Say hello
Hello and welcome to our new Campaigning and Influencing Forum discussion area we thought it would be nice to have a space for people to break the ice and say hello...
I'm Amelia and have worked on the Campaigning Effectiveness project since 2007 and from April 1s I started a new role as content editor for NCVO's websites. I've got a keen interest in campaigning and have loved my job working with amazing people campaigning for change and sharing all the great examples of good practice and innovative idea. I'd be amazing to see this discussion area flourish as a space for people to ask questions, share info and add helpful pointers to other places.
This competition has now passed I hope the lucky winners received their books and enjoyed the read but do still say hi if you want to
We know some of you will be coming from the Forum for Change ning website and it's a bit of a faff starting over again here so to show our appreciation at the end of April will pick 10 of you at random you have spared the time to sat hello here to receive a copy of our brand new Good Guide to Campaigning and Influencing (worth £25). So do say hi
Campaigning and Influencing Forum
Stuck on an area of your work? Got a question you're sure someone out there must know the answer to? Need advice on your campaign? Or lost in the world policy making? This forum is a place for you to ask and answer questions about campaigning and influencing.
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See also: Campaigning Blog
Hi everyone,
I'm Nicola and I've also worked in NCVO's Campaigning Effectiveness team for the last three years, helping coordinate the Forum for Change - our network for campaigners and policy workers. It has been amazing learning from so many passionate and committed people over this time and I hope this discussion area can beome a place for you to continue to share all that knowledge and expertise. And ask all those awkward questions which there never seems to be a place for!
Like Amelia (we are obviously on some kind of parallel career path...) I am also going to be working on the NCVO website as a Content Editor from April 2011, but look forward to catching up on the latest in the world of campaigning with everyone here!
Hello , i am Rich and am an adviser and Social Policy coordinator at Gravesham CAB.
Definitely have my work cut out at the moment , as we all have with all the reform in such a short space of time .
I hope to learn and perhaps contribute in some small way through the passage of time :)
Rich
Hello :-)
I'm Eloise and I have been working in a campaigning environment for the last six years (although I was an active supporter before my first job). I am passionate about animal welfare and I have been with the RSPCA campaigns team since January 2010.
I have been involved with NCVO since 2008 and through the workshops, conferences and courses I have developed as a campaigner and met many wonderful people.
I look forward to taking part in discussions and trouble shooting in this Forum for Change group.
Hello all
I am Ade and work for Shelter on Equality, Diversity and inclusion in housing & homeless. I have been with Shelter for 5 years. Although a challenging area of work, I have enjoyed and thrived on this! I also volunteer locally where I live, with a volunteer-led, BME, community-based organisation campaigning on having a voice on key local issues.
Shelter's mission statement is '.....Until there's a home for everyone'. So our campaign message is rather urgent especially in the current climate, wouldn't you all agree?? For me, having a decent home to live in, is the key to ensuring a good quality of life. Everyone should have a right to this, but in the 21st century Britain, many are being denied this, through unfair economic policies and structural inequalities.
I look forward to discussions on the above issues on Forum for Change. It is a great opportunity to debate, engage, learn and generate ideas for action on making a difference.
Hello folks,
I'm Alastair and lead on policy and advocacy for the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education. The fact that we have a written Compact with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills means people sometimes think were a quango (thank you - not - Daily Telegraph) but we're a 90-year old voluntary organisation owned by our corporate and individual members and operating as a mix between a think-tank,a representative body and a consultancy business (about 20% of the income comes from grants, 80% from contracts and supply of services).
There are plenty of hot issues in our territory at the moment (and I won't mention HE tuition fees) - and changes to the funding of English for Speakers of Other Languages are among the most difficult.
THe challenge here is to help central government realise that its proposals will actually make it harder to deliver many of the policy goals it's seeking to achieve. So this means we're not in the business of strident campaigning - but we are in the business of using evidence to persuade ministers and officials that there are better ways to proceed.
Briefing meeting for with parliamentarians next week - if you'd be interested in coming along, mail me - I may be able to squeeze you in (although staff in parliament are getting much tougher on numbers these days - I was turned away from a debate on the Big Society a few weeks ago despite having an invitation!)
Hi,
I'm Tom and work for Tearfund. Over the last few years I've been involved in a whole range of campaigns, most recently working with End Water Poverty to get the government to take action on the important issue of Water and Sanitation. It's the only campaign I've ever been part of which allowed me to make jokes about toilets and get paid for it!
I've recently moved into a new role, looking at how we build links with other organisations working in G20 countries. It's a role that's been created in recognition of the rapidly changing external environment and the growing importance of these countries in the issues we've working on.
I'm also fascinated by campaigning and learning from others. I've been blogging over at http://thoughtfulcampaigner.wordpress.com/ for the last couple of years. I set up the blog because for too long I’d bored my colleagues with long e-mails reflecting on something I’ve read, seen or heard. It was my way of cutting down on all these e-mails, but I've found that I've learn't more from writing it than I've shared with others! I’m also passionate about building the effectiveness of campaigns, so I'm pleased to be able to join this space to help that conversation.
Greetings All
I'm Steve, currently doing Policy and Campaigns at Youth Access - the national membership organistaion for young people's advice, information, coulselling and support organisations - though have potential redundancy facing me shortly.
I'm fascinated at the turns campaigning has taken in the last few months - the continuing rise of direct action and engagement with a wider public than ever before - and I intend to continue to develop my campaigning activities into the future.
The overriding issue for us at present is the devastating effect of public spending cuts on vital services for young people and the real risk of the creation of another 'lost generation.'
There was a time, a few years ago, when I had begun to feel flat and almost apathetic about where society was going. Not now though. Thank heavens my passion has been re-ignited, my indignation re-discovered, my hope re-illuminated.
I look forward to being inspired by these forums.
Hello!
Joining from the outside now. I was previously working at NCVO on the Forum for Change, and now I'm working in policy at the Teenage Cancer Trust - my second day only, so am keen to hear about health policy developments and connect with others working in this area.
Thanks
Sasha
Hi,
I'm Ian from the National Deaf Children's Society where I work on policy, campaigns and research. Mostly working on protecting services for deaf children from cuts at the moment - so interested to hear about any other work going on on this.
Look forward to getting involved in these forums more
Ian
Hello all, thanks for taking the time so say hello.