Find more guides in our A to Z of Campaigning
1. Why start a campaign group?
2. Starting a group from scratch
3. Getting your group organised
4. What makes a successful campaign group?
5. Advice from a user
6. Feedback and comments
1. Why start a campaign group?
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| Don't try and campaign on your own |
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If you feel strongly about an issue you can do something about it. And if you find others who share your views, why not set up a campaign group? A committed cell of campaigners will share your burden, workload and aims. Above all, as a group you should be able to operate more effectively: lobbying influential figures, publicising your cause and gathering support.
Are you sure?
Before you launch into a campaign, you should be aware it takes commitment, time, perseverance and a thick skin.
There may be obvious questions but ask yourself:
- Is this issue really important to me?
- How much does it affect me or my family and friends where we live or work?
- Will I feel bad if I don’t try to do something about it?
- What can I do about it?
Is this a realistic campaign?
Make sure that your issue is substantial enough to make it worth starting a campaign. For example, is the council really planning to put tramlines through your town centre? Is there really a need for a village hall? You can read the Action Network guide on How do I research an issue? for more help with navigating libraries, information sources and the web.
Also, find out if there are any existing groups related to your issue. Maybe you could join forces with them, or help each other out if their focus is slightly different or if they are in a different area. You can also search Action Network.
Is the timing right?
The earlier you get involved in addressing an issue, the more likely it is you will be able to influence the final outcome. It is harder to campaign when an official decision has been taken, although not impossible.
2. Starting a group from scratch
The crucial step between sitting at home fuming about something and making a difference is finding other like-minded people and setting up a group. People are the most important resource in any campaign, so it is important you have a well-structured group that works as a team.
You will need to find people who feel as strongly as you do about the issue and who are also willing to take action and play a central role in your proposed campaign. You could advertise in the local paper, put up a notice in your local library or town hall or put flyers through doors calling for support. It may be that a large part of your support comes from friends and family. Post a notice on the Action Network local notice board stating your mission. This increases the chances of anyone from your area who logs into Action Network seeing your notice. You can also read the Action Network guide, How do I get local people involved?.
Once you have gathered your group you need to get organised and plan a campaign strategy.
3. Getting your group organised
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| Work as a team to acheive your aims |
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The all-important first meeting is where your campaign will begin to take shape. The task of this meeting should be to identify your objectives, allocate roles for your group members and draw up a constitution. You can read the Action Network guide How do I run a public meeting? for some tips.
Identify your objectives
Form a very clear idea of what your aims are. There is little to gain from generic opposition or support of a particular issue, so early in your campaign work out some specific and tangible goals.
Name yourself
Obviously, make sure you choose a name for your group. This should be punchy and get your message across, or at least makes people curious to know more.
Allocate specific roles
Groups can break down if the workload is not distributed evenly. Think about what roles your group needs and divide them amongst the members. It’s a good idea to match skills to jobs and make sure people are interested in what they are doing. Define the scope of each role to avoid confusion over what is expected of people.
The precise jobs you have will depend on who is in your group. It is generally useful to include the following positions:
- Campaigns co-ordinator: to organise the campaigners or smaller task forces within the group and to oversee strategy
- Group organiser: to receive information for the group and distribute it appropriately. Also makes sure meetings are arranged and minuted
- Publicity officer: to liaise with the media including monitoring media coverage. May also represent the group at other external events
- Membership secretary: to co-ordinate new members by recording their details and allocating them appropriate tasks
- Treasurer: to look after finances. A role best suited to someone with book-keeping skills, time to spare, and who is easily contacted
Draw up a constitution
You should work out how you are going to reach decisions. Do you want a leader or a management committee? Who will make the final decision when the normal processes of argument and negotiation break down? Is a show of hands good enough to make a decision? Draw up some basic rules about how your group should be run and the responsibilities within it. This should eventually evolve into a simple constitution, which will make the group accountable.
Make your campaign contactable
You must have a postal address, email and phone number for people to get in touch with the group. You could consider setting up a private Post Office Box (PO Box) rather than using your home address. A campaign website provides a public face, and enables people to get in touch more immediately. You can start by having a campaign page on Action Network. Read the Action Network guide on How to use the web in your campaign for more on getting web wise.
Sort out your finances
A bank account is essential, both to allow you to process donations and to avoid group members dishing out to keep the campaign standing. Have at least two trustworthy signatories who do not have outstanding financial court cases or significant debts. One of these signatories could take on the role of treasurer. The Action Network guides on How do I keep financial records? and How do I fundraise? may also be of some use.
Timetable your campaign
Fix a timetable and a date for the next meeting and for the progress of your campaign. Your next big goal should be planning your campaign strategy. For information on what is involved in building a strategy read the guide How do I plan my campaign?
4. What makes a successful campaign group?
Diverse people
The more differences in age, occupation, interests, etc, there are in your group, the richer the group will be. Your group will be able to draw on a wealth of experience which will encourage more ideas and increase the appeal of your campaign to different people.
Common identity
Make sure your entire group understands what you are trying to achieve and how you are going to achieve it. Ensure they know what their individual roles are. This is important for creating a unified, motivated organisation.
Involve people
Listen to what other members say and encourage them to contribute their ideas. Don’t forget to thank people for the work they do. Individuals who feel valued and included will make your group happier and more effective.
Fun
Try to include enjoyable activities in your campaigning efforts, allow time for team-building social events. Happy people make a happier group and a contented group will be attractive to new members.
Keep growing
You could leaflet more widely or approach the national media to attract more people to your campaign. Another good way to find people and information is to approach lobbying groups who might be experts in the field. If it is a local campaign, your local authority should be able to provide contacts for other community and residents' groups who may be affected.
5. Advice from a user
Jane Ashley set up the Save Ealing’s Streets campaign when she first heard about plans to close sections of the Uxbridge Road in west London to make way for a tram. She started by leafleting local streets and before long had involved 40 residents' groups, got thousands of signatures on a petition and organised a march down Uxbridge Road.
- Don’t be daunted if you start off with only a few people. We began with just four, but within months had developed a substantial network involving hundreds of individuals and more than 40 residents’ groups
- Build alliances with other groups to see if they can support your campaign. If they tell their members about your campaign it can help enormously
- Start off by doing a simple flyer on a home computer which sets out your case and gives your contact details. Don’t be too ambitious at first – just leafleting a few streets can bring in more volunteers and donations so that you can then produce more professional printed literature and distribute it over a wider area
