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Big Ask postcards - all you ever wanted to know!
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During the first phase of The Big Ask we sent over 100,000 postcards to MPs. The postcards played a valuable role in ensuring MPs realised just how many people in their constituency wanted them to take action.
This is why in 2007 - as we move into the second phase of the campaign as the Bill progresses through parliament - we need to keep the pressure on.
How? Well you've guessed it - sending more postcards.
We have an updated card for 2007 - you will know if you have
the new ones because we have moved on from the red and the amber
cards to green ones.
This page is just to explain exactly what we are doing with all the cards, and to outline how you can help us make them as useful as possible.
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What's the purpose of the postcard?
There are two main aims:
- To put pressure onto MPs.
In 2006 lots of MPs pledged their commitment to the Climate Change Bill. As the Bill progresses through parliament we need to keep politicians to their word, by showing them that thousands of people are watching what theu are doing.
- To build our supporter list for The Big Ask campaign
When the postcards come to us we capture the details for individuals who have taken action - so we can keep them updated and develop their involvement in the campaign (more on this below).
What do we do with the postcards?
- Databasing the cards
We have been databasing all the postcards. This allows us to keep track of how many postcards each MP has received.
- Adding people to Climateonline
Where people have indicated that they would be prepared to hear from us again and have provided their email address, then we have been adding them to Climateonline - our monthly climate campaign update. (This is different to <climatelcs> which is specifically for local groups).
If you are not on Climateonline, but would like to be, then you can subscribe
yourself.
- Contacting people by post
Where they have provided no email address, we may use their details to contact them again by post in certain key constituencies. However, because of the cost and time implications, we are unable to contact everyone who only has a postal address (hence the advantage of people providing their email addresses).
- Sending the postcards to the MPs
Once the postcards have been sorted, we have then been forwarding them on to the MPs. **Please let us know (email Tom) if you would like the postcards for your MP so that you can hand them over personally**.
If we still have red or amber cards should we use those first?
- No. The red and amber cards are now out of date, please recycle them.
How you can help us!
- Legible handwriting!
Please ask people to fill out their details in block capitals and to write legibly.
Top
tip #1 Provide some clipboards so people have something to rest on.
- Emails please
Climateonline is by far the easiest and most cost effective way of people keeping informed, and for that reason it would be great if you could encourage people to provide their email address. Adding people to Climateonline helps us to build wider support for the campaign, so that when the crunch comes, we have as many people as possible whom we can call upon for help. (People can easily unsubscribe from Climateonline if they do not wish to be kept updated).
- Correct MP
Please encourage people to put their MP into the postcard where possible (rather than addressing the card to Tony Blair - unless
they really are from his Sedgefield constituency!).
Top tip #2 It
may help to provide a list/poster that shows who the local MPs are,
and which are their constituencies.
- UK only
If people are not from the UK , then it may be better if they don't fill in the card, as they do not have an MP to whom we can send the postcard.
- Can you fill in the blanks for us?
Where people don't know their MP, as long as they provide their postcode
we can find out who their MP is. However, of course, this is quite
time consuming - so if any of your group has any spare time, we would
be most grateful if you would be able to do this for us.
Top tip
#3 Use our Find
Your MP tool.
- Sorting the postcards
When you have postcards, it would be great if you were able to do some initial sorting before sending them into us for databasing. If possible, please sort the postcards into MP names. A sub sort below this of 'ticked' and 'non-ticked'
would also help to save us time.
Top tip #4 This may sound petty - but
making sure all the postcards are the same way up also helps to save
us time!
- Send us the cards first
Because we are using all the details, even if you have a plan for your postcards it would be helpful if you sent them to us first for databasing - we can send them back to you as soon as we have finished if you let us know you need them.
- Quick turnaround
We are keen to streamline the process where possible, so that there is little time lag between people signing the postcard and being added to Climateonline - as this is good practise to keeping people engaged in the campaign. So please do send us completed postcards as soon as you can after doing your stall/event.
Thank you!
Tom
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