How will I know how to approach the task I have agreed to undertake?

The VCH provide guidance on writing township or parish histories on their website: http://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/local-history/writing-vch. In addition, the VCH Cumbria project is also producing a set of guidelines tailored specifically to writing Cumbrian parish/township histories. These can be found under the “Resources”section of the CCHT website and should be read in conjunction with the national guidelines. Most importantly, the Volunteer Co-ordinator will hold meetings with volunteers to guide you in your work for the project.