Training

We believe that anyone can be a force for change

At SMK, we believe anyone can be a force for change. Our training courses are designed to give people the knowledge, skills and confidence to effect change as well as build stronger teams and organisations.

As the UK and the world undergoes massive upheaval, now is the perfect time to refresh your analysis of the world around us and hone your campaigning skills. Most of our support is delivered on-line.

Our training is based on SMK’s unique analysis of how social change is happening today, and our popular proprietary tools that can help understand, map and plan for change. We encompass every campaign discipline and offer a library of case studies as well as access to our associates, themselves highly skilled and experienced campaigners.

We support individuals at all levels, from those just starting out, to seasoned campaign professionals. We work across civil society on a spectrum of social issues. We also bring experience of working with discrete audiences including young people; local communities; and people with first-hand experience of social issues.

Something for everyone with our three types of training

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Campaign Carousel™: building the complete campaigner

Our Campaign Carousel™ is an exciting and flexible way for campaigners to hone their skills across a broad range of areas. This comprehensive package trains those at or near the start of their campaigning journey in a rounded set of campaigning skills and approaches.

Find out more >

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Open Training Programme: honing your specialist skills

This wide-ranging programme of campaigning skills workshops will provide you with the basic building blocks of effective campaigning, as well as more specialist sessions that take a deep dive into specific skills and approaches. Workshop themes range from influencing in parliament to community organising.

2024/25 Programme >

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Commissioned Training: supporting organisations to develop

We offer diverse training on a commissioned basis for teams, organisations and coalitions. Our off-the-shelf packages include workshops, events and programmes. Bespoke training is designed in partnership with you.  Whatever your needs, we aim to meet them.

Read More >

More opportunities for campaigners and changemakers 

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2 new action learning sets from January 2025

We know from listening to leaders in charities, that there are particular challenges in leading campaigning programmes. In the new year, we are partnering with Josephine Knowles to run a new series of sets for senior leaders and for emerging leaders in campaigning organisations.

Find out more and book >

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Free Changemakers' Toolkit

With the support of Wikimedia UK, we have launched an open access toolkit to empower people to campaign effectively. We know that campaigners, activists, and changemakers of all types are stepping up to address injustices, improve conditions in their communities, and draw attention to neglected issues. 

Let the change begin – start now! 

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Deep Dive sessions in 2024

In today’s ever-evolving campaigning landscape, understanding complex topics is essential. SMK’s Deep Dive sessions, led by experts, provide campaigners with intensive, focused sessions that explore specific subjects in depth.

Deep Dive: How to develop effective campaign strategies here >

Deep Dive: How to own the room: build your influence, presence and charisma here >

Building confident campaigning governance

– new offer for trustees

Our recent research with Governance & Leadership magazine found that support for campaigning amongst trustees is high, but levels of confidence do not match.

In response, SMK has produced a free short guide for trustees called  Navigating charity campaigning that points to five essential conversations board should have to develop confident campaigning governance. It can be used alone, or as the starting point for a board conversation guided by SMK. Our one-hour or three-hour sessions will help boards explore campaign governance together. Full details in this blog.

Take the first step to building campaigning governance confidence in your organisation. Register your interest by emailing SMK Head of Programmes Kath Christie.

Navigating charity campaigning

Training blogs: a deeper dive into our training

Social Change Library

Deepen your knowledge about change.

Keen to take your learning even further? Here are resources we think are well worth a read or listen for those new to social change and those looking for something new.

Find out more >

Social Power Podcast

Explore change with the people making it.
We bring together change-makers to discuss how it feels while change is happening, what drives success, and what lessons emerge.

Listen here >

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