Building Community Support -Communication is the Key Delivered by Caroline Egan Consultant & External Relations Manager Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups

Quick Rule of Thumb 10% of community members will support you 5 – 10% of community members will oppose you Remaining 75 – 80% are undecided (silent majority) WIN OVER THE SILENT MAJORITY!

Building Community Support – The Key Steps Know the community. Who’s affected or interested? Who should be? Keep the community informed. Information should be open, honest and timely Invite the public to express views and give feedback Keep in touch with people – informal communication Build relationships with the media Let the public learn more – hold open house events Circulate information through other organisations (reference centres) Circulate fact sheets with “tear off” response options If public is hostile, prepare well and hold a public forum

Know your Community - Community Mapping The maps become a source of collective knowledge about place – a level of knowledge that no single individual, corporation, or government agency is ever likely to match. This leads to empowerment, and to decisions about growth and development that better helps us to achieve the goals that most of us share: social justice and ecological sustainability (Aberley, 2002)

Mapping the Locality. Who can help? Who are the opinion leaders? You! C & V Groups PoliticiansFunders Schools, Adult Education, Sporting Orgs, Voluntary Assoc, Charities, Religious Orders, Retirement Homes, Hospitals Councillors, T.D.s, MEPs, PA secretaries VEC, FAS, LEADER, HSE, Childcare Committees, Taskforces, Council Staff

Who do you need to communicate with in your community? EXERCISE: Who are the top ten people you need to influence? How do you influence these people? What is in the relationship for these key people?

Communication Issues Communication is more likely to be effective if the source is perceived to have expertise or is likeable The communication process starts with a clear concept of the organisation’s identity Organisations must consider not alone how people are to be reached but how people can reach the organisation Employees, directors and volunteers must be aligned around the organisation’s identity