Building your liquor accord membership
A broad member base and active participation is essential to a liquor accord's success. Building membership is an ongoing activity.
To help you achieve this it is good to:
- have a dedicated liquor accord website or social media page
- use regular newsletters to local businesses and organisations
- network at events and more.
An annual membership drive is a great way to raise awareness of your liquor accord group and attract new members. It’s an opportunity for you to show the benefits of membership, highlight your successes and showcase strategies and initiatives.
Steps to help you get new accord members
Identify potential members
Recruiting a broad cross-section of licensed venues from your local community will strengthen your strategies and create greater awareness of your work.
Consider all types of licensed venues in your membership, for example:
- hotels, clubs, small bars, bottle shops, restaurants and cafés
- cellar door operators
- liquor producers and wholesalers
- catering companies.
Collaborating with government and community organisations is a great way to stay informed on local safety initiatives, and you can work together to develop harm minimisation strategies and campaigns.
Consider involving organisations such as:
- your local Police Area Command
- local council
- Transport for NSW
- local health area district
- community groups and schools
- security companies
- taxi, public transport and ride sharing companies.
Get help from Liquor & Gaming NSW
If you have registered your liquor accord group with us, we can work with you to explore great ideas to establish and promote your accord, for example:
- provide you with a list of all licensees in your liquor accord area
- share useful tips and resources to help you promote your accord and attract more members
- add you to our liquor accord directory on our website and spread the word to our networks.
Host an information session
Give potential members a taste of an accord meeting by hosting an information session.
Your session can include:
- the benefits and advantages of membership
- what your accord has achieved
- future goals your liquor accord is working towards.
If your area has a large multicultural community, you can hold a language specific information session. You can also partner with the local chamber of commerce or business associations.
Raising funds for your liquor accord
Few liquor accord groups in NSW operate without funding. Most accords generate revenue through membership subscriptions or fundraising activities.
These funds help to pay for special initiatives, like:
- transport strategies for patrons in holiday season, or
- a responsible drinking campaign.
Other sources of funding include grants and fundraisers. Accords can also collaborate with others to combine resources and funds.
Funding can turn good ideas into reality
Funding is a great way to get your strategies started and get resources to implement your initiatives or projects. Your liquor accord group can raise funds internally through membership fees or externally through grants and fundraising activities.
Membership fees provide an annual income stream to implement strategies to address local issues. The liquor accord constitution template outlines provision for accord membership fees. If you do not have an accord constitution you can use our template.
Constitution for liquor accord groups template (DOCX 141.47KB)
Grants are a source of one-off funding that is usually distributed through an application process. Many government and non-government bodies offer grants from time to time.
Some of these include:
- Local councils
- NSW Health
Working in partnership and collaborating with other bodies or groups can help share the cost of developing, implementing, and promoting strategies.
Consider approaching:
- other neighbouring liquor accords
- your local council
- your local NSW health district
- Community Drug Action Teams (CDATs).
Holding a fundraiser is a social way to raise funds for your liquor accord strategies. Events can raise the profile of your accord and increase collaboration between business and community organisations.
Don't forget to promote your accord with local media.
Contact the liquor accords team
Call us to discuss options that might work for your accord.
You can also reach out by email: liquor.accords@liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au