The Sheila McKechnie Foundation’s popular five-day ‘Influencing Change’ programme will begin again on 8 November 2016.  The programme is funded by Barrow Cadbury Trust and consists of one session a month spread over five months. It is aimed at campaigners who are committed and empassioned about their work, but need extra support and advice to promote their campaign. Participants on the programme will learn everything they need to create real change, with each day focusing on a key element of campaigning:

Campaign strategy development
Influencing policy-makers and politicians
Getting your message out through social and broadcast media
Winning hearts and minds to persuade people to support your campaigns
Building your network of campaigners in the Midlands.

Speakers at previous workshops have come from: the Houses of Parliament, Forster Communications, the BBC, Shelter, The Daily Mail, Friends of the Earth, Trinity Mirror, Haringey Council and 38 degrees.

Previous participants have said “the programme has equipped me with growing confidence to challenge decision makers failing the community” and “in the time since I started the course, I have successfully executed – and won – a campaign to overturn a government decision.”

The programme is for individuals or representatives from community groups and charities in the Midlands, whether they are seasoned campaigners or looking to learn new skills. The programme fees are subsidised by the Barrow Cadbury Trust and range from £0-690, based on the size of your organisation, with a number of free places available for individuals and groups with limited incomes. The deadline for applications is 7 October. Apply here.