Campaigns require knowledge of the right context, a community to support you, and sufficient capacity to work. Here’s how SMK’s Campaign Carousel helps with all three.
“I am a Sudanese woman who grew up under the dictatorship of Omar Al-Bashir, witnessing corruption, injustice, and systemic discrimination against women. This shaped me into an activist and advocate for human rights and women’s rights, speaking out despite the dangers,” said Maisson Hassan, Campaign Assistant at Women for Refugee Women and Campaign Carousel rider, in a recent interview with SMK.
Maisson joined the Campaign Carousel in April 2025 to help with her current campaigning work.
“[I am currently working on] WRW campaigns to end the detention of women seeking asylum, end the use of hotel accommodation and ensure safe and dignified housing, secure fair and fast asylum decisions, and lift the ban on their right to work.”
SMK’s Campaign Carousel training programme is designed with people like Maisson in mind, people who have big and important ambitions and causes. Here’s how SMK’s Campaign Carousel can support you:
Campaign Context:
Throughout the training, early-stage campaigners are urged to be curious about the world around them; to analyse the problem they want to campaign about, evaluate what matters, and to practise active solidarity in social change.
“The most notable difference in my approach to campaigning since taking part in the Campaign Carousel is that it solidified my existing knowledge through experience and practice, while also making me more aware of the specific context of campaigning in the UK,” said Maisson.
Campaign Community:
Campaign Carousel riders consistently tell us that they enjoy feeling part of a wider community, which SMK nurtures through bringing past and present participants together at an informal quarterly Campaign Carousel Brunch. It’s a great opportunity to discuss burning issues of the day, hear from inspiring speakers (such as Campaigner of the Year Sarah Finch), and build your own campaigning network.
“The breakout rooms during the sessions gave me valuable opportunities to network with campaigners from diverse backgrounds, listen to their experiences, and learn from their approaches,” Maisson noted.
Campaign Capacity:
Most Campaign Carousel riders also appreciate the two-stage approach to the programme designed to ‘layer up’ your campaigning skills. You first take four foundational workshops to give you an introduction to campaigning and social change, how to plan campaigns effectively, learning how to communicate for social change, and finally, how to evaluate what matters. Then you choose five further workshops from a diverse plate of specialist skills ranging from influencing parliament to digital strategy to avoiding burnout. SMK regularly reviews and updates its workshops to ensure we deliver value for money.
SMK’s Campaign Carousel also provides a practical campaigning toolkit to help build campaign capacity. It also draws on real-time examples of which campaigns are winning and why through the stories of our National Campaigner Award winners.
We pride ourselves on grounding our approach in what works. Maisson specifically said, “The Campaign Carousel training gave me both practical tools and deeper insights into effective campaigning. It also introduced me to new approaches and networks I hadn’t considered before. Most importantly, it equipped me with knowledge I could immediately apply in my role, helping me campaign more effectively for the rights of refugee and asylum-seeking women.”
We have just launched the Campaign Carousel September 2025 programme. To find out more visit https://smk.org.uk/what-we-do/training/campaign-carousel/ Book now and join a diverse cohort of impressive campaigners and change-makers.