There are a variety of routes through which voluntary and community organisations acquire a building. They may own the building outright but often they will have some form of lease, licence or tenancy. Whatever the status of the occupancy, managing a building is a major task which carries risks as well as the potential benefits of security and possibilities for income generation.

Managing buildings can involve specialist input at the start and there are a lot of different things to consider such as Health and Safety, Disability Discrimination Act compliance, keeping old heating systems going and dealing with petty vandalism. You have other issues to deal with if you are a charity and the building is used for both charitable and non-charitable activities. But many community and voluntary groups successfully manage and develop buildings and there is a lot of good quality information and advice available. This overview provides an introduction to the key issues involved and tips on where to go for further advice.