Build a brilliant team

Your team should be full of people who are interested in your cause and motivated to make a difference.

Get a good mix of people

Start by welcoming any young person who wants to get involved but be sure to aimfor a good mixture of people (gender, background and culture). This sort of difference can be a strength because it brings different perspectives to the mix!

Be sure to include people who are directly affected by the issue you are dealing with. For example, if your group wants to campaign to make sure every child can go to school, it is important that you have a good balance of girls and boys, and that you include young people who have themselves been unable to attend school.

**Different skills and roles **

Every team will need a different mixture of people to be effective. Try to include people who have the following skills and who are:

• creative: to think of good ideas for campaigning, fundraising and other forms of action
• artistic: to help create posters and displays
• organized: to help plan events and make your group function smoothly and efficiently
• good at writing to compose letters, speeches, press releases, etc.
• logical to help solve problems
• good at maths to take care of finances
• passionate and enthusiastic to keep people motivated and aiming high

Remember that different members of the team will be involved in a range of roles such as scheduling group meetings, running event, organizing membership and recruitment, taking notes and looking after the finances.

A note on money: It is very important to account for even the smallest sum of money that is raised or spent and to keep any funds you have safe — ideally in a bank account in the name of the group. It may be a good idea to ask a responsible adult to give advice on, and help oversee finances.

Once you have a dynamic team in place, you'll need a clear vision or plan that you can all come together around.