These are just a few key campaign tools you might consider using for your next campaign:

Lobbying your elected representatives:

Your MP, MSP or AM and your local representatives are elected to represent you. They can raise awareness of your campaign and call for support. They can take a concrete action on your behalf such as asking Parliamentary Questions or speaking out in the media.

If you do not know who your local MP is, visit Constituency locata

To find your local councillor visit Up my Street

Write to your MP: Handwritten letters have more impact, and MPs still pay a great deal of attention to an issue if they receive a lot of letters about it.

Meet your MP: All elected members of national parliaments are expected to hold “surgeries” in their local constituency, which constituents can attend to meet their elected representatives. Many local councillors also hold such sessions.

Remember you don’t need to be an expert – you just need to be willing to ask some questions. Politicians have to keep up to date on a huge range of issues, which makes it all the more important they hear from you what needs to change.

Petition:

By gathering lots of names in support of a particular campaign or issue, and sending it to those with the power to make decisions on it, you can show widespread support for change.

Draw up a short statement, demand or series of demands. It should be quick and easy for someone to decide if they agree or disagree. Provide space for people to sign, add their name, address and email. Photocopy and circulate among group members, in supportive shops and other places.

If your group collects a high number of signatures, it can make a media story – especially if you stage a presentation of the petition to the person you want to influence.

Publicity stunt:

Some kind of public demonstration, sketch or action that you carry out, perhaps at a local place of importance, can draw public and media attention to your campaign. A public demonstration or vigil outside the town hall, with older people holding placards, makes a good image for the newspapers and television news.

Make sure you let the media know what you’re doing, and when is the best time to take photographs. Make it clear you have spokespeople willing to talk to journalists. Don’t forget to prepare some leaflets to hand out, to inform people why you are doing what you are doing.

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Public meeting:

There’s nothing like a public meeting for getting local people fired up about the issues they are concerned about, drawing public attention to your older people’s campaign and challenging decision makers about their policies. They are hard work, but they can be really effective in creating support for your campaign.

Think about the kind of meeting you want to organise: a speaker meeting, where representatives of different interest groups come to discuss the issue? A Hustings or ‘Question Time’ style meeting, where local politicians or decision-makers are invited to answer questions from the floor on a particular issue? A campaign meeting, where the public are invited to come to hear about a particular issue and your group’s concerns?

Make sure you organise the meeting at a time convenient for the majority of people, and in an accessible place. You’ll need good publicity material, and a strong chair to ensure the meeting stays civilized and on-topic. Don’t forget to inform the media and arrange refreshments.

Posters and leaflets:

Printed materials featuring campaign messages, and clever quality images, can attract people to your campaign, raise awareness of your issues and put pressure on decision makers to respond. Material can be placed in places where older people and others are likely to see them.

Stick to a few key messages, covering your main concerns. No-one wants to wade through acres of text. Don’t use too many different fonts, and stick to a simple design – unless you have particular design skills.

Don’t forget to include contact details, or a tear-off slip, so that people can respond to the publicity and get more information.

Surveys and research:

Good quality evidence and background information can really add to your campaign, and is essential if your campaign demands are to be credible. Showing you’ve done your homework means your campaign is more likely to be taken seriously.

You can carry out your own research among local people, but ensure there are more than 50 people interviewed – otherwise you’re doing a ‘straw poll’ rather than a survey. Keep your questions simple, and to the point. Remember, your research findings may not support the aims of your campaign.