Sharing well

Keep your community handout honest over time

Your printed sheet is on the noticeboard, and you want it to stay accurate.

An acoustic guitar beside a chair in daylight.

Put three things on every printed handout: where each piece of information came from, the date you last checked it, and how to report a correction. That small footer keeps the sheet honest long after you pin it up.

A handout on a surau, temple, clinic or pantry noticeboard can stay there for months. Readers deserve to know how fresh it is.

Why do source dates matter?

Phone numbers change, services move and advice gets updated. An undated sheet can quietly send someone to a line that no longer works.

A date does not make the sheet correct. It tells the reader when it was last confirmed, so they can decide whether to check again.

Keep the footer small and the same on every page.

Source: the name of the organisation and its web address.
Checked on: day, month and year you last confirmed it.
Prepared by: your name or group, and that it is not an official document.
Corrections: a phone number or email for reporting errors.
Version: a number that changes each time you edit.

Try this: a five-minute handout check

Use these steps before you print, and again each time you review.

Read each line that gives a number, address or service.
Open the source and confirm it still says the same thing.
Update the “Checked on” date for each confirmed piece.
Remove anything you cannot confirm, rather than guess.
Raise the version number and print.

What if I find a mistake after printing?

Replace the sheet and note the change. A line like “Version 2: corrected the helpline hours” is enough.

If the file was shared in a family or residents’ WhatsApp group, post the corrected version with a short note. People can then delete the old copy.

Keeping it going without much effort

Set a phone reminder to review the sheet every few months. Before Raya, Deepavali or CNY, when noticeboards get tidied, take down old copies.

If a few people help, agree who owns each sheet. One named person is easier than a shared duty nobody remembers.

Contact details for support services

Be extra careful with any support contact. Check it on the service’s own website, never from a forwarded message. Our guide on finding suitable support explains how to choose the right kind of help to list.

For a sheet in two languages, read preparing a bilingual resource pack. For workplace sharing, see sharing a wellbeing resource at work.

Next small step

Note your next review date on the practice tracker, or wherever you keep reminders. More guides on sharing and connecting are on our joy, meaning and connection guides.

Once the sheet is up, a quiet pause can be a pleasant way to finish, and Sadhguru’s free 7-minute guided meditation in the Miracle of Mind app is one optional choice.

Common questions

Why does a handout need a date?

Information changes. Phone numbers, opening hours and advice get updated. A date tells the reader when you last checked, so they can judge whether to double-check. Without a date, an old sheet on a clinic or surau noticeboard can look current for years.

Which date should I use?

Use the date you last checked the source, written as "Checked on" followed by day, month and year. This is clearer than the print date, because you may print the same sheet months apart. If you update the content, change the date too, so the two always match.

How do I handle a mistake after printing?

Replace the sheet where you can, and mark the new version clearly, such as "Version 2, corrected". Add one line saying what changed. If copies were shared in a WhatsApp group, post the corrected file with a short note so people can delete the old one.

Do I need to list every source?

List each source you used for a specific piece of advice or contact detail. Your own general tips can be labelled as yours. A short source line under each section is easier to read than a long list at the bottom, and it keeps each claim next to its origin.