Affiliate Local Groups - Benefits & Conditions

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Setting up a local group is easy, but if you need help and support then you can contact our Groups Co-ordinator Debs Cook and she will help and answer your questions.

How Your Local Group Can Benefit By Affiliating With The Herb Society

Mercian Herb Group members making herbal wreaths for Christmas
Members of the Heart of Scotland Herb Society on an outing to Kinnaird
Dorset Herb Group members gathered ready for a slide show

What You Get From Us


Support & Advice

1) You will have a named contact at the Society who will help find an answer to your queries.

2) We will also provide lists of speakers in your area, offer advice and help when we can.

3) We’ll also help the local group by contacting HS members in the region to tell them about the group and make sure that new members that join the Herb Society in the local groups catchment area know about your group.

4) Notice of your first meeting will be sent to local Herb Society members by the Local Groups Co-ordinator.

5) You will have permission to use phrases like, "Herb Society Affiliate Group," or, " Affiliated to the Herb Society," on your publicity material and correspondence, but not the logo of the Herb Society.

6) Once you become a Herb Society Local Group, you will receive a welcome pack that will include a copy of our booklet 'Ideas For Running A Local Group' and relevant contact details.

Web Page & Journal

1) The named contact of the group will every quarter receive a complimentary copy of our prestigious quarterly journal 'Herbs' for the duration that your group is an affiliate Local Group of the Society. To be used to help promote the Society at your meetings to non-members.

2) Your group will be eligible for a free web page on our web site giving information on your group. (Check out this page as an example) If you already have a web site, we will give a link to your site from our Groups page in return for you giving a link to our web site on your website.

3) You will be given the opportunity to have items about your group included in Herbs and on our website. Please ensure all details are submitted by the publication deadlines for the journal, and at least two weeks before the event for the website.

Local Groups Day

There will be a Local Groups Day held once a year, where 2 members from a group can come along to a free event, and meet other local group members from different regions, people interested in starting a local group etc. So that the groups can share experiences and ideas, and offer their advice to up and coming groups. Discussions can be had with HS council members attending and the opportunity to exchange ideas and views will be possible.

Recruitment Incentive

There will be 2 free places to conference given to the Local Group that has recruited the most members to the Herb Society in the year leading up to conference; the local group gets to choose which of its members they would like to attend. So make sure that when people join via your group they or you let us know by marking the membership form or sending an email etc.

Discounts Off Group Bookings – 10% off ticket prices for Herb Society events will be given when 5 or more people from the group book to come to an event as a group booking.

Working Together - We want to work more with local groups, we want to organise events across the UK and invite local groups to help us at the event helping out on the stand, interacting with the locals and helping to promote their local group and the Society. The idea is to hold events where HS members in that region will come along and hopefully join the local group as well (if they’re not already members), but more importantly we’ll get members of the public to come along which will hopefully benefit the local group and the Society.

Local Groups Information Exchange – The Local Groups section in the new Members Area (coming soon) is a place where local groups introduce themselves, share photos and small reports on their meetings, outings etc.

What We Expect From Your Group

1) Your group must always contain at least 3 fully paid up members of the Herb Society in order for the local group to be included in the Local Group scheme and receive all benefits as outlined above.

2) The group must also agree to help promote the Herb Society and where possible help to attract new members to the Society by having copies of our leaflets available at their meetings and to endeavour to encourage people to join the Herb Society and also be happy for a council member to come along to their meetings when it can be arranged.

3) The group secretary/admin/leader has to let us know which three members of their group are members of the Society, when that information is submitted the group gets all the benefits we give to groups.

4) That your group will be an ambassador for the Society to local people and organisations.

5) That you relate the views of your members to the Society, so that we can respond to your member’s expectations of the Society.

6) You must never infer or imply that you are able to act on behalf of the Herb Society.

7) A member should be appointed as a contact for the Group, providing name, address, telephone number and email address to the Local Group Co-ordinator. This contact's details will then be published in ‘Herbs' and on the website.

8) The group must NOT enter into any financial or legal commitment in the name of The Herb Society without prior permission, in writing, from the Council.

9) The group should be self funding. Fees should be collected at each meeting to cover group costs.

10) Your contact will notify the Webmistress of your programme of events so that they can be advertised on the webpage and in ‘Herbs’.

The Herb Society logo must not be used on any of your groups literature, marketing material or correspondence.

You may design your own logo, and you may add ‘Herb Society Affiliated Group' or ‘Affiliated to the Herb Society' to your publicity material and correspondence.

(This is to protect the Herb Society from litigation and financial responsibility for the group and is a
legal requirement when a charity is involved with ‘groups'.)

Your Group and the Herb Society have the right to terminate your affiliate status with one month's notice.

How To Become An Affiliate Group

To become an Affiliate Group, you must, of course, be a group whose aims and activities are compatible with and relevant to those of the Herb Society as set out on our web site. We don't have any set rules on this so just let us know about your organisation so that we can decide whether you qualify. E-mail Debs Cook for an application form.

Please send Information on your group meeting dates, venue and details for your groups Herb Society hosted web page (if required) to Debs also.

Affiliation will be for one year with the option to renew provided that your groups aims and activities have not changed.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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