1. No budget campaigning
Jackie Schneider

2. 2 case studies.
Merton Parents for Better Food in School
Save our Field!
3. In 2005 school dinners served in the London Borough of Merton were, substandard.
4. The following groups were unable to make any significant improvements:
Headteachers
Governors
PCT/health professionals
PSHE teachers
Healthy schools coordinators
Dinner ladies
Catering staff
5. Phase 1: getting parents involvedHeld a public meeting to set up Merton Parents for Better food in Schools
Over 120 parents and governors attended from 30 of the 41 schools.
Everyone present filled in a form capturing contact details, schools represented, particular interests
Steering group set up
Started an email group
Established simple website
6. Phase 2: challenging the councils assertions that the food was good
Published photos of typical school meals on the website
We collected evidence, ( food diaries, interviewed staff)
Encouraged parents to make appointments to see school lunches for themselves
Started a petition. Collected parents signatures inschool playgrounds
Stalls in the high street
Letter writing to press
Lobbying councillors
Demonstration outside civic centre
Public meetings
Asked health professionals to support us
Consulted widely to draw up aims and objectives
7. 8. Phase 3: council back down but still block progress
Council leadership agree with our analysis of school meal provision
Invited on to various committees
However no real improvements offered
Merton Parents continued to campaign enthusiastically to win commitment to our aims and objectives
9. Phase 4: genuine partnership
Commitment to fund kitchens in 39 out of 41 schools
Contract specifications re written in line with aims and objectives
Merton Parents serve on committee to select a new contract caterer
Increase in quality and quantity of fresh fruit and vegetables served
Independent school dinner consultant employed to help develop a plan
Prison trays dropped
PCT given a voice
10. We went from this ....
11. .......... to this!
12. Effective tactics
Mobilised large numbers of parents
Use of photographs
Good relationship with local press
Captured contact details very early on
Used email and playground networks
Crowd sourced solutions
Didnt ask for money but for specific help
13. Key
Knew what we wanted
Stood firm against getting sucked in
Allowed opponents a face savingway to accept changes.
14. Save our field
15. 16. We used pictures to tell the story
17. Using Video
Link 1
Link 2
18. Effective tactics
A4 window posters
Email
Press
Twitter
Simple video
Blog/simple website
19. Top tips
Clear objectives
Pictures worth a thousand words!
Video
Networks
Crowdsource
Free tools such as audioboos, flicker, facebook, twitter
Sense of injustice
20. Final thoughts
Expect to be told no, but dont let that stop you.
Money is never the problem if the problem is seen as a priority there will always be a way
Campaign in poetry, govern in prose
There is no shame in being a fully paid up member of the awkward squad!
Democracy works better when citizens campaign!