Post on 18-May-2018
"Never doubt that a
small group of
thoughtful,
committed, citizens
can change the
world. Indeed, it is
the only thing that
ever has."
Margaret Mead
Raise Your Voice is a rough
guide to Campaigning,
Advocacy and Publicity. It is all
about you and what you want to
see changed for the better in
your community. This could be
anything that affects you,
whether local, national or even
international.
This guide outlines a variety of
ways to get your voice heard in the
local community and beyond. It
will give you all the tools you need
to begin a successful campaign.
Remember, you can bring about
positive change and you do have
the power to make this world a
better place.
So, what exactly is
Campaigning?
Campaigning is a series of
organised activities undertaken to
make a change in your
community. When you are
campaigning it means you are
identifying an issue, alerting the
community to the issue or taking
action to solve the issue.
Campaigning is something you
can do as an individual or with the
help of others.
The Campaign Concept
Campaigning is about
communicating ideas.
A Campaign is made of two
primary elements: Publicity and
Advocacy.
Publicity is all about making sure
as many people as possible know
about your Campaign and what
you want to achieve. It may
involve writing press releases,
building a website or organising an
Raise Your Voice
Campaign
Publicity
Advocacy
Planning Your
Campaign
What do you want to change?
Before starting your campaign,
you need to consider what you
wish to change and how you will
go about doing this.
Is there an existing campaign
you can lend your support to?
Perhaps you have a great idea to
promote or fundraise in support of
an existing local campaign - such
as for a school, youth club or local
charity. If so, approach them and
tell them about it. You may
already find people are
campaigning for the same
purpose, so rather than repeat
what they are doing, why not ask if
you can join them?
event or publicity stunt to get
noticed.
Advocacy is a process by which
an individual or a group aims to
influence a wider decision. It may
involve writing letters to politicians,
collecting signatures on a petition
or direct action such as fundraising
in support of a group or just raising
awareness of an issue.
Publicity is how you get noticed,
Advocacy is what you do once
you have been noticed. The better
your Publicity, the more visible
your cause becomes and the more
potential supporters you can
engage. A greater number of
supporters ensures your
Advocacy can reach as widely as
possible.
"If you don't like the
news, go out and
make some of your
own."
Wes Nisker
“We are the
children of
yesterday, the voice
of today and the
leaders of
tomorrow.”
DofE Participant
What are your desired
outcomes?
Whether you are fundraising,
making a petition or simply want to
draw attention to something you
feel is important, you should set a
clear target to aim for and ensure
your supporters understand
exactly what you are hoping to
achieve.
Are your outcomes realistic and
achievable?
Specific, realistic goals motivate
your supporters, so start small.
Remember, all great journeys
begin with a single step.
Advocacy means to speak on
behalf of something or someone.
Central to effective communication
is having a clear message and
identity. This may include a core
statement, a logo, branding or
memorable slogan. Many
different elements can make up a
creative concept, so go ahead
and get creative!
Write down the aims and ideas of
your campaign to share with your
group and supporters. This makes
sure you are all using the right
language when you are talking
about your campaign and makes
people more likely to notice and
understand you.
You may want to think about a
slogan or image to help give
you and your supporters an
identity. This could be
incorporated into flyers or
posters to spread your
message.
A slogan doesn’t have to be
funny or clever but it should
be memorable, original and
relevant. It’s better to be
direct than be confusing by
trying to be too catchy. Find
slogans that have been
successful to use as a model.
A slogan should capture
attention, be easy to
remember and highlight your
key agenda. A good recent
example would be: “Make
Poverty History”
There are a number of different
ways to advocate but they all
involve persuading people to
people support your campaign and
demonstrating that you have
enough support to encourage a
change. The simplest way to do
this is through a Petition, but you
can also attempt to contact
decision makers or other influential
people directly, as their support
will be more influential.
Petitions
A petition is a written request to an
official person or organisation for
action. The document is a list of
signed names of people who
agree with a certain request.
Starting a petition is a great way to
get a large number of people
involved in an issue you are
concerned about. A huge impact
can be made by the number of
people you could get to sign your
petition.
Online Petitions:
Many petitions can be created
online. Set up your own petition,
on any subject at
GoPetition.co.uk and you can’
use their online campaign tools
to promote it.
Create a petition online and
then put it as your status on
Facebook or tweet about it.
This way all your friends and
followers can see it.
In the UK, you can even
influence Government policy if
you set up a petition at
ePetitions.Direct.gov.uk. If a
petition receive 100,000
signatures then it will be eligible
for debate in the House of
Commons.
Things to consider when
starting a petition
When writing the petition, make
sure you identify who you are
going to send it to. It should be
aimed at a decision maker who
has the power to make the
change your signatories are
asking for. It could be your MP,
your Headteacher or the Chief
Executive of a business or
organisation.
Do your research! Start your
petition with a request followed
by well researched reasons
why you are making the
request.
Keep it clear and concise.
Advocacy "Activism begins
with you,
Democracy begins
with you, get out
there, get active!
Tag, you're it!"
Thom Hartmann
Case Study: The British Youth
Council (BYC) has a campaign
for lowering voting age to 16.
They are encouraging young
people to learn about voting
rights and petition on their
behalf.
Writing to Your MP
A Member of Parliament (MP) is
someone who has been chosen
through voting by people in the UK
to represent the views of local
people in Parliament. In
Parliament, MPs vote on laws and
speak to other MPs about issues
in your area.
Writing to your MP is a great way
to campaign. It is an easy way to
tell your MP about the issue you
want changed. Don’t hesitate to
raise your voice! Your MP is
representing you and your views.
“I feel young
people are being
listened to more
than before with
issues regarding
youth in society…”
Aqsa, Gold DofE
Participant,
London Borough
of Brent
Tips on Contacting your MP:
Dedicate your letter to one
issue. Make sure you have
fully researched your issue.
Give personal examples. The
more you personalise your
letter the more of an impact it
will make.
Tell them what you want. If
you want them to raise your
issue in Parliament, then ask!
Many MPs have Facebook
and Twitter accounts, so follow
them to maintain contact .
Write on their Facebook wall
or Tweet to them about your
issue to see if their other
followers share your concerns
or issues.
(Name of your MP)
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Dear (Name of your MP),
I am contacting you as someone who lives in your constituency who (introduce problem).
(Describe how the problem affects you).
I would be very grateful if you could (what you want your MP to do and why).
If you would like further information on the issue, please contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
(Your Name)
You can find out who your MP
is, by searching the website of
the UK Parliament:
“...but with things
like the rise in
university tuition
fees, I don't think
young people have
been listened to
all.”
Aqsa, Gold DofE
Participant,
London Borough
of Brent
Meeting your MP
If you want to personally talk with
someone about your issue,
meeting your MP is also a great
idea.
Things to consider when
meeting your MP
Book an appointment.
Invite your MP to an event you
might hold
Tell them about your issue
before you go. This allows your
MP to research the issue and be
well informed.
Write down some points you
want to talk about so you don’t
forget what you want to say.
Tell them what you want. If you
want them to raise your issue in
Parliament, then ask!
Advocacy:
DofE Volunteering
Activities:
Community Action & Raising
Awareness, Helping a Charity
or Community Organisation,
Fundraising.
Case Study: A participant
volunteered to campaign on
behalf of a charity for homeless
people, giving presentations to
school & community groups on
homelessness issues and how
the charity responds to these.
Don’t be afraid, your MP is there
to represent your views. They
want to hear from young people.
Tips on Press Releases: Avoid using too many
adjectives or fancy words.
Strive to eliminate expressions
that are flattering, disparaging,
vague or clichéd.
Include a clear description of
your issue and why it is
important.
If you don’t have any response,
don’t bombard your contacts
with follow up messages. Wait
a couple of weeks and send a
polite message asking if your
press release had been
received.
For a campaign to be successful,
people need to know about it.
Your intended outcome may even
be simply to inform & raise
awareness of an issue. To spread
the word as widely as possible,
make a list of contacts and target
those that cover your community
or have a particular interest in the
issues you are raising.
Sending a letter to a
Local Newspaper
If you do not feel comfortable
issuing a press release, send a
personal letter instead. A letter
can be written from a more
personal perspective and include
first hand examples.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Title of your Press Release
CITY, COUNTRY, DATE -
Opening paragraph: This should be only about 3 sentences.
Provide a quick overview of the issue and why it is important.
Remainder paragraphs should include relevant information on your issue and what you are doing. It is also wise to include a background on the issue—but try to keep the Press Release to a single page.
You should always close with: ―for more information contact: (your
name and a contact email or telephone number)‖
###
Issuing a Press Release
to your Local Media
A press release is a written
document sent to the news media
for the purpose of announcing
something. A press release
provides the reporter with basics
needed to develop a story.
Things to consider when
issuing a press release
Clarify what you are doing to
change the issue for the better
Announce any events or the
launch of website or petition
Tell readers what they can do
to help
Press and Publicity “If you ask me what
I came into this life
to do, I will tell
you: I came to live
out loud.”
Emile Zola
Direct Action
Direct Action involves leading by
example. If there is something you
can directly make a difference to
that will demonstrate to the public
the nature of the positive change
you wish to make. For example: if
you want to campaign to improve
the local environment, you could
identify a shared public space to
clean or garden and invite the
community to show what a
difference your intervention has
made.
Holding an Event Holding an event in your area is an
easy way to raise your issue in
your community. You could invite
your community leaders, local
celebrities, and/or your MP to the
event and ask them for their
Calling into a Radio or
TV station
Every radio and TV station has
some time devoted to their
audience. This is your chance –
call in to an appropriate program
to raise your issue!
Things to consider when calling
into a media station
Prepare what you want to say
in advance and have 3 good
points you want to tell the
audience.
Speak clearly in short
purposeful sentences, don’t be
tempted to argue and try not to
be distracted.
Press & Publicity
DofE Skills Activities:
Event Planning, Media &
Communication.
Case Study: Create a series of
short films on an issue or
cause you feel strongly about.
Post and promote online and
collect feedback.
support. You can also fundraise
for your cause.
Things to consider when
planning an event
How big do you want your event to be?
Is there any existing organization that can provide funding?
See if there are any holidays or major events that might coincide with your event.
Possible event ideas
Sponsored Run or Walk
Ask your local community to help
organise a walk or run for your
cause.
Fundraising Dinner
Ask your school for help in
organising a dinner at your school.
Sporting event
Ask your community for help in
organising a sports game.
Charity Auction
Ask your friends and family or
corporations for donation of things
that can be sold to raise money.
“Act as if what you
do makes a
difference. It does.”
William James
Social Media Online Social Media offers you
amazing tools for Publicity and
Advocacy—you now have the
ability to Raise Your Voice
locally...or globally!
Online tools
Launch a simple website
or start a blog in which
you can post your petition,
event information and
other documents.
Create a Facebook Fan
Page or Group Page to
promote your campaign,
share links to materials,
other media and
communicate directly with
your supporters.
“Don’t get mad, get
organised”
Unknown
Spread the word through
Twitter and find out what
other people are saying.
With Twitter, you can
contact many different
people directly, from
politicians to celebrities.
Record videos to promote
your campaign and your
event and post it on
YouTube.
If you don’t have access to
a video camera—or you
don’t want to appear
onscreen—you could
make a simple animation
to spread your message
with GoAnimate.com or
put together a dynamic
presentation to share
online with Prezi.com
“If you can dream
it, you can do it.”
Walt Disney Research your issues thoroughly
and see if there are any lessons to
be learned from similar
campaigns. Many charities or
pressure groups have
downloadable materials or
petitions for local campaigners to
use.
UK Youth Parliament
Run by young people, the UK
Youth Parliament provides
opportunities for 11-18 year-olds
to use their voice in creative ways
to bring about social change.
www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk
The British Youth Council
The British Youth Council, as the
national youth council of the UK,
aims to connect with our member
organisations and networks of
local youth councils, to empower
young people aged 25 and under,
wherever they are from, to have a
say and be heard.
www.byc.org.uk
The Children's Commissioner
Promoting the views and best
interests of children and young
people in England
www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk
Citizenship Foundation
An independent education and
participation charity, they
encourage and enable people to
engage in democratic society.
www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk
Local Giving
Promoting philanthropic giving to
small local charities and
community groups in the UK, you
can upload the details a planned
event, project or intervention in
order to fundraise.
www.localgiving.org.uk
Participation Works
Participation Works is a
partnership of
seven national children and young
people's agencies that enable
organisations to effectively involve
children and young people in the
development, delivery and
evaluation of services that affect
their lives. They have lots of
downloadable resources for youth
campaigning and participation.
www.participationworks.org.uk
Find out more
Acknowledgements Editorial team: Mona Jo, Alexandra Pascutio, Matthew Barnett
Thanks to: Emma Flynn, Mariam Azim, Lucy McDermott, Simrin Grewall,
Samuel Odwina, Adedoyin Sonibare, Yasser Ali Mahmood and the DofE London Team.
DofE programme are delivered
under licence by over 400
partners (Operating Authorities)
who offer it in over 11,000 DofE
groups run in centres such as
youth clubs, voluntary
organisations, schools, colleges,
Young Offender Institutions and
businesses, which are run and
supported by over 50,000 adult
volunteers.
Where is it run?
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - London, Award House, 7-11 St. Matthew Street, London SW1P 2JT The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a Registered Charity No. 1072490 and a Royal Charter Corporation No. RC000806
For further details about delivery of DofE programmes contact:
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Award House 7-11 St. Matthew St. London SW1P 2JT
T: 0207 227 9820 E: London@DofE.org
W: DofE.org/London
@dofelondon
/DofELondon
The DofE Charity
Youth Charity The Duke of
Edinburgh’s Award supports
over 40,000 people aged 14-24
every year across the Capital.
Our ethos is to enable every
young person of every
background to take part in our
programmes and succeed,
regardless of any barriers.
Principles of all DofE Programmes
Non-competitive
Achievable by all
Voluntary
Personal development
Personalised
Balanced
Progressive
Achievement focussed
Demand commitment
Enjoyable
Our mission
To inspire, guide and support
young people in their self
development and recognise their
achievements.
DofE programmes
Anyone aged between 14 and
24 can do a programme at one
of the three progressive levels
which, when successfully
completed, lead to a Bronze,
Silver or Gold Duke of
Edinburgh’s Award. There are
four sections at Bronze and
Silver level and five at Gold:
Volunteering - undertaking service to individuals or the community
Physical - improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities
Skills - developing practical and social skills and personal interests
Expedition – planning, training for and completing an adventurous
journey in the UK or abroad.
At Gold level, participants must also do an additional fifth Residential
section which involves staying and working away from home doing a shared activity
Achieving a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Young people will achieve a Duke
of Edinburgh’s Award if they show
persistence, commitment and
personal development over a
period of time. Every activity must
be successfully completed and
assessed. The result is the
world’s leading achievement
award for young people,
recognised by employers and
universities alike.
We help instil a sense of
adventure and have a lasting
impact on young people’s
behaviour, skills and life
chances.
Further
information
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award