Hey Everyone,

 

An interesting opportunity for young people running projects in the UK or who are interested in social issues and affecting change:

 

 

Wanted….

Activists and Social Entrepreneurs

who are making a difference in their community,

who enjoy public speaking and who would like a challenge

 

to help spread the message on

HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD

 

 

Following the success of the book 365 WAYS TO CHANGE THE WORLD which was published in December 2005, and the publication of a mass market edition for Christmas 2006, we are looking for up to eight people from around Britain who are prepared to go out and inspire others to become active in changing the world.

 

You will organise around 40 talks or presentations during the coming year, which you will give to schools, colleges, youth groups, faith groups, employee groups, trade unions, community groups, development centres, local radio – whoever is prepared to listen to you.

 

You should have your own exceptional story to tell, already be actively involved in making a difference in your community or have had an impact in meaningfully engaging and inspiring others. In your talk, you will have the opportunity to introduce yourself by telling your own story of what you yourself have done or are doing to make a better world.

 

Together we will develop an outline structure for the rest of your talk. We will suggest inspiring stories of other people and lots of ideas for how to change the world. We will support you in producing a PowerPoint presentation and provide handouts that you can use.

 

You will be asked to attend a one-day induction session at the start, and two follow up get-togethers during the year to exchange ideas.

 

You will receive approximately £1,500 for doing this. And you will be able to supplement this by selling copies of 365 WAYS TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

 

If you are active and would like to inspire others…

If you would like to further develop your communication and leadership skills…

If you would like to join a group of lively youngish and young-at-heart people who will be spreading the message …

 

…then this could be a wonderful opportunity.

 

Are you interested? If so, contact Michael Norton at norton@civa.org.uk

 

More details and how to apply are attached. The closing date for applications is Monday 16th October 2006. Interviews will be held in London on Wednesday 25th October 2006.

Go change the World!

A programme of public speaking to encourage people to take action

 

 

Why do we want to do it?

The success of the publication “365 Ways to Change the World” indicates a new mood of public activism, where people want to address osme of the issues facing them in the world, in their communities and in their lives. To capture this mood, and suggest practical ways in which people might make a contribution, we are developing a programmee of public speaking.

 

The essential message of this is that we can all make a difference. We can do this by:

 

• Becoming conscious of some of the important issues that affect us in our communities and in the wider world. This could be anything from global warming to the use of child slave labour in the chocolate we buy.

 

• By changing the way we live our lives, by taking action at home, at work or in our lives. This could be something quite small or something much larger. People can be encouraged to think what they can do if they only have 10 minutes; or if they want to devote the rest of their lives to the issue.

 

• By setting up a project, which might then grow into something significant. All big organisations have started with someone (or a group of people) thinking that something needs to be done.

 

People seem to feel that:

 

• The bigger organisations are more interested in pursuing their own agendas rather than trying to involve people in the issues (or at least trying to harness the energy and creativity of people). The Make Poverty history campaign is a good example. In 2005 this was very high profile and a lot of people got excited. But there was little that they were asked to do that addressed the issues apart from demonstrating at the G8 summit or listening in to a Live8 concert or buying a white wristband. Now the campaign is over, there is nobody galvanising them to action.

 

• The larger organisations are more interested in their money than anything else. Often when one goes to the “take Action” part of a website, all one is asked to do is donate.

 

Taking action to change the world can be a lot of fun, and we can actually make a difference through small actions as well as big actions. There are lots of inspiring examples of people who have actually done something – ordinary people doing extraordinary things and in doing so becoming extraordinary people. This message and this tone will strike a cord. People will respond positively to the idea that they can go out and change the world, and many will have extremely interesting ideas emerge.

 

There is an important role for public speaking as a way of calling people to action – especially if the speakers themselves are activists and have “Been there. Done it”. The following sets out a plan of action for taking this idea forward.

 

Our plans

The idea is to create a panel of young activists who are prepared to speak about how to change the world. They will already be actively involved in their communities, will be making a difference and have had a positive impact in inspiring and engaging others. They will have their own stories to tell and this project would be a unique opportunity to share their stories.

 

Integrated with their own stories, a presentation will be developed with the activists, with audio-visuals and lots of examples of people going out and doing something will be prepared along with an outline plan for a talk of 15 minutes, 30 minute or 1 hour.

 

We will invite between 5 and 8 people (aged between 18 and 30) who are making a difference and have a story to share, to sign up as speakers, and ask each to go out and arrange approximately 40 talks during a year (possibly more) at schools, colleges, youth and young professionals groups, community groups, old people’s groups, voluntary sector forums, corporate community involvement sessions, faith groups, local and community radio, bookshops and wherever. They will be paid a small retainer plus a session fee. They will also be able to earn money from sales of books (which will be provided to them at a deep discount for resale at a discount on published price). In trial sessions for this project, we have been selling “365 Ways to Change the World” at £6 per copy or £10 for two copies (the published price is £7.99), and getting an average sale of nearly one book per person attending (depending on the audience).

 

We are advertising for young activists to participate in thsiu programme through youth action networks. There will be some initial training as an induction, and speakers will be expected to attend two further sessions: mid-programme to share experiences and at the end of the programme for their feedback.

 

The support materials to be provided or developed with the speakers will include:

 

• A letter head for the project, to write letters on

• 250 copies of a simple promotional leaflet (4 pages of A5, in hard copy and electronic formats).

• A PowerPoint presentation

• A Handout to leave participants at talks (black and white, photocopiable and in electronic format).

 

 

How much you will be paid

Speakers will be expected to organise their own programme of talks in and around the region where they are based, and in return each will receive the following payment:

 

1. A sign up fee

£250 for signing up to the programme, in return for signing a contract and agreeing to attend the induction and two further meetings.

 

2. Session fees

£25 per session. This will include public meetings at schools, colleges, community centres and to all sorts of groups. The speaker will make a log of all talks given, numbers in the audience and any outcomes. The speaker will be responsible for travel costs, but these should normally be reimbursed by the organisation holding the event. The speaker may also receive from time to time a fee for speaking, which they will keep.

 

3. Sale of books

The speaker will purchase copies of a selected number of books to sell to the audience. They will take copies to the talk, and keep the proceeds less the costs of purchase of the books.

 

4. Costs of attending induction and networking meetings in London

These will be reimbursed (including overnight accommodation, if needed).

 

This is not an employment. Speakers will be responsible for paying tax on this income where they are taxpayers. However the level of income expected on its own (somewhere between £1,500 and £2,500) will not create any tax liability.

 

 

How to take part

Please apply by e-mail to Michael Norton (see address below) stating the following:

• Personal details, including your age, as well as current employment, address, etc.

• Information about any “activist projects” that you have been involved with or taken a lead on.

• A statement in no more than 150 words setting out why you are interested in taking on this assignment.

• Brief details of any public speaking that you have done.

• The names and contact details of two referees (we will approach these only after the interviews).

 

Applicants should preferably be under 30 and living in England. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

 

We will arrange a CRB check for successful applicants so as to comply with child protection requirements.

 

The deadline for receiving applications is Monday 16th October 2006. Interviews will be held in central London on Wednesday 25th October 2006. The induction will be held also in central London on Saturday 4th November 2006

 

The organisers

The organisers of this project are:

• The Young Achievers Trust, which is taking over the Young Achiever Awards formerly sponsored by Whitbread and the Home Office, in collaboration with:

• The Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action: www.civa.org.uk

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Michael Norton: norton@civa.org.uk

020-7431 1412

 

Alberto Nardelli: albertonardelli@unltd.org.uk

020-7566 1132