As I walked the short distance from Angel Islington tube station to the Greenpeace UK headquarters at Canonbury Villas, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Greenpeace are busy developing a new political lobbying and communication network and I was on my way to learn how to lobby my MP. There were around 14 trainees, and Greg and Lucy, the trainers for the day explained to us that the aim was to have a lobbyist in every constituency. The day was varied and interesting, with some useful activities – and a great lunch! We learned how to write a really effective letter, and that to build a good relationship with your MP takes time and patience! Julia, an experienced lobbyist, shared her experiences with us all and there was some practice at lobbying – yes, the dreaded role play. The best bit though, was hearing from Paddy, a former MP who gave us an MP’s –eye view. It turns out, apparently, that MPs are only human and really just want to be liked! By the end of the day most of our initial concerns had been answered and we all felt much more confident in our own abilities to be part of the Greenpeace Lobbying network. For me, the training was just right - informative, confidence building and very motivating so now I'm looking forward to getting stuck in!
If you would like to join in the Battle for Britain by becoming a political lobbyist, you can get more details and apply at:
Comments