SMK believes that one of the best bits of support we offer is the opportunity to meet and build links with other campaigners in the social change space.
How professional becomes personal
As a campaigner passionate about your issues, your professional life bleeds into your personal, your work follows you home. It’s broadcast from your TV, permeates across your social feeds, and lingers in conversations with friends and family. Campaigning can feel wearing and solitary. And now, more than ever, you’re working within the most hostile of environments. You watch political leaders, who you hope will implement the changes you seek, get caught in scandal after scandal. They seem increasingly far removed and disconnected from our sector. Sometimes, it’s hard to just keep up.
A space to share
One of the reasons networks for campaigners are so important is that they reinforce that you’re not alone. Others are working in the same tough space, getting frustrated and drained like you, but equally fuelled by the sheer determination and passion they have for their cause.
Here’s where SMK comes in. The Campaign Carousel™ gives you as a campaigner, the space to share, learn, and even vent with peers. Four in every five Carousel riders say their networks and links with other campaigners have increased as a result of the training. Excitingly, Carousel riders are self-organising, with WhatsApp groups now being formed amongst past and present riders.
Connecting over brunch
At our first-ever Campaign Carousel™ online brunch event for past and current riders, Jodie Beck, a dynamic campaigner on human rights at Liberty, shared personal insights on what it’s like being a campaigner in a really tough environment. A lot of what she shared resonated with those in the (digital) room.
Riders told us that it was reassuring to be in a space that acknowledges the current political environment. One highlighted how being hopeful takes work, and another said ‘’I felt a lot more connected and less alone after the session’’. Riders told us they found the brunch event to be a relatable, inspirational, and refreshing open space for honest discussion, knowledge sharing, and reflection.
So, aside from the tools and knowledge you’ll gain from being on the Carousel, SMK will support you in peer-to-peer learning and thinking about new collaborations. Just think of the fresh ideas these could generate!
Over the coming weeks, SMK’s Events and Programmes Manager, Megan Poyiadzis, will be sharing her thoughts on the stand-out reasons to join the Campaign Carousel™ programme.