If you invite them, they will come
An open letter on Climate Change. Signed by London-based MPs. A worthy project, and one that, when successful, will show that there is political leadership on this issue.
The output is great. All that visible stuff - reading the letter in the papers, seeing the covering story on the news, hearing interviews on the radio. It's the sort of thing we take for granted, the media's always got something about some group or other doing something worthy.
But how do they get these things done. And who does them?
Background details & an insight into voluntary work
Well, we're volunteers. We're running this project in our spare time - that's after we've been at work, done the shopping, cooked, eaten, been to the gym, had a pint, watched Big Brother, washed the dishes, washed the clothes, ...
The most important thing in running a project like this, I think, is: sheer bloody-mindedness.
In creating this project, starting from scratch with no support, umms and aahs from fellow volunteers, debates on the worth of such a project, in all that, there has to be a level of bloody mindedness, stubbornness. Or, if you will, an arrogant belief that you're right, that this is a productive course of action.
And of course, you have to be willing to be wrong, and to mistakes, and to say "yes, I made a mistake".
We started the project with a brainstorm. Anisa and I sat down, discussed the project, and then brainstormed everything we could around it. What could go wrong? What did we fear? What information did we have that could help? What information did we need? What were the benefits? What could we gain from it? What, after all that, was the first concrete thing we needed to do?
After brainstorming, we drew up a project plan (our first concrete thing) and stuck some dates next to each action. Then we had to start implementing it. I think there was a lot of doubts going through both our minds at that point. Would we have enough time? Had we planned things in the right way? What if everyone blanked us straight away? What if the MPs weren't interested?
Our first action was information gathering - things like MP names, surgery details, contact details. Then we had to get hold of a full contact list for all the London FoE Groups - no easy task.
Head Office was the next step. They showed very early interest and enthusiasm for the project. However, it seems that no London local group has ever established a pan-London project, and the organisation is set up in very different way to places where I've worked. It doesn't seem customer responsive; there certainly doesn't seem to be a standard customer service policy, like you would find with other large organisations.
This of course has thrown up some communication issues, which are not worth exploring on this blog. They're compounded, however, by our own working patterns. I work during the day, and can't spend time pursuing private interests in work time. Anisa works shifts, sometimes during the day, sometimes in the evening. If you're ever thinking of running a voluntary project, this is something to bear in mind: how do you keep good communications when the core project team don't get much chance to meet up and review the project plan? how do you progress it when the organisation you're dealing with works during the day, and the people you deal with do their work as a paid job, whilst you can only pursue project actions in the evening, as a volunteer, with all the time and energy left after everything else you have to do?
Inevitably it means tense telephone conversations and grumpy tones to emails - try pouring as much mental energy and diplomacy into an email at 11pm as you do at 11am, when you're fresh and recently breakfasted. On all sides, in a project like this, there has to be large amount of acceptance that you never communicate with people during their best times of day, and that you have to look beyond 'how' they are, to 'what' they are - on all sides, people with a vision and passion to make things different, to make things better.
Well, with Head Office's support, and an announcement in one of their regular mails to group coordinators, we recenty launched the first most nerve racking part of the project to date: emailing all the group coordinators and asking them to buy into the project.
We also made our first couple of visits to MPs, I think the second most nerve racking action.
And here we are then, to what this blog needs to give - the first project update now that there's been some contextual information.
Feedback from groups
Initial feedback has been very supportive, or at least not negative.
The Harrow group and Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea groups both pointed out a technical error in our Letter, which we had to change pretty quickly (I referred to the Early Day Motion as being the same as a draft Bill, which of course is not right).
There was enthusiastic feedback from some groups, and some very prompt action from other groups, as I list below:
We've made good progress so far. If you have questions about the campaign, you should be able to leave comments on the blog. We look forward to hearing from you.
Graeme
The output is great. All that visible stuff - reading the letter in the papers, seeing the covering story on the news, hearing interviews on the radio. It's the sort of thing we take for granted, the media's always got something about some group or other doing something worthy.
But how do they get these things done. And who does them?
Background details & an insight into voluntary work
Well, we're volunteers. We're running this project in our spare time - that's after we've been at work, done the shopping, cooked, eaten, been to the gym, had a pint, watched Big Brother, washed the dishes, washed the clothes, ...
The most important thing in running a project like this, I think, is: sheer bloody-mindedness.
In creating this project, starting from scratch with no support, umms and aahs from fellow volunteers, debates on the worth of such a project, in all that, there has to be a level of bloody mindedness, stubbornness. Or, if you will, an arrogant belief that you're right, that this is a productive course of action.
And of course, you have to be willing to be wrong, and to mistakes, and to say "yes, I made a mistake".
We started the project with a brainstorm. Anisa and I sat down, discussed the project, and then brainstormed everything we could around it. What could go wrong? What did we fear? What information did we have that could help? What information did we need? What were the benefits? What could we gain from it? What, after all that, was the first concrete thing we needed to do?
After brainstorming, we drew up a project plan (our first concrete thing) and stuck some dates next to each action. Then we had to start implementing it. I think there was a lot of doubts going through both our minds at that point. Would we have enough time? Had we planned things in the right way? What if everyone blanked us straight away? What if the MPs weren't interested?
Our first action was information gathering - things like MP names, surgery details, contact details. Then we had to get hold of a full contact list for all the London FoE Groups - no easy task.
Head Office was the next step. They showed very early interest and enthusiasm for the project. However, it seems that no London local group has ever established a pan-London project, and the organisation is set up in very different way to places where I've worked. It doesn't seem customer responsive; there certainly doesn't seem to be a standard customer service policy, like you would find with other large organisations.
This of course has thrown up some communication issues, which are not worth exploring on this blog. They're compounded, however, by our own working patterns. I work during the day, and can't spend time pursuing private interests in work time. Anisa works shifts, sometimes during the day, sometimes in the evening. If you're ever thinking of running a voluntary project, this is something to bear in mind: how do you keep good communications when the core project team don't get much chance to meet up and review the project plan? how do you progress it when the organisation you're dealing with works during the day, and the people you deal with do their work as a paid job, whilst you can only pursue project actions in the evening, as a volunteer, with all the time and energy left after everything else you have to do?
Inevitably it means tense telephone conversations and grumpy tones to emails - try pouring as much mental energy and diplomacy into an email at 11pm as you do at 11am, when you're fresh and recently breakfasted. On all sides, in a project like this, there has to be large amount of acceptance that you never communicate with people during their best times of day, and that you have to look beyond 'how' they are, to 'what' they are - on all sides, people with a vision and passion to make things different, to make things better.
Well, with Head Office's support, and an announcement in one of their regular mails to group coordinators, we recenty launched the first most nerve racking part of the project to date: emailing all the group coordinators and asking them to buy into the project.
We also made our first couple of visits to MPs, I think the second most nerve racking action.
And here we are then, to what this blog needs to give - the first project update now that there's been some contextual information.
Feedback from groups
Initial feedback has been very supportive, or at least not negative.
The Harrow group and Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea groups both pointed out a technical error in our Letter, which we had to change pretty quickly (I referred to the Early Day Motion as being the same as a draft Bill, which of course is not right).
There was enthusiastic feedback from some groups, and some very prompt action from other groups, as I list below:
- Harrow - hoping to approach their MP
- Twickenham & Richmond - approached both MPs
- Brent - discussed at group meeting, and already met two of three MPs, trying to meet third MP
- Camden - attending Glenda Jackson's surgery soon
- Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea - to discuss at group meeting
- Sarah Teather MP, Brent East - receptive, currently looking over the letter with her policy team
- Dawn Butler MP, Brent South - receptive, currently looking over the letter with her policy team
- Vincent Cable MP, Twickenham - signed
- Susan Kramer MP, Richmond - contacted, waiting for response
- Lynne Featherstone MP, Hornsey & Wood Green - to be approached by Tottenham group
- Meg Hillier MP, Hackney South & Shoreditch - to be approached by Hackney & Tower Hamlets group
We've made good progress so far. If you have questions about the campaign, you should be able to leave comments on the blog. We look forward to hearing from you.
Graeme
posted by The London Letters on Climate Change at 12:48
4 Comments:
Here are some links that I believe will be interested
Here are some links that I believe will be interested
Greets to the webmaster of this wonderful site! Keep up the good work. Thanks.
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I love your website. It has a lot of great pictures and is very informative.
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