House of Commons
What was the start point?
With an immanent reduction in government funding WRVS needed to communicate with key decision makers and budget holders in the House of Commons to demonstrate their expertise and experience in the new Government initiative for Public/3rd Sector partnerships.
What was the real question?
How to prove WRVS' worth to MP's in executing the new initiative.
What was the answer?
The organisation and communication of an event to targeted MPs at the House of Commons.
We organised an event to involve key decision makers at cabinet level and below in order to make them aware of the invaluable gaps that WRVS plug in NHS and social services offerings.
Tying in with the current government incentives of 3rd Sector/Government partnerships to provide care in the community we targeted MPs and their researchers (gatekeepers) with a direct mail piece which challenged their knowledge on current government thinking as well as giving them information about the event.
They could respond to the invitation to the event via a landing page that was designed to data capture and allow them to pass on the url/invitation/information to other friends/minister/interested parties.
A second direct mail piece then was sent which was a WRVS 'How To' guide explaining how 3rd Sector/Local authority partnerships had been set up and run by WRVS for a number of years. The guide was loose leafed and recipients were given further case studies and information at the event in the House of Commons.
The intention was to put WRVS front of mind with policy makers and purse holders and to raise its profile amongst MPs in general.
How effective has this been?
63 MPs registered their interest, and 15 MPs attended the event. Regular contact has since been set up with these MPs and lobbying has commenced.