CAAT - Action ideas

Step three: Get local support

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Showing that other members of your constituency support the campaign is extremely helpful if you are to persuade the MPs to add their support. That way, when you write to or meet them, they can see that it's not just you calling on them to act.

Our postcard is the main way that people can show they support what we're calling for. If you're lobbying directly we hope you'll be able to use them multiple times. If you can't use them yourself, please send any you collect back to the CAAT office and we'll distribute them to other local supporters to use.

It's especially useful to collect postcards before you meet a MP, but this action will be useful at any point in the campaign.

Easy action! Ask five!
Using the postcard
Organising a stall
Gather for Good
Easy action! Online

Easy action! Ask five

In each Campaign Pack, we've included five postcards in the hope that each CAAT supporter knows at least five people that would be willing to support the campaign. Order your Campaign Pack - or just postcards - by emailing enquiries(at)caat·org·uk or calling 020 7281 0297.

You could ask neighbours, friends, or relatives. Or approach your local library, community centre, or place of worship to see if they would be willing to display some postcards for you. If you're studying, you could publicise the campaign in a class or lecture. And if other local groups are holding an event, ask if you could have a table with a petition, or if they would let you make a short announcement at a meeting. We can send you as many as you can use!

Using the postcard

You can use the action cards to highlight the hidden danger of UKTI DSO, alerting people to its devastating impacts.
Ask people to sign a demolition order designating UKTI DSO a dangerous structure and calling for its closure. Please make sure people include their postcode: this is needed to show MPs that the person signing is one of their constituents, and that they should consider their views. If you're planning to meet your MP, you can hold on this section and use them in your meeting to show the extent of local support. Alternatively they can be sent back to the CAAT office. We can then distribute them to other CAAT supporters who are planning lobby meetings, or send them to the new MPs.
Return this section to CAAT. This section is really important so we can see the impact we're having and know which constituencies have been lobbied, and which haven't. It also allows us to provide people with further information about the campaign. As you'll see there are tickboxes so we can ensure that we only send people the information they want to receive. We never pass personal details on to other organisations.

To return cards to CAAT just moisten the gummed edge and fold to seal, and return by Freepost to CAAT. Or if you've collected a lot (we hope you have!), you can use the same freepost address on an envelope.

Hold a campaign stall

Holding a stall or campaign day in your local high street or other public space is an easy way to spread the word to the wider public. It can also be a great way to get other local supporters involved.

Location, location, location

Pick a time and place with a regular flow of people, but not so crowded that passers-by can't or don't want to stop. It is also worth booking stalls at local festivals or fetes: As well as being fun, these can attract a lot of people.

People Power

Try to involve as many people as possible. Make sure there are always one or two people standing at the stall to talk to people and draw up a rota to safeguard against anyone overworking. You might want to pair those who are not confident talking to the public with more experienced people. Make sure all volunteers have been briefed beforehand about the main aim of the stall.

Acquire Resources

CAAT can provide various materials for your stall such as posters, leaflets, postcards, briefings, badges and a CAAT tablecloth. You will also need a fold-away table, paperweights and lots of pens and clipboards. And take a camera to take photos of yourselves in action!

Stand out from the crowd

Try to think of an eye-catching idea to add to the impact of your stall, such as props, costumes, display boards or a competition to convey the campaign creatively. This will help you get the attention of passers-by and be great for a media photograph.

Create a display to which people can add their signed postcards.
Wrap your stall in barrier tape, and put up warning signs, highlighting important facts: e.g. "Your money: helping sell weapons to human rights abusers".
Wear hard hats or overalls
Have an activity people can participate in. For example, you could invite people to play Jenga, a game where players take turns to remove wooden blocks from a tower and stack them on top creating an increasingly 'dangerous structure' until the the tower topples. You may be able to borrow or make a giant set from cardboard boxes.

Reeling them in

You only have a few seconds to grab someone's attention so try using simple 'openers' to get them to stop. Once you have their attention you can tell them more about the campaign and ask them to take further action.

Smile and try to keep your body language open. But don't rely on people coming to you - draw people to the stall by approaching people passing by at a distance. Be prepared with a few key facts, or to answer questions. Always be polite!

Follow Up

Contact volunteers after the day, thank them for their help, tell them how successful the day was and ask if they have any ideas for improvement.

Raise money for CAAT

Why raise funds for CAAT?

The arms trade causes immense suffering across the world. CAAT is working to end it, but we urgently need your help. Individual donations make up most of our income, and funds nearly all of our active campaign work, so your contributions really count. Read more.

Dinner4Good

Dinner4Good makes planning really easy. Invitations can be sent through the website to guests, who can then accept and make a secure donation of their choice to TREAT, which has kindly agreed to pass all donations to CAAT to help fund our important research and education work. Your guests can relax and enjoy their meal, knowing all the money raised is going to a great cause!

Visit CAAT's Dinner4Good page to find out more. If you're thinking of holding a dinner, we'd love to hear from you!

Don't forget to spend a few minutes telling your guests about the campaign and to ask them to sign one of our demolition orders.
If your friends are enthusiastic, why not start a chain of dinners, by encouraging them to hold their own?
Pose for a photo to record your evening and tell your local paper what you did.

Questioning the Arms Trade

Host a quiz on arms trade: peace thinking and peace making. Charge each team entry and donate the proceeds to CAAT. To make things easier for you we can even provide you with question sheets. Just email campaign(at)caat·org·uk or call us on 020 7281 0297.

Baking, not bombs!

Raise money by holding a cake sale or coffee morning in your home. You could use the opportunity to distribute campaign materials and get petition signatures as well.

Online

Add a link to our actions to your email signature
Follow CAAT on twitter, and retweet our actions to your followers.
Take action and tell your friends on facebook, or post a link to our action pages. Find us on facebook.
Put a campaign logo on your website or on your profile picture online
Write about the campaign on your blog or website, or comment on relevant news stories.

NEXT > Step 4: Tell the media >

Download the full Campaign Action Guide

Talk to us!

Telephones, picture by DanBrady on flickr

Please let us know what action you take and any response you receive, so we can see how the campaign is progressing and use your success to inspire others. Email campaign(at)caat·org·uk or call 020 7281 0297.

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