About GoldStar 
Ensuring Campagin Material is Accessible
Organisations use a range of media to communicate their message to the target volunteer population, whose ability to access the information is critical. Barriers to access maybe cultural, to do with language and comprehension, or concerning literacy or a preference for more visual or verbal communication
Below are a few examples of how other organisations have accoplished this: |
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Chance UK implement a highly successful campaign to recruit BAME mentors. |
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Envision believe that initial contact is key, and try to develop materials that are interactive, fun and open to everyone. |
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Chance UK launched the ‘Man enough to mentor?’ campaign in 2002 to try and recruit male volunteers who were under represented in their programme. Often men don’t think about the positive influence they can have on children especially if they haven’t yet become a parent, and sometimes they are worried about what others might think.
At the time only one in eight volunteers were men, yet 80% of the Children Chance UK worked with were boys, many without a positive male role model in their lives. The challenge was to make men understand that they can be a positive influence in children’s lives. The campaign was implemented using a PR agency and cost £2000 however within a year the number of male mentors on the programme has risen to 25%.
Envision has recently completed good practice guidance for the Russell Commission on engaging and supporting young people from diverse audiences. As with any charity whose aim is to help young people, effective methods of engagement with them is imperative. Envision encourage the young people to take ownership of their projects to ensure that the programme is youth led.
They believe that initial contact is key and so time is taken to develop materials that are interactive, fun and open to everyone with co-ordinator adult volunteers and ex-students taking part.
The approach take by Envision ensure that:
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Engagement tools are effective
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Engagement material is culturally relevant with appropriate role moles in face-to-face, media and paper based communication
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Language used is appropriate when dealing with young people
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Young people are given effective opportunities for feeding back on volunteering opportunities.
Back to Good Practice 
