In this special guest blog we hear from the incredible Hannah Bourne-Taylor, who single-handedly brought about a debate in Westminster on making swift bricks a compulsory feature of all new house builds in England. Hannah's campaign has been a masterclass in what can be achieved by an individual determined to take action for nature. Here are Hannah's top tips to help you do the same!
I created this campaign, deciding on a government petition route, that succeeded in granting the birds who share our walls a voice in parliament, setting the ball rolling for change. Here are 8 tips that helped me get The Feather Speech campaign to government, having never done any campaigning before.
1. Pick your battle: the environmental crisis is overwhelming. Break it down until you find a campaign aim that is achievable.
2. Fact foundation: Create your campaign based on facts, checking they’re accurate by using legitimate sources.
3. Break it down: Work backwards from the campaign’s aim to figure out what you will need to achieve it. I needed government support which I would not get without public support, which I would not get without media coverage because I needed 100,000 signatures in 6 months to secure a parliamentary debate.
4. Problem solving: Work out how you get your campaign covered in the media, or without media, how you can raise awareness and get enough public support. Solving these problems takes strategy, time commitment and focus.
5. Communication: whether you’re trying to communicate to individuals, through local community groups, via social media, or the media, work out what your message is, and how to convey it: it needs to be simple, and if possible, stick to one ask.
6. Collaboration: it is highly likely you will need support from others, from signatures to advice, expertise to active commitment and collaboration. I collaborated with artists to help me communicate, experts to ensure what I was communicating was true, and secured vital support from organisations and individuals.
7. Pep talk: It is extremely difficult to effect change, and trying takes ongoing commitment which can take its toll. Stay focused and don’t burn out. Passion is a superpower: this is The Feather Speech campaign’s motto and it has also provided me with a reminder that I can achieve my aim.
8. Know your agency: I felt paralysed by eco anxiety until I realised that using my voice might make a big difference. Taking that first step felt foolish but now The Feather Speech is made up of 109,894 members of the public, and has cross party political support.
If I can make a difference, anyone can.