This extended abstract, prepared for the international workshop "Understanding and addressing spatial poverty traps: an international workshop",  is based on CDRN experience in working with and researching on the rural community based group in Uganda. It examines the assumption of tackling spatial poverty traps through working with groups in Uganda. It concludes that the approach can either perpetuate (by being exclusionary) or reduce spatial poverty depending on a number of actors. Some tips (next steps) are suggested in improving the effectiveness of the approach in tacking rural poverty in Uganda.