Making the most of Social Media to promote #CleanAirforChildren

1. Tips for using Twitter and Facebook at the Clean Air for Children London Question Time event

● Use our ‘How to find your elected representatives in England’ guide to identify your local representatives. Make a list of who you want to tweet at and share Facebook posts or messages with and search for them a few days before the event, these might include:

✓ Your MP

✓ Mayor of London - @MayorofLondon

✓ Your ward councillors

✓ Your Council Leader

✓ Your Member

✓ Chairs/Deputy Chairs of the London Assembly’s Transport and Environment Committees

▪ Environment

▪ Chair: - @CarolineRussell

▪ Deputy Chair: - @LeonieC

▪ Transport

▪ Chair: - @CarolinePidgeon

▪ Deputy Chair: - @FloEshalomi

✓ Your borough council (search under the name of your borough and twitter, e.g., LB Camden Twitter, LB Hounslow Twitter)

● Keep your tone positive and respectful even if you are being challenging or critical.

● Use the hashtags #cleanairforchildren and #Llondon

● If you have enough characters remaining in your tweets, it might be good to add in #cleanair or #airpollution into your tweets so they are picked up and retweeted by a larger audience.

● Tag or retweet to the @ClientEarth and @lunguk Twitter accounts. ● If you are directing your tweet at somebody in particular, make sure that others can also see it by putting a full-stop before their Twitter account name to start the message, e.g.: “.@[yourMP] will you... “.

● If posting on Facebook, focusing on your ‘personal pollution story’ could win more likes and shares – write about how dirty air in your area affects you, your children and your community and why this has led you to call for action.

● Although there are no character restrictions on Facebook, it’s still best to keep posts short and to the point.

● Add images/photos of you and your children (if you feel comfortable doing this) or your local pollution hotspots so your tweets and posts have more impact.

● Keep an eye on other people using the #cleanairforchildren and like and retweet if you are supportive of what they say: it will help spread the message and give you more material to share.

● You could include hashtags for your borough, constituency or council ward to gain local interest.

● Share Facebook posts with the Clean Air Parents’ Network Facebook group and your own groups and networks.

2. Suggested tweets #cleanairforchildren @ClientEarth @lunguk ✓ I am joining parents & carers from across #London to support action to protect our children’s lungs from #airpollution where they learn & play at the #CleanAirforChildren Question Time this evening @ClientEarth @lunguk

✓ Great to hear more about what is being done to clean up London’s air and protect our children's lungs at the #CleanAirforChildren Question Time this evening @ClientEarth @lunguk ✓ Inspiring to be around parents, carers & other concerned Londoners calling for bold action to tackle #London’s toxic air and protect our children's lungs at the #CleanAirforChildren Question Time @ClientEarth @lunguk

✓ .@[yourMP/councillor/council leader] we need urgent action to get #CleanAirforChildren & protect young lungs where they learn & play in #[your borough/constituency], can you show your support for the #ULEZ? @ClientEarth @lunguk

✓ Ask your MP to join parents and carers in supporting bold action to tackle #London’s toxic air to protect our children's lungs from #airpollution where they learn & play #[your constituency] #CleanAirforChildren @ClientEarth @lunguk

3. Suggested Facebook post/ message Suggested text for posting to your MP’s or councillors’ Facebook page or sending as a message, tailoring the text in red to your own story I am attending/ I attended the Clean Air for Children London Question Time tomorrow/ this evening/ last night/ this week to discuss the bold and urgent action that needs to be taken to ensure #CleanAirforChildren to protect young lungs where they learn and where they play. I’m sure that like me you are also concerned about how London’s dirty air is damaging children's health in [insert the name of your constituency, borough or ward]. [Write one or two short sentences about how air pollution in your local area affects you and your family.] Will you join me in supporting all efforts to clean up London’s air, including the implementation and expansion of the ULEZ so that London’s children can grow up breathing cleaner and healthier air where they learn and where they play in [insert the name of your constituency, borough or ward]?

The Clean Air Parents’ Network is supported by the British Lung Foundation and ClientEarth. We are calling on all levels of government to take action to tackle illegal and harmful levels of air pollution to protect the health of people across the UK www.cleanairparents.org.uk