Welcome to Your Regional Groups Resources Hub

Regional Groups are at the heart of SPAB’s work, and we couldn’t do what we do without the help and support of our most active members. 

So, whether you’re new to engagement with SPAB’s Regional Groups or a seasoned organiser, this hub is here to make your role easier and more rewarding. It provides quick access to guidance documents, policies, templates and procedural support—ensuring you have everything you need to succeed.

The Groups Resources hub is continuously refined and updated throughout the year, and through ongoing collaboration between SPAB staff and Regional Group Chairs. This ensures the hub remains relevant and responsive to your needs, so you can stay focused on engaging SPAB members, reaching out to new audiences and making a difference for historic buildings. 

You’re never on your own. The Senior Membership Manager is always here to help, and with this resource at your fingertips, you can navigate your role with confidence and keep the SPAB flag flying and thriving across the regions.

Committee Administration

Accessing stats and information on members

When thinking about the range of activities that might be of interest to Regional Group subscribers, insights in to the membership mix can provide useful indications.

The Senior Membership Manager will be able to provide a statistical breakdown:

• Name
• Membership type
• Membership length
• Company name (if given/relevant)
• Postcode

Financial Processes

Group Finance

The need for any financial administration can seem like a daunting and time-consuming requirement, but don’t worry – your Committee is in safe hands!

The SPAB office provides full support, ensuring that financial processes run smoothly. From handling payments and reimbursements to offering guidance on best-practice approaches, the office takes care of the details so you can focus on what matters most – running and engaging and successful programme of activity to bring together SPAB members and carry our message forward about the importance of historic buildings protection and The SPAB Approach.

Paying Invoices

Invoice payments are handled by our Accounts team, with payout days scheduled every two weeks.
To submit an invoice for processing, send the invoice to Michael Nelles, Senior Membership Manager, at michael.nelles@spab.org.uk. He will advise on the payout date on which the invoice will be settled.
Upcoming dates for 2025:

Card Payments

If you need to make a payment via card for an event – for example, to cover catering costs or admission fees to a property, speak to the Senior Membership Manager in the first instance.  

Often these fees can be paid for my SPAB office staff using a corporate credit card.  

If you find that there are other day-to-day incidental expenses racking up that cannot be covered by SPAB office staff, you can request a pre-paid Soldo debit card from the Senior Membership Mananger to ensure Group Committee members are not left out-of-pocket. 

The Senior Membership Manager will present a case to the finance team evidencing the need for a pre-paid card, so it’s important to keep track of expenses in this case. 

Claiming Expenses

Download the expense spreadsheet

Checklist for event organisation

Make sure you have...

• Insurance?
• Photo permission
• ...
• ...
• Biscuits

Physical Resources available

• Gazebo, Caravan
• Marketing materials
• Table top and other items
• Merchandise and sellable materials

Contact someone to get them.

Insurance and Risk Assessments for events

Information oncoming

Risk Assessment Template

Communication

Communicating with SPAB members

SPAB’s member database is always used to send any communication with SPAB members. This ensures the data used is accurate and current up-to-the-second, and that member communications can be tracked to monitor open rates and link click-throughs.  For these reasons also Excel spreadsheets of member contact details are not permitted – let alone for GDPR compliance and privacy restrictions.

The Communications Team will configure mailshots to members as part of any SPAB events submissions process.

The team welcome the chance to share news of non-SPAB events that may be of interest to SPAB members – but to ensure clarity over what is a SPAB event and what is not, these are reserved exclusively for the ‘External Events’ listing of the monthly SPAB email newsletters to members and non-members respectively.

If you have more to say and would like to get the word out to SPAB members about other news, opportunities or initiatives, please liaise with the Senior Membership Manager in the first instance.

Photography on events

Written permission for reusing images from visits

Event Organisers Forum

Download the Event Organisers Forum Terms of Reference

Events

Getting Started with Events