Campaigning
This section looks at some of the skills and resources you may find useful if you are campaigning to change something. Whether you are trying to get a pedestrian crossing installed or change the law, many of the issues you will face are the same – you need to know how to present your message clearly, reach the right people with it, and stay focused on your goal for as long as it takes.
Designing and using surveys
Surveys are useful for finding out people’s opinions about an issue, or to gather feedback about your group’s activities. This page provides tips on getting the most out of surveys.
Local media contacts
Media contacts in Brighton and Hove that are useful for community groups.
Organising a letter-writing campaign
Tips for community groups about running a letter-writing campaign.
Organising a petition
Using a petition as part of a community campaign
Organising a public meeting
Holding a public meeting can be a really good way of building a campaign or getting more people involved in your group.
Planning and running a campaign
A guide for community groups on how to think through and run a good campaign
State your case: how to write a campaign briefing
A community group’s guide to researching and writing a campaign briefing
Video-making tips for community groups
Video can be a really easy and effective way to get your message out. Here are a few tips to help you make a video that looks good and gets people’s attention.
Writing a news release
Tips for community groups about writing and sending a news release
Our Community Print room is the cheapest place in town to produce leaflets, posters, stickers and badges for your campaign.
Our copyprinters are a great way to print a large number of flyers very cheaply. You can print in black, red, green, maroon, or a combination of these colours. If you are running a campaign on a budget, and need to get your message out there, this is a great option.
We also have a low cost full colour inkjet printer, and a higher quality full colour laser printer. These are perfect if you need full colour, and if you are doing fairly small runs (tens or hundreds, rather than thousands), they are a cheap option.
We also have facilities for badge making, sticker printing and large format poster printing.
These books are available at the Resource Centre, to borrow or to use in the Centre.
- Charity appeals - a complete guide to success
- CharityComms Guide to Social Media for Charities (parts 1 & 2)
- Eradicate poverty: a resource pack for community organisations
- Getting involved - a practical manual
- How to produce inspiring annual reports - a guide for voluntary, arts and campaigning organisations
- Image-building and money raising for hard-to-sell groups
- Making space: protecting and creating open space for local communities
- Making the Media Work for You
- Organise!
- Organising things - a guide to successful political action
- Plain English Guides: How to write in plain English / Guide to design and layout / The A to Z of alternative words
- Print publishing guide
- Quick Guides: Newsletters
- Spaces between: Community action for urban open space
- Speak Up! Use your voice to change the world
- Sussex Uncovered - Evaluating the needs and strengths of our communities - Executive Summary
- The campaigning handbook - communications, organisation, direct action, lobbying, the law
- The DIY Guide to Powerful Publicity
- The DIY guide to public relations - for charities, voluntary organisations and community groups
- The good campaigns guide: campaigning for impact
- The non-designers design book
- Trustee guide to campaigning and influencing
- Writing reports
Equipment available from the Resource Centre
- Air purifiers
- Badge machine (25mm badges)
- Badge machine (38mm badges)
- Badge machine (55mm badges)
- Clip boards
- Collection buckets
- Collection tins
- Data projector (Epson)
- Data projector (Nebula Solar, 400 lumens) - small, runs on batteries
- Exhibition boards (free-standing with 7 panels)
- Exhibition boards (table top)
- Exhibition pop up display unit (2.2m x 3m)
- Flip chart
- Lectern
- Meeting Owl set
- Megaphone (60W)
- Microphone
- PA 1 (50W)
- PA 10 Mixer and speakers
- PA 2 (80W)
- PA 3 (battery powered, lightweight, in a backpack)
- PA 4 and 6 (Alto Spectrum with LED lights)
- PA 5 (very small and portable)
- PA 7 (80W)
- PAs 8 & 9 (80W with extra microphone)
- Projection screens
- Projector stand
- Tripod
- Zoom account
Equipment available from other suppliers
The services listed below are not provided by the Resource Centre. These are websites and services we feel are particularly useful for small groups in Brighton & Hove, and which are not easy to find by searching the internet.
Most useful services for local groups
Services provided:
Information about campaigning
- Badges made
- Coaches
- Community Radio Information
- Delivery and distribution of leaflets
- First aid cover at events
- Help with developing a website
- Images and news footage
- Information about campaigning
- Information about conducting research
- Information about monitoring and evaluation
- Information about social media
- Information on ethical procurement
- Information on producing publicity for groups
- Media, audio and visual training
- Online mailing list tools
- Online tools to help with surveys and research
- Press release distribution service
- Press release writing service
- Printing services
- Promotional goods
- Radio air time
- Statistics and data
- T-shirt printing
Notes:
Rethink have published a useful Take Action guide to campaigning. It's focused on campaigning for change in mental health services, but contains useful tips for any local campaign.