We then want groups to hand these cards into their local supermarket and MP at a staged event to attract a lot of people and get some media attention.
What producers say
“I would not want my children to be hired as farm workers… I look at my children and think how hard my life is. I wouldn’t want them to have such a tough life as mine.”
Billy Ndungu, farm worker, Kenya March 2007
We need your help to ensure people like Billy are not exploited by supermarkets.
Preparation
Get more people involved
You could approach an existing trade justice, fair trade, church or community group in your area, or your family and friends. Traidcraft may be able to put you in touch with other supporters in your area, please contact us on 020 7242 3955 or campaigns@traidcraft.org.
Meet, discuss, plan
Think about:
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When and how you are going to collect signatures on the postcards
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How and when you would like to organise your hand-in event. Bear in mind that MPs are usually in their constituencies from Friday to Sunday, and during summer recess 22 July 2008- 6 October 2008. Decide which of the relevant supermarkets you would like to target, see below for the full list. You may only have one relevant supermarket in your town or you may have a couple. It’s up to you whether you target one or all of them – but you’ll need more cards if you decide to target more than one!
If you would like support in planning your event a member of the Traidcraft campaigns team may be available to meet with your group and lend a hand.
Collect signatures
Order more cards from Traidcraft and start collecting signatures.
Start with friends and family. You might be able to collect signatures in your church, or from several local churches. If you're a Fair Trader you could collect them from your stall. If you wish you could set up a stall in your high street and collect them on a Saturday morning, although you will need to check with your local council first. This is a good way to help spread the message of the campaign further.
Top Tip
People are most likely to take an action if a friend or family member asks them to, so when you're distributing the postcards try and give them to people directly. Encourage people to take the action there and then. You may need to take along a few pens.
How do I explain the campaign?
Use our key messages to explain the campaign to people.
Contact your local supermarket
Briefly explain the issue and arrange a time and date to hand the postcards into the store manager.
The supermarkets covered by the Commission's enquiry and recommendations are:
- Aldi
- Asda
- The Co-op (including Alldays)
- Iceland
- Lidl
- Marks & Spencer
- Morrisons
- Sainsbury's
- Somerfield
- Tesco (including One Stop)
- Waitrose
Invite your local MP
Explain who you are, the issues behind the actions and why s/he should be involved. There may be particular angles to use with your MP e.g. if they've previously shown an interest in trade issues, came to an event in the past, etc.
To find out the name of your local MP, call the House of Commons info line on 020 7219 4272 or visit www.theyworkforyou.com.
A sample invitation letter is here, but try to make it as individual as possible. Follow up the letter with a phone call. If your MP cannot attend the event, send the signed postcards to them afterwards.
Contact your local newspapers/radio stations
You can use the template press release provided. If your local church/churches are involved you could contact the Christian press.
Think of some visual aids
These need to catch the eye of passers-by and get noticed! In particular you might want to consider how the postcards you’ve collected can be displayed and used in photos.
Some ideas to get you started…
- Giant shopping baskets or trolleys made from old boxes
- Giant till receipts
- Inflatable globes
- Flags of producer countries
- Fruit costumes (Traidcraft can help with hire costs)
Traidcraft can supply:
- Traidcraft Banners
- A4 Traidcraft show cards
- Traidcraft badges
- Tea producer poster
- Traidcraft T-shirts
- Traidcraft balloons
- A2 versions of the campaign postcard
Order any of these by contacting the campaigns team on 020 7242 3955.
On the day
- Make a checklist so you don't forget anything. There will be plenty of things to remember so delegate tasks widely!
- Make sure you take photos. We will select the best photos from all groups to display on our website.
- If they are present, talk to the media and MP. An MP briefing is provided for you to hand to your MP.
- If the media don't come, consider writing your own press release to sum up the event and sending it with a photo after your event to your local newspapers. Remember these key points:
- keep it concise
- avoid jargon
- stick to the facts
- check your spelling and grammar.
- Consider giving people something to take away so they remember the event.
- At the end of the day, try to do a quick evaluation. This will capture how the event has gone and help you to do better next time
Remember
Be ambitious!
The more cards that are collected the more pressure supermarkets and politicians will be under to act.
Be creative
Visual aids, banners, signs, etc. will all help to make the event more memorable.
Keep in touch!
We're really keen to hear from you and help in any way we can, providing support and answering your questions about the campaign.
Thank you. Good luck and have fun!
Contact Us:
Tel: 020 7242 3955
Email: campaigns@traidcraft.org.uk
