Getting involved in your Local Party or how to grow your own

Getting involved in your Local Party Louise Venn, Senior Local Party Development Officer Alex Dunn, Bristol Green Party

Getting involved in your Local Party Louise Venn, Senior Local Party Development Officer How is the party structured? The challenge of rapid growth The roles and teams to choose from Alex Dunn, Bristol Green Party The Bristol perspective How we have won elections Leafleting, canvassing and other activities

Green Party of England and Wales South West Incl Bristol West East Incl Norwich South North West Liverpool Riverside Yorkshire & Humber Incl. Sheffield Central South East Oxford & Brighton London Local elections 2014, GLA 2016 National Party GPEW East Midlands Wales North East West Midlands approx 230 Local Parties

Campaigns Director Fundraising and Operations Director GP Leadership Politicians GPex and other committees Party leader Press & Comms Manager 7 X Campaign Coordinators Digital Officer and Assistant Membership & Database HR, Finance and office manager Fundraising& Member Officer Young Greens Co-ordinator Finance Officer and volunteers Policy Comms Manager Conference Coordinator May 2014 National Party Staff & Committee structures Senior Local Party Development Officers Governance Assistant Development Officer Junior Policy Officer Publications Officers 15 constituency campaign roles Campaign Assistant Caroline Lucas Parliamentary Chief of Staff National Election Agent TC & GE Campaigns team 2 x Press Officers

National Party Campaigns Director South West Campaign Coordinator Guy Poultney Bristol West Eastern Campaign Coordinator Spin Pitman Norwich South North West Campaign Coordinator Paul Woodruff Liverpool Riverside Yorkshire & Humberside Campaign Coordinator Andrew Cooper Sheffield Central South East RCC bringing activist support to Oxford & Brighton London RCC bringing activist support to London Constits and Brighton National & Regional Campaign Coordinators West Midlands Campaign Coordinator Chris Williams

Regional Party Support

Local Parties are where the real action happens E.g. Bristol Green Party, 6 Councillors, nearly 2000 members & a real chance of winning parliamentary seats

Local Parties are where the real action happens E.g. Lewisham Green Party, approx 700 members, sole opposition Councillor, London Assembly member, part of London Federation, Jean Lambert MEP for London

Geography of a local party & electoral boundaries Lewisham: 18 wards each with 3 Councillors

Geography of a local party & electoral boundaries Constituency boundary overlaps local authority and party boundary

The Green Surge: a moment of opportunity

The Green Surge: a moment of challenge

Engaging new members  Enthusiasm peaks at start: engage early  Welcome /calls, member meetings  Identify skills, interests and time available  What roles and teams fit: try them out, formal election to officer posts  Get creative: build new teams & capacity, organisational change  But..don’t reinvent the wheel!

Local Party Structures: Small Chair/Coordinator Treasurer Election Agent Candidates (for Councillor, MP, Regional Assembly) & Officers Members Supporters Volunteers selects

Local Party Structures: Large Constituency clusters working with candidates Ward leads & teams Policy leads and researchers Ward leads & teams Chair Membership Secretary Coordinator Returning Officer Election Agent Fundraising officer Treasurer Press & Media Officer Internal Comms Coordinator Website, press & social media team Fundraising team Volunteer Coordinator Campaigns and events

Policy leads e.g. housing, education, health Ward Teams Ward Team Coordinator Councillors Coordinator Councillors leafleting, canvassing action days Local Party Committee: Officers & Coordinators Local Party Committee: Officers & Coordinators Editorial ‘sign off’ Meetings, strategy, constitution Campaign & Media teams Campaign & Media teams Newsletters, Campaigns, Press, research Constituency Cluster MP candidates, campaign manager media officers Structures for a growing party: Fundraising team Fundraising team

Functions of a local party: 1.Listening and communicating 2.Influencing & acting 3.Growing & winning

Listening and communicating: Door-knocking / canvassing Public enquiries, case work Local community groups, partner organisations, research Website, facebook, twitter, blogs, photos/video Local press, letters and articles Events and debates, stalls & demos Leafleting & newsletters, letters to new voters etc.

Influencing and acting: Local campaigns and issues Influencing council decisions, supporting elected members Participating in regional and national campaigns: legislative and political reform Promoting & informing GP policies & manifesto Influencing the public & other parties Achieving real change ‘on the ground’

Growing and winning: Increasing active members and volunteers, and becoming more effective as a local party Target to Win: more seats on Local Councils Winning seats in Westminster Winning seats on regional assemblies in Wales and London, and MEPs in all regions Working effectively with International federations of Green Parties

What tools and guidance are available? Members Website: Party in a Box

What tools and guidance are available? Members Website: Elections, Campaigns, Policy

What tools and guidance are available? Members Website: Forums and Communication tools

What campaign resources are available? Downloadable leaflets and templates on members’ site

What campaign resources are available? Green Party Shop shop.greenparty.org.ukshop.greenparty.org.uk

Key messages Moment of huge growth: involve & welcome new members Make use of the guidance available on the members’ website, and communication tools like CIVI Grow new teams, training / mentoring Learn from and connect with neighbouring parties Don’t reinvent the wheel: guidance and models exist But be creative – try out new things Feed up to national party: policy priorities & local issues – inform the manifesto good practice – share what works well local party needs e.g. new guidance and tools you want

Thank you And best of luck with growing your own!