Ian Morton, Campaign Collective member and co-author of ‘Hear My Voice – a guide for first-time local campaigners,’ shares his perspective on the highs and lows of campaigning, and why you should never give up:
“Campaigning can be a thankless task; it can feel like you’re giving all your energy to something and making little progress. But on other occasions it can give you the biggest highs as you see the impact of your work on a campaign, and the ripple effects that can go on for days, months and even years to come. Above all, whatever the results, it’s the satisfaction of trying your best to make a difference on an issue you care about.
“I’ve been involved in running and supporting campaigns professionally for more than 20 years, but also on causes that I care about outside of the day job (usually spurred on by an injustice I’ve seen or a desire to right a wrong).
“I’ve spoken to many people over the years who want to bring about change but don’t know where to begin. It’s one of the reasons why we recently published a campaign guide for first-time grassroots campaigners. The guide is based on the decades of campaigning experience between us, and the enjoyment we get from sharing that knowledge wherever we can.
“Many of us in Campaign Collective already support apprentices starting out in the communications industry, alongside the work we do for our clients. We also love to support the things that we care about in our communities.
“In 2019 was fortunate enough to be part of a campaign to raise awareness of the threats of climate and ecological breakdown, through a voluntary role at Extinction Rebellion. At the time, this was just meant to be short-term support for the press office, but ended up becoming a full-time voluntary role, working with press, co-coordinating the UK media & messaging team, and sitting in the political team. The year I spent was incredibly challenging, but will live with me forever.
“Most recently this passion for campaigning has led me to fight for the future of the football club I love – Reading FC – as part of a campaign to force out the owners who have taken my hometown’s club to the brink. The campaign features as a case study in the Hear my Voice guide, and it’s a great example of first-time grassroots campaigners coming together to fight for something they care about. I’m also incredibly happy to say that the campaign to oust the owners was successful, after a takeover was announced on 3 May.
“If you are reading this and have a campaign issue that you care about, I hope that our guide can be even just a little help to you. We would love to know how you get on.”
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Ian Morton is a member of Campaign Collective