Supporting Voluntary and Community Action
Ahead of next week's half-day course on marketing and campaigns, let’s take a look at some of the awareness days and weeks that your organisation could get involved with on social media and in the community.
Older people can be underrepresented in society, but this day of recognition is a time to celebrate them. Many Bristol-based groups serve older people in the community, whether that involves specific targeted services, places that older people tend to visit (such as libraries, community halls and places of worship), intergenerational volunteering, or buddying schemes.
Promote the work you do with older people and thank the staff and volunteers who make it possible. Give seniors a voice in your marketing, too – they will probably be more than willing to speak up.
Bristol always has a large programme of events for Black History Month, and it’s the perfect time to raise awareness of BAME heritage, stories and achievements. Until recently, black narratives were often overlooked by historians, and we still need to redress the balance.
Encourage your community and audience to get involved throughout the month, by sharing and attending the many events taking place. There’s something for everyone.
Have you looked at your organisation’s work life balance lately? Do you consider it when you advertise a job vacancy? The VCSE sector attracts empathetic people, and it can be hard for employers and employees to step back from work and take a proper break, but pushing yourself to breaking point is not the answer – nor is it an attractive prospect for jobseekers.
If you offer workplace benefits, such as flexible working or annual leave on your birthday, make sure you promote them during National Work Life Week, and in all descriptions of company benefits.
This is a day to support small local causes, organised by Quartet Community Foundation. On 9 October, people can walk, run or cycle across 45 bridges in Bristol, with each bridge representing a nearby cause. The plan is to raise £45,000 for these good causes by asking for donations of £1 per person per bridge crossed, with six different routes and distances to choose from.
Click here to find out how your charity could get involved.
According to Get Online Week, nearly 12 million people in the UK don’t have the digital skills to navigate life and work; what’s more, 5.3 million people have never used the internet. This awareness week aims to change that, and make the internet more accessible for those who lack confidence and experience using it.
Events will be held in thousands of UK communities to break down the barriers that prevent people going online. In an increasingly digital society, where many services are becoming paperless, it’s important we all have the skills and equipment to access the internet.
This should definitely be in your calendar. Trustees are the backbone of a charity; they make sure it meets its aims and safeguards the public, and they monitor the finances and functions of the charity, from the CEO’s salary to the governing documents. Trustees’ Week shows how vital they are, and opens up a dialogue with potential new trustees.
Have you done enough to thank your trustees and make them feel involved? Are you looking to recruit new trustees? Ask yourself those all-important questions. Also consider Voscur training – Being a Good Board Member, one of our best-selling courses, takes place on Tuesday 17 September.
If your organisation helps people with financial difficulties, or whose finances might be affected by their circumstances, Talk Money Week is worth covering on your social media channels. It used to be known as Financial Capability (FinCap) Week, but now has a catchier title.
This year’s awareness week focuses on pensions: something that will affect us all. Use the hashtag #TalkMoney to join in. The FinCap website has some handy guides from last year for talking to children, friends, partners and older people about money, plus insight on financial abuse.
You probably already had this one in your diary, but here’s an early reminder – Giving Tuesday is a huge national celebration of the work VCSE organisations do. It’s held in the run-up to Christmas, so you need to plan ahead to get people’s attention during this busy time.
Think about what Christmas means to your service users, or the achievements of your organisation throughout the year. How could you promote this in an original and eye-catching way?
Share your awareness campaigns with Voscur by tagging us on Twitter or Facebook.