Getting involved in your Local Party. or how to grow your own

Getting involved in your Local Party or how to grow your own

Getting involved in your Local Party Spinoza Pitman, Regional Campaigns Coordinator (East) Maximilian Fries, Cambridge Green Party Co-ordinator Original presentation by: Louise Venn, Senior Local Party Development Officer Alex Dunn, Bristol Green Party

Getting involved in your Local Party Spinoza Pitman, Regional Campaigns Coordinator (East) How the party is structured The challenge of rapid growth Building teams to win elections Maximilian Fries, Co-coordinator and Campaign Manager The Cambridge perspective Like a phoenix: re-growing a local party Leafleting, canvassing and other activities

Green Party of England and Wales North West Liverpool Riverside Yorkshire & Humber Sheffield Central North East Wales East Midlands West Midlands Solihull National Party GPEW East Norwich South approx 230 Local Parties South West Bristol West & St Ives South East Oxford East & Brighton Pavillion London Local elections 2014, GLA 2016

National Party Staff & Committee structures Politicians GPex and other committees Party leader GP Leadership Campaigns Director Fundraising and Operations Director Campaign Assistant National Election Agent Press & Comms Manager Policy Comms Manager 7 X Campaign Coordinators Senior Local Party Development Officers Membership & Database Fundraising& Member Officer HR, Finance and office manager Conference Coordinator Caroline Lucas Parliamentary Chief of Staff TC & GE Campaigns team May 2014 2 x Press Officers Junior Policy Officer Publications Officers Young Greens Co-ordinator 15 constituency campaign roles Digital Officer and Assistant Governance Assistant Development Officer Finance Officer and volunteers

National Party Campaigns Director South West Campaign Coordinator Guy Poultney Bristol West Eastern Campaign Coordinator Spin Pitman Norwich South North West Campaign Coordinator Paul Woodruff Liverpool Riverside West Midlands Campaign Coordinator Chris Williams Yorkshire & Humberside Campaign Coordinator Andrew Cooper Sheffield Central South East RCC bringing activist support to Oxford & Brighton London RCC bringing activist support to London Constits and Brighton National & Regional Campaign Coordinators

Regional Party Support

Local Parties are where the real action happens E.g. Norwich Green Party, 650 members, 19 Councillors & a real chance of winning parliamentary seats

Local Parties are where the real action happens E.g. Cambridge Green Party, 435 members (100 on 1.1.2014); No councillors at the moment (2 city + 1 county previously) Third best result in 2010 in UK (7%) and highest potential Green vote according to Mosaic

Geography of a local party & electoral boundaries Cambridge City: 14 wards each with 3 Councillors http://www.crosenstiel.webspace.virginmedia.com/camelect/wards2004.gif

Geography of a local party & electoral boundaries County Council boundaries General election constiuency Constituency boundary overlaps local authority and party boundary South Cambs

The Green Surge: a moment of opportunity

The Green Surge: a moment of challenge

Engaging new members Enthusiasm peaks at start: engage early Welcome email/calls, member meetings Identify skills, interests and time available What roles and teams fit: try them out, formal election to officer posts Get creative: build new teams & capacity, organisational change But..don t reinvent the wheel!

Local Party Structures: Small Chair/Coordinator Treasurer Election Agent Candidates (for Councillor, MP, Regional Assembly) & Officers selects Members Volunteers Supporters

Local Party Structures: Large Chair Coordinator Election Agent Treasurer Press & Media Officer Membership Secretary Returning Officer Fundraising officer Website, press & social media team Internal Comms Coordinator Volunteer Coordinator Fundraising team Policy leads and researchers Campaigns and events Ward leads & teams Constituency clusters working with candidates Ward leads & teams

Structures for a growing party: Constituency Cluster MP candidates, campaign manager media officers Local Party Committee: Officers & Coordinators Editorial sign off Meetings, strategy, constitution Fundraising team Ward Team Coordinator Councillors leafleting, canvassing action days Ward Teams Campaign & Media teams Newsletters, Campaigns, Press, research Policy leads e.g. housing, education, health

Cambridge organisation Campaign Team Cambridge Green Party Committee Cambridge Young Greens

Cambridge Green Party Committee Tasks - Monthly meetings - Organisation, admin and budget - Overall strategy and campaign management outside campaign time - Contact to membership - Shared GoogleDrive - E-Mail lists: Members, Supporters, Students - Monthly bulletin

Co-Managers Campaign Team Candidates + Ward teams Press Fundraising team Social media Overall campaign mangement Weekly to fortnightly meeting (in person or telephone) Open structure; everyone can join, no elections Grows with campaign E-mail addresses for roles canvassing@cambridge.greenparty.org.uk leafletting@cambridge.greenparty.org.uk webadmin@cambridge.greenparty.org.uk Volunteer Coordinator Research & Policy Admin help (PA) Website Canvassing coordinator Leafletting coordinator Activists and volunteers

Cambridge Young Greens

Functions of a local party: 1. Listening and communicating 2. Influencing & acting 3. Growing & winning

Listening and communicating: Door-knocking / canvassing Public enquiries, case work Local community groups, partner organisations, research Website, facebook, twitter, blogs, photos/video Local press, letters and articles Events and debates, stalls & demos Leafleting & newsletters, letters to new voters etc.

Influencing and acting: Local campaigns and issues Influencing council decisions, supporting elected members Participating in regional and national campaigns: legislative and political reform Promoting & informing GP policies & manifesto Influencing the public & other parties Achieving real change on the ground

Growing and winning: Increasing active members and volunteers, and becoming more effective as a local party Target to Win: more seats on Local Councils Winning seats in Westminster Winning seats on regional assemblies in Wales and London, and MEPs in all regions Working effectively with International federations of Green Parties

What tools and guidance are available? Members Website: Party in a Box

What tools and guidance are available? Members Website: Elections, Campaigns, Policy

What tools and guidance are available? Members Website: Forums and Communication tools

What campaign resources are available? Downloadable leaflets and templates on members site

What campaign resources are available? Green Party Shop shop.greenparty.org.uk

Key messages Moment of huge growth: involve & welcome new members Make use of the guidance available on the members website, and communication tools like Civi Grow new teams, training / mentoring Learn from and connect with neighbouring parties Don t reinvent the wheel: guidance and models exist But be creative try out new things Feed up to national party: policy priorities & local issues inform the manifesto good practice share what works well local party needs e.g. new guidance and tools you want

Thank you And best of luck with growing your own! Spinoza Pitman spin.pitman@greenparty.org.uk Maximilian Fries cambridge@greenparty.org.uk