‘Working hard all year round’ is so much more than a slogan for Liberal Democrat campaigners; it describes how activists, candidates, and councillors hit the doorsteps, make calls and deliver Focus leaflets whatever the weather. Here’s our Campaigns and HQ Team Manager, Claire Halliwell’s latest set of monthly tips covering the autumn to help you get the most from your 2017 campaigning.
If you haven’t recently, you should deliver a Focus – the staple of many Lib Dem campaigns. Regular Focus leaflets in a ward help to build communication between the local Lib Dem team and residents.
They are a great way to keep the local community informed about your record of action after listening to their concerns. You can show them that you’ve been working with and for the local community to help to resolve issues and you can provide all manner of useful information in them too, such as community events.
By campaigning on issues raised by residents and identified by the team, getting results for the local community, and reporting back these successes, Focus leaflets can play a significant role in encouraging community engagement and activity.
In essence, if done well, Focus leaflets are a key way in which the Lib Dems can demonstrate our commitment to Community Politics.
There are a number of items that should be included in a Focus leaflet:
- A clear masthead
- Names of the local team
- Contact details
- A response slip (often called a ‘grumble sheet’) or petition
- An opportunity for people to offer to help or join
- Website and/or social media addresses
- Local news stories
- Action photos
- Stories that support your messaging