Campaigning

Graham Ellis sharing years of experience as a thought on each day
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It's all about how you cast it - "I drove today" v L&B

This campaign tip (no. 28) was published on Monday, 28th January 2019
There's an oft told story of how the counsellors in North Devon travelled up to London Waterloo to see Herbert Walker who was the chair of the railway company and ask him to save their railway but alas they travelled up by car not taking their own train and their mission failed.

When I first got involved in public transport campaiging, I was invited and welcomed to meetings across the region - and I attendd to press the case where I could. And I was very conscipus that in amongst the groups arrivng by train, I sometimes arrived by car. With but two trains each way per day, and with them timed to be less than useful, there was often little choice; from a recent meeting in Minehead at which I was speaking I would have hed to left before the meeting started to get home - even by bus - for midnight.

Using the transport you're campaining to improve yourself is a very powerful advert, and it's a very powerful way of learning for yourself how it works and meeting your customers too. Yes, I know it's inconvenient having to travel nearly two hours early sometimes (but there are planty of coffess bars to plug in the laptop and work!) and it shows the real issues up.

Putting the show on teh other foot - if you are arranging for volunteers to help you, far better to schedule to suit their needs if you can than to appear throughless in what hours you give them, and far better for you to use the service to get to your start / end points than drive you car along the route of service - it can look as if you're placing yourslf on a higher plane than your users. You may well think that, but best not be arrogant!
Discussion via Coffee Shop forum

Contact details

These pages are written by Graham Ellis of Melksham, Wiltshire. Overlapping a life in IT and IT training, with running a hotel and campaigning for improved public transport, Graham has never been quiet - though he's starting to wind down gently now. He no longer takes overnight guests and has stepped doen from the "Community Rail Officer" role which he accidentally aquired. So he now has more time to write pages such as these and to travel in the UK. He'll be delighted to speak with your group or take a look through your case or camapaign, but be alerted that his time is not limitless even now, and he still has to keep the wolf from the door.

Postal: 48, Spa Road, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 7NY
Phonal: 01225 708225
Emailal: graham -at- wellho.net
Or reach me on the Coffee Shop Forum (User Grahame) facilities


What a difference a campaign makes!

It probably wouldn't have happened without a strong community campaign with which I have been involved. Most days through 2019 I'll be sharing a thought, an idea, a way of working or an experience. Come back here for the links. Discussions via the Coffee Shop Forum - Graham Ellis, 31st December 2018


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