Would your branch be interested in taking part in a quick and easy recruitment campaign?
“I’m in the union because…” photo campaign on social media highlights the diverse reasons for joining and the diversity of our membership. The campaign is designed as an interactive tool. Members write their reason for joining UCU on a speech bubble poster. Photographs of the member holding their completed poster can then be tweeted using #JoinUCU or emailed to Emma Alexander ealexander@ucu.org.uk to tweet from our regional twitter @UCUNorthern and display on this website at ucunorthern.org.uk/in-the-union-because
The campaign will allow the branch to engage with members while raising awareness, and assisting recruitment. Feedback from branches who have taken part in the campaign : it’s fun to do and taking photographs attracts the attention of people, including non-members, so it’s a way of speaking to them too.
For the camera shy, completed posters could be put on a wall or notice board and photographs taken of the display.
NB: Writing done in felt tip / marker pens is more visible in photographs. Please take the photograph fairly close up so the writing is visible.
For easy access, the instructions for the campaign are on the reverse of the poster.
If your branch needs hard copies of your “I’m in the union because…” poster please contact Emma Alexander at the Regional Office.
Electronic versions are below:
Interested in the campaign but not a Northern Region branch?
No problem, you can join in too!
A generic version of the poster is available: Generic poster
Word versions of the generic version and a version with a space for ‘Your Branch name here’ (as in the below image) are also available. These Word versions will allow your region to easily adapt the posters to show your branch name on the front and your contact details on the back:
UCU any region, any branch Word version colour
If your branch requires any assistance please do not hesitate to contact Emma Alexander.
Below are a few examples of photographs. All the photographs which have been tweeted are also at ucunorthern.org.uk/in-the-union-because
UPDATE
Good news story: In April 2016 our campaign was included on the national ‘Build the union‘ website as a recruitment activity. This was only three months since Regional Support Official, Jon Bryan handed a sketch of an idea for a Sunderland University branch poster to Regional Administrator, Emma Alexander to design. She then turned the design into a campaign, got branches to take part, and shared details of the campaign with other regions including Scotland, South West and Yorkshire & Humberside.
We will continue Building the Union and sharing good practice with all regions. You might be interested in the ‘Tell us what matters‘ campaign #TellUCUWhatMatters During NRW2 in November 2015, Emma saw photographs on twitter #JoinUCU of Leeds University branch recruitment stalls and was so impressed that she made contact with @leedsucu Branch Administrator Alan Smith. Alan kindly provided information on where the branch bought the plastic cylinders. In April 2016 our Regional Executive approved the £41 funds needed to make a ‘campaign kit’ for use by our branches. Emma expects this kit to be ready in time for NRW3 in May.
‘Business Cards’
If your branch would like more Northern Region ‘business cards‘ please contact Emma Alexander.
