Induction Pack for New Members & Supporters
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Induction Pack for New Members & Supporters BRISTOL LIBERAL DEMO CRATS INTRODUCTION Welcome to the City of Bristol Liberal Democrats. Whether you’re new to the Party or have transferred from another local party we hope you’ll find this pack useful for orientation and gaining an understanding of how our local party works. Please read on to find out how you can meet other members and get involved in helping to win seats and grow the party. We have members and supporters of all ages across all wards of the city. Our Diversity Officer is striving to make us as representative as possible of the people of our wonderful multicultural city of Bristol. USEFUL ONLINE RESOUR CES Website: www.bristollibdems.org Facebook Members’ and Registered Supporters’ Hub: www.facebook.com/groups/BristolLibDems Facebook Public Page: www.facebook.com/BristolLibDems (help raise our profile by liking the public page and sharing posts from there) Twitter: @BristolLibDems Bristol Liberal Democrats – Induction Pack for New Members & Supporters V1.6 1 T H E L O CA L PARTY - PARLIAMENTARY SEATS This covers the four City of Bristol Constituencies Our strongest constituency is Bristol West where Stephen Williams served as MP 2005 – 2015. Our Parliamentary Candidates are James Cox for Bristol West, Nick Coombes for Bristol East and Andrew Brown for Bristol South. We are currently recruiting for the Bristol North West Parliamentary Candidate position. Nick Coombes, James Cox, Andrew Brown O U R MAYORAL CANDIDATE Mary Page, our Mayoral Candidate is an active member of the national Green Liberal Democrats Committee and is committed to campaigning to abolish the Mayoralty (this is our official policy adopted at local conference in September 2018). Mary Page, our Mayoral Candidate OUR COUNCIL GROUP We currently have 7 Councillors. Our Council Group Leader is Cllr Gary Hopkins (Knowle). Our other councillors are Jos Clark (Brislington West), Harriet Clough (Hengrove & Whitchurch Park), Chris Davies (Knowle), Tim Kent (Hengrove & Whitchurch Park), Anthony Negus (Cotham Ward) and Mark Wright (Hotwells & Harbourside). Our former council leader Barbara Janke now sits in the House of Lords as Baroness Janke of Clifton. Our Extended Council Group meets once every few Cllr Gary Hopkins, Council Group Leader weeks and is open to any active members who wish to stand for election in the 2020 Local Elections or to play a key role in helping others get elected. Our strategy is to actively grow the local party by winning more council seats as we can really make a difference in a local government and that will help us gain more votes in the next General Election. Members are encouraged to speak at public Council meetings. Our Council Group achieves frequent Press Coverage in the local Press, often working cross-party with the Greens and Tories to hold the Labour-run Council and Labour Mayor in check and many of our proposed local policies are adopted. Max Langer speaking at a council meeting Bristol Liberal Democrats – Induction Pack for New Members & Supporters V1. 6 2 VOLUNTEERING Most of our volunteering activities require no previous experience and we don’t ask for a regular commitment – you’re welcome to join in whenever you can spare the time. We do, however, rely on many of our members and supporters putting in a big personal effort during election campaigns. We deliver a lot of leaflets as we do not enjoy the same press coverage as the two main parties. Street Stall on College Green Opportunities to participate in all the activities below are listed on our Facebook Members’ and Supporters’ Hub and in regular e-newsletters. Often one or more activities are built into an Action Day which includes a lunch in a pub or café for an opportunity to meet other activists. Canvassing (in person or by phone) Freshers’ Fair Surveying (in person or by phone) Street stalls Delivery of leaflets, Focus Newsletters and letters to members Envelope Stuffing Data Entry Election Campaigns – all of the above plus Telling (sitting on a polling station), hosting a diamond in a visible spot on your property or Envelope stuffing for the Members’ Mailing in your car Campaigning for neighbouring local parties in by-elections Offering house/garden for events Collecting signatures for local party petitions Participating in local rallies or demonstrations If you haven’t tried canvassing before you are welcome to pair up and shadow an experienced canvasser the first time you try it. We run training sessions on canvassing and other activities from time to time. For further information contact: [email protected] James & Max busy canvassing Bristol Liberal Democrats – Induction Pack for New Members & Supporters V1.6 3 Members’ and Supporters’ Events We run a wide variety of events, including socials, fundraisers and policy consultations which are designed to be as inclusive as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements then get in touch with the organiser of the event and they will do their best to accommodate you. LIB DEM 101 Designed for recent joiners and any other members/supporters who wish to learn more about the local Party, these are typically held prior to a Lib Dem Pint or other social event, providing an opportunity to stay on afterwards and meet other members and supporters, activists, councillors and parliamentary candidates. They consist of brief introductions followed by short talks by key activists, with topics typically covering The History and Philosophy of Liberalism, Council Group, Volunteering and Campaigning, and Members’ and Supporters’ Events. This is rounded off with a Q&A session. They’re held about once every 2 to 3 months. If you’d like to attend the next 101 please contact [email protected] LIB DEM PINT We hold a monthly social in a pub on a weekday evening, booking a function room or space for exclusive use. This is a great opportunity to meet others from across the city and discuss both local and national political events. You can also discuss volunteering opportunities with local party officers. This is a generally unstructured event but typically includes short talks from local politicians or candidates plus an update on upcoming campaigns and events, after 9 pm. PIZZA AND POLITICS These events are held approximately once every two months throughout the year where we have pizza and drinks and then discuss a policy paper or proposal. Recent events have covered sustainability, transport and Bristol Airport expansion. Bristol Liberal Democrats – Induction Pack for New Members & Supporters V1.6 4 ANNUAL BRISTOL POLIC Y CONFERENCE We hold formal debates as well as policy workshops and consultations and these are used to shape our local policies. All members are entitled to participate and have their say. This is followed by a social in the evening. CHRISTMAS SOCIAL Each December we get together for a festive social event that typically includes dinner, a speaker and some carol singing to a live piano accompaniment. A N N U A L Q U I Z This fundraising social event takes place during late January or February on board the boat Sabrina on Redcliff Backs. We have food and drinks and then form teams to compete in the quiz. FAMILY EVENTS We hold an annual picnic in a park on a Sunday afternoon, and members and supporters are invited to bring along family, friends and partners. We run a few fundraising activities too – usually a picture quiz and a cake stall. We plan to add other types of event suitable for families in the near future. COFFEE MORNINGS/AFTE RN O O N T E A These are run by local teams. EVENTS FOR SPECIAL I NTEREST GROUPS LGBT+ - ad hoc social events plus a stall at Bristol Gay Pride Day which is popular with many activists Bristol Young Liberals – regular meet-ups for under 25s. This group is very actively involved in student politics at UWE and the University of Bristol Bristol Women Liberals – this new group will start meeting at least quarterly from Autumn 2019 NATIONAL AND REGIONA L CONFERENCES Typically at least 20 members from Bristol attend these - we organise as car shares to and from the Conference plus at least one social during the conference. Bristol Liberal Democrats – Induction Pack for New Members & Supporters V1.6 5 The Executive The Executive meets about 5 times a year and officers are elected at our AGM which is held each November. The executive consists of the Chair, one Vice Chair for each constituency, the Treasurer, The Deputy Treasurer, The Secretary, The Membership Development Officer, the Data Officer and 10 General Officers. CONTACTS FOR 2019 Chair: Crispin Allard Contact: [email protected] Contact for information on vacant posts with our local party Membership Officer: Caroline Copsey – responsible for supporting local members Contact: [email protected] Contact for information on membership events and training Secretary: Laura Barry – provides support to the Chair and takes minutes at regular Executive meetings and the local party AGM Contact: [email protected] Contact for general information Teams within Bristol Lib Dems There are plenty of opportunities for members to get involved without being a member of the Executive Committee. We have established teams covering the following areas of activity. CAMPAIGNS Coordination and integration of campaign activity across the city, development of campaign strategy, targeting and messaging. The Campaign Organiser paid role is currently done by James Arrowsmith COMMUNICATIONS Campaigning using social media, other online channels and the press. LITERATURE Design and editing service to enhance the quality of locally produced literature, production of city-wide campaign articles. Bristol Liberal Democrats – Induction Pack for New Members & Supporters V1.6 6 MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT Communication with members, membership recruitment, identifying members’ interests and experiences, encouraging their involvement and skills development FUNDRAISING Raising money from major donors, members and the wider public to fund our campaigning.