Do you want to help bring together people in your area who are behind the rise of Real Bread? Might you be able to organise and/or host events? Are you in a position to encourage people to join the Campaign? Could you be a contact for local media interviews?
To complement the activity of official Real Bread Campaign ambassadors, we’re working to develop a diverse (in all senses) network of Real Bread Campaign champions, each with a local focus.
Background
While making, and the passion for, Real Bread is spread across the UK, Campaign activity has tended to be centrally-driven, and there’s a limit to what one person working part-time can achieve. Local knowledge and connections are key to building effective and lasting local networks, and also for feeding into work at national level.
Events and other activities are run in the name of the Campaign by individual supporters but these are infrequent, and people working together at a local level in the name of the Campaign also appears to be limited.
The role
This will be an informal, voluntary role. Each local champion will coordinate / facilitate a group/network in their area that includes Campaign supporters and friends, plus other people who are involved, or have interests, in the seed to sandwich Real Bread chain - farmers, millers bakers, baking teachers, retailers etc. Each champion and group’s local activity will be informed by, and act in support of, the mission, objectives and activity of the Campaign.
Each local champion will be the key point of contact for communication within the local group and externally, including between the group and Campaign coordinator.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, each local champion will be encouraged to tailor their role to fit their own particular interests, abilities, opportunities and challenges/limitations, and those of people in their local group.
Activity that a local champion and group might carry out includes:
- Promoting Real Bread Campaign activity/initiatives (eg Real Bread Week, online actions), encouraging and coordinating involvement at a local level.
- Working with / lobbying the local MP and local authority on relevant issues.
- Encouraging people to join the Campaign, make doughnations and otherwise contribute to fundraising and other income generation drives.
Feeding back to the Campaign coordinator challenges and opportunities at a local and national level that have been identified by their group.
There is some overlap between this role and that of Real Bread Campaign ambassadors, some of whom might also become local champions. Some members of the Campaign’s advisory working party might become local champions and vice versa.
Diversity, inclusion and representation
Real Bread is made and enjoyed by people of every age, nationality, colour, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic heritage, differing ability, neurological status, religion and economic background, who speak every language worldwide. This is not represented as well as it should be by the Campaign’s work or network and we are working to change this.
We invite everyone who feels they could be a local champion to volunteer. We particularly encourage applications from Black people, other people of colour, people who think ‘there aren’t enough people like me in the Real Bread movement’ or who otherwise feel underrepresented in and by the Campaign’s work.
Cross pollination
We’re keen for local champions and groups to work with other food-related networks, community groups and organisers in their area: perhaps a regional grain network, WI, Slow Food, Sustainable Food Place etc.
Over to you
Do you see yourself being a Real Bread Campaign local champion? If so, what would your interpretation of the role be and what do you see yourself doing in it?
Please send a short email to Real Bread Campaign co-ordinator Chris Young to discuss.
