Appointing a Chair

To ensure that a range of views and opinions are heard during the debate, you should identify and approach a respected and impartial person from the community to chair the meeting.

This could be a church figure, a community leader, or someone else who is comfortable speaking in public and keeping things moving and on-topic.

They should not belong to or be on record as supporting a political party.

It is also important that they are able to conduct the meeting firmly, and are well briefed about how the event will run.

You could consider holding a technical rehearsal before the event. This would allow for any unexpected technical glitches or considerations to be addressed before the meeting goes live.

Someone with experience conducting online gatherings, or with an understanding of the platform on which the meeting is to be held, could be particularly useful.