing the technology itself in terms of inspiringaction at a later date.

“People get so much more out of open homes events ifthey go on the journey together. They're not just takingin the technical information about the houses butsharing their own experiences and discussing how theymight adopt these improvements together.” | JonathanAtkinson, Carbon Co-op

However, you’ll probably end up with fewer visitorsby taking this approach, as you’re limited by thenumber of people any one home can accomodate.Some people will be put off by having to commit tothe whole tour, but the visitors you do get may bemore serious about energy saving and more likely togo on to install similar measures in their own homes.

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4. A central hubIn addition to the open homes which are the focus ofyour event, you might choose to set up a central hub(e.g. in a local community centre, library or obligingcafe) where visitors can pick up information aboutthe event and the improvements on show – especiallyuseful for visitors who don’t have internet access.

You could invite other local organisations orinstallers to set up stalls at the hub, arrangerefreshments and talks, or even book a band.

A hub can be a good way of promoting the event, asyou might pick up interest from other users of thebuilding.

This approach gives visitors a chance to talk tovolunteers or experts away from the homes. Theymight have more questions about what they haveseen and would like to get a non-biased answer,which householders themselves might not be able togive. If they are interested in installing any of themeasures they’ve seen, they’ll have the opportunityto pick up more information about how to go aboutit, and if installers are present they can start the ballrolling.

You probably don’t want to have so much going on atthe hub that you distract visitors from going to seethe houses. Transition Town Totnes follows its openhomes weekend with an Eco Fair the followingweekend that showcases suppliers, installers andadvisors and aims to encourage visitors who wereenthused by the event to take the next step.

“The second time we ran an event there was a lotgoing on at the ‘hub’ so it took a while before anyoneappeared at the houses. We plan to have less at the hubnext time, or just use a stall at an existing communitymarket and do a lot online.” | Anne Thomas,Transition Black Isle

More resources are needed for the hub approach. You’ll need volunteers to staff the hub, a suitablevenue available on the right date, and, most likely,additional expenses to factor in. It will also add tothe time needed to plan and organise the event.


You could recoup some of the costs by chargingexhibitors for having a stand, but the presence ofinstallers and other businesses promoting theirservices may raise questions about your impartiality.One way around this is ensuring there are a numberof installers at the event, and encouraging visitors toget more than one quote.

5. PiggybackingYou could tag your event on to a bigger event takingplace in your area, such as a green day or a localcelebration, or time it so that it happens at the sametime as a related event like an open gardens day,heritage open homes day, or an energy event (like EUSustainable Energy Week, www.eusew.eu). This willhelp attract attention and could be useful if you arerunning an event for the first time or if you onlyhave a handful of homes to showcase.

You could benefit from the publicity and buzz of alarger event and you might get more visitors becausemore people are ‘out and about’ or better aware ofwhat’s going on. Big national or regional events willpublicise widely and potentially attract a wideraudience than your own marketing efforts could.

“Next time we plan to run the event as part of acounty-wide or national event so that there is publicityto a wider audience.” | Lorna Bonthrone, SustainableWallingford

Linking up with the organisers of an existing eventmight save you time on planning and organisation,and you could benefit from your partnerorganisation’s advice and support to make your eventa success. For example, if there is an established openhomes event running in a neighbouring village ortown you could consider joining forces rather thansetting up something new from scratch.

“We organised a two-county-wide event, working withlots of local eco groups, as well as individualhouseholds. Some groups had previously run opendays in their own towns and villages. The aim was tocreate some momentum by having lots of towns put onan event in the same week.” | Caroline Harmon, MEA

Bear in mind, though, that if the wider event has adifferent (i.e. non-energy) focus you risk mixedmessages in the marketing, not reaching your targetaudience or losing potential visitors to somethingthey see as more exciting.

“We have un-hooked ourselves from Heritage OpenDays as we felt the heritage link was not very helpful -it was an association that people did not understand.” | Adrian Phillips, Cheltenham Green Doors

Furthermore, bigger events tend to have a biggergeographical spread. If you want to focus your eventon local homes and local people then this might notbe the right approach for your group.

“Last year we joined the wider Energy Saving Trustopen day but there was not the same local effort andinterest. This year we intend to do more ourselves topromote it.” | Anne Thomas, Transition Black Isle

And finally…Whatever approach you take, it needs to fit with yourarea, be right for your organisers (and your budget)work well for the people who will open their homes,and be easy to promote to local people.





Getting the experts in

Your local authorityYour local authority is an important potential partneror supporter, and can certainly lend credibility toyour event. If it is already involved with an energyefficiency schemes in the area, then being able topromote these schemes at an open homes event islikely to encourage them to get them on board.

Some councils have funding streams to supportcommunity-based projects like yours, or they may beable to act as a supporting partner on other fundingapplications.

Your local authority may also be willing to lend itssupport when it comes to publicity, for example,helping you with press releases and using its mediacontacts to generate interest and boost visitornumbers to your event. Councils also have their owncommunications outlets, such as websites,newsletters and enews-bulletins.

If you do decide to engage your local authority,contact a relevant team/service area (e.g. theSustainability Team), be clear about what you’rehoping they can help you with, keep a note of whoyou speak with, and be positive and persistent!

Energy advice agenciesEnergy advice agencies will usually be interested tohear about your green open homes event, and maybe able to provide you with factsheets to give away,or displays to engage visitors. They may also have thecapacity to provide an energy advisor on the day togive impartial advice to visitors on energy efficiency,renewables and so on.

Although it’s unlikely that and energy advice agencywill be able to fund your event directly (thoughthere’s no harm in asking), they may be able to

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Organising a green open homes eventis a significant undertaking, sogetting experts on board at differentstages can increase the chance of yourevent being a success.

There are a range of organisationsthat you could approach ...


signpost you in the direction of potential grants orfunding schemes, and possibly even check over anyfunding applications.

To find your local energy advice agency, contact yourlocal authority or try searching online. TheCommunity Energy Practitioners Forum –www.cepf.org.uk – is a national network of energycharities that might be able to provide support.

Building expertsHaving experts like installers, builders or architectsat your event is a great way to provide visitors withaccess to detailed technical advice and the chance toask questions, especially about the more complex orexpensive installations. This may even act as a‘reality check’ if a visitor hasn’t properly thoughtthrough issues such as disruption or visual impact.

To find an expert, try contacting organisations suchas the Association for Environmentally ConsciousBuildings (www.aecb.net) which has a network ofbuilders, architects and manufacturers who aim toshare sustainable building best practice. But don’tforget to think locally as well.

Be aware, however, that visitors value open homesevents because they can hear the story of how‘someone like them’ installed solar panels orimproved their home with solid wall insulation: theydon’t want to feel like they are in a salesroom.Remember, it’s an ‘open’ home, not a ‘show’ home

Community groupsAnd finally, don’t underestimate how much helpother community groups can be! There arenumerous groups who have run open homes eventsup and down the country and some may even belocal to your area. If there is an existing open homesevent near to you then you might want to considerjoining forces to extend the area you are covering.




Additional web resources:Use the following list of organisations to help you finddetails of builders, architects, product information andfree factsheets on energy saving improvements.

British Board of Agrément (BBA)Recognised throughout the building materials industry as ameasure of quality control for manufacturer’s productswww.bbacerts.co.uk

The Building Centre A provider of information on the built environment witha comprehensive online product directorywww.buildingcentre.co.uk

Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT)Information service, visitor centre and course providerwww.cat.org.uk

Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE)The domestic energy advice section of CSE’s websitewww.cse.org.uk/loveyourhome

Energy Saving TrustInformation provider, formerly government funded, alsocarries out field trial studies and runs national grantschemes | www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB)The largest trade association in the UK buildingindustry. Find affiliated builders or useful templates suchas building contracts | www.fmb.org.uk

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)Has a searchable list of affilicated chartered architectsand can also answer questions non-traditional methodssuch as straw bale buildings | www.architecture.com

See also the following downloads from the Centre forSustainable Energy’s PlanLoCaL website:

‘Establishing the right partnerships’Gives advice on creating good partnerships with localauthorities, local traders, energy companies, GreenDeal Providers etc | http://tinyurl.com/obvb64h

‘Working with installers’This resource advises on different models andapproaches to take when working with local installers http://tinyurl.com/on9q4ms


Making your green open homesevent relevant and inclusive

If you want to inspire people to make energy savingimprovements in their homes, you need your eventto be relevant to their situation. There are a numberof ways you can ways you can do this.

Diversity of homes. Having a mixture of housingtypes (flats, terraced houses, detached houses, etc.)will ensure you’re opening up homes which a varietyof visitors can relate to. Quirky ‘eco-homes’ can beinteresting and fun, but they need to be part of agood mix which is representative of the homes inyour area. The same applies to new-builds.

Diversity of tenures. Different tenure types (socialhousing, privately owned, privately rented, orcooperatively owned,) brings with them differentissues for energy efficiency and/or renewable energymeasures. It’s great to have a range of situations thata variety of visitors can be inspired by.

Diversity of homeowners. Having a variety ofhomeowners – for example, of different ages orcultural backgrounds – will increase the likelihoodthat your event feels relevant to a wide variety ofpeople. Research shows that people are more likely torespond to a ‘social norm’ for a group that theyassociate themselves with.

Diversity of measures. Ensure there is a range ofenergy efficiency measures and renewable energytechnologies to see across your open homes. Thiswill help the event cater for the breadth of visitorinterests and budgets.

For further advice see our resource ‘Recruiting andsupporting householders’.

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When you’re planning your openhomes event, it’s good to think abouthow you can make your eventrelevant and inclusive – relevant topeople in your local community, andinclusive by addressing barriers thatmay prevent people from attending orgetting involved in your event.


Making everyone welcomeWhat might prevent some people from coming toyour event?

Physical access. Some visitors may have accessibilityrequirements – they may be deaf or hard of hearing,or visually impaired, or may need wheelchair access.Ask open homes hosts if their homes are accessibleto wheelchair users – some won’t be, but at others asturdy wooden board at a threshold may be all that’srequired. Make it clear if there are access restrictionsso visitors won’t be disappointed. See ‘A guide todelivering accessible events’ from the Office forDisability Issues: www.bit.ly/157v2G5

Geographical spread. How easily will people be ableto visit the homes. Are they accessible by publictransport or bike, and what parking is available? Allthese issues should be taken into consideration ifyour event has a ‘hub’. Some open homes events haverun bus tours between the various locations.

Practical needs. Different visitors will have differentneeds. Older people may not be able to stand up forlong, some visitors will have children who will wantsomething to divert them, and there may be visitorswho are allergic to pets. It may not be possible tocater for everyone, but do the best you can andrespect the decisions of open homes hosts.

Cultural considerations. Think about the mix ofcultures in your community and about the differentneeds that may arise, for example avoiding clashingwith religious or cultural holidays and events.

General tips for helping to make your event asinclusive as possible:

If your event has booking forms, make sure it•asks the right questions about access.

Provide clear information about each open home•so that visitors can plan which homes to visit.

Use the expertise of local organisations,•neighbourhood forums or partnerships,especially those working with more isolatedmembers of your community, or working toimprove the inclusivity of services and events.

Have as diverse a planning group as possible.•

At your event, make sure it is clear who your•event helpers are, and that they’re clearly visible.

Marketing your eventHow you publicise your event will affect whetherpeople feel it is relevant to them. People areinterested in retrofitting for a variety of reasons –saving money, being green, and so on – so make sureyour publicity ticks lots of interest boxes, or focuseson those that are most relevant to your localcommunity or target audience.

Make sure your publicity clearly communicates howyou’re hoping to cater for a variety of needs (and beopen about where you can’t). It may be helpful toprovide a contact telephone number (and anencouraging sentence or two) so that people can getin touch if they have questions or concerns.

Use a variety of mediums (newspapers, leaflet drops,local radio, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), as well as avariety of outlets (local networks, organisations,pubs, cafes, schools, community centres) to reach aswide an audience as possible. Make sure any printedinformation you send out is easily readable .

For further advice see our guidance note ‘Marketingyour event to the public’.

Monitoring and evaluationFeedback forms are a good way to ask people whattheir experience was, and whether or not they felttheir needs were catered for. This can then informany future events you may organise.





Funding an open homes project

First things first: setting a budgetBefore looking at how you might fund your project,you need an estimate of how much money you need:in other words, set a budget. For this, you’ll need todecide what your aims and specific targets are, andthen identify the tasks you need to carry out andwhat the associated costs will be.

For example, say you’re aiming to recruit 20 openhomes hosts for a one-day event, get 200 visitorsthrough the doors, and recruit and train 40volunteers. To set a basic budget you would breakeach of those targets into specific tasks (e.g. run atraining day, produce leaflets etc) and estimate costsfor each. This is likely to require some research(including quotes) and a few educated guesses.

It’s important to be clear about your minimum budgetrequirements. What are the things that you must findfunding for if your event is going to run at all? Arethere some things which would be ‘nice to have’ butyou could live without if you can’t raise the money?

Your aim now is to raise funding that will take you asclose to your ideal budget as possible, but whateveryou raise must be at least as much as your minimumbudget.

Raising the moneyOpen homes events usually get funding from acombination of places. Grants from localorganisations, awards from trust funds andsponsorship from local businesses can all play theirpart. But don’t forget non-grant options likecrowdfunding, local fundraisers and donations. Bearin mind your target fundraising amounts and yourtimeframes, so you can balance the amount of timeput into fundraising against the likely success rates.

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No matter how large or small youropen homes event is going to be,you’re likely to need funding forthings like insurance, publicity,volunteer costs and possible even fortransport and venue costs, or stafftime.

This means you probably need to dosome fundraising.


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Local fundraisers might generate lower amounts butthere’s a good guarantee of getting at least some fundsto work with. On the other hand, grant or competitionapplications take time to complete, and there’s a riskthat you might not win anything. But, if you aresuccessful, you could get a lot of money in one go.

Local fundraisersStart simple. If you only need a small amount, youmight raise it all with a couple of cake sales, raffles orbenefit gigs. If you have a strong network ofsupporters and you can get them enthused about agreen open homes event they might be willing todonate. The benefits of grassroots fundraising is thatyou are answerable only to yourselves, you won’t haveto wait for months to hear whether your applicationwas successful, and if your plans change for anyreason you don’t need the approval of the funder.

Sponsorship and in-kind supportYou may consider approaching local companies forsponsorship or direct funding. Small businesses areoften happy to support local community event, andlarger companies in the area may have a dedicated‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR) person or teamwhich might offer financial support or volunteer staffdays.

Local shops or companies may donate raffle prizes orhelp with refreshments, and you may find that yourlocal council can help with low-cost essentials (likeprinting) and with promoting your event throughtheir communication channels.

If you are hoping to raise large amounts of moneythrough corporate sponsorship, bear in mind that theprocess is time-consuming and you’ll need to startwell in advance of your event taking place. Considerwho you approach, why they should be interested inyour event and what you can offer them in return – astand at your event for example, or a logo on yourpublicity materials.

And finally, think carefully about the impactsponsorship might have in terms of how your visitorsperceive the event: your autonomy and impartiality isimportant for maintaining the trust of your localcommunity.

Traditional grant fundingAn open homes event could tick a lot of funders’boxes because it covers a range of activities, fromeducation to promoting low carbon solutions.Potential funders might include local government,charitable trusts, national funding schemes orfunding pots for specific community activities.

There are good funding databases you can access,often for free through community supportorganisations or your local council. For example: • Trustfunding, www.trustfunding.org.uk• Charities Aid Foundation, www.cafonline.org• Funder Finder, www.funderfinder.org.uk

If you have support from an organisation withfunding experience, see if they can help with yourgrant application.

Three more things to bear in mind: firstly, you mighthave to mix and match if you are unable to secure thetotal you need from a single funder. Secondly, somefunders require matched funding, which means youneed to show you have already secured a portion ofthe total project costs. Finally, it’s a good idea to avoidhaving all your eggs in one basket. Timescales forfunding decisions can be quite long and if you findout you are not successful and have to start againfrom scratch it could affect your event planning.

A note on handling the moneyIf your group doesn’t have a bank account alreadyyou’ll either need to work with a partner who canprovide this service, or set your group up as anlegal body and get your own bank account. Eitherway, factor in some time to make this happen, andput systems in place to keep track of your finances(even if it’s just a spreadsheet and a process forapproving any spending).


Small awards Some local authorities and local organisations offersmall awards or run competitions you could enter.Contact your local authority first, as they usually holddetails about small grants for voluntary andcommunity groups in their area. Town and parishcouncils and community development trusts mayhold their own funding pots. And check if there areany organisations in your area with the specific remitof supporting community groups; they should be ableto offer advice on likely sources of funding.

Organisations like the Community DevelopmentFoundation (www.cdf.org.uk) or the NationalAssociation for Voluntary and Community Action(www.navca.org.uk) can provide support, and thereis a list of energy agencies that may be able to helpyou on the National Energy Foundation’s website:http://bit.ly/16uwvXQ. Always check the details firstso that you don’t waste time apllying for a grant thatyou’re not eligible for.

CrowdfundingCrowdfunding involves asking a large number ofpeople to give a small amount of money each. Thereare various online crowdfunding platforms, each ofwhich works slightly differently so you’ll need tosome research before diving in. Most platforms take apercentage of the total amount you raise to covertheir costs, and on some platforms you don’t getanything if you miss your total funding target, so berealistic about what you aim for. On the plus side,funders can come from anywhere in the world, and itgets more people invested in and excited about theevent. Local people who donate might be inspired tooffer their time or expertise too.

On most crowdfunding platforms you have theoption to offer a reward in exchange for funding. Thismight be the opportunity to take part in a workshop,come to a party, or receive a gift like a mug or T-shirt.Nesta (www.nesta.org.uk) has created a websitededicated to crowdfunding, which will tell you moreabout the process and help you find a suitableplatform: www.crowdingin.com

Entrance fees and donationsUnless you’ve done some robust market research andare very confident that your target audience is willingto pay, steer clear of collecting donations fromvisitors; entrance fees are likely to put people off.However, donations on the day, especially in returnfor refreshments, could help you to start building upfunds for future or follow-up activities.

Keeping trackMake sure you have a way to keep track of how you’redoing on your fundraising. Your plans will need to beflexible; you might need to revisit the ‘masterplan’ asthings progress and perhaps scale down yourambitions if fundraising proves difficult.

Maintain a methodical record of everyone youapproach and what the result was, so that you canfollow up as appropriate. And keep all your activefunders and supporters updated as your event shapesup – not forgetting to thank them at the end.

Further informationThere is more information about sources of funding,including ways to plan your funding strategy andlinks to various funders and funding databases, inthese PlanLoCaL resources (both PDFs):

‘Grants and other charitable funding’http://bit.ly/16ej9Vm

‘Options for funding your community energy project’http://bit.ly/1eZ4ctH

The Green Open Homes network supports low carbonretrofit by promoting existing open homes events andhelping new initiatives get going with resources, practicalsupport and funding.

We’ve produced lots of other information sheets like thisone covering legal and insurance issues, volunteers andmarketing: www.greenopenhomes.net


Securing sponsorship for GreenOpen Homes events

What is sponsorship?Sponsorship is an excellent way of providing muchneeded support to an event or organisation.However, unlike philanthropy or donations,sponsorship comes with the expectation of acommercial return. Money or support are offered inexchange for something seen as beneficial to thesponsor. In the case of green open home events, thevalue to the sponsor is most likely to be gainingaccess to an audience of potential customers whohave an interest in low carbon technology and homeimprovements.

Note that sponsorship is different to advertising,where messages are controlled by the advertiser.Sponsors have less control over the message and themeans through which it is communicated.

Is sponsorship right for us?Before you go down the sponsorship route, considerthe type and amount of sponsorship you are lookingfor. This could vary enormously, depending on thescale and scope of your event. Make sure that thetime and energy you invest in securing sponsorshipis in proportion to your event.

Other avenues which are well worth exploring to topup your event budget include: selling advertisingspace in your event programme and promotionalmaterials; providing display space at a central venuein exchange for a participation fee; developing localpartnerships to secure in-kind support; involvinglocal not-for-profit groups to help deliver the event(and keep costs down); fundraising events oractivities.

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Sponsorship can be a good way tohelp with the costs and practicalitiesof putting on an event.

Developing strong relationships withsponsor organisations may also havelonger-term benefits for both parties.


Benefits of sponsorship

Benefits to event organisers:

Funding•

Credibility and endorsement•

Publicity through sponsors’ channels•

Services (legal, etc.) and support - (logistical,•systems, knowledge, volunteers, etc.).

Connections•

More potential help e.g. with recruiting homes•

Benefits to sponsors:

Stimulating sales, trials or use of products or•services

Increasing brand loyalty amongst this group of•people

Creating awareness and visibility of their brand•

Changing or reinforcing their image (e.g. as•environmentally friendly)

Fulfilling a commitment to corporate social•responsibility

This Energy Saving Trust video features interviewswith Bristol Green Doors sponsors and gives a goodidea of the reasons they wanted to get involved andthe impact on their businesses:http://youtu.be/fYvDSGolhJ8

There can be scepticism about the value and role ofsponsorship, which is why a logical fit, a goodrelationship and a clear agreement are all important.Not all members of a steering group or volunteergroup will necessarily see the benefits in the sameway, so ensure there is clarity over the aims.

Securing sponsorship: the processSecuring sponsorship can sometimes be easy.Companies may approach you with a clearunderstanding of what is on offer and ask to sign up.Other companies will require a different approach.To increase your chances of securing sponsorshiphere are some steps to follow. Do remember, it takestime.

1. Establish what you have to offer

As organisers, you have a number of assets you canoffer sponsors. Depending on how you chose to runyour event, the following can all be considered:

Logos and branding on publicity materials •

Literature and displays in homes opening during•the event

Promotion of the sponsor company’s profile•through event newsletters

Website traffic: links and leads to sponsor site•

Recommendations (details in case studies,•mentions by householders)

Merchandise (e.g. T-Shirts)•

Exchange of feedback and knowledge•

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1. Establishwhat you

have to offer2. Identifypotentialsponsors 3. Check for

competition

4. Makecontact5. Develop a

relationship6. Sign anagreement or

contract


Opportunities for staff development through•participation in the event

Talking at associated events•

You may identify more assets than these – forexample, links with other local projects, oropportunities for training and apprenticeships,public art, community engagement, etc. All theseassets can help you form meaningful sponsorshipopportunities.

Once you have put together a list of your ‘assets’, andbased around the level of sponsorship and thenumber of sponsors you are aiming for, you couldconsider offering a number of sponsor ‘packages’offering different benefits for different levels ofsponsorship. e.g. a sponsor could pay more for theirlogo to appear on all your publicity materials, or lessto just appear on your website. This approach will bemore relevant for larger events seeking a significantlevel of sponsor support.

2. Identify potential sponsors

Identifying potential sponsors can be timeconsuming and frustrating but it can also be worthit. Given the limited resources most of us have,remember that (unsurprisingly) a significant amountof sponsorship arises out of personal connections solook to develop what you already have. Typically,open home event sponsors come through thefollowing routes:

i. Householders

ii. Personal contacts

iii. Energy agencies

iv. Local authority links and workshops

v. Industry associations

vi. Conferences and trade shows

vii. Networking groups including online networking(e.g. LinkedIn)

viii. Cold calling and letter writing

Look for sponsors where there is a good match withyour event aims and your organisation’s objectives,but don’t just limit your search to retrofitting orrenewables companies. Consider who else sharesyour organisation’s values. Because these events areabout socialising, community, houses, andsustainability, it could be well worth consideringestate agents, cafes, restaurants, bike shops, etc.

You might also use listings from your local Chamberof Commerce, business directories and so on toidentify potential sponsors. It is worth beingsystematic about your work here. Keep records andadd to them as time goes on.

Create a wish list of sponsors•

Research each of the sponsors•

Record the details •

Perform a reality check – as the whole process•takes time, check you aren’t aiming forsomething unobtainable

Prioritise your list and decide how to approach•each potential sponsor

3. Check for ‘competing’ sponsors

When you are putting together your list of potentialsponsors, bear in mind that:

1. If there is significant funding coming from onesponsor it may be conditional on them not ‘sharingthe limelight’ with other sponsors or funders.

2. Sponsors from the same sectors or industry areasmay not be prepared to get involved if you alreadyhave support from a company or organisation theyconsider a competitor.

3. Even if there is not an issue around competitors,be careful to avoid a situation where a sponsor thinksthat their funding is driving all the activity andanother corporate entity is getting a free ride out ofit. This is probably more problematic for biggersponsors who have more professional marketing andstrong views about their brand identity andassociations.

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4. Make contact

Whether you do this by phone, email, letter, meetingat an event or literally turning up at the doorstep,remember: lots of people can say no and only a veryfew can say yes. This means you need to allow time.Lots of it.

Don’t expect anyone to agree to sponsor you duringthe first conversation you have with them. Insteadbroach the idea and if there is interest, ask for aconvenient time to meet, talk, or to send more detailsand information.

5. Develop a relationship

Once you have an appointment, a responsive emailor person at the end of the phone:

Don't go the hard sell•

Demonstrate you've done research on them•

Find out what their marketing objectives are;•look for links and common ground

Prepare material that emphasises the benefits•and value to the sponsor. If you decide to offerdifferent sponsor packages, we recommendhaving a flexible discussion first. Later, set outwhat you have agreed the sponsor will get fortheir funding compared with other packages.

Be clear about what you are offering. If possible,•consider how you can measure the success of thesponsorship. What feedback can you facilitate?What are the desired outcomes and how can theybe measured?

Listen and respond. These are two different•actions. Successful sponsorships are aboutrelationships and must be seen as partnerships. Itis really important to take on board the needs,issues, and requests of companies you engagewith.

Be professional. Although invariably your focus•is on your event(s), sponsors will consider the

association as being with your organisation in abroader sense. How you conduct yourselves andare perceived publicly is therefore important.

Demonstrate that you'll be around for the long•haul. A sponsor will need to be reassured thatyour event is worth sponsoring, so having robustproject plans, a good track record, andendorsement from larger agencies will help.

Be flexible and open to ideas. It’s better to have•some sponsorship than get none because ofinflexibility.

If you are able to build a strong relationship duringyour first event, the sponsor is more likely toconsider sponsoring again in future.

6. Sign an agreement / contract

Don’t forget that you are providing goods andentering into an agreement with another commercialbody, so this needs to be clear and professionallyhandled. Issuing a contract will show you are doingthis. Make sure that it is signed before providing anygoods or services to the potential sponsor.Sometimes companies do not pay up!

Most companies will have their own contractagreement templates. There is some basic guidanceon contracts and agreements in this PlanLoCaLresource (PDF): www.bit.ly/1cjGAtL

Remember...Green Open Homes events are a window to•retrofitting and have real value.

There are many reasons companies will sponsor,•don’t just look at the trades.

There are different types of support.•

Securing sponsorship is not quick; think long-•term and develop a relationship.

Following the process identified here should help.





Insurance and risk managementfor an open homes event

Insurance is particularly important if your group isunincorporated, as in the eyes of the law it is notconsidered a legal entity and therefore any or allmembers of your group are at risk of being heldpersonally liable for the activities of the group.

What insurance does an open homesevent require?Although there is no legal requirement for you tohave insurance, it is highly recommended. Yourgroup should ideally have public liability insuranceand your hosts should have home insurance.

Public liability insurance

This covers you in the event of injury (or damage toproperty) of a member of the public as a result ofcoming into contact with your group. The liabilitylimit is usually between £1m and £5m, depending onthe activities and needs of the organisation.

The premium will depend on the level of coverrequired and will probably be in the region of £150 -£300. Your volunteers’ activities should be covered inthis, but make sure this is explicitly mentioned as itisn’t always the case. If you employ staff (or if yourpublic liability insurance does not cover volunteers)you must also have employers’ liability insurance.

Open homes events can be tricky to insure simplybecause there can be an overlap or grey area ofliability between the group and the open homeshosts. This means that even if your group already haspublic liability insurance it is vital that you check thepolicy wording carefully to make sure your openhomes event is going to be covered. If you are in anydoubt at all speak to the insurer; don’t be tempted toassume an encouragingly but vaguely worded section

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Open homes events have a great trackrecord, and the chance of a seriousincident is remote.

But there are risks involved inrunning any event, so to protect yourgroup and your open homes hostsfrom any legal action following anincident at your event, you shouldmake sure you have robust insurancein place.


of the policy is enough, even if it seems to fit yourevent. Get confirmation in writing if you can.

If your group’s current public liability insurance doesnot cover you for an open homes event, you may beable to add this cover to your policy if your insurer isable and willing, but you may need to take out a newpolicy if they are not. Unfortunately, both options aregoing to add to your project’s running costs.

Be aware that your insurer will likely want to knowhow you are managing risk before they insure you.Your public liability insurance should cover yourorganisation for any accidental injuries to visitors aslong as you have gone through a risk assessment withthe host, have agreed this and kept a record of it. Askyour insurer to explain the details (and see below formore information about managing risks).

Home insurance

This falls under two categories: buildings andcontents. Both are probably necessary to protect yourhosts, so you should make sure they have this coverin place. Buildings insurance will cover the host foraccidents arising as a result of the building structure(e.g. a loose tile falling on somebody’s head) whilecontents insurance typically includes personalliability for accidents around the home. Mostcomprehensive home insurance policies cover both,but hosts would be advised to double check both thisand whether their policy covers legal fees, which isnot always the case.

Hosts should bear in mind that theft of theirpersonal possessions is not likely to be covered asthey are allowing visitors in voluntarily, so valuablesshould be locked away. Having said this, we haven’theard of any instances of theft at previous openhomes events, so hosts shouldn’t let this put them offas long as they are sensible and remove temptation.

Some hosts are keen to open their homes whilstbuilding work is taking place as this is a great time todemonstrate the nitty-gritty of installing an energysaving improvement. If they’re doing the workthemselves – particularly if it is a large extension ornew build – they’ll need to check their insurancepolicy to see if it includes public liability. If thebuilding work is being carried out by a company, thebuilder who is considered the main contractor is Cont u

required to have public liability insurance and you orthe host will need to get permission from them toinvite people onto the building site. As the risk ofaccidents is higher on a building site it is importantto make sure there is adequate insurance in place.

How can we get a good deal?If you don’t want to, or cannot, pay for insurance butdon’t want to run your event uninsured, there arestill options open to you. One of these is to workwith a partner or lead organisation that already hassuitable insurance in place (you’ll need to checkthis). Some green open homes days have been run inconjunction with Heritage Open Days(www.heritageopendays.org.uk) who, as the umbrellaorganisation, would provide the neccessary cover.

There is more information about working inpartnership or joining in with a wider event in theGreen Open Homes resource ‘Choosing an openhomes approach’. And of course, make sure you checkthat your chosen partner’s insurance does cover whatyou want to do.

If you prefer to go it alone, you should be able to geta better deal on public liability insurance if you shoparound. Start looking early and ask other groups,especially those that have run open homes eventsbefore, for recommendations. The National Councilfor Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has produced aguide to getting a good deal on insurance which youcan download here: http://bit.ly/NWDJzu, and theCharity Commission has lots of useful informationabout insurance that’s worth reading, though aimedspecifically at charities: (http://bit.ly/ctKxXg).

You may come across references to professionalindemnity insurance. This covers you for claims forany damage that might result from giving improperprofessional advice. It’s unlikely this would benecessary for your event unless you intend to offerspecific professional advice to visitors. If you haveinstallers at your event they will have their ownprofessional indemnity insurance in place.


What have other open homes eventsdone about insurance?Here are some comments from groups that have runopen homes events, along with some examples of theinsurers they went with:

“We have insurance arranged with our localCommunity Action Group hub.” | Lorna Bonthrone,Sustainable Wallingford

“We have insurance through TCV, it’s only £100-150per year.” | Jonathan Atkinson, Carbon Co-op

“In 2011 we took out public liability insurance withPark Insurance. In 2012 we used Naturesave for publicliability insurance, employers’ liability insurance andprofessional indemnity insurance. Public liabilityinsurance covers accidental injury within homes butonly if a suitable risk assessment has been carried out.Employers’ liability covers event stewards.” | Kate Watson, Bristol Green Doors

“One of the reasons we timed our event to coincidewith Heritage Open Homes was to benefit from theirinsurance. We are not doing that this year butTransition Town Totnes has its own insurance.” | Chris Bird, Transition Town Totnes

Are we liable if something goes wrong?To prove an individual’s or organisation’s liability foran incident, it must be shown that they were in someway negligent and that they failed in a duty of care.

Negligence

If somebody has an accident at your event, it doesnot necessarily mean you are liable for any damages.It must be proved that you were negligent – that youfailed to do a reasonable thing that a reasonableperson would have done to ensure the safety of thatperson. Insurance is therefore only there to protectyou in the very unlikely event that your group’snegligence leads to an incident. For example, if youfail to carry out any risk assessments and a visitor isinjured falling on an obscured obstacle that is notclearly pointed out to them (by signage, hazardwarnings or other deliberate and accessible means)you (and/or the host) could be held responsible for

the incident. If a visitor trips over in a house purelyby accident you should not be held responsible forany injury or damage to property that may result.

Duty of Care

As well as displaying negligence you must also owe aduty of care to an individual if you are to be heldresponsible for their safety. This will be the case foryour visitors and your volunteers so you must makesure you take all reasonable steps to protect them.

How can we protect visitors?You can do a number of things to significantlyreduce the potential risk to visitors. First of all, makesure you have a good risk management plan in placefor your event, outlining what could potentially gowrong and what you can do about it. Refer back toyour plan regularly and update it as new risks areidentified. This guidance document explains how todraw up a risk management plan if you haven’t doneone before: http://bit.ly/19AgeU4

In the lead up to your event you should carry out (orask your hosts to carry out) a risk assessment forevery home or other space you are planning to open.

There are some very good reasons for doing this:

• Your insurance may not cover you without them.

• By not going through the process you might miss anobvious risk.

• Risk assessments can help you prioritise what youspend time on if you need to do any mitigation.

• It shows you take your hosts’ concerns seriously andmay persuade more people to open their homes

Risk assessments are not particularly complicated ordifficult, but if your event has lots of homes youshould allow extra time for doing them.

Ideally, you should conduct the risk assessmenttogether with your host. He/she will be aware ofthings such as a wobbly step or a loose paving stone,whilst you will be looking at the property with afresh pair of eyes and see things that the host may

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miss. You will need to weigh up whether any of yourhomes pose an unacceptably high risk that cannot beeasily mitigated. Homes with inadequate insuranceand/or a number of potential hazards might not besuitable.

If you don’t have time to carry out a risk assessmentfor each home and are relying on hosts for this, makesure your risk assessment template is detailed andclear and includes prompts and examples for thosefilling it in. And be sure to explain the benefits ofrisk assessments to the host, so that they realise itserves a purpose and isn’t an exercise in red tape.Heritage Open Days has produced guidance for theirhosts on carrying out risk assessments (seehttp://bit.ly/15jxuIJ) and also have a downloadablerisk assessment template (http://bit.ly/1dXPjGQ).

The Health and Safety Executive provides guidanceon risk assessment at www.hse.gov.uk/risk/index.htm

But don’t stop there! It’s not uncommon for a riskassessment to be carried out, filed away and neverseen again, let alone acted upon. Try to mitigate anyrisks that have been highlighted before your event,prioritising high and moderate risks. Make sure youclearly outline any steps you expect hosts to take tomitigate any risks they identify and agree this inwriting with them. If you have lots of homes youmight need to set up a system to make sure the workis done before the event opens to the public. If themitigation work is not done, your hosts could be atrisk if an accident does happen.

If you can’t remove a risk entirely (e.g. a very steepstaircase or low hanging beam), there are still ways toreduce the likelihood of an accident – like goodsignage, verbal warnings, hazard tape or stickers andthe presence of volunteers or stewards in high-riskareas. You might be thinking about disclaimers too,

but be aware that under the Unfair Contract TermsAct 1977 a disclaimer does not absolve you fromliability if it can be shown you have failed in yourduty of care to a visitor by negligent behaviour.

In other words, a sign telling all visitors they enterhomes at their own risk and cannot hold youresponsible for any consequences probably won’thold up in court if someone is injured in a scenariowhich you could reasonably have been expected toforesee and prevent.

What if something happens?If anything does go wrong, no matter how minor it isand whose fault it appears to be, make sure all yourhosts and volunteers know to fill in an accident log,so that you will know exactly what occurred. Ifnecessary, ask for witness accounts and take contactdetails. Even if you don’t need these for legalpurposes they may help you eliminate or mitigate therisks next time.

It’s worth the effortAll this might sound a bit of a grind, but it is wellworth doing, though the risks may be small. Not onlywill the steps above protect your visitors, they willalso protect your group and your hosts because, inthe unlikely event of a serious incident on the day,you will all be able to demonstrate (with gooddocumentation to back you up) that you have takenall reasonable steps to keep visitors safe. Togetherwith your insurance, you and your hosts should beprotected if anything goes wrong. That knowledgewill leave you all free to enjoy your event withoutworrying about the what-ifs.





Adopting a legal structure foryour organisation

Becoming incorporated is not always necessary. Ifyou are a small group running an open homes eventfor the first time then your risk is likely to be quitelimited and incorporation may not be right for yourgroup at the moment. Even so, we would stillstrongly recommend thinking about:

1. A legal form, which can help you achieve yourobjectives and protect individuals should youractivities carry any financial risk.

2. Your governance: how you manage yourselves andthe documentation which sets this out, such as aconstitution.

Legal formsIncorporated or unincorporated?

Most small community groups are unincorporatedassociations and this can be whatever its memberswant it to be. Examples include partnerships,associations, friendly societies and trusts. It is theeasiest, quickest and cheapest way for a group to setitself up, and you can write your own constitution.

However, unincorporated bodies have no distinctionbetween the organisation and its members. In theeyes of the law this means that members are seen asbeing jointly responsible for the body and itsactivities, and can also be held individuallyresponsible. Unincorporated bodies cannot legallyown anything and this means that any equipmentyou buy would be owned by individual members ofyour group – making it tricky at a later date if theywant to leave the group.

The main advantage of becoming incorporated isthat it creates limited liability for your members;particularly important should you find yourselves in

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Trying to understand the ins andouts of setting up an organisation can be extremely confusing, especiallywith all the different terms and legalwording. But it doesn’t have to becomplicated.

This guidance will help you decidewhether or not your group needs tobecome an incorporated body with a formal legal structure.


a position where you owe money or have failed todeliver a service. Also, although an organisation maynot have to be incorporated to get a bank account,many funders or sponsors will not write a cheque toan individual, but will to an incorporated group.

Despite this you should still consider some of thepossible drawbacks to becoming incorporated. Theinitial cost of registration can be quite high and insome cases a periodic fee is payable. Your governingmembers will lose a degree of privacy as their detailswill be publically available, along with otherinformation such as the organisation’s financialdetails. And there are ongoing administrationrequirements (like submitting annual accounts).

If your group doesn’t want to go through the processof becoming incorporated, it doesn’t exclude youfrom receiving funding. Often working inpartnership with another organisation that can holdthe money for you (such as a communitydevelopment association, parish council or church)is a workable option.

Choosing an incorporated legal formShould you wish to become an incorporated bodythere are certainly plenty to choose from. The SimplyLegal (www.uk.coop/simplylegal) publicationcontains the details of the main legal forms that mostincorporated groups tend to opt for.

• Current legal forms for incorporatedorganisations:

• Company Limited by Guarantee• Private Company Limited by Shares• Community Interest Company (limited by

guarantee)• Community Interest Company (limited by shares)• Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee• Charitable Incorporated Organisation• Charity with subsidiary company• Industrial & Provident Society (co-operative)• Industrial & Provident Society (society for the

benefit of the community)• Limited Liability Partnership• Public Limited Company (plc)

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The two most popular legal forms for communitygroups are Community Interest Companies (CIC)and Industrial and Provident Societies (IPS), butthere are different types of both of these. It’s worthspeaking to other groups that have similar aims toyou, or even contacting a professional organisationfor advice. Co-operatives UK have a free select-a-structure tool to narrow down your options(www.uk.coop/our-work/select-structure-tool).

Whatever you decide, leave enough time to make allthe arrangements. It will take time (and money insome cases) to fill out all the documentationrequired, register with the appropriate authoritiesand agree on all the details. Don’t rush into adecision, as the legal form that you decide on canaffect the sort of activity you can deliver in futureand may commit you to ongoing costs and reportingrequirements.

GovernanceGood governance should help to define a clearstrategy for the direction, supervision andaccountability of an organisation, regardless ofwhether or not it decides to become incorporated.

A governing document is simply a document thatsets out your aims and rules. It usually includes basicinformation about membership, key roles andresponsibilities and decision-making processes. Itacts as a written reminder for members that can helpto keep you on track and shows funders andpotential members that you are democratic andaccountable.

There are different names for governing documentsdepending on the legal form of your group and theirrequired content varies. The following are some ofthe common names for governing documents andtheir associated legal forms:


Co-operatives UK (www.uk.coop) has a publicationcalled Simply Governance which goes into furtherdetail about why governance is important, explainsarticles, rules and deeds, and provides practicalstrategies to avoid common governance problems.See www.uk.coop/simplygovernance.

If your group decides that a simple constitution is theway forward then a good guide for this is the TenSteps to Writing a Constitution which also provides atemplate constitution suitable for a voluntary group: .http://bit.ly/19hy9y7 (pdf).

If your group plans to register as a charity, werecommend the Charity Commission’s modelconstitution: http://bit.ly/19jMtow.

Useful resourcesCo-operatives UK As well as their Simply Governance and Simply Legalpublications, Co-operatives UK can also help withregistering your organisation, provide templatemodels and offer training: www.uk.coop

National Council for Voluntary Organisations –Governance & LeadershipThe NCVO has many free resources on their websitecovering the main issues around good governance: www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/governanceandleadership

Get LegalThis website provides detailed advice on legalstructures, including some template models, as wellas a decision tool to help provide an indication ofwhat legal structure could be appropriate for anorganisation: www.getlegal.org.uk

Co-op Enterprise HubCommunity organisations can apply for up to fourdays free help from the Hub for support on areassuch as governance, business planning and finance:www.co-operative.coop/enterprisehub

PlanLoCalThe film ‘Becoming a legally recognised entity’(5mins 38secs) provides information on why it’simportant to consider having a legal structure andexplains some of the different legal structures thatcommunity groups commonly adopt:http://youtu.be/LByzIP4I7W4

Legal form Governing document

Association Constitution

Partnership Partnership agreement or deed

Trust Trust deed

Limited Liability Partnership agreementPartnership or members’ agreement

Limited Company Articles

Community Interest ArticlesCompany

Society Rules

Charitable Incorporated ConstitutionOrganisation





Recruiting and supporting open homes hosts

Finding householders to participate takes a longtime; you might need to start looking for potentialhomes 8-12 months before your open homes event.

And before you start to select houses it’s useful toestablish both a set of criteria which you would likeyour open homes hosts to meet (e.g. certain numberof measures installed, lifestyle etc) and to define thegeographical area your event will cover – althoughyou may choose to be flexible here in case you get alot of interest from just outside the area you set.

Ways of recruiting open-homes hostsUse the obvious channels first, then if you still needmore households, try widening your approach:

1) Start with your core group and any other peopleyou know who have made eco-improvements totheir homes. And in turn ask if they know ofanyone else who could be encouraged to sign up.

2) Use your usual communication channels, such asyour newsletter, website and social media.

3) Ask other local sustainability groups, transitiongroups or the local Green Party, plus any ‘non-green’ community groups who may be interested.

4) Have a launch event and invite press (send a pressrelease) to see if you can get people interested.

5) Contact householders with visible improvementsor installations (e.g. solar panels).

6) Contact local architects, suppliers and installersand ask if they have clients who would beinterested in opening their homes for the event.

Carefully consider how you word your adverts andinvitations to encourage a wide range of householdswith a variety of improvements to take part.

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It goes without saying that asuccessful open homes event dependson the participation of a number ofengaging householders willing toopen their homes to the public.

How do you find these people andsupport them thoughout the course ofthe project?


Information to collectWhen you sign up a householder as an open homeshost, you’ll need to systematically gather informationsuch as what improvements they have made to theirhome, parking and access details, and what days andtimes they are willing to open their homes.

You may not need all this information immediately,but it helps to gather as much information as you canas soon as you can, to give you more time forplanning and publicity.

Some groups who have run open homes events havefound it useful to use standard questionnaires tocollect information about each home.

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Events and meetings If you can, find time to run a series of introductionand ‘training’ sessions for the householders to avoidmisunderstandings and worries, and to clarify theroles of the hosts and volunteers. These sessions are agreat opportunity to run through any issues peoplemay have about opening their homes.

Ask householders who have participated previouslyas open home hosts to come along and give feedbackon their own experiences, and, if they’re willing, actas mentors throughout the whole process. IncludeQ&A sessions, social time for everyone to meet otherhouseholders and volunteers, and most of all, make itfun! Householders are giving up their own time andopening up their homes – it is important that theyfeel valued and that they enjoy taking part.

At these events, it is useful to provide an overview of:

• What to expect overall – potential numbers ofvisitors, how they might arrive, that there will bea range of levels of understanding (from expert tojust inquisitive).

• What times homes will be open, if there is abooking process, and if so, how this will work.

• What to say to visitors – it is up to them, but ifthey need help in organising their thoughts thenthere is a suggested outline for telling their storyin the ‘guide for open homes hosts’ on the GreenOpen Homes website.

• Clear expectations of the level of technical detailneeded from them during visits i.e. just what theyknow already – if this is little or no technicalknowledge then that is fine, they are not expectedto know the answers to every question. Explainthat an open homes event is about real peopletelling their own stories about real homes.

“Gather together a dedicated group of people, alloweach owner a lot of freedom (e.g. when they open,what they show), seek good local publicity.” | AdrianPhillips, Cheltenham Green Doors

Once you have interest from ahousehold...Visit the homes to meet the householder, checkthe house is suitable and answer any questionsabout the event.

Be specific about what is involved – provide verbaland written guidance about what householderswill (and won’t) be doing and about the supportyou’ll give them. Keep it simple andstraightforward: don’t bombard them with toomuch information.

Keep in touch with householders to let them knowhow things are progressing (it may be severalmonths between them signing up and the openhomes event actually taking place).

Run group events for householders andvolunteers. This gives everyone a chance to meetand feel more involved in the overall event, andgives you a chance to provide them with moreinformation.

There are template guides in the Green OpenHomes website for volunteers and open homeshosts.


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Information Provide householders with relevant information forthem to look over in their own time. You couldprovide all of this in one go, or ‘drip feed’ theinformation so as not to overwhelm anyone. If youtake the latter approach, start with generalinformation, and then get more specific as the eventdraws nearer. Some things that householders mayfind useful include:

• General guidance sheet (you could use or adaptthe guide on the Green Open Homes website).

• ‘Job descriptions’ for householders, stewards andother volunteers, so that householders are clearabout what they need to do and also what supportthey will get.

• Admin guidance (plus any necessary paperwork,e.g. risk assessment sheets etc). English Heritagehas produced useful risk assessment guidelinesfor Heritage Open Days that you could refer to:http://bit.ly/15jxuIJ

• Checklist of things they’ll need for the event (e.g.sign-in sheets, evaluation forms.

• Ideas of things that would be useful to showvisitors but aren’t essential (e.g. before-and-afterphotos).

• Clarification on what they do or don’t need toprovide for visitors, e.g. (accessible) toilet,refreshments, spaces to sit down, somewhere toleave coats.

There are templates from other successful openhomes initiatives on the Green Open Homes websitewhich you might find useful to refer to.

Event packsImmediately prior to the event, provide all thematerials the householder will need for the event.This might include:

• Signage

• Information sheets about technologies they haveinstalled (but make it clear that they are notexpected to be technical experts – the event isabout real people telling their own stories).

• Other leaflets of interest

• Sign-in sheets/visitors book

• Evaluation/feedback sheets

• Sticky labels and marker pens for making namebadges if appropriate

• Relevent samples (e.g. of insulation materials) ifyou can get hold of them. More information here:http://bit.ly/1dqfOFq (pdf)

“It is useful for each house to have a summary ofinformation to give to people...Some general leafletsabout other environmental things going on in the areaare also a good idea.” | Anne Thomas, TransitionBlack Isle


Other tips for supporting your hosts ...• Recruit as many volunteers as possible – the more

help that householders have, the better.

• Where possible, ensure that volunteers arematched with an suitable home, e.g. one wherethey get along well with the householder, orwhere they have appropriate knowledge and/orinterest of the improvements on view.

• A couple of weeks before the open homes event,run a ‘dress rehearsal’ if possible. This giveshouseholders the chance to go and view otherhouses participating in the event.

• Set up a booking system or confirm well inadvance the specific times and dates when yourevent will take place.

• Can you provide cleaners to clean householder’shomes before and/or after the event (maybe youcould get donations/sponsorship from a localbusiness to cover this)?

• During the event itself, make sure there is alwayssomeone in the house with the householder.

• Tea, coffee and cake will go down well withvisitors, but since you may not want householdersto bear the cost, you could reimburse them, getseek donations from local businesses, or agreethat householders have a collection pot (either tocover their costs or to donate to charity)?

“We arranged a Saturday a couple of weeks before theevent for people who would be opening their homes orotherwise occupied on the day to be able to go roundand see some of the homes and this also gave people achance to practice what they would say.” | AnneThomas, Transition Black Isle

Finally ... show appreciationOne of the most supportive things you can do is tomake sure householders know that they are valued.As well as saying thank you verbally, you could senda letter or card afterwards, provide a summary offeedback on the whole event and about theirparticular home, organise an evening out to celebrateand run follow-up events to keep the network goingand to keep people interested and enthused.

“It is hard work but rewarding too. Treat thehouseholders well, they are your prime asset.” | KateWatson, Bristol Green Doors





Recruiting and supporting volunteers

Before you begin recruiting volunteers, you need tothink about a few things. We’ve set out somequestions here that we think it pays to have ananswer to in advance of any recruitment activity.

What’s in it for you?

Most open homes events require a lot of help indifferent areas (stewards, facilitators, guides,administrators, fundraisers etc). So, unless you’replanning a very small event which your group canhandle by itself, recruiting a volunteer team with arange of interests and skills at an early stage is a highpriority. A diverse volunteer team will mean you cantap into lots of different ideas and experience.

What’s in it for your volunteers?

Different volunteers will have different motivations,so in your recruitment materials, emphasise thatvolunteering for your group will have a variety ofbenefits so you appeal to as wide an audience aspossible. Some may want to learn more about energysaving measures, others to meet new people andmake new friends. A few volunteers may be thinkingabout career development and improving their CVs,while many more may simply enjoy donating theirtime and skills to a worthy cause.

How will you ensure your volunteers are suitable?

Think about what you need to know about apotential volunteer. Application forms arerecommended by volunteering support agencies suchas Volunteering England because you can gather lotsof information fairly easily. The downside is that theyare quite formal, and may put some people off,especially if they’re long or complex. You could askfor a brief personal statement outlining why theywant to volunteer for you, what they can offer andwhat they would like to get out of it.

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This resource will give you somepointers on recruiting and supportingvolunteers for your open homesevent.

There is also a Green Open Homes‘Guide for Volunteers’ which youmight find useful to give to yourhelpers.


Probably the best method is just to arrange aninformal chat or meeting. This allows you to get toknow the volunteer and gives them the opportunityto ask you questions about your group and the role.It does take quite a bit of time so be realistic aboutyour ability to meet everybody.

For obvious security reasons, it’s also good practiceto get some references for volunteers who are goingto be helping in people’s houses. It’s worth makingsure that you will be able to turn away unsuitableapplicants and have not inadvertently committedyourself to accepting everyone who applies.Whichever process you choose, be clear about thatfrom the start.

Have you factored in enough time to support yourvolunteers properly?

If you haven’t, you really need to. Supportingvolunteers can be time consuming, but it’s definitelytime well spent. It isn’t fair to recruit volunteers andthen manage them poorly – and doing so will makeit much more difficult for your group to recruit inthe future.

Have you got a clear communication plan?

Many groups lose volunteers because of poorcommunication. That could be anything fromoverwhelming them with too many emails to leavingit so long between updates that they lose interest.Because you are likely to be recruiting well inadvance of your event, you’ll need to manage yourvolunteers’ involvement carefully to keep themengaged. It helps to have a plan in place even beforerecruitment begins.

Make it clear from the start how often (and in whatformat) volunteers can expect to hear from you, anddo your best to stick to it. Bear in mind that noteveryone likes emails!

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How will you deal with any issues that crop up?

Volunteers are ambassadors for your group, so youneed to ensure that they are representing you as youwould wish. It can be awkward to address theproblem of a volunteer not acting in the bestinterests of the group, because that person is givingtheir time for free. However, the best thing you cando in this situation is act swiftly and sensitively.Having a clear idea of how you might approach thisunlikely scenario should give you the confidence todeal with any issues effectively. VolunteeringEngland has some useful guidance on this topic athttp://bit.ly/1e1Xdir

Recruiting volunteersIf you have a clear answer to all the questions above,you’re ready to recruit your team. Here are some tipsto help you with the recruitment itself.

The basics

When designing your recruitment materials it helpsto set out the tasks you want volunteers to performin a clear role description. If you need to recruit formore than one type of role make sure you have a roleprofile for each. The role of an admin assistant willquite different to a volunteer steward.

Make it clear what sort of time commitment you areexpecting for each, including any time required fortraining and meetings. And be clear about when youwant volunteers to be active – during working hours,or in the evening and at weekends? State what youintend to provide in the way of expenses; if you canafford it, support with travel and/or subsistencemight allow more people to volunteer for you.

Signing people up

Make sure you advertise your roles in as varied a wayas possible to get a good range of volunteers. Word ofmouth is a very effective way to recruit, so encourageyour existing group members and volunteers tospread the word. Put up posters and get some leafletsout. Use any green networks that cover your area,especially focusing on other groups with similar


goals that might want to work with you inpartnership. Once you have some open homes hostson board they may well know people willing to helpwith the event – as a volunteer steward on the day ordropping off some leaflets for you.

Don’t rely solely on ‘green’ avenues for recruitment.Volunteering agencies can help, and, although they’llcharge a fee, it’s probably money well spent as theycan reach a wide audience and offer you their adviceand expertise.

Supporting volunteersOnce you begin building up a team of volunteers youneed to offer them adequate support to keep themmotivated and prevent them getting overwhelmed.Here are some pointers for keeping volunteersengaged:

Induction & training

A good induction is invaluable. Your volunteers willneed information about your group, the event, andtheir role. You will want to cover all the basics, suchas contact details, what to do in emergencies, whatyour responsibilities are and what the responsibilitiesof the volunteers are going to be.

You should also outline any training you want thevolunteers to undertake at the very beginning, evenif you haven’t arranged the sessions yet. (As statedabove, don’t start recruiting before you have decidedthis). Explain what format the training will take. Willit be something simple like reading through avolunteer handbook? Perhaps you will be arrangingtraining sessions led by your group or by a localpartner organisation, or you might ask moreexperienced volunteers to lead a session. Don’tassume that all your volunteers have the sametraining needs. Fine out how much they know: someof them might know more about domestic energythan you do and won’t be happy to be sent on acompulsory training session.

Ongoing support & communication

Let your volunteers know exactly what they are goingto be doing as well as where to go for help andinformation if needed. Ideally, assign each volunteera main contact at your group so that they can buildup a good working relationship.

Try to involve volunteers in decision-making as faras possible. This will keep them engaged, show thattheir input is valued and give them a stake in theproject. A brainstorming meeting could be a goodway to do this, and also offers an opportunity forvolunteers to meet and get to know each other.

Other tools you could use (less sociable, but stilleffective) include group emails (e.g. using GoogleGroups) or simple online surveys (e.g. SurveyMonkey). Keep your contact lists and contact detailsup to date, and if you need to get an urgent messageout to volunteers, try to call them rather than relyingon emails.

Maintaining momentum

Unlikely as it may seem, you may have a quiet spellat some point where you don’t have much forvolunteers to do. If this happens, there is a dangerthat some of your volunteers could lose interest, sothink about whether you can you delegate to themany of the tasks the core group were planning to do.Some might relish the opportunity for morechallenging project work, and the core team mightappreciate the help too. Other volunteers will behappy to have a break and come back when there’smore going on.

During quiet periods, take extra care to keep yourvolunteers updated on what you are doing behindthe scenes so that they understand why it’s gone a bitquiet. If there’s anything you can do in these quieterspells to maintain volunteers’ momentum, such asrunning workshops, training sessions or just somesocials, you should consider it. It may create extrawork, but will help avoid volunteer drop-out.

At the end of your project, consider if, and how, youwill stay in touch with your volunteers. You may justrun the one event, in which case you might not need

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to stay in touch with volunteers – beyond sayingthank you, of course. If you plan to repeat your openhomes event – and we hope you will – it is worthkeeping your volunteers active. Those that had apositive experience the first time round (hopefullyall of them) are quite likely to help out next time.Something as simple as a few email updates andperhaps a post-event feedback session might beenough.

Losing volunteersVolunteers can drop out for a variety of reasons, onlysome of which are within your control, so don’tworry if some move on – it happens. But if you arelosing a lot, it might be a sign that you are doingsomething wrong.

If volunteers do leave, it pays to ask them why in casethere is an element of your support you need toimprove on. Allow people to feed this back in avariety of ways as some people might be able toexpress in writing what they could never say face toface. Feedback forms where the wording is alreadythere and all they need to do is tick a box might alsohelp you get an honest answer, especially if the formis anonymous, but make sure there is space for themto elaborate on their answers if they wish to.

More informationFor more detailed guidance on recruiting andretaining volunteers for community groups seeVolunteering England’s comprehensive guide at:http://bit.ly/1dGuQni.

The PlanLoCaL guidance on working withvolunteers focuses specifically on the communityenergy sector (pdf): http://bit.ly/1e1YKF9





Guide for open home hosts

Beforehand – preparing your homeBe a good neighbour! Tell your neighbours whatyou are doing and invite them along – they are quitelikely to be interested in seeing your improvementsthemselves, particularly if their house is similar toyours. They may also be able to help with publicity. Italso minimises any surprises for them on the day incase you get a lot of visitors.

Check with the organisers about signs or bannersoutside your home – if they are being provided thenit’s important to use them. It will help visitors knowthat they have got the right house, and it mayreassure your neighbours to see that the ‘open home’in the street is clearly identifiable. If it isn’t provided,then make your own by sticking posters in thewindow, on the door or on the gate.

Do a risk assessment. This sounds formal but itsimply involves looking around your home,including outside, to spot any potential dangers, e.g.slippery steps, trailing cables, trip hazards. If youcan’t do anything about any of the potential risks,then just make sure you mention them to visitors, ormake signs saying ‘mind the slope’, ‘watch your head’etc. Do this in conjunction with the organisers, asthey may spot things that you have becomeaccustomed to in your own home (and theirinsurance may require it).

Put any valuables (including sentimental items) orbreakables out of reach. Put them all in one roomand keep that door closed so that it is out of boundsto any visitors, with a sign on the door stating theroom is private. Likewise if there are any areas ofyour house that you do not want people to visit, thenlock these doors and put up ‘no entry’ signs.

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Most people find that opening theirhome as part of a green open homesevent is a worthwhile and enjoyableexperience.

This short guide to give you a few tipsand pointers so that you can beconfident everything will runsmoothly on the day.


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Check with the organisers what the insurancearrangements are. You must also advise your owninsurers that your home will be open for visits –check that you have adequate cover, otherwise youcould be liable if an accident happens.

If you have pets, it is best to keep them out of theway. Not all visitors will be animal lovers, and it maybe stressful for a pet to deal with lots of strangers intheir home. Consider having someone to take themout for the day.

Make sure the toilet is easily accessible if you’rehappy for visitors to use it – consider putting up asign.

You could set up a registration table (or a sheet onthe wall) inside the front door for signing in, and/orgive out labels for name badges so you know who’swho if you’re giving a tour. The organisers are likelyto want details of those who attended for monitoringpurposes. It’s also good for your own security, andnice to be able to address people by name!

It is up to you if you want to provide refreshments.Tea and cake usually proves popular but there isabsolutely no pressure to do home baking in additionto opening your home.

If you do provide refreshments, you might want toput out a collection tin for a charity of your choice.Alternatively, some local groups may reimburse youfor the cost. On a practical level, it is a good idea towait until visitors have already looked around beforeserving hot drinks.

“Encourage tea and cake! The informality andconversation time this creates really helps.” | KateGathercole, Herefordshire New Leaf

Structuring visitsSpeak to the event organisers about the structure ofthe visits. They may leave it up to you whether toallow visitors to drop in whenever they want, or toset specific times for people to arrive. However theorganisers may prefer all the homes to have the samestructure and should let you know which approachthey plan to take.

If you are not happy with the way the event isstructured, speak to the organisers who can probably

be flexible. For example, if the house suddenly fillsup, people probably won’t mind waiting outside for afew minutes, or coming back in half an hour. And ifyou have a friend or a volunteer with you they canhelp you manage if you do get a sudden influx.

If tours are planned then think about how long atour might take, and how many visitors per tour isfeasible, then feed this back to the organisers. Thinkabout what people will want to be looking at whenthey visit your home, the size of your home, and howmany people at a time will be able to see the featuresyou want to show them.

Think about how you will structure the tour anddivide it into time slots. For example, 5-10 minutesfor arrivals/introductions, 15-20 minutes guidedtour, 10 minutes for questions, 15-20 minutes forrefreshments and discussion, 5 minutes forcompleting feedback forms. This will help to avoidvisits over-running.

Bear in mind that having visitors to your home allday can be tiring.

“Don't over-extend yourself. Last time we offered justfive tours on one day. This was easier to handle thanour previous openings when we did tours on Fridayevening, Saturday all day and Sunday afternoon.” |Harriet Martin, Superhomes.

What information to provideThe visits are all about people coming to hear yourown story and experiences; you are not expected tobe a technical expert (although if you are people willof course be interested in this). But make sure thatthe most likely technical questions can be answeredthrough factsheets, your in-house volunteer, aninstaller or an advice centre.

What you can provide is the opportunity to seeenergy saving improvements in ‘real life’, and to beable to tell people about how you went aboutinstalling them, what the pitfalls were, what youlearned from the experience, and how you’vebenefitted from the improvements.


When you talk to householders, think about coveringthe following points :

• Why did you want to make an improvement. Coldhome, high bills, damp problems, or just to makeyour home greener?

• What options did you consider, and why did youchoose to do what you did?

• What did the work entail. Did you do it yourselfor use professionals? How long did it take, howmuch did it cost and what level of disruption wasinvolved? How easy was it to find a builder orsupplier? Did you get recommendations?

• Were there any unexpected obstacles and how didyou overcome them?

• What difference has it made? e.g. a warmer ormore comfortable home, less damp and mould,lower bills or any other surprising changes?

• What are the key dos and don’ts that you wouldpass on?

Remember that different people have differentmotivations; some are looking for carbon savingsand reduced energy use, while others will be inspiredby a more comfortable home or saving money.

Information and display material is helpful forpeople who arrive early and you are still talking tothe previous visitors. If you have before and afterphotos, you could display these, along with anyleftover materials or samples.

Check with the organisers if they can provide anyleaflets or information sheets that you can give out.They might want to create a case study on your hometo give to visitors. If not, is this something you coulddo yourself?

“Photos and easy-to-read displays, before and afterenergy graphs, samples of materials e.g. insulation, atalk by the householder and/or architect or othersinvolved in the project all proved useful.” | Tina Holt,Transition West Bridgford.

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Early or late arrivalsIt is worth thinking beforehand about how to dealwith people who arrive early or late for booked tours,and agree with your helper(s) what you will do. It isyour home – you have every right to ask them tocome back later if they arrive very early, or not to letthem in if they are very late.

If you are accommodating people who arrive early,you might be happy to let them wander around andhave a look for themselves, or you may prefer tocreate a ‘waiting area’ with chairs and things to read.This could even be outside, if you have a smallhouse, but should probably be covered in case theweather is inclement.

Dealing with different types of peoplePeople who come to visit your home will generally beenthusiastic and grateful that you are opening upyour home, and are most likely to be very pleasanttowards you, and interested in what you have to say.

In the unlikely event that you find some visitors are abit harder to manage (‘difficult’ behaviour you aremost likely to come across is someone who is over-enthusiastic!), it can be helpful to decide beforehandwith your helper/volunteer how you will deal withpeople who overstay their welcome, ask too manyquestions or generally talk too much.

Some tips include:

• Say beforehand approximately how long a tour ofyour home is likely to take, particularly if you arerunning booked tours only. That way, it doesn’tappear rude if you begin to hurry people along. Ifyou’re uncomfortable with this, your volunteercan help by telling visitors things like: “it’s fiveo’clock now, let’s leave [your name] in peace” or“the next group is starting to arrive now, so we’llneed to make some room for them”.

• You are not expected to be an expert oneverything, so if you can’t answer every question,that’s fine. If you know where they can get furtherinformation, then do direct them to this.


• If someone constantly interrupts you withquestions, ask them to save them until the end(and make sure everyone else gets a chance to asktheir questions first).

• If someone is negative, don’t become defensive;remain assertive with a calm authority.

Remember you’re the expert about your own home’sretrofit. Others may have more technical knowledge,but they don’t know your home, your reasons fordoing certain things and the difference it made.

VolunteersGet as much extra help as you can on the day to meetand greet, tick off names, look after incomingvisitors as the previous tour ends etc, and definatelyensure ou have at least one helper with you all day.

Agree beforehand who will do what, but somesuggestions about how volunteers can help are...

• Meeting and greeting, signing visitors in and out(if required), ensuring people have name stickers(if used) and counting visitor numbers

• Making drinks and taking coats, umbrellas, etc.

• Assisting with basic housekeeping things, likehighlighting the nearest exits, where the toilet isand providing refreshments

• Ensuring visitors complete evaluation forms (ifprovided by your group)

• Providing leaflets and advice on where to findfurther information

• Talking to anyone waiting for a tour, keepingthem in an appropriate area of the house andletting them know how long they’ll need to wait

• Providing access to any resources available at thehouse, case studies, more information, maps ofthe event.

• Helping to usher people out if required!

People come to learn from the householders, so don'texpect volunteers to recount your story for you. Theywon't have all the information and the experiencewill not be as good as if you were doing it. If yourvolunteer has expert experience in a particular area –say they are a plumber – you might be able to getthem to speak about details around installing a solarthermal system which could complement your ownstory – but it should not replace it.

And finally...Have fun! It’s not all hard work, and it’s a great wayto meet like-minded people and join in withsomething lively and community-spirited.

“Opening your home can be “very worthwhile, hasgreat feel-good factor, excellent way to spread goodpractice - do it!” | Sally Cooke, Greendor.

“[What I enjoyed was] meeting the volunteers and thepeople who came to visit. Many of whom were quiteknowledgeable about sustainability issues.” | Peter,Bristol Green Doors householder 2010

“The interest by visitors in even the smallest things.Exchange of hints and tips/ideas; overwhelmingnumbers but great in a way to find so many folk hadan interest.” Irina, Bristol Green Doors householder2010





Guide for volunteers

Your roleOpening a home to the public can be quite a lot ofwork for the host, particularly if they don't havefriends or family available to lend a hand. As avolunteer you can help relieve the pressure, andhaving an additional friendly and approachableperson on hand will improve the experience forvisitors. You might end up taking charge ofwelcoming visitors, keeping track of the number ofpeople in the house, organising refreshments,providing expert advice (if you happen to be veryknowledgeable), or something else which the hostcan’t manage on their own.

“Volunteers are essential at the homes - to helpmanage numbers, enable the household to feel at ease,and to gather visitor evaluation.” | Jo Hamilton,previously Oxfordshire ClimateXchange

Be preparedBefore the event, discuss with the host what sort ofhelp they need, and when the best time is for you toarrive. Make sure you know your way around thehouse: the key areas of interest, where the toilet andexits are, which areas are out of bounds to visitors …and how to make a cup of tea.

Have everything to hand that you are going to need,like visitor sign-in sheets, leaflets, stickers and pensfor name labels, evaluation forms etc. A safe place tokeep all this is useful – or you may prefer to use adeep pocket or a shoulder bag.

If the host is running scheduled slots or tours forvisitors (e.g. one hour each), check how these willwork and how you can help. Discuss how you willmanage visitors at busy times and whether there is a

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Volunteers are vital to making sureopen homes events run smoothly andare a good experience for everyoneinvolved.

This guide is to help clarify your roleand give you some tips to help youprepare.


maximum number of people that can realistically bein the house at any one time.

Helping with visitorsIf you can do most of the ‘meeting and greeting’ andmanaging visitors, it means the host will be able toconcentrate on talks, questions and running guidedtours.

As visitors arrive, ensure that they sign in andconsider using name stickers so that the host canaddress them by name. Take their coats ifappropriate, and make sure they wipe their feet!

Count visitor numbers throughout the day to ensureyou have an accurate record (you may not manage toget everyone to sign in).

If the host is providing refreshments you could makedrinks or offer snacks on their behalf, and offer towash up afterwards. (Make sure you give out drinksat an appropriate time so that visitors don’t walkaround the house carrying hot drinks or food.)

Make sure visitors complete evaluations (if providedby your group) before they leave, and direct them tofurther information and guidance if they areinterested.

Helping to facilitateKeep an eye on the time, especially if you’re swappingover with another volunteer at an agreed time or ifthe host is running structured tours. You can givevisitors a reminder of how much time is left, movequestions along, or give out feedback sheets 5-10minutes before the end of the allotted time. This willhelp avoid visits over-running.

Other ways of helping to chivvy people along includegiving people their coats back, telling visitors

something like: “it’s five o’clock now, let’s leave ourhost in peace” or “the next group is starting to arrivenow, so we’ll need to make some room for them”.

Your visitors are likely to be very interested andenthusiastic, but if there are difficult or demandingquestions, the host might be glad of some helpdealing with them.

Be aware of the ‘mood’ of the group too. You couldhelp to move things along if the discussion hasbecome too involved/detailed for the majority of thegroup, especially if there is still a lot to look at andnot much time left. Intervening with a reminderabout what time it is, what else is left to view orwhere visitors can go to get more detailedinformation are all tactful ways of interjecting.

Early or late arrivalsCheck beforehand what the host would like to doabout visitors who arrive early or late. You may needto be quite firm and ask early visitors to come backlater if they arrive very early, or not let them in ifthey are very late.

If you are accommodating people who arrive early,invite them to take a seat or look at a display, chat tothem about what other houses they have seen, andmake sure there are plenty of leaflets to read.

And finally...Enjoy yourself! Being a volunteer helper for an openhomes host can be fun and rewarding, and you willmeet lots of people. Open homes events are afantastic way for people to learn more about energyimprovements they can make to their homes, and aregreat to be a part of. And you may just learnsomething useful yourself.





Marketing your event

Before you start on your marketing plan, you shouldbe clear about the overall aim or purpose of runningan open homes event. What are your specificobjectives, and what steps will you take to achievethis aim? For example, are you hoping to get as manypeople as possible through the doors, or are yougoing to target a specific group, those most likely toinstall measures, for example, or those living inhomes that most need updating?

Who is your main target audience? Don’t forget that although you have spent a lot oftime thinking about energy efficiency, the people youare trying to reach may not.

So messages that emphasise energy efficiency mightmiss their target. One of the biggest attractions ofopen homes events is that most people really enjoylooking around other people’s homes. If some homesin your event have a ‘wow factor’ then it might beworth using them to promote the event. Butremember that people may be equally curious aboutseeing normal homes that are similar to their ownbut warmer and cheaper to run.

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You may think it’s important forpeople to retrofit their homes, but forothers your community this may notbe a priority.

So to get people through the doors ofyour open homes event, you’ll need tothink carefully about the messagingyou use, and draw up a marketingplan.


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So ask yourself about your target audience:

• What age are they? Do they lead busy lives, or dothey have time for retrofitting their home?

• What are their needs and priorities? Is caring forthe environment a priority or are they moremotivated by saving money on energy bills ? Howmuch do they know about energy efficiency?

• What types of property are they likely to live inand how do they heat them?

Think about their social networks. Do they knowtheir neighbours? Do they use the internet or socialmedia? Are they likely to be aware of your group andits activities in the community?

And ask yourself, will they know what an openhomes event entails and what might stop them fromcoming along?

Thinking about your target audience in this way willhelp inform what you tell them, and how.

What to sayGiven the profile of your audience that you’ve builtup, what are the one or two most important messagesto get across that would inspire them to come along?Think about what they would be interested to hear,rather than what you want to tell them!

In brief: be very clear, and keep it simple, use theright language (energy jargon), and make it sound aseasy as possible for people to get involved.

Being sociable:“Come and meet your neighbours, have tea and cake,and hear about how they’ve improved their homes.”

Saving money“Do you think you’re paying too much for gas andelectricity? Some people in this neighbourhood havemade home improvements that have brought downtheir bills; come and ask them how.”

Being warmer“Houses around here are hard to keep warm, but somepeople in this neighbourhood have made homeimprovements that have made their houses muchcosier. Come and see how.”

See homes with ‘wow factor’ “Here’s a chance to see inside an eco-home’ or ‘Checkout a home built to passivhaus standards.”

Find out about the improvements ...“We will have a wide range of home improvements onshow including solar panels, underfloor heating, LEDlighting ... etc.”

... and learn how they work“Come and see energy saving technologies in action,and have an opportunity to speak to experts andhouseholders about them.’

Save energy“Our area has saved X units of electricity throughenergy saving improvements so far. Want to join in?”

You could also entice with a home with a specialarchitectural feature, an interesting history (maybesomeone famous once lived there) or something toappeal to kids, like chickens in the garden.

Finding your audienceOnce you’ve decided what to say, you need to decidewhere to say it. Don’t stick to one communicationchannel. A message that is reinforced across differentplatforms (in a leaflet and then on a poster, say) ismore powerful, and you will attract more people ifyou use several different channels.

Consider what each communication is for. Whatdoes the recipient need to know at that stage? Youdon’t have include all the information at once.

A printed leaflet is a standard marketing tool andcan be put through doors, handed out at e.g.shopping centres, or left in e.g. libraries, communitycentres, GP surgeries etc.

Leaflet drops much more effective if you (or othersinvolved in your event) deliver them personally andchat to people face-to-face.

A poster can be put up in peoples windows, shops,pubs, public buildings etc. Keep them quite small –A3 is probably too big for many noticeboards.


Local newspapers or local radio stations areinterested things going on locally and may publish asupportive story or give you a slot on air. You mightalso buy an advert in a local newspaper or on theradio, but these can be expensive.

Local newsletters are often hungry for content, butyou may have to write the article yourself.

Give out leaflets and chat to people face-to-face atlocal events, e.g. a weekly farmers market, or one-offcommunity event.

Social media is a great publicity tool. Getting onFacebook and Twitter is free and is a great way toconnect with individuals and organisations who willhelp you promote your event. Setting up a websitefrom scratch is a more serious undertaking. Is there asupportive organisation that would give you a pageon their site? Or why not set one up onwww.greenopenhomes.net

Become an enthusiastic networker! Othercommunity organisations in the area may be happyto promote the event through their newsletters,meetings and events

And don’t forget good old word-of-mouth – ask theopen homes hosts to tell their friends andneighbours and spread the word.

What resources do you need?It is important to be aware that different types ofmarketing require different amounts of time, moneyand people. Think about:

• Finance - What’s your publicity budget? What willbe the best use of your money?

• Time - How much time do you have for publicity?Do you have volunteers who can go doorknocking? How long will this take?

• People – How many people can help with theproject? How could you increase this number andencourage people to volunteer?

• Skills - Whose expertise can you use? Do youknow someone who can build a (simple) website,who is good at graphic design, who is great attalking to people?

When do I start?In most cases, the sooner the better. An early startwill mean you can to do more and so maximise yourreach.

But don’t front-load your campaign, i.e. if you startadvertising early, people can forget about it by thetime the event comes round. Consider drawing up acalendar of publicity actions taking you right up tothe event day/s. This will build up momentum andexcitement about the event and stop peopleforgetting about it.




A leaflet for your event is going to be a lot better if it has a map. But getting a good map for print is easiersaid than done.

A quick and easy option is to take a ‘screenshot’ of e.g. Google Maps. If your event is using the Green OpenHomes website (www.greenopenhomes.net), then you’ll have a map, derived from Google Maps, with allyour homes marked with a pin. Some keyboards have a key labled ‘PrtScn’ (‘print screen’) for this purpose,and on Windows you can also use the ‘snipping tool’.

Note that this will give you a relatively low-resolution image, and it will have to be reduced in size quitesignificantly to prevent it pixilating on the printed page.

You also need to be aware of copyright.

Our interpretation of Google’s ‘Permission Guidelines for Google Maps and Google Earth’ – seewww.google.co.uk/permissions/geoguidelines – is that this is permittable as long as it meets certainconditions. (We suggest you read the guidelines to satisfy yourself that your use of Google Maps materialdoesn’t infringe copyright).

These are the relevent passages (itallics added):

“You may print Content from Maps and Earth for personal use … In all uses where print will bedistributed, first make sure that you read our FAQ on applicable product Terms of Service andfair use.”

“Fair use is a concept under copyright law in the US that, generally speaking, permits you touse a copyrighted work in certain ways without obtaining a licence from the copyright holder.There are a variety of factors that affect whether your use of Content would be consideredfair use, including the purpose and character of your use, the nature of the copyrighted work,the amount of the copyrighted material used and the effect of your use upon the potentialmarket for the copyrighted work. For example, there are differences between use in a for-feeservice and use in a work of scholarship, or the use of a single map screenshot and the use ofdetailed map images for an entire country. There are similar, although generally more limited,concepts in other countries’ copyright laws, including a concept known as “fair dealing” in anumber of countries.”

Our view is that using a single map for a local event that isn’t for the purposes of making a profit would falleasily into fair use’. But note that:

“Google Maps may not be used as a core part of printed navigational content, such as tourbooks.”

And

“When using Google Maps and Earth Content in print, any images used must reflect how theywould look online."

Creating a map for your green open homes event

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This means that you can’t cut off the copyright information at the foot of the image (see picture, above).

The second approach is to draw your own map or pay a designer or illustrator to have one made for you.Note that Google have wised up to people using Google Maps as a template and have a specific clauseabout this in their Permissions Guidelines: “You may notuse Google Maps or Google Earth as the basis fortracing your own maps or other geographic content.”

If you’re printing tens of thousands of leaflets, this isprobably worth it. It will look much better than ascreenshot and give your material character.

Bristol Green Doors produced this map (right) for their2013 open homes weekend. This featured on an A2fold-out leaflet. Lots of open homes events have mapsthat are less sophisticated than this one






People opening up their homes andtalking to others about the ‘green’improvements they have made is anexcellent way to inspire greenerbehaviour.

There are genuine success storiesfrom established green open homesevents, which resonate with much ofthe research on theories of behaviourchange and ‘social norming’.

“The greatest strength of the Open Days events seemsto be the power of real-life experience and the telling ofa ‘story’ by an ordinary citizen about their own home… the value of the story being told by ‘someone like us’could be lost in a rush to impose order andconsistency.” | Killip and Hamilton, EnvironmentalChange Institute, University of Oxford(http://tinyurl.com/q5apuow)

Why green open homes eventswork

If you are considering an open homes event youprobably already think it’s a good idea. But if youneed any more convincing, here are seven goodreasons to go for it.

1. The novelty factorOpen homes events can be fun, engaging, and attracta broad range of people, making them a really goodway to spread the word about the benefits of lowcarbon improvements. The idea of opening uphomes has proved to be popular in recent years, forexample through arts trails, open gardens andheritage open days, as well as eco open homes events.

Open homes events can engage people and socialgroups that might otherwise not be interested in eco-renovation, or that would be less likely to respond tomore conventional ways of sharing your message(like putting on a talk or giving out leaflets).

2. Social networksNew ideas and technologies tend to spread (or‘diffuse’) via social networks. Open homes events aregreat ways to encourage the spread and acceptance oflow carbon homes. It’s likely that open homes hostswill invite their friends and neighbours to take partin the event, and it will provide a talking point andan opportunity to discuss some of the issues.Hopefully, they in turn will tell others about theevent and what they learned, which may inspireothers to take action too.

3. Identifying with peopleProviding the opportunity for people to seeimprovements made to homes, especially thosewhich are similar to their home, makes ‘green’

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adaptations seem more accessible. Research on socialtheories of behaviour shows that we are more likelyto act in alignment with a ‘social norm’ if we identifywith the group that the behaviour is linked to. Sowhen people visit houses, part of what they arelooking at is whether the person living in the houseis like them, or has a lifestyle they aspire to.

If visitors see improvements which are carried out bypeople like them, whom they relate to because theylive in the same sort of house or have a similarlifestyle, they are more likely to follow their lead.

“People are as interested in the books on your shelvesas the low carbon improvements you’re showcasing.”Dan Weisselberg at Bristol Green Doors

4. The value of trustHearing about low carbon improvements from atrusted peer makes the information much moreimpactful and more likely to be acted upon.

At open homes events you get to hear the practical,real-life, ‘warts and all’ report from someone in yourcommunity. Hosts can explain what they did andwhy, what worked and what mistakes they may havemade, and visitors will trust these messages muchmore than a sales pitch from a stranger.

Plus there is local intelligence to glean, such as theavailability of tradesmen with particular skills, or asupportive local authority or community group. Allof this is invisible to manufacturers and will not beevident in product literature or design guides.

5. Telling a storyPeople find stories or narratives much morememorable than lists of facts, and a narrative aboutthe results of low energy improvements will be muchmore compelling than a list of benefits. So openhomes events where there are real stories and case

studies make energy saving home improvementsmore inspiring.

6. Social normingResearch shows that we are strongly influenced bywhat we believe most other people do in the samecircumstances – in other words, what we consider tobe ‘normal’. Social norming is about how we form animpression of what the typical behaviour is of thosearound us, and then consciously or unconsciouslyfollow suit. So if you are able to point out a ‘norm’(for example, making low carbon improvements tohomes), people are more likely to make changes totheir own homes to meet the norm.

It can be difficult to show a norm when it comes tothe (otherwise fairly invisible) behaviour of peoplewithin their homes, so an open homes event is anexcellent way of making this visible. If you have lotsof homes that have all made energy efficientupgrades then it will appear even more ‘normal’.

7. Stronger communitiesIn some neighbourhoods, getting people engaged inany kind of community-level activity can be astruggle. But open homes events can appeal to abroad audience. People of all ages and backgroundswill be interested, and it is a good way to get peopleout and about and talking to each other - a bit like astreet party or an arts trail. You will also be creatingopportunities for a range of people to get involved; aspart of the main organising group, as an open homeshost or as a volunteer steward.




Want to know more? The theories of behaviour change (‘social norming’,‘availability heuristics’ etc) are dealt with in more detailin the PlanLoCaL resource ‘Behaviour change: theories,approaches, guidance’ http://tinyurl.com/qj5atm9


Open homes and the Green Deal

There are two aspects of the Green Deal which relateto open homes events. Firstly, the Green Deal andEnergy Company Obligation (ECO) offer new waysfor people to access funding and finance to makeimprovements to their homes which (for more costlymeasures in particular) would not previously havebeen possible.

Secondly, open homes events which encourage takeup of low carbon measures will help create thedemand for improvements which is essential for thesuccess of the Green Deal. This in turn could createmore interest in open homes events where you cango and see what your neighbour has installed usingGreen Deal finance, and ask them about theirexperience of the process.

The Green Deal in briefThe Green Deal and ECO were launched in January2013 with the aim of making it easier to improve theenergy standards of UK homes. They can help fund awide range of improvements, including solid wallinsulation, heating upgrades and renewables.

The Green Deal enables customers to install energysaving improvements at a reduced (or no) upfrontcost with the expense of the work being paid backover time through the electricity bill. This financeoffer is only available when the repayments are notgreater than the savings the improvement makes onthe energy bill – the so-called ‘golden rule’ – so thecustomer’s total energy bill should not be higherthan before.

If improvements do not meet the golden rule thehouseholder will need to contribute some of the cost,or seek alternative finance to cover the remainder.

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The Green Deal is the government’smain initiative to bring down theenergy consumption of UK homes.

Most conversations about domesticenergy efficiency are likely to touchon the Green Deal, so its worthknowing about so that you cananswer visitors’ questions.


The ECO can help out in some cases where thegolden rule isn’t met, such as expensive solid wallinsulation jobs, and where the householder is inreceipt of qualifying benefits, or live in an area whichhas been allocated funding to improve the housingstock.

The improvements that are funded through theGreen Deal or ECO are those that have beenidentified in a previously-undertaken Green DealAssessment as having the greatest potential impacton energy use in the property.

It’s worth noting that the Green Deal is notnecessarily the best option for everybody and it’simportant to stress to anyone visiting an open homethat they should look into all the options forfinancing an improvement project before making adecision.

The resources below explain Green Deal in moredetail and you may wish to pass them on tointerested visitors.

For a short film on the Green Deal and ECO, seehttp://youtu.be/Vq2o1RK9pQA

For factsheets on the Green Deal and ECO, seehttp://bit.ly/16F1ArN and http://bit.ly/18SNitD(both pdfs).

For Green Deal and ECO frequently asked questions,see http://bit.ly/15pw6pw

Green Deal poster: http://bit.ly/18VniaR

Connecting the Green Deal with openhomes eventsThe success of the Green Deal will depend on a shifttowards both higher expectations of energyefficiency standards in homes and a preparedness tomake home energy improvements. For this tohappen, people need to feel that it’s being done bypeople like them who live in homes like theirs, andthat the results (like a warmer home) are worth it.

Open homes initiatives can generate a local buzz anda strong sense that others in the community areinterested in and taking action on low carbonretrofit.

Such events can inspire widespread uptake of lowcarbon refurbishment from householders when theyfeel that the measures involved are relativelystraightforward and practical for their circumstances(i.e. not just about ‘extreme green’ or ‘doingeverything possible’). This can have a particularimpact if someone who lives nearby has already donesimilar works in a similar home and can help themby sharing their experiences (warts and all).





Using questionnaires for openhomes events

Why do a questionnaire?Event organisers ask participants to answerquestionnaires for a number of reasons:

To understand better who their audience is•

To learn about what worked well, and what needs•improving

To provide evidence of the event to funders, key•supporters and stakeholders

To provide a snapshot in time, against which•future events can be compared

To invite participation in future open homes•events, or other projects you run

Your reasons for conducting a questionnaire willdetermine the type of information you need togather. When you are designing your questions, beclear about what you need to know, and what you’dlike to know. If you have insufficient resources toconduct a detailed questionnaire and follow-up,perhaps you could ask a volunteer, student orresearcher to help you.

FormatThink about how you will be able to administer thequestionnaire. Which method will best meet yourneeds and maximise the response rate? Here are fewsuggestions:

1. Online (e.g. via Surveymonkey.com)

It’s easy to collect data, and provides basic analysis ofyour results for you.

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If you can, it’s well worth asking yourvisitors for a bit of feedback aboutwho they are, why they came, andwhat they thought of the event.

Here are some tips on writing andusing questionnaires.


It saves time for organisers / volunteers.

Can be done online at the event, or sent in a follow-up email immediately after the event, althoughresponse rates may be lower post-event.

2. On paper, at or after the event

If volunteers can distribute and collectquestionnaires at the event, you can collect animmediate response. But keep it short -two sides ofA4 maximum.

If there are insufficient volunteers, pens or space,there is a risk that visitors will not fill them out.

If you send questionnaires after the event, they canbe longer. It’s always best to include a stampedaddressed envelope to encourage returns.

3. Postcard-sized. e.g. three questions plus contactdetails, to drop into a box at the event.

You may get more responses.

You can ask for an email address to send on a longerquestionnaire later.

But a short questionnaire limits the number ofquestions and your opportunity to compare yourfeedback with other events.

4. Verbal interview (face-to-face or by telephone)

If you have a good interviewer or team ofinterviewers, questions can be asked consistently andquickly. But interviewing is a skill in its own right sochoose interviewers carefully, and provide some brieftraining if necessary.

You might need to prioritise a few locations at yourevent where you can position interviewers.

If you interview people after the event, how will youchoose your interviewees?

There’s more possibility of positive bias (i.e.respondents saying what they think you want tohear).

How to maximise response ratesHow can you get lots of people to fill in yourquestionnaire? A voucher, reward or prize draw as anincentive can be useful, but they’re not essential. Thebest way to achieve a high response rate is to have awell-designed questionnaire in the first place. Good,clear questions, which allow respondents to fullyexpress their views, are really important for makingsure people start and finish a questionnaire. Takingtime to get the questions right also means that thedata collected is more likely to be useful andrelevant.

So, what makes a well-designed questionnaire?Below are somethings to focus on and some commonthings to avoid.

Key features of a good questionnaire:

Clear and concise English.•

Neutral language which doesn’t pre-judge the•response.

Questions which people can answer. This may•sound obvious, but many questionnaires are letdown by not taking enough account of whatquestionnaire respondents can reasonably beexpected to know.

Each question has a clear underlying purpose,•i.e. you know why the question is being askedand what you can use the data for later on.

Mostly closed questions (because it’s quicker for•people to fill out, and makes your analysis easier)but space for some open questions or commentstoo (because that adds richness to your data).

Things to avoid

Jargon or specialist language.•

Spelling mistakes.•

Ambiguous language.•

Leading questions, e.g. where it is harder to give•a negative reply than a positive one.

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Questions which are actually two or more•questions merged into one. For instance: ‘Do youthink you are more likely than the averageperson to renovate your home?’ is a combinationof ‘How likely are you to renovate your home?’and ‘How likely is the average person to renovatetheir home?’ Your respondents can’t be expectedto know about ‘the average person’ either.

Borrowing questions from another questionnaire•without asking yourself if they really suit yourpurpose properly.

Mulitple choice questions with too few possible•answers listed. If most people tick ‘other’, it’smuch harder to analyse your data.

Devising survey questionsClosed questions are ones which have a finite set ofresponses (e.g. “Did the event meet yourexpectations?” which has a yes or no answer). Openquestions are ones where the answer is much lesspredictable (e.g. “What expectations did you have ofthis event?”). Questionnaires are good at recordinganswers to closed questions but not so good for openquestions. A questionnaire therefore has limits, butyou can maximise each question’s potential.

For mulitple choice questions, include as manypossible answer options as you can think of, alongwith an ‘other’ category. You want to avoid too manypeople ticking ‘other’. Make sure you leave space forthem to tell you what their ‘other’ option is.

For questions with more subjective answers, use arating scale (e.g. from ‘strongly disagree’ to ‘stronglyagree’) to make the answers easier to analyse.

For questions where the answers may be sensitive(e.g. respondent age or income) you can bracket thepossible answers (e.g age 20-31). Making categorieslike this will also make your data much easier toanalyse where there’s a large range of possibleanswers - you probably don’t want to know whateverybody aged 51 thought, but what everybody in acertain age range thought.

Personal questions can be offputting for some, so askthem at the end of the questionnaire.

Questionnaires give you a broad picture of the viewsof large numbers of people. If you want to exploresome of the feedback in more depth, considerconducting a few interviews with a small number ofthe respondents.

Piloting your questionnaireGiven the need to get the questionnaire design right,it makes sense to test it first – ideally with someonewho is not involved in the project. This may seemlike a lot of bother, but it will often throw upimportant changes you need to make before giving itto the public.

Good intentions and follow-upSome event organisers like to collect pledges orindications of what visitors intend to do as a result ofcoming to their event. These can be a useful guide tothe resultant change in CO2 emissions that yourevent may have inspired, if people follow through.Communicating people’s stated intentions back tothe wider community can also be useful to help make‘green’ behaviours seem more normal.

There is some evidence that making a publiccommitment will increase the likelihood that aperson will carry out that action. But don’t assumethat they will. Research shows that good intentionsdon’t necessarily result in action.

What is increasingly demanded for policy or fundingpurposes is evidence of outcomes, i.e. what resultedfrom a person attending a specific event, and howmuch the event contributed to that outcome. To findthis out, recording intentions isn’t enough. You’llneed to use follow-up questionnaires or interviewswith a sample of your visitors to find out whatactions people actually took, and why these may havediffered from what they intended.

If you want or need to do follow-up work like this, an

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important question is when to do it. A few weeks isprobably too little time for intentions to have beenturned into actions. Leave the follow-up for severalyears, and the event may be long forgotten or theperson may prove impossible to find. In general, afollow-up after 6-12 months works well.

A note of caution when you’re looking at your event’simpact: due to the long timescales involved withhome renovation, it is unlikely that you will seelarge-scale renovations inspired by one event.Research suggests that major changes are made atopportune moments, such as when moving house,doing other renovations, or coming into somemoney.

Using and evaluating your dataCollecting data on green open homes events canprovide important evidence, both for group learning,and for national evaluations – like comparing theimpact of different types of open homes events.

No matter how good or extensive your data, if you donothing with it, all that time designing and using thequestionnaire will be wasted.

So think about how you will collate your data (andwho will do this), how you will analyse it and presentit, and how you will use it. For example, you might:

Collate all your data in a spreadsheet and•generate charts to help interpret it

Design an infographic to present key data in a•more visual way

Pull out facts, figures and good quotes to support•your publicity and awareness-raising activities inthe community

Use data on numbers and outcomes in reports•and feedback to funders

Hold a meeting to share feedback with the team•who organised the event so you can improve nexttime

Go back to individual visitors to respond to•specific queries or comments, or invite them toshare at future events

Feed data into national evaluations of green open•homes events

Data ProtectionIf you are collecting and storing personal detailsabout individuals who come to your event, thinkabout data protection. This won’t be an issue if allyour responses are anonymised, but you may want tocollect personal information or contact details – forexample if you send out a newsletter, or intend tocarry out a follow-up questionnaire.

Whatever information you decide to ask for, includea data protection statement at the end of yourquestionnaire clarifying how you will store and sharethe information. Check that you comply with therequirements of the Data Protection Act.

An example data protection statement:

Your personal information will not be passed on toanyone outside the green open homes network. We willonly contact you if you have given your permission (seeabove). You will be given the means to unsubscribe fromour newsletter at any time. Your postcode may be used tohelp organisers understand where visitors have comefrom, but your name and contact details will never bepublished. If you have any questions about the survey,please contact the event organisers.

More informationFor more in-depth guides to designing andimplementing your own monitoring and evaluation,see Oxford University’s “Monitoring and Evaluationfor Sustainable Communities” atwww.bit.ly/1mO05PR

There are template visitor questionnaires for greenopen homes events at www.greenopenhomes.net.




3) Next steps

Do you have plans for any of the following in the next 12 months? Or in the next 5 years (tick all that apply)?

next 12 months next 5 years

Install energy-saving or low-carbon products or technologies (e.g. insulation, solar panels) o o

Try to save energy through actions and habits of my household (e.g. turn off unwanted lights and appliances) o o

Measure and monitor energy more actively (e.g. read meters regularly, get a display device) o o

Carry out home improvements or repairs (e.g. new extension, redecorating) o o

Get a home energy audit or energy performance certificate done o o

Move home o o

Other (please describe)

Green Open Homes visitor surveyThank you for coming to visit. Giving your feedback will help us learn about how well the event worked and willbe used in a national evaluation of low-carbon open homes events.

1) Your visit

Æ How many homes have you visited, or will you have visited, during this event? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Æ Are you completing this questionnaire for a specific home, or all of your visits? o All visits o This home

Æ What motivated you to visit (tick all that apply)?

o General interest in sustainabilityo Already doing a building or renovation projecto Planning or researching a building or renovation projecto General interest in buildingso Finding out how to save money on billso Meeting others with similar interestso Feeling part of my local communityo I came to accompany someone elseo I have a work-related interest in visiting (paid or voluntary

work)o To see what can be done to eco-renovate a homeo I have a property that is similar to this one

o I wanted to experience the home on the insideo I wanted to find out about products and technologies usedo I wanted to find out about the energy-saving habits and

behaviours of the people in the homeo I wanted recommendations of products, suppliers or installers

for my own renovation projecto I wanted to meet the ownero I wanted to find out about the cost of eco-renovationo I had specific questions to asko Other (please state):

2) Your experience of the event

Æ What did your visit include (tick all that apply)? o Discussion or tour with the homeowner o Information displays & advice leaflets o Interactive products, tools and materials o I just walked around

Æ If you had questions, how well were they answered (tick one)? o They were answered completely o There were answered in part o They weren’t answered at all o I didn’t have any questions

Æ Has this event affected your motivation to save energy in your home? o Yes o No o Unsure

Æ Has this event affected your ability to save energy in your home? o Yes o No o Unsure

Æ How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree

I found the visit inspiring o o o o o

I found the visit useful o o o o o

My expectations were all met o o o o o

I knew about eco-renovation before I came o o o o o

I learned about eco-renovation during the visit o o o o o

I have a clear idea of how I might tackle improvements to my own home o o o o o

I have a clear idea of the costs involved o o o o o

About you This information is for research purposes only to allow comparison with national datasets.

Æ Are you: o Male o Female

Æ What is your age group (tick one)? o Under 16 o 16-24 o 25-34 o 35-44 o 45-54 o 55 -64 o 65 or over

Which of the following best describes your background? (tick one)

o White (British, Irish, or any other White background)

o Mixed or multiple ethnic groups (White and Black Caribbean, White and Asian, or any other Mixed background)

o Asian or Asian British (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, or any other Asian background)

o Black or Black British (Caribbean, African, or any other Black background)

o Chinese

o Arab

o Other (please describe) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

o Prefer not to say

Æ How many people normally live in your household (including you)? Adults (16+): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Children (under16): _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Æ What type of home do you live in (tick one)? o Detached house o Semi-detached house o Terraced house

o Flat/maisonette o Other (please describe) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _

Æ How many bedrooms are there in your home? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Æ Which of the following best describes your rental/ownership of your home (tick one)?

o Buying with mortgage/loan o Own outright o Social rented (local council or housing association)

o Private rented o Part rent / part buy (‘shared ownership’) o Living rent free (e.g. with parents)

o Other (please describe) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4) Event marketing and keeping in touch

Æ How did you hear about the event? o Web search o Email/e-newsletter o Newspaper/magazineo Word of mouth o Flyer/poster o Social media (e.g. Facebook/Twitter)o Radio/TV o Other _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Æ Would you like to receive a newsletter from the local organisation that set up the event? o Yes o No

Æ Are you willing to be contacted to participate in follow up research about Open Green Homes events? If so, please tick this box andleave us your contact details at the bottom of this form o

Many thanks for completing this survey. For more information about the national green open homes network:www.greenopenhomes.net | produced by Centre for Sustainable Energy, Bristol www.cse.org.uk

Your contact information, confidentiality and data protectionData protection: Your personal information will not be passed on to anyone outside the green open homes network. We will only contactyou if you have given your permission (see above). You will be given the means to unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time. Yourpostcode may be used to help organisers understand where visitors have come from, but your name and contact details will never bepublished. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact the event organisers.

Name: Phone no:

Email: First part of postcode (eg OX1, WC2A)

3) Next steps (cont)

Æ Do you have any other comments?

More help and support

Green Open Homes is funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and delivered by the Centre for Sustainable Energy in partnership with Bristol Green Doors. The network is supported by the National Trust, Transition Network, the Association of Environmentally Conscious Builders and Forum for the Future.

Our aim is to encourage the spread of Green Open Homes events as we believe these are an engaging and effective way to inspire people to make their homes greener and more energy efficient. This guide will help you with all aspects of planning and running a successful event from start to finish.

You’ll find all of the information in this guide, together with more free resources, guides and templates, an easy way to set up a website for your own event, and regional event listings, online at www.GreenOpenHomes.net.

If you want to speak to someone about setting up a Green Open Homes event, email us at [email protected] or give us a call on 0117 934 1400 (ask to speak to someone about Green Open Homes).

http://www.cse.org.uk/

http://www.bristolgreendoors.org/

http://www.greenopenhomes.net/

mailto:[email protected]

An organisers guide to running a green open homes event

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Transcript of An organisers guide to running a green open homes event