NCVO have recently published a new web site to help people to understand how charitable endeavour works in England.
The new web site also helps provide information and analysis around key topical, and controversial, items such as fund-raising, the size and number of charities and how the role of trustees should work.
It is a great resource, particularly if you are thinking of creating or developing any community resource around charitable activity, however you decide the governance should be formed.
The separate sections of the NCVO web site can provide answers to some of the debates you might have as a group, along your journey to good governance.