In this interview, Chloe Flood, Campaigns Officer at Surfers Against Sewage, talks through what drove her to become a campaigner and her journey through the Campaign Carousel this year.
What has been your route into campaigning?
I don’t come from a traditional campaigning background. I studied Multimedia Journalism and went on to complete an MSc in Marine Conservation. It was during my masters that I managed to get some really great experience volunteering within the marine NGO sector and I made some really key contacts. Through this I started to gain insights into campaigning and how change at the top is made. It wasn’t until I started working at SAS that I got the hands on experience, but I got to do so much even within just my first year here. Protests, national days of action, petitions, creative comms and the really fun campaign stunts. And that’s what’s so amazing about working in campaigning. Yes it can be tiring but demanding change can be so much fun!
What campaign or campaigns are you currently working on?
My role has transitioned slightly into focusing on just the sewage pollution campaigns that SAS work on. So at the moment, I’m working on our bathing water campaigns as well as supporting the End Sewage Pollution campaign.
Why did you decide to sign up to the Campaign Carousel?
I was super excited to sign up because other than the hands on experience I have gained at SAS, I didn’t really have a sound understanding of the theory behind some of campaigning we do and the techniques. Some of the sessions actually related nicely to my masters dissertation which was comms focused and I felt I could build on some of that knowledge to help my work moving forward.
What did you get out of the Campaign Carousel?Â
I really enjoyed connecting with other campaigners and talking through the theory side of things the most! I also really enjoyed the session The Resilient Campaigner. This is a skill that is not talked about enough but so needed in this sector. Campaigning can be fast paced, often pushing for change on quite hard hitting subjects that we care very deeply about and having the ability to put in boundaries, celebrate the small wins and look after yourself in the process is so important!
What words would you use to sum up riding the Campaign Carousel overall?
Inspiring!
Why do you think other campaigners should join the Campaign Carousel?
It’s a great opportunity to connect with others working within the field and picking up some super helpful theory techniques.